Chapter 3
The next day was spent mostly by Cornell studying. His father had definately asked where he had been. Cornell was ready with an excuse he created before he had gone to bed. He said that he went to the store shed to get himself another coat, which was true.
"There must have been a very large quantity of coats to look through." Matthew said. "It took you four and a half hours to come back for the firewood ax and the wheel barrow."
His father's voice was edged with cold sarcasm. It always was, whether he was angry or not. Cornell was too used to it by now to be concerned.
"I also had to run some errands for Maiko..."
Matthew gave Cornell his usual look of disbelief. "Well it's good to know that you haven't been sidetracked by the snow again. What sort of errands?"
"I can't say," Cornell said. "Maiko told me to keep it a secret."
Matthew raised his eyebrows; But the thing that Cornell liked was that he couldn't be proved wrong. There were a lot of things Maiko kept secret from his tribe. The thing Cornell didn't like was that he made up for his lie with studies his father gave him. Cornell sat at his writing desk and played with the abacus his father gave him, staring down at the scrolls that would take him all day and then some to finish. He tried to think of how he would be able to leave and feed Ada without Matthew noticing. He first needed to figure out a way to finish all his work so he could leave the house. Cornell groaned in despair and put his forehead on top of the blank scrolls.
"You still have quite a bit of writing to do." Matthew said, looming over Cornell, watching him study. "If you would like to go outside and play in the snow before sunset, you had best get busy."
Cornell grumbled. Did Matthew still have to ridicule him still about liking snow...? A familiar scent woke Cornell's senses. The scent of a young human. The scent got Matthew's attention as well. Both of them turned towards the entrance door, where it the scent came from.
"Human children..." Matthew murmured. He retrieved his sword and headed towards the door. Cornell immediately stood and followed.
"Where are you going?" Matthew asked, turning back to Cornell. "Sit back down, you have work to do."
"I'd like to see who's at the door too..."
Matthew opened the door. There stood Ada looking up at the two figures.
" 'Ornell!" She exclaimed.
"Ada, what are you doing here?! I told you not to follow me!"
Ada sensed the anger in his voice and curled up as she did the first time they met. She started to cry.
"No, it's alright..." Cornell lowered his voice to a softer tone. He picked her up and held her. "It's okay..."
"Explanations had best start now." Matthew demanded. "How does this human know you?"
There was no use hiding the truth now. Matthew had to find out for better or worse.
"I rescued her." Cornell said. "Her mother and father were killed and the Cossa brothers had abused her. I take care of her now..."
"Not for long. She cannot stay at this camp."
"What do you mean? I'm not giving her up to humans..." Though Cornell had seriously considered the idea.
"Of course not! There isn't another village around here for miles. Though I will be kind enough to let you free her back in the wild. Else I will kill her myself."
"Kind? You know she can't live in the wild! She's not an animal! She'll die before she reaches outside the camp limits!"
"Then so be it. I will not have my son keeping a human as a pet!"
"She's not a pet!" Cornell yelled. "She can be my sister!"
This time Cornell had gone too far. Matthew lifted his sword to strike Ada.
"No!" Cornell dodged the sword and hugged Ada tightly. "How can you do this to her? Can't you see, she's frightened! You would've never done this to mother! You rescued her! Why can't you save Ada?! Ever since mother died you've been acting cruel! I can't stand you!!"
Cornell sat down and wept. Ada cried along with him in silence and hugged him. Matthew didn't tolerate their sobbing. He left the room without a word. Only when he reached the next room did he call back to Cornell.
"You have studies to finish, son."
Cornell wanted nothing to do with his father anymore. He didn't feel any fatherly love from him anymore or any value. Cornell embraced Ada again and continued to cry. Why didn't Matthew just kill them both and end their misery together?