{"id":1403,"date":"2012-09-05T00:00:14","date_gmt":"2012-09-05T04:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1403"},"modified":"2012-09-04T19:56:36","modified_gmt":"2012-09-04T23:56:36","slug":"winter-chapter-20-04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1403","title":{"rendered":"Winter – Chapter 20 – 04"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Rory gave me a dirty look as I fell into step with him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI thought I told you to stay with Thom.
\n<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I shook my head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI can\u2019t help him right now and if I stay, Jacqueline\u2019s only going to end up wound tighter.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Better I come and help make sure you don\u2019t go off the rails.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBesides, it\u2019s better I see my orders to their completion.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m the one who said to burn the bodies.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I shouldn\u2019t hide from that.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>His look became measuring and he finally turned away, nodding with a sigh.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI guess you\u2019re right about that.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I reached over and squeezed his arm.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m not the one that needs protecting anymore, Rory.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You guys can stop sheltering me.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThom would kill us,\u201d Rory said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBecause he really, <\/span>really<\/span><\/em> doesn\u2019t share that opinion.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Intellectually, he knows that you\u2019re strong enough to handle the nasty stuff, but he doesn\u2019t want anyone to make you shoulder that burden.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Rory\u2019s lips thinned.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis\u2019ll make him open his eyes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019ll know what happened today, if not when he wakes up, then soon after.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe I should shelter him from <\/em><\/span>that<\/span> for a little while.\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t want him to deal with that kind of shock right away.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Drew was up on one of the rooftops and Greg was dumping out some dirty wash-water when we found them a few minutes later.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We flagged Drew down and beckoned Greg over to us, clustered in the shadow of one of the shelters.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Greg rubbed his palms together briskly and then blew into his fist, trying to warm his bare hands.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe\u2019re burning the bodies,\u201d I told them.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cRory\u2019s going to see what he can do without wasting deadwood.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Have either of you seen Phelan?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNot since he walked away with you,\u201d Drew said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHe\u2019s not still over by Thom, is he?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I shook my head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI just left them a few minutes ago.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My gaze drifted up toward Matt\u2019s forge.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A faint wisp of smoke rose from the chimney.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI think I figured out where he must be, though.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The three men followed my gaze.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Drew wiped his hands on the seat of his jeans and then shoved them into his pockets.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWonder why he spends so much time up there.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He didn\u2019t strike me as the type.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhy, because of the bow and the staff?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I smiled wryly before I started walking toward the forge.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot more facets to him than he\u2019s let us all see,\u201d I said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Even as the words left my mouth, I knew that a bare handful of us\u2014me, Thom, J.T., and Matt\u2014knew more about Phelan than any of the others.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>It was a strange, almost disconcerting thought, to realize that I knew more about him than most of my friends.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If we\u2019re mostly his blood, shouldn\u2019t that mean he\u2019d be more open with more of us instead of just a few of us?<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>I frowned, crossing my arms as I walked.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Drew asked.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cJust thinking.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Nothing important.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The smoky smell was like wood but not, a scent I couldn\u2019t quite place.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I could hear the quiet murmur of voices as I reached the stone shed that was the most solid structure we had save for the sheds we slept in, though it was entirely open on one side, facing the ruins and the ravines to the south.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Greg\u2019s nose wrinkled.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAre they trying to make charcoal?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That would make sense.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMaybe,\u201d I said, then raised my voice.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPhelan?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You up here?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He poked his head around the corner and peered at me, then at the trio following on my heels.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>His expression went abruptly from curious to grave.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNothing,\u201d I said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe just need your help with something.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I reached behind me and tugged Rory forward.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCan Matt spare you for a little while?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI can bank the fire and come along,\u201d Matt said, stepping out from the shadows and into view, his face smudged with either dirt or soot, I couldn\u2019t be certain which.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I looked at Rory, who shifted from one foot to the other, almost nervously, like a child dragged into the principal\u2019s office.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He swallowed before he said, \u201cI volunteered to try to burn the bodies,\u201d he said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cUsing my\u2026uhm\u2026parlor tricks.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I stared at him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Parlor tricks?\u00a0 <\/span>Really?<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Phelan started to laugh.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He shook his head and started walking past us, back down toward the gap in the walls and the road beyond it.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019d say what you can do is a little more than parlor tricks,\u201d he said to Rory as he passed us, \u201cbut if it makes you feel better to call them that, who am I to stop you?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Rory shot me a baleful look as we started walking again.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I reached over and squeezed his hand.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou\u2019re the one that said it,\u201d I murmured to him.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI know,\u201d he said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNow I\u2019m never going to live it down.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>My lips twitched into a smile.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMaybe not.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But you still said it.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMe and my big mouth.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory gave me a dirty look as I fell into step with him.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I told you to stay with Thom. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I shook my head.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t help him right now and if I stay, Jacqueline\u2019s only … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,59,14,52,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-2","category-chapter-20","category-story","category-winter","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-mD","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1404,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403\/revisions\/1404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}