InsaneJournal

SM4HE 4


‘You’ll stay by my side and you’ll be quiet.’ His father had said.

And quiet he had been.’

He had stood by his father as they waited in the dust and the misery outside Green cave as they waited for news off his brothers wife and Tori’ata .

They were outside a large white tent, A hastily erected wire fence kept out most of the city’s population with help from the city enforcers. A few of the Lords had been allowed inside, mostly because they had either mounts or carriages which the lower classes did not have and had gotten there before the fence had been risen. The rescuers had not been happy, but they allowed it as long as they stayed put.

Stay put and stay quiet, and stay by his father’s side. Anything to be there when Aunt Eeves and Tori’ata were pulled out, Anything so he could see that they were okay.

He was silent when the Lord of the Hunters clan and his two grandchildren found out that his son, their father was dead.

He was silent when Lord Achun Lat Orrow of Blue sector, The head of the smallest of the fox clans found out that his only daughter was dead.

He was silent when the Herron, Lorn Hern the royal advisor found out that the eldest of the king’s sons had been found dead along side Achun’s daughter.

Terren crept closer to his father’s side, but only got a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

Codea Cooper, Now Lord Codea Cooper from the clan in charge of he enforcers was next. The badger had lost his father and his daughter; and like the Cat’s of the Hunter’s clan he turned a hateful glare on the Archmage.

And on Terren .

The hand on his shoulder tightened it’s grip.

“We’ve got a live one!”

All eyes turned up to the cave opening, where so many bodies had been taken out.

It was a mouse, they had covered her with a blanket as they carted her past them and into a medical tent.

The blanket should have been clean un - dyed cloth.

Instead it was grey with dust, and quickly turning red.

Terren stayed silent.

The world was screaming enough without him.

Three more were pulled from the cave alive. An owl with shattered wings, a rabbet with a missing ear…

And a third that Terren did not get to see because his father had pulled him close and buried Terren’s face in his shirt.

After that, there was not much hope. Terren leaned against his father and started praying to the divine beast of Fire. Surly if it had loved him enough to make Tori’ata a channeler, it must love him enough to save him form earth’s grasp. The divine beast of the earth would not be so cruel as to take one of it’s lover’s chosen away would it?

When his shoulder was shaken he realised that at some point he had fallen asleep, on his feet leaning against his father. He had thought only Eppii was able to do that.

Tori would laugh if he could see him now.

Only...Terren realised he was not standing up.

Terren opened his eyes to see Thwellsha looking down at him.

She was on the floor and he was in her lap.

They were inside the tent.

“Sha?”

Thwellsha looked down at him, and gave him a watery smile. “You finally woke up.”

“What are you...I mean weren’t you..?”

“I am okay, Eppii’s magic threw me for a loop and I hit my head that is all. I am fine now.”

“And Eppii?”

“Still out. But not as deep as before. We think he’ll be awake tomorrow…I mean later today.”

“Your Mom?”

Thwellsha shook her head, her lip quivering.

“Tori?” Terren ’s voice broke.

“He...they found him alive but - Ren wait!”

But Terren was already on his feet, Even inside the tent the air smelled of dust, but he caught his father’s smell under it, then he caught the sent of burt fur, Maybe fear had made Tori burn all the fur off his tale again, and when Eppii woke up he would make fun of it and they could laugh and…

Father was sat next to a bed, the only bed that had a person on it that was not completely covered in dusty stained blankets from head to toe.

“Disgusting isn’t it.” The Archmage said. “So many dead that they barely have room for the living. And he can not be moved yet.”

“Dad?” Terren said his voice tiny in the large room.

“It’s okay,” He said as Terren crept closer. “They gave him something for the pain, Must have been something powerful. To sleep though this.”

Tori’ata was on the bed, covered in bandages that covered half his face, both his arms, one of which was held up by a rudely made harness. One leg was in a cast and his was more naked skin than fur. If it was not for the dark red hair still on one side of his head and the ginger tail with a black and white tip; Terren would not haven known he was a fox let alone his cousin.

Terren did not want to know what other injures the blankets were covering but everyone knew the horror stories about channellers who lost control of their magic.

Everyone knew what happened to Tori’ata’s father.

“They found him under an umbrella of ice.” The Archmage said. “He had tried to save himself and those around him…but it was to much for him to handle.”