41st of Autumn, 507AV There was no sound up ahead save for the excited whispers, she was trying to keep her own wheezing to minimum so the other two would not know they were being followed. She scanned the darkness to try and figure out where they went next, wondering how much longer she could keep up with the two boys. Sosicly had heard them back at the Grotto, whispering about who or what their brothers would bring back from the harvest. It was her own thoughts, and she had watched them quietly from her corner, then followed them after hearing about their ‘secret passage’ by the entrance. They would have a perfect view. And so would she. But now she was tiring, and she was not entirely sure how she was supposed to get back the way they came let alone continue forward. Sosicly was so absorbed in trying to keep quiet, she hadn’t even noticed she had lost sight of the other two until they were behind her. “What are you doing?” “You going to tell?” The young girl would have screamed if she could have, whipping around with her knapsack in surprise and no little amount of fear. They would be in trouble if they interfered with bringing in the surrogates that they hoped to catch a glimpse of. Already she disliked them but they were a means to an end, and she slowly shook her head negatively. “It’s the one that can’t talk.” “So she won’t tell?” “Who would she tell?” Again she shook her head, and scribbled in the book before showing it to them but they ignored the words in favor of making themselves look taller. Trying to puff themselves up into authority and they looked ridiculous. “Go back.” She shook her head and gestured the way they were headed. “You’re not going to tell?” Sosicly shrugged, she wouldn’t tell on them so long as she wouldn’t get in trouble either. “She can’t come! What if something happens to her? I’m not watching her.” She tried to keep her face blank, but she decided that these two should be the ones who couldn’t talk, all the words and phrases they were taught, and they insults were barbaric at best. But they still stung. Gritting her teeth she took out her book to write, ignoring the twinges of pain from her chest. It was then that one of the boys made to slap the book out of her hand, hitting her in the process. Her vision was as poor as any humans’ for a chime, her breath stopped entirely and when things returned to their normal pained inhales, her hand was burned furiously, and she was looking up at them from a smooth ledge. Sosicly stared at the blood in shock, an automatic prayer to Viratas entering her mind silently, thanking him for all he had done for her this day before their bickering reached her ears. “I didn’t mean to! She had no balance.” “She’s invalid! What did you expect?!” The other snapped, before coloring brightly, when he did dare to meet her gaze again, he quickly looked away. His voice was not even slightly reassuring. “Give us your hand and we will pull you.” She held up her bad hand still trying to understand that she had fallen and showed them the gash, unless they could pull her up with one arm and not lose their balance themselves… “Wait here, we will bring someone.” She glared up from where she sat, clutching her hand tightly, and contemplating how she was supposed to move. Her initial assessment held, they were both idiots and not worth wasting her paper on. “We will come back.” He insisted, and she let the glare lessened a fraction. |