For a Lunch (Kendall)

[Cathan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 510 AV

"Is he dead?" The girl gave the wolf a critical look, gray eyes suspiciously narrowed as she edged away from the animal laying in the middle of the narrow alleyway. It was not really an alley, more a dead end between two warehouses, laying in half shadow even in the middle of the day.

A blond boy of ten, bolder than the rest of the little group, stepped forward, a wooden stick in one hand. Not half an hour previous he had used it as sword in the heroic battle against all evil, but now he prodded the end in the canine's side with a critical expression. "Seems so."

"Well... not that he didn't deserve it. He stole all the sausage from my bread," the first girl proclaimed again, cheeks flushing in pink anger and just a little fear.

"Actually you gave him all but one piece yourself," the blond boy all but interrupted her as he crouched down beside the animal. "He just tried to get the last piece... the one you waved before his nose for two minutes."

Another girl crossed her arms before the chest and stepped to her friend. "Yeah, but we were not the ones killing him." With six she was the youngest one of the group, a red head with so many freckles you could barely see her pale skin. Frowning she looked at the boys before her, the bystanders, the boy who wanted to become knight one day, and the skinny nine year old she knew was the culprit for the killing. Uncomfortable the boy shrugged.

"It was not even a large stone. It was just a pebble." To emphasize what he said he showed the small stone he had picked up to flick at the animal when it had started forward to pick the piece of sausage from his sisters fingers, sending the girl around her screaming in fear. Other than his friends he seemed not at all proud over what he had done. "You don't think the dog is really dead, now is he?"

"I don't think that's a dog," the blond pointed out, mounting the presumably dead dog like a pony. "Its an evil wolf. And we killed him. My dad could make a fur rug out of him. For our hideout. How does that sound?"

As if the said had been a command the wolf pushed to his feet, eyes glowing golden. It set the children running. Screaming they darted out of the alley, before them all the blond boy who had slipped from the animal's back as soon as he had felt him moving. Yawning Cathan watched the horde of shrieking children scamper around the next corner, unable to help the feeling he was as so often the only one who had found his joke even halfway funny.

Quietly the Kelvic waited for the sounds of cowed children to fade in the distance before he started to move. For a moment only he pondered the fine line between finding and stealing before be wolfed down a second sausage bread one of the children had dropped. Stepping out of the alleyway he weighted the merits of heading out of the city to hunt down some hares versus heading to the place where he had left his clothing, going to a tavern. Or to forage some food from the city population. Many seemed eager to throw him some leftovers just to get ride of him. It stung. At least a little bit.

Ever since Mahar's death Cathan had come to realize that making decisions was not one of his strong sides. Even when he appreciated the freedom it offered him, it left him unfocused and wandering the streets he brought himself into trouble on an appalling frequent basis. Not only frequently, but also entirely unfounded, when the Kelvic was to be asked.

One shoulder almost touching the house walls, the large animal slunk down the street, sniffing the air. A stiff breeze from the sea carried the smells from the near harbor with them, the stink of fish and salt, of algae. In the half season since his arrival he had come to despite the odor, his senses to keen to just ignore them. No, he wasn't really comfortable in the city, but then the city was not very comfortable with him either.

The sound of footsteps made Cathan look over his shoulder, the sight of three furious men followed by a mob of children made his ears twitch. For the briefest of moments he considered shifting, explaining himself, but in the middle of a street in brightest daylight it didn't seem like the best idea he ever had. Instead he dashed down the street, scurried through a group of woman selling pottery and clothing, climbed up some stairs in three leaps to the sound of breaking ceramics.

Turning around the next corner, he almost slammed into a young man.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Nightmares had started to plague Kendall while he slept. He thrashed and sweated in his slumber. Sweat had become a distant memory to Kendall. He had become one with the fire, or at least he had in a way. The nightmares had no mercy and clawed at his thoughts even when he was awake. Of course there was a reason. These nightmares did not come out of the blue. There were no monsters roaming through his subconscious or people chasing him down. These dark dreams were thick with one thing only, his memories. The thoughts of the accident were seeping into his dreams. When once he could escape the terrible memories by becoming unconcious now they were haunting him like a relentless ghost. These restless nights were resulting in Kendall being extremely exhusted in his waking life. Days seemed to blur togather at times and he often found himself falling asleep at the bar just to wake up with a jolt when the nightmares set in. He needed to let the memories out some how. He just did not know how. In place of sleeping Kendall set off to walk around town. His eyes kept close watch around him. Far too often he caught the eye of someone who had known him. It was just too uncomfortable and too painful. All he wanted to do was go home but all around him there were reminders that he could not. The docks were now off limits. His brother's requented the docks and he knew if he was seen there he would get hurt. The university was a grey area in Kendall's eyes. His mother, father, and sister were all there on an almost daily basis. It was expected though. They were scholars much like their... son. They would not admit to Kendall's relation to them but that was in the past. As much as Kendall wanted to brush them off and take the additude of "if they do not want to be around me then screw them" but he couldn't. Something in him could not give up on them so easily. Although they pushed him away and ostrisized him they were his family. His father Da'nel had taught him all about science and even took her to explore the wildlands when she was younger at times. His mother read him books and taught him how to write. Eveyone in his family held value to him but sadly the feeling was not mutual. The streets were empty enough. Kendall was not a huge fan of mixing with large groups of people. He truly did not mind others. In fact he pined for the company of another setient creature but as it currently seemed that was not an option at least not in Zeltiva. He walked alone so in the abense of convorsation he listened to the sounds of the city. Usually Zeltiva was quiet. It was not exempt from the occasional ruckus though. Kendall knew that all too well. He closed his eyes and listened to the city around him. At first there was just the quiet whispers of the wind and the sea. It was a natural soundtrack of his hometown. Then the sound of running caught his ear. He did not think much of the sound. There were constantly running though the city playing in the streets. The thought of playing kids made a small smile appear of Kendall's usually stoic face. The memories of playing with his brothers danced in his mind. He was so far into daydreams that he seemed to have collided with something. He snapped out of his daydream and looked down. Were his eyes deceiving him? There was a wolf at his feet. From the looks of the canine it looked sick maybe even hurt. Kendall was a bit reluctant to reach out to the animal. The reactions of wild animals were never easy to predict. Besides, how often did a wolf wander into town? Kendall looked up to see the creators of the noise he had heard earlier. It was a mob of kids just as he had assumed. The issue was that they were joined by three older men. This could be a problem. Kendall could have run off. It would have been the better idea. He was not well liked due to his connection to Ivak and he was sure sticking around would only lead to trouble. He looked down to the wolf and he was reminded of the day he heard Ivak's voice for the first time in his mind. Everyone needed help sometimes, even animals. Kendall looked up at the people and placed his hand on the wolf's head. "Excuse me, did my wolf steal from you?" Kendall knew he would regret this. He was only going to get himself in trouble. He kneeled down to the wolf's eye line and looked at him. "How many times have I told you not to steal from people! You keep getting me in trouble dog!" He meant to ill will toward the wolf. It was just the only way he could help the canine. It looked as if it was struggling to hang on and as a man who had been there, at least mentally, he felt obliged to help.

[Cathan]

Claws scratched over stone as Cathan came to a sudden halt. Since his lone arrival in the city not too long ago, he had come to be the quarry of all to many chases and his first instinct was to push past the stranger who dared to get in his way. The place where he had stashed his few belongings was not far away and out of experience the Kelvic knew that people were much less likely to pay him any attention once he had shifted back into his human form. And once he had put on some clothes again, of course.

Something in the eyes of the young man made him stop though. Already the fact to not been seized by the neck came as a pleasant surprise, even so though he had to fight the urge to bite the hand stretched out towards him. It reminded him about the one time he had bitten a man. It also reminded him about the punishment he had received for his mistake and the thought made his fur itch. A low growl escaped his throat, the hint of impressive fangs becoming visible as bared his teeth, only belated realizing what the other man was trying to do. With the crowd having reached them, Cathan simply hung his head, trying to look crestfallen on account of the scolding. When he was honest he was rather pleased with the effect as the group slowed down, the three men watching both of them with a light frown.

"That's him!," the red haired girl from earlier squeal as if she had just found the monster under her bed she had been hunting for ages, the one no one had believer her to be there. Now she grinned brightly, eyes shinning in the thought of victory. The idea made Cathan snort. It wasn't even the girl who had fed him the sausages earlier, but there was little he could do about it, but laying down at the young man's feet, trying to look miserable.

A man in his thirties with hair in the color of burnished bronze stepped forward. It was not hard to guess whose father he was, nor that he was either a fisher or a dock worker. The Kelvic could smell the fish smell even over the distance. "So he's yours, eh?" The man gave the wolf a skeptical look. When Cathan was honest, the man seemed even a little surprised by the fact there was a wolf. "Don't really care about what he stole... but he could have bitten someone's finger of." It was clear, that with 'someone', he meant his daughter. "Would also bet he is the one who Haren's fish the other day, or what you say?"

One of the other two men frowned. "Could be," he admitted after a long pause. "But... not sure."

The heard painted a wolfish smile on Cathan's face. For one time before the man didn't seem to certain if he was to be blamed or not and also because he fondly remembered the two fat fish he had tugged from the man's boat not two days previous.

"I tell you... put that beast on a leash, before someone gets hurt. Or get ride of him altogether." Spitting out the man turned, pulling the girl behind him. "And if I was you I would either get away from here or prepare to pay. I saw some angry women and a good amount of shades on my way here and I bet they wont be half as lenient as I am." With that the man headed back down the stairs, the crowed dissolving almost instantly.

In the silence settling between them Cathan looked up to the man who had helped him. Not quite sure of what to make of the gesture, he couldn't help but feel grateful. Cute tail wagging wasn't an integral part of his nature and so he merely tilt his head to the side as he watched the man before him with golden eyes. The man looked younger than the Kelvic in his human form, meaning he was likely considerably older. Guessing someone's age was not really his strong side and he was still mulling over the fact that the man had saved his skin, when he realized sitting around would do them no good.

Moving down the alleyway behind his new acquaintance, he turned around as if waiting for the man to follow, ears twitching.

[Kendall Saarinen]

The imposing crowd was not doing much for Kendall's already low amount of bravery. He was man enough (as odd as that was to say) to admit that he was a tad bit scared of people at times. The large crowd was scaring him but he held his ground. It may not have been a matter of life and death for him but for the wolf it could have been. Kendall knew how horrid his own race could be. They were powerful and they made use of that power. The wolf growled at Kendall's outstretched hand but it came as no surprise to him. He was a stranger to the wolf and that made him an enemy. "I'm sorry, just put up with me for a few chimes and you will be home free. I promise." Kendall's voice was hushed and his brown and blue eyes were pointed down at the wolf. The fact that it did not run from his touch was a shock in itself. Ususally people tended to keep their distance from Kendall due to the fire that decorated his arm. The wolf took no notice to this though. Of course, to Kendall this was just a wolf. He had no inkling that this creature was a kelvic. His eyes shifted to the young girl as she spoke up through the silence. Kendall normally would have gotten angry at the childish sadisim. It was the girl's first taste of power. She held the fate of the wolf in her hands. She did not need to tell the man to come and demand justice for the stolen food. She did it for the commotion and the thrill of the chase. She now had something to do for the day, something to talk about. The man's words were nothing but the calls of stupidity in Kendall's ears. It was the sound of a man who was looking for an easy fight. "Yes, he is mine and you would do well to mind your own petching business. I do with my wolf as I please. I do not need a perfect stranger giving me instruction on how to care for my companion. If you are worried about your daughter's fingers then maybe you should keep a leash on her." It was blatantly obvious Kendall was not the master conversationalist. He was not there to make friends though. He was there to make sure the wolf got away safefly. When the commotion died down the wolf reacted simply with a slight turn of his head. Kendall did not expect even that. He thought the wolf would just run away without a second thought. What kept it from running? Could it have been more than just a wolf? Kendall could not believe it even if it was true. "Is this a Kelvic? That can't be possible! They are extremely rare." He decided to talk to the wolf. It would not do a lot of good if it was just a regular wolf but if it was a kelvic maybe he could get through to it. "Sorry about touching you on the head. I'm not one for the whole touchy feely thing either. I just needed to prove you would not bite me. Thank Ivak you didn't. I do enjoy having both hands." This was silly. Who talked to a wolf? Yes, possibly the followers of Caiyha and possibly a few Konti but still. It only made him look more crazy than people thought he was. The truth was Kendall was as sane as a man could be, he just was not in the right body. A sigh left Kendall's mouth. The wolf looked like it was in bad shape. Once again he attempted to talk to the wolf. "I am not much of a doctor but if you need tending to your wounds I might be able to help." He shook his head. He was talking to a wolf who most likely did not understand a word he said. Was he really this hungry for companionship that he would strike up a convorsation with a wolf he found on the street. Kendall signed again. "Just..., if you are a Kelvic, give me a sign or something. I just need to know I am talking to intellegent life here or not." Kendall really hoped the wolf was in fact a kelvic. It would have been nice to have been talking to a creature who could understand his speech.

[Cathan]

It was odd, having someone talk with him. Or rather, having someone talk with him as if he was a human and not a wolf, or even dog. That was another thing he had grown tired of since his arrival, the 'Here, doggy, doggy' and 'Drop! Bad dog', he seemed to get from the few people who paid him much of an attention in the first place. Among the dogs and cats feeding on the offal found around the docks and fish markets he was one of the largest, but that only meant people usually avoided him even more than the other mutts and stray cats roaming the streets.

His ears twitched when the man offered to tend to his wounds and at first he wasn't sure what the other one was talking about. Cathan had to admit, he hadn't paid much mind to his appearance in the past days and he rarely did more than was needed for his own comfort. There was no one who could object to his looks, no one who could have been impressed. Mahar had always been proud when the kelvic had managed to pass as a human, but without him Cathan had returned to a more convenient lifestyle of just doing what was needed, whenever it was needed. Or he felt like doing it anyway.

Only slowly it dawned on him what the man was talking about. The scratch he had suffered from the children earlier. He could feel where the blood clotted his fur, could scent the faint metallic smell which had so often caused him to loose control in the past but with the time had grown used to. It was not a large wound, but it had bled quite a bit. The kelic had paid it little mind. It was not the worst wound he had ever suffered, in fact he had not intended to pay it any attention before the topic was brought up. At some point it would only have been another scar. And he had too much of them to bother about a new one.

People didn't care in his experience. With a few rare exceptions it seemed. That said, few came to the conclusion he was a kelvic either. Or if they did they didn't care to share their perception with him. Still, when the man asked for a sign his first instinct was to turn around, to get away. To keep things as simple as they were now. But he couldn't quite get himself to. It had been a long time since someone had a conversation with him, the few times he had been to bars and taverns aside and for a reason Cathan couldn't pin down, those had always ended in some bar fight. (The past three events also gave him the distinct impression he was not entirely innocent in that regard though.)

A sign. The question put Cathan in the rare position to damn his inability to speak in his true form. In the past it had rarely proven a problem. He had never been a talkative individual and beside his last bound partner no one had expected him to give a reply to something they said or even worse, question an order given.

Instead of an answer he could only bark, a short deep growl unlike the sounds heard from most dogs. Intently the large wolf watched the man, intelligence and maybe a dose curiosity shimmering in his eyes. Reluctantly the kelvic walked back over to the his helper, sitting down to his feet. Pride had always kept him from becoming to much like a dog, or so he liked to tell himself, but he did knew gratitude.

Or at least the basic concept of it. If people did something for you, you did something for them.

[Kendall Saarinen]

It was not completely clear whether or not the wolf really did understand. Of course, what could one expect? The wolf was not going to just get up and do a song and dance to prove he was a Kelvic. The bark and growl were Kendall's only hints to the wolf's Kelvic identity. Although Kendall was unsure whether or not they were actual insight to the wolf or just a lucky coincidence he took it as the wolf answering him. Loneliness truely made a man hopeful. It was a surprise to see the wolf lay down at Kendall's feet. He was not sure what to do. This wolf could bite his hand off if it felt the need. Kendall could defend himself but he felt as though he would not want to. He had no issue using his skills in reimency against another human but an animal? He could not do it. Humans judged and they hurt others. They pushed others away just because they were different. Animals did not do that. They might hurt another but it was only for self defense. Not knowing what else to do Kendall sat down began to talk to the wolf again. "I do not know why people act as they do. Humans tend to make a ruckus when ever they can." Kendall was not sure when he started to get so cynical in reguards to the human race. He guessed it stemed from the fact that a human felt the need to experiment on him. He understood completely that he was human and there for should not hold so much resentment for his own race. He just could not help feeling a bit of ill will towards people who saw others only as tools in their own lives. Kendall would not have been in his situation of a man on the street decided that he had so little respect for him that he was going to experiment on him. Kendall looked down at the wolf and sighed. "Please do not think all humans are that terrible. The kind people just seem to be a minority these days." Kendall reached out to pet the wolf but pulled back. This was a wolf, not a dog. It was not a pet and it might not take to kindly to a human petting it. Instead Kendall continued to talk. It was nice to finally have something or someone to talk to. "I guess all in all, things are difficult. We just need to prove we can get through it." Kendall hung his head and sighed. "I cannot believe I am spilling my soul out to a wolf."

[Cathan]

It was an oddly peaceful moment. The sales woman Cathan had expected to come after him never showed up, instead the sounds of the city ebbed away in the distance as marketeers started to bundle their goods, about to end a hard day of work. Maybe they had not expected him to sit down not two streets away in an alley at the feet of someone he barely knew. Heck, he would have laughed, had someone told him in the morning he would do it for another reason than to snatch some food.

Around them the shadows grew longer and darker, painting abstract shadows on the opposite wall. The setting sun shimmered red on the wolf's lean body, coloring the grayish brown brindled body in dozen shades of crimson, made his eyes gleam in a rich golden color as he looked up to the human setting so calmly at his side. The kelvic wasn't sure if the man talked more to him, or to himself. Cathan was not usually much of a listener when it came to other people's problems, if only they reminded him how much problems he had himself. Yet, there was a bitterness in the young man's voice which made him think of his own feelings at times. He wasn't feeling much resentment when it came to humans. As well could a mouse feel resentment towards a cat or a rabbit towards a wolf. The strong dominated the weak, that was part of nature. Wolves got along with their own kin and humans had a tendency to group together. But he didn't really belong to either of the two fractions, which made him to an exception of the rule he figured.

He had never expected a human to end up in the same situation. Mostly because he had never wasted a thought about it, but also because the complex structures of human society sometimes eluded him. Almost thoughtful he tilt his head to the side when the man continued to talk. Earlier when they had faced the group the had sensed his helpers fear, could have almost smelled it. Still, the man had stood up for him. Or both of them, the kelvic wasn't sure.

Beside them a group of children past down the street, not those he had encountered earlier, they laughed and shouted as the ran past them. They didn't pay him or the young man much attention, instead chasing behind each other until they were out of sight. It made the wolf's ears twitch a little.

"I guess all in all, things are difficult. We just need to prove we can get through it," the young man pointed out and Cathan's attention shifted once more towards him. We. It was rare the kelvic heard that word in a context where it included him. It made his ear's twitch once again before he poked his nose in the other man's side as a sign of agreement. In the past the wolf had learned you could get over everything as long as you just had a thick enough skin. Or a little help.

A grumbling in the pit of his stomach reminded him that his lunch had only considered of a bread with five thin slices of sausage. Looking between his new acquaintance and the mouth of the alley for a long moment he didn't move though, instead resting his head on the tight of the man sitting at his side.

[Kendall Saarinen]

The dark of night was begining to set in and Syna was inching closer to the horizon in preperation for her nightly meeting with Leth. Kendall always found the sight a bit bittersweet. At least the two had each other. His dreamy stare at the horizon was broken as he felt a push against his side. Kendall had an awful habit of drifting off into daydreams but luckly there was usually some sort of interference to wake him from his trance. He looked down to see the wolf pressing it's nose into his side. He smiled at the contact but he kept his hands where they were. He would not risk scaring the wolf by attempting to pet it's fur or scratch behind it's ears. He wanted to of course. He had always wanted a dog growing up but his father would not let him. He claimed animals were dirty and full of disease. Of course this was not a dog nor was it anything close to a pet. There had to be something unique about the animal though. It acted as though it truly understood him. It was nearing dinner time and although Kendall did not want to, he had to eat. He had been trying to keep himself from eating a lot now that his family was not supporting him and paying for every meal he ate. He looked down at the wolf who was laying on his leg. "Well... do you want something to eat? I'm sure I can afford to buy you something to eat." He would not buy himself anything. He had eaten lunch and he knew if he was going to keep going on this budget he would have to stick to his limited diet, at least until he left Zeltiva. The weight of those words hung around Kendall as he sat with the wolf. Things never used to be so bad. He used to be able to eat as much as he wanted without worry. He used to have a roof over his head and a family that loved him. "I should have apprieciated it when i had it." Although his family had treated him like dirt and cast him aside he could not help but miss them. He wanted to return to the days of sailing with his brothers and reading with his mom. He missed the trips to the Wildlands with his father. He would have been nothing without them and yet he was nothing to them. They were fine now that he was gone. They were a bit riled because to them "Kendall Saarinen" was still missing. They still needed to find their "lost" daughter. She... well he was right there sharing a city with them but they were too blind to see her... or him. They were doing more damage than good with their relentless search for Kendall. They would never find what they were looking for at the rate they were going. They were looking in all the wrong places and looking at all the wrong people. Maybe they would see the girl they were looking for but it would not be Kendall. Kendall looked down at the wolf and bit his lip. He would not cry. Enough tears had been shed for his god forsaken family. They did not deserve even his worst emotions.

[Cathan]

The wolf had laid quietly at Kendall's side while the young man watched the setting day star, paying little attention to phenomenon himself. Instead the kelvic enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his fur, a warmth that seemed to reach his bones. Had he been alone he would have searching himself a quiet yard now, dozing in the evening sun, at least until someone had chased him away. Half way he was still waiting for it. Ready to dart off any moment, should it be needed or the man at his side moved too quickly.

He was not chased away though. He was offered food. Sitting up the large animal cocked its head to the side and had Cathan not been a wolf he might have looked confused. If he had been more of a wolf he might have even sneered at the thought of charity. Few knew your could keep a wolf as a pet if you just got one young enough. They were like dogs then, just less likely to obey, less likely to learn the same tricks you could teach a dog. The kelvic had run with dogs a long time. He had grown up with them, talked to them like an equal and since he had entered the city he had grown even closer to them. Oh, Cathan enjoyed the hunt, yet the longer he had spend in the city the more he had realized there were easier ways to get food than hunting. Especially since around the city only existed farms and he had to ran the whole way to the mountains if he wanted to pray on anything other than hares and sheep. Sheep that belong to some farm anyway.

His ear's twitched uncertain, when the man continued to talk, sensing there was more to the said than was obvious. He could have changed. Asked. But in the past it had proved to bother people and he wasn't daring it just yet. Still, the offer of food was staying in the room and it was not a hard decision to swallow his pride once more. It wasn't so much because it was free, that was a part the kelvic paid not much mind to. He was hungry and he was offered food. It did sound like good times, now didn't it.

Can it really hurt?

Uncertain the wolf moved a few steps away, looking over his shoulder before sitting down once more. As if waiting for Kendall to take the lead. Or to change his mind. It was something Cathan was half waiting on. The whole offer seemed to good to be true. Looking over to the young man though the kelvic couldn't help but feel he was honest.

Honest and somewhat sad.

[Kendall Saarinen]

It was hard to continue to talk to the wolf. There was only so much a man could say to a creature who did not speak back. With his options quite limited he got to his feet and looked down at the wolf. "Come, we will find some food for you." He walked forward hoping his new canine companion would follow. He was a bit scared to move from their spot. At least there he knew that the wolf would not leave him. It was a bit pathetic but Kendall just did not want to be alone. He had lived a solitary life for the good part of a season now and now he was getting the taste of having a companion. The quiet sounds of the night life of Zeltiva sounded around the pair. The soft sound of waves could be heard over the light chatter of people and the occasional shuffle of hooves on the streets. Kendall closed his eyes and breathed in the sea air. A small smile appeared although it faded as fast as it found its way to the surface. Although the memories hurt, this was home. It would always be home. These streets were where Kendall had taken his first steps and the university held the memory of his first words. No matter who he was now Zeltiva would always be where he was from. The memories would remain even if he did not seem to be the person who lived them. After a while of walking around in indecision Kendall finally decided to just head to the bakery. It was simple and cheap. He walked toward the store but a thought came to him. "If the civilians had wanted to get the wolf earlier who was to say it would not try to get him now?" Kendall did not know what to do. He could not take the wolf into the store with him but if he left the wolf alone the mob might take the chance to come back. At a standstill Kendall sat down on the front steps of the shop and looked the wolf in the eyes. "I can't take you in with me and I can't leave you here. Petch…" Kendall sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. A pang of hunger hit him and he cringed, grabbing his stomach. "I'm so hungry…" Once again the memories came back. Dinner at home, he could not tell if he missed it or he just wanted a free meal. He had lost his respect for his family a while ago.