Chapter 19. ONE, OF A LARGER FAMILY.
1317 Words
Former Captain Mal rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“How….” He said, in exasperation.
“Are we going to look after THIS many people”?
“Ssssssshhhh!” Hastened Sue’s Voice,
“They will overhear you!”
In a fairly large crowd, being handed out chicken soup was the group of survivors that Rats Stars had rescued.
Granny Phug, Sue Gren, and Mal Mear were in a small group discussing the situation.
Mal Wear gave the survivors a quick glance and then gave Sue a sharp look.
“Where are all these Chickens you use coming form, Anyway?”
“I have not seen a single live chicken since we lost that flock we travelled with,”
“Even when we had that flock you never killed any of them, they just got a bit fat and laid eggs”
“I have never seen you or either of you sisters kill a single chicken”
“AND there are never any chicken feathers, bones, blood or any other remains of the chickens you use for you special soup!”
“Where are they coming from and going to?”
Sue narrowed her blind eyes,
“Are you accusing me of something?”
“Are you accusing me or my sisters of something?”
“No!” Said Mal defensively
“I was just curious!”
The dry friendly voice of Granny Phug interjected,
“That is a lot of refugees to look after,”
“But, we will find a way”
“Our backs against the wall!” She continued
“We both have everything and nothing to lose”
“What is that supposed to even mean”? Said Mal.
“It means” Ice tingeing the edge of Granny Phugs normally warm voice.
“That they are now Family”
“We can not adopt every stray!” Hissed Mal, trying to keep his voice down.
“We have to feed ourselves and the large our group the harder it will be to stay hidden!”
“Looking after ever more people is suicidal”
“They have nowhere else”
“They have no one else!” started Granny Phug
“That is not our…” Interrupted Mal,
But hs stopped mid-sentence, blood running cold as she shot a touch of fear into him with one quick look.
Granny Phug Continued
“We ALSO have nowhere else”
“We ALSO have no one else!”
“So how can we not become anything else other than family?”
“They are a burden,” said Mal worried
“Because you are still thinking like a soldier not like a rebel!” Said Granny.
“We need to talk to each one”
“Find out each of their skills, strengths and weaknesses” Continued Granny Phug
“If all someone can do is fetch water then that frees up time for those that can sew instead of fetching water,”
“He may be thinking like a soldier, but what are you thinking like?” Asked Sue
“A nun?”
“You don’t sound like a rebel to me.”
“You sound like a charity,”
Granny Rach Phug smiled, there was no humour in it.
“And what do rebels sound like? My, dear?....”
Sue paused,
“Down with the state?”
“Down with the Empire? Perhaps?”
“That sort of thing….?” Sue replied.
Grannies cold smile widened.
“And that is done out of fun is it?”
“Risking your life from sword, execution, and the elements is not fun, My dear!”
“It is not safety, comfort and a warm fire and some buttered toast!”
“No one chooses to be a rebel or a criminal”
“Or the head of a criminal empire?” Said Mal sarcastically.
“Or the head of a criminal empire!” replied Granny Phug unflinchingly.
“We all want to survive,”
“People are lazy!”
“So why the hell do you think criminals and rebels even exist?”
“If there was a much easier way to survive and feel safe?”
“What about those, who for some reason, can not be of any help to us?” Asked Sue
“What do we do with them?”
“Do we cast them aside to survive on their own?”
Granny snapped back
“We adopt and look after them as well,”
“Unflinchingly and equally with everyone else!”
“We all become family!”
“And…” Said Mal slowly, feeling himself gleefully about to win this debate.
“… What will that get us?”
“Other than killed?!”
Granny Phug looked at Mal as if he was stupid…
“Why…!”
“The fierce undying loyalty of all the others! Of course!”
“Silly man!”
“Nothing is more valuable than that!”
The four travelled from far and wide.
They were some of the most powerful of the Empire,
They were therefor also some of the busiest.
Yet they dropped everything and left immediately.
They rushed using as much magic as they could conjure to travel even faster!
And now they stood around the bedside of a fallen brother.
These people did not love each other.
Many of them actively hated each other.
But, never the less, they still came and still sacrificed as much of themselves as they could.
The air sizzled and rippled with power as they focused powerful magics on the sick and dying patient.
Lyal Tooker, Little finger of the Sunite Sinister Hand was not just merely healed,
Lyal Tooker, Little finger of the Sunite Sinister Hand was made three times stronger than he was before!
The four had buried all their personal grudges and vendettas and had come together to help.
Because that is what you do for family.
None of them was blood-related,
However family is more than just mere blood!
They were, however, very busy.
The others of the Sinister Hand were gone before Layl Tooker awoke.
Just because they were family did not mean they could stand being around each other!
That was also sometimes a part of being a family.
Affection and loyalty, did not necessarily, ever hold hands!
Meanwhile, another family was trying to rescue their brother.
They could not risk travelling fast.
They had to travel slowly to avoid being detected.
They had recently lost a Brother and a Sister in the same battle.
One surviving brother was injured and needed their help.
None of them was blood-related,
However family is more than just mere blood!
The two remaining members of the Sinister Inner Council of the Satites were on a rescue mission to help The Owl!
But they also had been given “other” orders from their master.
A boy aged ten in the rebel camp called Krimson Rouge was sobbing.
He had lost his parents and just wanted everything back the way it was.
He wanted his parents alive.
He wanted his old one-room cottage, now burned down, back.
His twin sister Skarlet Rouge came across her brother Krimson in the woods.
She turned away, her eyes welling up, about to silently leave.
But she was stopped by Granny Phug, her great-grandma.
Quietly, Granny Phug turned Skarlet around and forced her towards her brother.
She held both children together and together they openly mourned and wept for lost family.
When the tears went dry,
They chatted quietly,
Then they openly mourned and wept for lost family, again.
As they were rocked in her arms,
The children re-learned and now truly felt that Granny Phug was family.
It was reinforced what THAT meant!.
It was reinforced what family meant.
- Writer
