JAYROE & SIDAE 2
JAYROE & SIDAE
Part one here.
Part 2
LOCATION: Village of Drusilla
TIME: Medieval Fantasy of sorts.
Male Human Reader x Female Drider (both cis).
It had been a little over two weeks and Jayroe was still bringing milk, cheese, and what food he could scrounge around for at the market to the Drider family. The good news was that they were all looking healthy again and had a healthy bit of weight again. Kai’s leg healed nicely and she’s able to walk about on it without much trouble now, she’s run into the bad habit of tackling Jayroe every time he arrives in the forest, and even Sidae’s cheeks have filled out and is no longer hollow and can even carry the large egg on her back without many struggles now. The only bad news that Jayroe would have to endure was that Lycas seemed to be determined not to trust Jayroe. Jayroe could see the line that Lycas had drawn between them, and though he walked very closely to it to befriend Lycas, he didn’t dare cross it. It was clear as day that Lycas only put up with Jayroe because he was able to provide food and even went so far as to get rid of any and all traps that he found whenever he brought the food.
Though Jayroe wasn’t entirely sure of the anatomy of driders nor how they aged, Kai was acted much like the blacksmith’s bouncing eight-year-old stepdaughter while Lycas acted like a boy coming to the grand coming of age of thirteen. Out of curtesy towards the expecting Sidae, he didn’t dare try to guess her age, though, she hardly looked over twenty. Sidae was always kind in her words and her actions and rarely stern unless absolutely necessary, and always thanked him for what he brought them. Jayroe worried that by doing so much for the driders was somehow hurting Lycas’s pride, he could remember being young like that wanting to help his sister Aisley and getting horribly cantankerous whenever he felt he was under achieving. Jayroe desperately tried to encourage the kid, let him know he was doing a fantastic job looking out for his mom and his sister, but Lycas didn’t want to hear any of that from him. He wished he was kinder and knew how to do things like his dad. His father was the most patient man he ever knew, always kept a cool head about him, and everyone got along with him, even the blacksmith and butcher.
This morning there were the early signs of rain coming and he had to help Fralick with the cows and make an early trip out into town, which put him a few hours behind on bringing the food and goods. He’d promised he’d bring Kai a toy and a book or two for Sidae, though she’d politely refused him time and time again. Every time he got to know them a little bit better, Jayroe just wanted to do a little more for them, even Lycas. It was during this long arduous walk and pull of the wagon that made him want to talk to his father, ask him for some sort of advice of what to do about Lycas, but he wasn’t sure how his father would react to him helping out driders. His father wasn’t a bigot, but he did wane on the air of caution for things outside his realm. His father was aware of the fact driders existed, though not necessarily a true believer in them as Jayroe and a few sisters in the church. Driders hadn’t been seen in decades and had all been assumed that they’d left this village in favor of protecting their castle.
Any driders that were to be found in the forest were feral and highly dangerous, which made the drider family he brought food to daily a very interesting find. Jayroe had often wondered if they had come from the drider castle or if they were trying to go to it. He wanted to ask Sidae about it, however, Jayroe lost the nerve to ask every time he thought about it. Somewhere deep in his mind he knew that he shouldn’t, as though it were taboo or something. Somehow, he knew they had come from the castle, the way in which Sidae spoke told him as such, but he couldn’t figure out why they left the castle. He hoped it wasn’t anything serious, but by Lycas’s constant mistrust, he couldn’t help but feel as though it was just that.
Wheeling the wagon behind him, panting, and thinking hard about what to do and what to say, the rustling of the leaves made Jayroe come to a stop. Glancing up he caught sight of the familiar glaring vibrant green eyes as Lycas emerged from the mist. The earth thudded with the sound of bouncing feet and Kai leapt forth from the mists, her arms wrapping around him in a tight hold. “Jayroe!”
“Kai, sweetie!” He wheezed out a laugh as she squeezed him tight. “Good to see you too.”
“Did you bring me something?” She asked and immediately began to scrounge around in the wagon.
“Of course,” he laughed and dusted himself off a bit as he turned to see the usual glaring Lycas. His green eyes went from his sister finding the stuffed toy cat Jayroe managed to buy in the market today to Jayroe with a disapproving look in his eyes.
“You’re late.” He growled out, glancing around to make sure Jayroe hadn’t been followed.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” Jayroe huffed and placed his hands on his hips. “The rains are coming early this season and I –”
Lycas rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Jayroe let out a quick sigh then smiled at him. He stood up with his hands up “Right, sorry. I brought a little more for y’all because of the incoming rains.”
“Good.” Lycas grunted as he walked over to the wagon. “We’ll be needing it since we’ll be moving soon.”
The air wrapped him in a cold blanket that shook him to his core. “What?”
“The egg is getting heavier.” Lycas said simply. “My mom needs a safer place for the egg to hatch in.”
“Are you not safe now?” Jayroe ran a hand through his hair hoping to shake his brain into action. Had something happened while he’d been away? “I’ve been getting rid of traps when I find them and – ”
“It’s fine.” Lycas gritted his teeth, his nostrils flaring as he glared down at Jayroe.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jayroe could hear the desperation in his voice and could only push his insistence.
“No.” Lycas hissed lowly, his hands gripping the side of the wagon tightly enough for the wood to groan under his touch. “You’ve done enough already.”
Without giving Jayroe a chance to question him, Lycas picked up the handles of the wagon and carted it away into the mists. Singing happily behind him, Kai hugging the cat doll tightly to her chest. Kai’s hand went to his and laced their fingers together as she pulled him along. “Mommy wanted to see you today.”
“Oh yeah?” Jayroe looked down at her, searching her warm green eyes for some sort of answer. “What for?”
“I don’t know.” She hummed softly as she pulled him into the mists. “Mommy and Lycas talk about things in secret when I’m supposed to be asleep, so I don’t know why mommy wants you to come to the nest, but it’s not for anything bad. . . At least I don’t think so. . .”
That did little to ease his concern for the expecting mother and only made his worried thoughts that more troublesome as he feared for the worst. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and earned a smile as they walked. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
It was a good thing that Kai held his hand and led the way through the mists because the deeper they went into the forest, the thicker the mists became and the less he could see. He would have gotten lost if he ever got the foolish idea to try to follow them to their nests before now. Their concern for being found by other humans was almost unmerited since it grew more difficult to walk through the forest as the roots and rocks all seem to grow larger. Any human that dared to go this far in the forest was either very brave or entirely foolish for even though he was being guided by Kai, there was a massive ominous feeling that prickled the hairs on the back of his neck. He really hoped they weren’t in danger; Jayroe had no idea what he could do to help them, it he could even help them at all.
Kai pulled him from side to side until they stood at the mouth of a cave where a boulder and a tree met. Lycas paced back and forth anxiously, the hairs down his body raising on end as he searched for things Jayroe couldn’t see in the treetops. The wagon was empty and waiting outside the cave and with narrowed eyes, Lycas glared at Jayroe as he and Kai approached.
“You took too long.” Lycas scolded Kai as they met him at the mouth of the cave.
“He’s only got two legs, Lycas.” She pouted as she pointed to Jayroe’s feet. “He doesn’t walk as fast as us!”
The corner of Lycas’s mouth almost twitched into a smirk, however, he held his mouth as firmly in a line as he could in front of Jayroe. “You go on in, Kai, I need to talk with him.”
Kai frowned as she looked from Jayroe to her brother. “Don’t be mean to him.”
“I’m not, now go.” He rolled his eyes and shooed her on into the cave. hugging the cat toy closer to her chest, Kai disappeared into the depths of the cave while Lycas turned and looked to Jayroe. Jayroe hoped he appeared calm outside for his heart was pounding with worry inside his ribs.
“You needed to tell me something?”
Lycas grunted and tilted his head to the side. “Watch your mouth when you see her, and don’t mention anything about the egg.”
Jayroe wanted to ask what the drider meant by that, but Lycas turned his back to him and shuffled into the darkness of the cave, stopping, and waiting only a half-step into its depths. Lycas’s green eyes turned to see if Jayroe was following, and it made him jump into rhythm and follow the impatient drider. Lycas had enough patience to wait until Jayroe caught up before leading him further into the cave. Dead leaves crunched underneath his feet and the temperature dropped and left a chill in the air. It was strange to him how deep the cave went, it was almost unnaturally long for a cave, then again, they were driders and could burrow their way into anything. It was a solid burrow, and he almost didn’t notice the sloping of the floor if it weren’t for the way the gravity pulled the lantern in his hands. It was only when Jayroe passed the lantern between his hands to keep some sense of heat to them that he realized they were underground.
There was Sidae’s humming, Kai’s laughter and pale light up ahead that glowed with warmth. Lycas suddenly grabbed Jayroe’s shoulder, his claws digging into his shoulder as he got his attention. “Remember,” he hissed, “not a word about the egg.”
Lycas entered the burrow and was happily greeted by his mother and left Jayroe standing with a ball of nerves of worry about what to anticipate the moment he saw her. It had been a few days since he’d last seen her, but the egg had seemed fine then, surely nothing had happened to it. It wasn’t until he stood in the light that he saw why Lycas had warned him. Sidae’s back was to him while she fidgeted around their living area and Jayroe saw the egg had nearly tripled in size on Sidae’s back. He bit his tongue to keep his mouth from falling open at the sight and was thankful that Kai tackled him to the ground again. It winded him enough to knock whatever shock had taken him and returned him to a better mindset.
“Kai, dear, don’t jump on Jayroe like that!” Sidae scolded as he sat up, Lycas pulling his sister off the human.
“It’s all right.” He laughed lightly as the beauty of Sidae’s smile filled his vision and she helped him to his feet. “I’ve had worse.”
“Still, she should know better.” She shook her head with a sigh and reached her gentle hand out to him, her long fingers rearranging his hair right and tucking the collar of his shirt down. “It’s good to see you, Jayroe.”
“And you, Sidae.” His smile was broad, and his heart was loud in his chest. “Looking better each time I see you; I might add.”
“What else can I do when you bring such nourishing food for us?” Her voice was light and playful and knew just what to say to make his heart want to dance with hers. “Please, do come in.”
Though it was a burrow deep below the earth, it was a place full of warmth and plenty of silk. Carefully decorated panels of silk as big as tapestries hung on the walls and made the burrow appear even larger than what it already was and gave the illusion that there were windows. Jayroe kept his eyes on the walls, studying all the details he could to prevent himself from staring at the large egg on Sidae’s back. It was so swollen he was sure that it would hatch any day now. He hoped it would so it would lighten some of that burden, he knew it just had to be heavy.
“Come, I’ve prepared something for you.” Sidae spoke happily as she turned and led him into another part of the burrow.
“Should I be worried?” He joked lightly as he continued to stare at the intricate designs of the silk tapestries along the walls.
“Far from it.” She shook her head as she pulled back a silk curtain and bade him enter with her hand. “It’s just in here.”
The doorway was small, just big enough for Lycas to enter easily, but it would not fit Sidae. He tried not to let the question appear on his face, but something gave him away and she chuckled at him. “What is it I should be looking for?”
“You’ll see.” She chimed happily, a sparkle of glee in her eyes as she held the curtain to hide the lower half of her face.
Not sure what to expect, Jayroe stepped inside and saw that it was a storage room full of bolts of fabric, all silk. Drider silk. Drider silk was rare to come across as it had limited quantity of exports from the drider castle, and it was practically a myth for a backwater village like Drusilla. Jayroe had no idea what to make of this, what to say, what to do. “Sidae?”
“Choose anything you see there.” Sidae encouraged, her head peeking in the doorway. “Anything that catches your eyes, just take it off the wall.”
Her words were overwhelming, and Jayroe didn’t know the first thing about choosing such a thing. He could see the intricate patterns, everything from stripes to polka dots, to lace to woven pieces, but he wouldn’t know what to do with it when he picked one. He could give to Aisley, maybe she’d make a dress out of it? But if that was the case then that would mean she’d need to be here to pick it. Per her request, he studied them, taking the time to look at each of them, but he grew more nervous the longer he took to study them.
“How can I choose?” He muttered and ran a hand through his hair.
He didn’t want to offend her, assuming this was her handiwork, but this was too much for a dairy farmer to decide. Not to mention it would look highly suspicious for someone of his status owning Drider silk as fine as this. With a shaky breath and a heavy heart, he left the storage room and weakly smiled at her. She was smiling widely, but it shrunk as she saw his hands were empty. She quickly tried to recover her smile, but Jayroe had already seen the worry in her eyes. “You didn’t find anything?”
“Oh, I found plenty,” He dragged his hand across the back of his neck. “But it’s too fancy for someone like me.”
“Surely not!” She gasped and side stepped so she could close the door behind him. “You’ve been nothing but kind and generous since meeting my children and I, you deserve only the finest of silks to offer. I am only sorry my silk is not as good as it could be, with me carrying this egg. . .”
She nervously glanced at the giant egg attached to her and Jayroe, remembering Lycas’s warning, refused to look at it. However, he knew he had to say something to sooth her worries.
“Your silk is the finest thing I have ever seen, Sidae.” Her head slowly turned back to him, those green eyes nearly glowing as a faint blush dusted those sharp cheeks. “Other than my sister who would probably love to make something with your silk, I have no true use for it. It would be a waste on me.”
She blinked incredulously at him, and he felt his own face burning at the question. “You don’t have a mate?”
“N-No.” He cleared his throat and did his best to smile and cover up his embarrassment. “No, I don’t have a wife or a girl, or anything of that sort.”
“How ever could you not?” Her mouth fell open and she shook her head in disbelief. “A male as attractive as you, hardworking too, surely you’ve caught the eye of someone.”
He bit his lip as he silently wished he’d catch her eye but refrained from saying anything that could make their relationship strange as he knew there had been a few girls in the village that took an interest in him once but didn’t last for long. For all he knew she was being polite and probably saw him as something ugly, compared to her he was. Hair as rich and full as honey that trailed down like a waterfall down her back with green eyes as vibrant as grass after the rain, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“There’s few and far between and most of them are already taken.” He shrugged casually, trying to shrug his own feelings aside. “Besides, with all the work I do, I couldn’t properly court someone.”
Her brows furrowed as she tilted her head to the left and her honey-fall of hair rolled over her shoulder. Something inside his chest squeezed at the sight and it took a great deal of control not to reach for her hair and tuck it behind her ear. “Is there someone who’s captured your interest whom you wish to court?”
Like his sister Sidae knew how to ask the question he wanted to answer least. How could he answer her without scaring her off?
“I, uh. . .” He licked his lips nervously and tried to think of a proper explanation. “It’s complicated. . .”
“Is helping us getting in the way of your happiness?”
“No!” He didn’t dare let her think she was a problem in his life when she was anything but that. Helping this small family had given him a new purpose in life, for the first time in years he felt alive. He wouldn’t trade Sidae, Kai, or even angry little Lycas for anything. “No, me helping ya’ll is something I do with pride and pleasure, and I would not have you thinking it otherwise.”
Her brows furrowed, a frown creeping on her face as she studied his face. He knew she was looking for any signs of him spouting nonsense, and his only fear was that she would somehow see the truth and how much he cared for her. His throat nearly closed with the tension of the silence before she broke out in a smile. He wasn’t sure what she saw or if she found what she was looking, for, but he was silently thankful that she dropped the matter and said nothing more. With a wave of her arm, she led him into a dining sort of area where Lycas and Kai were already seated at a table laid out with plates and bowls and even silverware. Jayroe had never thought of the way driders ate their food, terrible images of tiny spiders capturing their prey in silk cocoons came to mind but seeing them sit at the proper table was not what he had envisioned, though it was a pleasant surprise.
The food thankfully consisted mostly of fruits a few vegetables and quite a few mystery things that Jayroe didn’t dare ask about. It was interesting both in texture and flavor, however, he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know what exactly it was that he had eaten in case it turned in his stomach. The meal went without a hitch and after the meal it was almost strange to see the grumpy Lycas playing with his sister. Jayroe and Sidae still sat at the table sipping on tea watch as they played. A content smile painted Sidae’s beautiful features and it took everything in Jayroe not to keep stealing glances at her whenever he sipped his tea.
It was both pleasant and strange to sit with her like this, watching her children run around the large living area, laughing, and shrieking and occasionally growling, it was almost normal for Jayroe as if he were somehow supposed to be a part of their world. His heart swelled with hope at the idea, but he was also aware that he was only temporarily in their lives and unless Sidae wanted him to stay, he would never be a permanent fixture in their lives.
“It always makes my heart happy to see them so carefree.” Sidae sighed as she set her cup down and repositioned herself, her vibrant green eyes happily watching after her children. “They didn’t get to have many chances to just be themselves at the castle. . .”
Jayroe’s ears were burning to know more about this secret life that they were all so tightlipped to keep from him, but it was not his business, and he knew better than to pry. He cleared his throat roughly before quickly sipping on the hot tea. “They’re good kids. Kai is so bright, and even though Lycas is grumpy I know his heart is in the right place, even if he’ll never trust me.”
Sidae’s hand gently touched his shoulder, and he took the opportunity to look up at her beautiful smile. “It warms me to know you see his goodness, not many do thanks to his fierce exterior.”
Jayroe could only smile and give a curt nod of understanding, even though he felt as though he knew nothing about them or their troubles.
“You’re allowed to ask, you know.” Her words were soft, and he was certain those vibrant green eyes could somehow read his mind. “About us, I mean. You’ve done so much for us in such a short time, you’re allowed a few answers to whatever questions you have.”
It was tempting to just ask why they were here, what it was they were running from, though that much was obvious. They were running from something in the castle, though who or what was still a mystery. However, Jayroe still didn’t want to pry, it just felt wrong. He threw on a quick smile and spoke dryly, “Who am I really to ask?” His hand involuntarily balled into a fist. “I could somehow put you three in more danger by knowing anything about you than nothing at all.”
She hummed thoughtfully to herself then picked up her tea and spoke so softly that Jayroe didn’t hear. “You’re more a father than the two males I was bred with to bring the life of those two into this world.”
Jayroe took a deep breath as her words ran loudly in his head. He didn’t want surprise to paint his face and kept as calm as he could as he looked at Sidae. She still had a smile on her face, but it was somehow hard and there was a deep sadness in her eyes as the recent painful memories have resurfaced.
“I’m sure you’ve had quite a few assumptions about us.” She held her cup of tea in two hands, her fingers delicately and nervously tracing the rim of the cup.
“Nothing bad, I swear.” He tried to sound assuring, but he could even hear the worry in his own voice.
“That’s good to hear.” She laughed weakly and her vibrant green eyes stayed on her children as they played. “Others of our kind do not think as kindly as you and have no shame in frowning at the lower position my poor children and I hold.”
His brow furrowed, but he said nothing so Sidae could choose whether she wished to continue. This only seemed to further cement just how different and far apart their worlds were, but he so desperately wanted to help her somehow.
“In short, I am, no, was a breeder meant to produce strong fighters for the Drider King’s coliseum to fulfill their roles of crude entertainment in our small society.” Her fingers nervously tapped against the cup in her hands and Jayroe desperately wanted to reach and hold her hand to comfort her. Sadly, he feared that would have the opposite effect and sat quietly for her to continue. “I met Lycas’s father when I was thirteen and then Sidae’s nearly five after that. Both of their fathers were gladiators in the king’s fighting ring, which was so sad as they were both kind to me and they both suffered terrible fates as they fulfilled their roles.” Sidae’s brow pinched, and her fingers tightly held the cup and her breath hitched. “The most recent male I had was regretfully more feral than they had realized and was not as kind when he hit his heat. . .”
Her hand subconsciously went to her chest and pet a faint scar that was hidden by the length of her hair. It was a black line against her pale skin, and Jayroe never would have noticed it had she not made a notion to it. Anger boiled within Jayroe and though he knew that Driders were dangerous, he wanted to fight for her honor.
“I’m afraid he and I didn’t get along very well, but he did fill the children’s minds with stories of this place.” She waved her hand to the giant cave in which they sat. A small bead of sweat rolled down his neck as he realized this was a den large enough to house several large Driders. “He told us about this place as he helped us plan a great escape and even gave me the exact details in order to find it.”
“He did not come with you?” He could have kicked himself for asking such a ridiculous question when she winced and tried to quickly cover it with a smile.
“No. . . He sacrificed himself to ensure we were able to run away.”
It felt as though a rock wanted to bury its way in his chest. “I’m sorry . . .”
“You couldn’t have known. . .” She winced again and looked over at Lycas. “I wish I could say I mourned his loss, however, I did not. There was no love between us so much as the obligation to rely on one another to survive. Though I do wish he wouldn’t have died the way he had. . . Lycas had taken a great liking to him.”
Jayroe’s eyes widened at the news and chose to look at Sidae rather than gawk at the kids. Sidae met his gaze with a smile before she brought her cup to her lips to take a quick sip.
“Lycas is not as big as the other Driders.” She spoke even softer and turned her eyes toward the cup in her hands. “I fear he may never be as large as other Driders; however, I secretly am grateful that he will never be as ferocious as his father. You see, he was considered the runt of his brood and it was only thanks to his size that I was even remotely allowed to keep one of my children.”
He almost didn’t dare ask the question that came to his mind, but his tongue moved before he could stop himself. “What of the others?”
“Taken to be breeders or fighters.” Her brow pinched and she sipped her tea again. “I was only lucky to keep Kai because she was not deemed as beautiful as the others and would have been mercilessly thrown into the fighting ring.”
Jayroe didn’t think his heart could hurt much more or could want to help this family any more than he already was, but the more he learned about them the more he was determined to keep them safe from all harm. When the urge came to take up Sidae’s hand he did not fight it and held it tightly. Her head tilted to the side as she watched him fight the urge to cry.
“I swear, I will keep your family safe.” He stared into those vibrant eyes, swearing those words into both his heart and his soul.
“You don’t –”
“I do.” He would not allow her to deny him this. Jayroe was human and far weaker in comparison than a child Drider, but he would not let any more harm come to this family. Even if he had to abandon his own to protect this one, he would. “I want to help. I will keep you all safe.”
Something flickered in Sidae’s eyes, something that Jayroe couldn’t quite place, but when she squeezed his hand in return, he knew that she would allow him this honor of keeping them safe. A new spark had lighted his soul that even Lycas’s growling and glare at their joined hands while he held a sleeping Kai couldn’t deter him from accomplishing this goal.
Jayroe should have known better that the simple life of providing them food was only going to get more difficult as Lord Colquett would hire outside sources to make his life that much more difficult. The following morning had consisted of the entire family going into town because there was news of visitors soon to be staying in the village. A bead of cold sweat nearly froze him to the bone at this news, but he did as he was told and helped get the house ready. Little did he know that not only would there be Holy Knights coming to their small village, but there would be Dark Knights with Orcs and Drow in toe too. A wave of panic had washed over him when Lord Colquett had announced that they were here to eradicate the Drider problem they were having; except that there wasn’t a Drider problem as he had personally made sure of that.
It was that panic and that desperate desire to keep that family safe that made him speak out and publicly question Lord Colquett. Everyone knew that there was no real threat from the Driders, not when they were supposed to be protecting the village, especially since there hadn’t been any more complaints about missing animals. Still, he was quickly shut up and his father was quiet the whole ride home. Jayroe never spoke out of turn like that, he knew his place and he knew there was a time and a place for such things. His sister was nearly in tears to know that her beloved cow Peiper was going to be used as bait, Fralick did not seem to be deterred one way or the other, however, Jayroe couldn’t stop bouncing his leg as he tried to think of someway of warning the Driders.
Both of his siblings jumped from the wagon and went to the barn, Fralick to pretend to do his chores while Aisley to go cry over her cow, however, as soon as Jayroe moved to leave the driver’s seat, his father held onto his elbow. “Sit here a minute, son.”
Jayroe looked down to see his father deep in thought, his brow wrinkled in concern and Jayroe wanted to do anything but sit. Still, he did as his father asked and tried to stop his leg from bouncing.
“You gonna tell me what’s been in the forest that’s kept you there most mornin’s?” His father’s brown eyes had far too much knowledge in them as he raised a brow at him. Jayroe licked his lower lip nervously and tried to think of the best way to explain this to him. “You were extremely late coming back from town yesterday.”
“Pa, I . . .” He laced his fingers together and clenched his fingers tightly. “I want to. . . but I can’t.”
“Can’t, huh?” He merely sighed and scratched at the scruff on his chin. “Why’s that?”
Jayroe winced at the question, the guilt of keeping the truth from his father gnawing at his heart but the need to keep Sidae her family was so much stronger. “I made a promise.”
“And you don’t like breaking your promises. . .” His father clicked his tongue and slowly nodded his head. “It’s Driders, though, ain’t it?”
“Pa, I –”
“I know you can’t tell me, promises and all that.” His father waved the concern away and looked at him. “I just need you to say yes or no to my questions and then I’ll let you go.”
Jayroe bit his lip but nodded as he conceded to his father’s simple request.
“Has whatever it is you’ve been giving the leftovers to is in the forest?”
A direct his that made him wince, but nod as he spoke the truth. “Yes.”
His father didn’t seem to upset about this and nodded in understanding. “Is what you’ve been doin’ the reason why there haven’t been any more ‘Drider issues’ here in town?”
A faint smile flickered on his face at his father trying to be so lighthearted about this situation, and Jayroe nodded again. “Yes.”
His father merely hummed with a nod and ran his hand through his hair. “These Driders your takin’ care of, they dangerous?”
“No.” He shook his head immediately, the need to fight rising within him. “They’re no more dangerous than Aisley whenever that idiot Tom comes around.”
“I see.” He grunted and tried to hide his smile behind his work gloves. “I’m almost done, son, then you’ll go see them. Are they close enough where they’re gonna get caught by these interlopers we got in town?”
“No.” He hesitantly shook his head. The Holy Knights would have to be willing to go deep into the forest to find them, and even if they did, there was too great a chance they’d get lost.
“That’s good to hear.” His father leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “You got a thing for whoever it is you’re wantin’ to protect?”
Jayroe’s face warmed and his neck felt uncomfortable with sweat at the question. “Pa –”
“Don’t ignore the question, son.” A crack of a smile formed on his father’s face. “I ain’t seen you this determined in a while, especially not over any of the girls in town. Whoever it is must be pretty special for you to be keepin’ secrets from me and nearly puttin’ your life in danger every day by goin’ into the forest.”
He gulped at his father’s strange abundance of knowledge of Jayroe’s actions, but then again, it was a small village, and it was hard to not take notice of such things. His father was kind enough to allow all his kids a bit of privacy, they were all nearly grown and should be starting their own families, but as there wasn’t any boys in town good enough for Aisley and none of the girls caught Jayroe or Fralick’s eye, their father didn’t mind them doing as they pleased so long as they worked on the farm with him. Their father only ever got involved if there was a big issue that one of them caused or if there was some sort of need for concern, otherwise he trusted them to make valid reasons to do what they did. They were extremely blessed to have him for more reasons than one and Jayroe couldn’t find it in his heart to keep too much more information from him.
“I do like the woman and her kids that I’m trying to keep safe.” He admitted so quietly he hardly heard his own voice. “I really do, they’ve been through more than I can say and only want a little bit of peace. They don’t cause harm and keep to themselves. . . but yes, I do have a thing for who I’m trying to protect.”
“We got a few hours before our house guests arrive,” His father clapped a hand to his shoulder and Jayroe suddenly felt strangely encouraged. “You better get on out there and warn them of the nasty storms that are to come.”
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
Here in Part 3!
I hope you’re enjoying this so far!
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