“Ah. Here you are.” Smalls looked up to see Wilfred. Wilfred didn’t look in a good mood. “We need to talk.”
What’s gone wrong now? Smalls stood. “What about?”
“It’s…..bad Smalls.” Wilfred said, sighing and rubbing his face as they moved out of Lighthall. “Pacer says the wolf patrols get closer every day.” Lovely. “Their garrison down at Decker’s Landing is growing.” Perfect. “They seem to know something is up here.”
“And Harbone?” They’re closest-they’re supposed to track Morbin’s movements.
Wilfred shook his head, sagging. “Harbone Citadel won’t last much longer, I’m afraid.”
“Why not?” He asked, trying not to let his annoyance leak into his voice. “Can’t they hold it together just a little while longer? A few more months?”
Wilfred looked down. "That’s just it. They don’t think it will be only a little while. They think it’s more likely we’ll all be betrayed, discovered, and….well…..you know what happens then.” Smalls’ mind raced, trying to find a way to avoid that conclusion, to bring back hope. But what hope did they have? Even if Smalls was revealed-who in Natalia would want to put all of there faith and trust in a sixteen-year-old kid who was faking half the time? Not him.
“You must plead with them.” He finally said.
“I have.” Wilfred grew frustrated. “But they….they….” He shook his head, his face a mixture of anger and grief. “They don’t trust me.”
Silence.
“Wretches.” Smalls spat at the ground, bitter and not trying to hide it.
“But you know it must be hard for them. I look just like him.” And what, that matters? Your appearance-what you look like? That matters more than your actions? It was ludicrous and they both knew it.
“It’s not fair.” He seethed, staring at the ground.
“I would do the same, if I was them. How can anyone trust me or anyone in my family?”
Smalls just shook his head. How could anyone hate Heather? The thought of it and his blood simmered. “That doesn’t make it right, Wilfred.” He stated plainly. “The fact is, you didn’t do anything.”
Wilfred shook his head. “And that’s the problem, lad. I didn’t do anything. Come, it’s getting late for breakfast.”
“What’s plaguing Harbone that they’re so cynical now?” Smalls asked.
“Wild wolves.” Wilfred sighed. “Rabid, insane. They can barely leave the citadel.”
“Sounds pleasant. We must have just missed them.”
“Yes, we got very lucky that night.” Wilfred agreed.
They entered the Savory Den. It was packed. Smalls had heard the soldiers arriving at something like one A.M. the night before. Then he’d heard the drills early that morning, along with everyone else in the mountain, based on the decibel they were shouting. Most of the soldiers looked exhausted and eyed him warily. Even though they didn’t know who he was, his First Warren uniform, like Pacer had pointed out previously, was not doing his conspicuousness any favors.
“So they’re just falling apart at the seams?” Smalls sighed.
“Essentially.” Wilfred replied. “Listen, I’m not very hungry. I’m going to go finish up some letters before Rake comes in here trying to track me down again.” He glanced over at a table of Half-wind soldiers, with Captain Frye at the head. “I’m not in the mood to deal with Frye over there.” He added, lowering his voice. Smalls went to sit down. “And Smalls,” Wilfred began, “Don’t start anything you can’t finish.”
“Now what makes you think I would?” Smalls replied, grinning.
Wilfred shook his head, a despairing, half-amused look on his face. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
Smalls snorted as Wilfred left. “Probably the life of you more like it.” He muttered.
“Looks like Wilfred hasn’t changed, then.”
Smalls jumped, and spun around. His irritation grew when he saw Evan. “Seriously?”
Evan laughed. “Glad to see me?”
“Well, yes.” Smalls admitted. “But leapers-don’t do that again!”
“No promises.”
“When did you get here?”
“Late last night. Ronan’s still asleep.”
Smalls looked around. There were barely any Blackstone soldiers at all. “This is all Blackstone brought?”
“Half the garrison is sick.” Evan shrugged. “Truff brought who he could. How under-cover are you?”
“No one here knows anything about me.”
“Ah. Fun. What’d you do to your back? And-wait, are you on crutches?”
“It’s a long story that’s mostly just a living nightmare.”
“Sounds like us. Concussed too?”
Smalls rolled his eyes. “That joke is old Evan.”
“And still hilarious.” Evan smirked.
Smalls snorted. Three times. I was concussed only three times!...... In the span of a year.
“You almost done eating?” Evan asked.
“I’m still going to be hungry after this.” Smalls said, glancing at his plate.
“You’ll live. How long have you been here?”
“A little less than half a week.”
“Is it as dull as they say?”
Smalls shrugged. “It’s better than Kingston, if you know what I mean.”
“Anything’s better than Kingston. The place leeched the life out of everything.”
“Maybe that would be because they had rules they actually enforced, and you just didn’t like that?”
“Ha ha. Maybe. Either way, the only fun we had that summer was pranking Heyna.”
Smalls’ mind flashed to the memory, and he couldn’t help laughing. “I don’t think Wilfred took his eyes off us for about a month after that.”
“In his defense, we were a little mean to her.”
“Us?” Smalls raised his eyebrows. “We both know that it was you.”
“Yeah yeah. Guess so.” Evan reflected a moment as Smalls finished his food. “I hope she doesn’t hate me for that still.”
“With our luck, she probably does.”
“Thanks.”
“What? You dumped spiders in her bed, even I wouldn’t forgive you for that.”
“Whatever.”
“You brought it up……”
Smalls finished his food and turned his plate in, while Evan stood impatiently by the door.
“Did you get my letters?” Evan asked first.
“A few days ago. You wrote twenty in one month.” Smalls replied.
Evan grinned. “I had a lot to say.”
“I could tell.” They wandered into the library, claiming a table shoved into a corner in the back.
“You going to tell me what happened?” Evan asked.
Smalls sighed. “Do you really want to know?”
“Definitely. Tell me about the living nightmare, please.”
“That’s……a crazy few days.” Evan said, sitting back and shaking his head. “Not sorry that I missed meeting Winslow, though.”
“Did you know about Whittel?” Smalls asked, ignoring his comment.
Evan fidgeted. “Yes.” He finally responded. Evan sighed. “I eavesdropped a lot, okay? I……probably shouldn’t have. Some of the stuff that Wilfred talked about with Blackstar back at Kingston gave me nightmares for weeks.” He shuddered. “Eugh, I definitely shouldn’t have eavesdropped.”
“Nice that you didn’t think to tell Asher or I.” Smalls grumbled.
“You know now.” Evan pointed out. “And it’s not like it had a massive affect on your life before this.” Smalls was forced to admit that it had not been affecting him at all, but still frowned. “Oh no,” Evan said, his voice fake and over the top dramatic, “What on earth has my precious baby brother so down?”
Smalls snorted, The only baby is him. “You really need to stop that.”
“How come? Does it annoy you?”
Smalls ignored that. “You need to tell Wilfred about Charity.” He replied flatly.
Evan’s cheerful attitude faltered. “Smalls I-”
“Don’t want to. I know. You told me. But you said you would, and it’s the right thing to do.” Smalls’ voice didn’t allow room for resistance.
Evan sighed, a heaviness desending on him. “I don’t know what to do, Smalls. I really don’t. It’s a mess. Everything at Blackstone is a mess.” He put his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead. “Ronan really doesn’t listen to me anymore-and his son is apparently jealous of me, though why on earth that is I really couldn’t tell you. They won’t listen, no matter how hard I try to get them to. They’re stubborn and foolish.” Smalls looked down. Wilfred’s similar issues weighed on him. “I…...I didn’t mention this, but I probably should have. Charity is Ronan’s daughter. He protects her like a maniac and would probably murder me-prince or no-if he found out I was courting her.”
“It’s a secret?” Smalls asked, exasperated, Oh, this just gets better and better……
“What else was I supposed to do? I’d like to keep living, thanks. You’re the only person I’ve told besides Asher, and he’s all against it.” Evan exhaled, turning to gaze out the window. “Truth is, it’s one huge disaster I don’t know how to get out of. Charity’s scared and Asher’s mad, and Wilfred would be too if he knew about it.” He looked up, his face pleading. “You can’t tell him. Please. He and I both need to know that I can handle my own problems without dragging him into it.” Evan looked down. “He shouldn’t have to breathe down my neck all the time, afraid I’m going to do or say something moronically stupid.”
This is an awful idea, Smalls thought, Just…….awful. It won’t end well. “Alright.” He replied reluctantly. Evan visibly relaxed. “But Evan,” Smalls added, “Wilfred isn’t going to get mad if you ask for help. He’s not like that, you know that.”
“I know. I’m…...trying, Smalls. I’m at the end of my rope, but I’ll try to climb back up.” He abruptly changed the subject. “You’ve been talking a lot about this Heather, you aren’t seeing her, are you?”
Smalls’ eyes widened and he immediately flushed. “No!” He answered quickly. “No, of course not.”
Evan raised his eyebrows. “Okaaaaay, But you’d like to?” He asked, smirking. Smalls rolled his eyes . “C’mon, I won’t tell anyone.” Evan coaxed, annoying Smalls further.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Evan.” He retorted.
“Confirmed.” Evan said, snapping his fingers. “You’re in love with her.”
Smalls was ashamed to admit he nearly fell out of his chair. “What?-N-No I’m not.” The stuttering at the beginning was so unlike him, that Evan seemed genuinely shocked. Then he laughed.
“Leapers, she’s got you good.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Smalls replied, face burning.
Evan burst out in laughter. “Okay. Sure. You’re not in love with this doe you’ve spent way more time talking about than the actual adventure, a doe you’re stuttering over. Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this red.”
“Stop it, Evan.”
“I thought you wanted the truth?”
“This isn’t the truth!”
“You’re in denial.”
“And you’re extremely annoying.”
Evan grinned. “We’ve established that. How come you won’t just admit it and be done?”
“I-” Smalls broke off, realizing he didn’t know why. No, wait a minute, Evan isn’t right! This isn’t the truth. It’s just……And Smalls couldn’t come up with an answer to that question. Evan seemed to be aware of his inner monologue, because he laughed and shook his head.
“Denying what you feel is only going to work for so long, Smalls.” He remarked, grinning. “Mark my words.”
Smalls shook his head. “Please, bring back politics.” He muttered.
“This is more interesting.” Evan replied cheerfully. That was up for debate.
Yay! Evan's here now!