Chapter 27: Inner Dragon
When Erin and Lysander went back home, it was sunny outside. Yet, Erin couldn't spare a thought for the two snowmen. For, his silliness had been the thing that led him to committing a crime. Even in self-defense, a crime was a crime. He knew that Lysander would never tell him outright, but Erin had to grow up. And he had to grow up now.
But there was a problem with that. He remembered how his parents had acted. Now, that he was looking at the memories with a more critical eye, he saw that he acted much like them.
They were dead now, so, maybe, he shouldn't act like them all the way. Not that he was suddenly going to become selfish, and even rude. Lysander was none of those things, and he had the air of a grown up around him.
What Erin knew he needed to do, was become more like Lysander. That, and reign in his instincts. For, there was this slight grumble in his chest, that made him want to become a drake, and fly up a tree.
The blonde boy called that grumble, his inner dragon. Nothing else would fit, for, there were no such desires in his mind, before that one. As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a thumb. His eyes went wide, when he saw the mammoth before the hut.
"You go and get some rest. Paul and I will make sure the mammoth is salted, and hung to be smoked," Lysander said. Erin shook his head.
"You will never manage to get it done today. And it is sunny out. The meat will spoil. Let me help," Erin needed to start behaving like a grown up now, so Lysander could notice his efforts.
A part of Erin knew that Lysander viewed him as a child. While, at the same time, Lysander viewed himself as an adult. This had allowed for Erin to keep his childish ways, even here, in the frontier. Yet, this had to end. Now.
"Rin, you went through a lot. You need to rest," Lysander protested. He didn't understand from where this stubborn streak has come over Erin, but he was not going to stop looking after the blonde. Anna had once told him, that when you saved a life, you become responsible for the being, which you saved. As far as Lysander was concerned, Erin might as well be his child.
"No, I will help! What do I do?" Erin seemed not to want to give up, this morning. Lysander sighed, and then decided to give the boy a small task to carry out.
"How about you bring out our spare barrel, you know, the small one, and two sacks of salt," the three items were light enough, so Erin could carry them without much problem. Yet, they were also heavy enough, to tire him out. Erin ran back inside the house, as Lysander surveyed the mammoth.
The pelt was thick. Only his falchion would be good enough to skin it. The wolves had ruined parts of it, but if Lysander cut it up to smaller pieces, then he could cure it, and have it as rugs. With the bones, he could make a tent, or, just, use them as support for Belle's saplings.
As he was thinking, he heard a thud. He looked up, and saw Erin dragging the barrel with much huffing and puffing. Lysander took out his falchion, and got to work. When he heard two new thuds, he saw that the salt was next to the barrels, on top of a wooden plate. Lysander was glad that Erin had not placed it in the mud.
"Keep Paul away from the salt. If he pees on it, I will tug off his ear," Lysander said, as Erin gasped.
"Ly, don't threaten Paul," Erin whined. Lysander smiled to himself. If Erin was well enough to whine, then things could look up for him.
"I mean it, I will tug first to the left, then to the right, and then bam! Ear off," Lysander kept on teasing. He leveled the pup with a stern look, his smile never falling off. As if the puppy understood him, it huffed at him. "Don't you use that tone with me, mister!"
Paul huffed once more.
Erin giggled then, finally catching up that this is a game.
"Paul, come on. We can go and stand vigil for Lord Snow-a-lot," Erin said, and the puppy went with him to the snowmen. As the two sat side by side, Lysander busied himself with skinning the mammoth.
The work was tough, and his fingers were slippery with the blood. Yet, this was not the first time, during which he has skinned a big animal. He remembered when a bear fell into one of Anna's traps. She had taught him how to skin thick pelts then. They had feasted for a month, with that meat.
And this was no bear, this was a mammoth. They'll have salted meat for more than a month. The pelts would fetch a good price, once they went back to Crystargar's markets.
Ah, Crystargar. To be able to see the sea again. Last time, they hadn't been able to go to the beach, but this time, Lysander was going to take Erin there. They will make sand castles, and sand angels, and bake in the sun. He giggled, when he imagined burying Erin in the sand, and then going off to swim.
Lysander was many things, but for now, the biggest part of him was that of a child. Now that he had a friend with whom he could relax, he knew that he could let himself be a child when they were safe.
No populated beaches for them, no. He'll take Erin to the overgrown one, near the ruins of the old Crystargar. They will search for treasure; as many boys their age do. But most importantly, they will have fun, and put the nightmare of the previous night, behind them.
Just because Lysander wanted to spare Erin the nightmares, he was going to brew some fruit tea. Warm liquids, Anna had always told him, did wonders to settle the nerves. Lysander had worked hard, and had bags full of dried fruit, which he and Erin had collected during the autumn.
But for now, he needed to reach the meat of the mammoth, and salt and preserve as much of it as he could. For, the rest, would have to be given to Belle, once she woke up.
Chapter 27: Inner Dragon
When Erin and Lysander went back home, it was sunny outside. Yet, Erin couldn't spare a thought for the two snowmen. For, his silliness had been the thing that led him to committing a crime. Even in self-defense, a crime was a crime. He knew that Lysander would never tell him outright, but Erin had to grow up. And he had to grow up now.
But there was a problem with that. He remembered how his parents had acted. Now, that he was looking at the memories with a more critical eye, he saw that he acted much like them.
They were dead now, so, maybe, he shouldn't act like them all the way. Not that he was suddenly going to become selfish, and even rude. Lysander was none of those things, and he had the air of a grown up around him.
What Erin knew he needed to do, was become more like Lysander. That, and reign in his instincts. For, there was this slight grumble in his chest, that made him want to become a drake, and fly up a tree.
The blonde boy called that grumble, his inner dragon. Nothing else would fit, for, there were no such desires in his mind, before that one. As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a thumb. His eyes went wide, when he saw the mammoth before the hut.
"You go and get some rest. Paul and I will make sure the mammoth is salted, and hung to be smoked," Lysander said. Erin shook his head.
"You will never manage to get it done today. And it is sunny out. The meat will spoil. Let me help," Erin needed to start behaving like a grown up now, so Lysander could notice his efforts.
A part of Erin knew that Lysander viewed him as a child. While, at the same time, Lysander viewed himself as an adult. This had allowed for Erin to keep his childish ways, even here, in the frontier. Yet, this had to end. Now.
"Rin, you went through a lot. You need to rest," Lysander protested. He didn't understand from where this stubborn streak has come over Erin, but he was not going to stop looking after the blonde. Anna had once told him, that when you saved a life, you become responsible for the being, which you saved. As far as Lysander was concerned, Erin might as well be his child.
"No, I will help! What do I do?" Erin seemed not to want to give up, this morning. Lysander sighed, and then decided to give the boy a small task to carry out.
"How about you bring out our spare barrel, you know, the small one, and two sacks of salt," the three items were light enough, so Erin could carry them without much problem. Yet, they were also heavy enough, to tire him out. Erin ran back inside the house, as Lysander surveyed the mammoth.
The pelt was thick. Only his falchion would be good enough to skin it. The wolves had ruined parts of it, but if Lysander cut it up to smaller pieces, then he could cure it, and have it as rugs. With the bones, he could make a tent, or, just, use them as support for Belle's saplings.
As he was thinking, he heard a thud. He looked up, and saw Erin dragging the barrel with much huffing and puffing. Lysander took out his falchion, and got to work. When he heard two new thuds, he saw that the salt was next to the barrels, on top of a wooden plate. Lysander was glad that Erin had not placed it in the mud.
"Keep Paul away from the salt. If he pees on it, I will tug off his ear," Lysander said, as Erin gasped.
"Ly, don't threaten Paul," Erin whined. Lysander smiled to himself. If Erin was well enough to whine, then things could look up for him.
"I mean it, I will tug first to the left, then to the right, and then bam! Ear off," Lysander kept on teasing. He leveled the pup with a stern look, his smile never falling off. As if the puppy understood him, it huffed at him. "Don't you use that tone with me, mister!"
Paul huffed once more.
Erin giggled then, finally catching up that this is a game.
"Paul, come on. We can go and stand vigil for Lord Snow-a-lot," Erin said, and the puppy went with him to the snowmen. As the two sat side by side, Lysander busied himself with skinning the mammoth.
The work was tough, and his fingers were slippery with the blood. Yet, this was not the first time, during which he has skinned a big animal. He remembered when a bear fell into one of Anna's traps. She had taught him how to skin thick pelts then. They had feasted for a month, with that meat.
And this was no bear, this was a mammoth. They'll have salted meat for more than a month. The pelts would fetch a good price, once they went back to Crystargar's markets.
Ah, Crystargar. To be able to see the sea again. Last time, they hadn't been able to go to the beach, but this time, Lysander was going to take Erin there. They will make sand castles, and sand angels, and bake in the sun. He giggled, when he imagined burying Erin in the sand, and then going off to swim.
Lysander was many things, but for now, the biggest part of him was that of a child. Now that he had a friend with whom he could relax, he knew that he could let himself be a child when they were safe.
No populated beaches for them, no. He'll take Erin to the overgrown one, near the ruins of the old Crystargar. They will search for treasure; as many boys their age do. But most importantly, they will have fun, and put the nightmare of the previous night, behind them.
Just because Lysander wanted to spare Erin the nightmares, he was going to brew some fruit tea. Warm liquids, Anna had always told him, did wonders to settle the nerves. Lysander had worked hard, and had bags full of dried fruit, which he and Erin had collected during the autumn.
But for now, he needed to reach the meat of the mammoth, and salt and preserve as much of it as he could. For, the rest, would have to be given to Belle, once she woke up.
