September 18, 1184
"Florian!"He'd hardly stepped through the door when Thetis flung her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. He greeted her with a grin, but it slipped as a drop of eye-flung moisture landed on his neck. Odd. Some people did have that strange habit of crying whenever he walked in the door, but Thetis was not one of them. "Oh, thank God you're home!"
And 'Thank God' was a phrase he was more accustomed to hearing as he left. "Thetis? Are you all right?"
"Ah... no. No, I'm not."
She pulled herself off of him and wiped aside her tears. Their absence left a shadow about her eyes that nearly dulled their emerald color. When had he last seen her like this? It must have been when someone had...Shit. "Thetis?"
"Severin didn't come home from school."
God damn. Florian's fingers twitched to a fist, a caustic surge throughout his arm set in motion. Of all his kids, Severin was the one he most often had the urge to strangle, but the boy was still his little baby--his smart-mouthed, cynical, antisocial little baby. He was a pain in the ass, sure... but if he was missing...Don't panic. Thetis is already upset. Be strong for her. For a minute, at least. One of them had to be strong while they were both around--and usually Thetis got stuck with that burden. "What happened?"
"I don't know. He sent a note home with Teodrin. He said that there was something he needed to do, and not to expect him back until October."
Well, at least no one was dead. But still, a stupid kid, all on his own? Especially a stupid kid who had no idea how stupid he was? "Did he say where he was going?"
Thetis shook her head. "I guess he didn't want to be followed."
Of course he didn't. "I could go to the baron if you want. Could ask him to send out some riders. I mean, Severin couldn't have gone too far yet, right? Thetis?"
She drew her hands to her face and sobbed. Florian swallowed. He'd never really figured out what to do with tears. "Thetis..."
"He's all alone!" Her shoulders shook. He placed an arm around them and pulled her closer. "He always wants to be alone, and now he is. What if he's not really coming back?"Then he's even more thoroughly grounded than if he does. "He'll come back. He's not a liar."
"But he's still just a kid! What if he can't take care of himself?"
What if he couldn't.Hell... what adult could? Thetis needed Florian to hold her for a while. Florian would need the same later. "We just can't think like that right now."
NEXT CHAPTER:
11 comments:
Aaaaand back! :D
Seriously, sorry about the ridiculous wait. If you've been following at the Keep or on my Tumblr, you know the story. If not, you probably don't want to anyway. But the important thing is that everything is working now.
Also, if you're a fan of the Keep, you might want to check this out.
WELCOME BACK!!! *does bunny dance*
Well, well, well. So Sev is a thoroughly romantic sweetheart and set out to fetch his lady's horse? I wonder how he expects to do that. Especially on his own. Though damn it, he could have told his parents. That message of his is hardly sufficient!
Poor Thetis, poor Florian!
At least we readers can be sure that he'll come back alright. They don't have that luxury.
While there is certainly some impulsivity here, Severin is the type who prefers to go in with a plan. ;)
But yeah, he could have given his parents more sufficient a heads up. Granted, he wouldn't have wanted to risk being told "No".
Severin is definitely Florian's son. Always causing trouble. xD'
And I'm not sure, if his plan will even succeed. I don't think Rina's father lets himself be blackmailed only with the seize of his genitals.
Yep, Severin definitely did not dodge all of his father's genes. ;)
The problem with Rina's father is that there's not much he's ashamed of. The guy would probably freely admit to burning live puppies if he knew for sure that there would be no legal repercussions. He might be blackmail-proof, but if he's not, his kryptonite could very well be something petty.
Hurrah for the grand return! :D
Poor Thetis. At least when she's putting up with Florian's antics, she knows the man is consequences-repellent. If he burgled a house, he would fall on the broken glass, sue the owners, and win. Severin's still a kid and I don't think he quite has whatever it is his father does that makes him impervious to harm. He's intelligent and perceptive, but not quite so... loose. Even if he was, Thetis won't be easy until he's home again and super-grounded.
Then again, how often does a Tumekrin do something outrageous and NOT get what he wants? Felron is probably about to be down a horse.
It's good to be back. :)
It's true that Florian has a certain immunity to unpleasant situations. Severin's intelligence can't save him from everything; even if it could, he's still Thetis's son, and she's not unjustified in worrying.
But yes, the Tumekrins do have a tendency to achieve their ends outrageously... ;)
God. It feels like I've been dead.
Sorry for disappearing on you, and missing Naroni's return :/
I reunited with a cousin of mine and we spent the past two weeks playing Dragon Age so I haven't even touched my computer :/
Hmm, I think I have an idea where Severin has gone and for what purpose...
No worries! I hope you and your cousin had fun with Dragon Age, and that nothing too stressful happened.
Poor Thetis. :( That kid had better take care of himself!
Stay tuned...
Post a Comment