The Broken Ones

Chapter 6:3 -Guidance

It took a few hours before Soi could sleep. His eyes wouldn’t close but looked steadily at the roof, when he turned to the side he saw the door which Ana had run out of. Soi decided that sleeping on his stomach might be the best choice. It didn’t help, he only breathed in feathers from his pillow which made him cough.
His past and history were his secret. Throughout all the years in Sofara he had never once revealed were he actually came from. He had avoided or simply said that he didn’t want to answer any questions about his past. It was partly because he was ashamed of how he had left and to protect his home from invaders. If the water’s healing ability were to be discovered Spring Island wouldn’t stand a chance if it was invaded. It didn’t matter how many and talented Spring Guardians the island had, they would never be enough and islands habitants would eventually be massacred. His father might be dead but the rest of Soi’s family was still alive and Soi wouldn’t let them die, not because of a loose tongue anyway. But now she knew, and Soi was terrified she would leak the secret. It could change the whole world of the brokens, it could heal them.
Not only was Soi terrified, he was mad. She had intruded on his privacy, his secrets and past, without his consent and then she had lied about it as well. She wasn’t really proving to be a good keeper of the knowledge she had no right to know. He felt betrayed but then it hit him- he had trusted her! He had considered her a friend, not as a mission or work. Soi had acted as a guard many times before in Sofara but he had never got this close to any of the people he had protected. Maybe it was because of the mysterious world of the broken ones that had perplexed him and drawn him in, or simply because Ana was like no one he’d ever known. Both a child and an adult, and absolutely lethal. Whatever the reasons were, their relation had to be restored to guard and being guarded. In his opinion, as a guard he didn’t need to trust her, he only had to protect her. But first he had to make sure his secret was kept a secret- even if he had to kill her.

The next morning he woke early and helped Mack with the breakfast. Soi could feel Mack’s eyes resting on him several times but Mack didn’t say or ask anything. The cottage’s breakfast table was equally impressive as its dinner table. Mack and Soi set out five different kinds of bread. A light loaf, a heavy bread with nuts and fruits, small buns with sunflower seeds, a beautiful loaf with colourful flower petals and a thin, crispy bread. There was also several cheese’s, fresh fruit and berries picked from Mack’s garden, butter, juice, milk, tea and honey. Some egg, bacon and sausages. In the middle of the table Mack put a vase filled with flowers from his garden.
Soon Jagger appeared from her room with her short red hair sticking out at all sides. She rubbed her eyes and yawned before she gave her father a pick on the cheek, glowered at Soi, and sat down by the table.
-Where’s Ana? She asked and looked straight at Soi.
At that moment Ana entered the room from the kitchen. She didn’t look well, her eyes were red as if she had cried all night. She looked even tinier than usually, there was nothing dangerous about her. She looked like a little girl. A sad little girl who hung with her head. For a second Soi’s chest hurt, but he had already decided what to do so he put aside his feelings and looked the other way.
They all sat down by the full table and begun to eat. Ana, as usually, didn’t load her plate full. She took one apple and some berries and cheese. Soi could never get the hung of why she ate so little at breakfast and lunch but at dinner completely devoured everything in her sight. Soi shook his head and put the question out of his mind. It was not a question for him to ask. He looked down at his own plate. Today it was equally empty as Ana’s, he wasn’t hungry. But he forced himself to eat two slices of bread with butter and cheese, and some bacon and eggs, and then he just watched his plate. He couldn’t force down anymore.
During the meal he could feel Jagger’s eyes stare a hole into him but she didn’t say anything. Though she probably would have if Mack hadn’t been there. When she didn’t dug a hole into Soi, she watched Ana with worried eyes only to follow up with an angry stare yet again directed at Soi.
After a while when neither Soi or Ana had eaten for minutes, Soi rose from his chair.
-Ana, I need to talk to you.
She nodded slightly and rose as well to follow him outside. Soi led them to the corner of Mack’s garden before he turned around to face her. Ana still hung with her head, her eyes fixed on her toes. The sight of her made Soi sad but quickly his feelings changed to anger. Why did she make him feel sad and ashamed!
He drew a small dagger he had hidden by his waist and attacked her. She didn’t resist, maybe because of the surprise that her own guard attacked her, maybe because… They both fell to the ground, Soi on top of her, holding the dagger at her throat.
-I need you to promise me, to swear that you will never reveal the secret of Spring Island, Soi said through his teeth.
For the first time since last night, Ana met Soi’s dark eyes with her own grey.
-I promise.
-If you go back on this oath you will die.
-I know, she answered solemnly.
Soi put away the dagger, but he didn’t rise.
-If you ever do this to me again, I’ll kill you.
He rose and walked away. He didn’t care to help Ana up, though it would be difficult for her to get up with her leg. He walked away.

The next time he left his room the table was yet again filled to its edge. But not only with food. There were blankets, pans, cups, kitchen knives and many other types of equipment. Mack and Jagger stood bent over the table, discussing and pointing at the different things. Ana was sitting propped up against the wall.
-What’s going on? Soi asked everyone.
-You’re moving on, Mack answered him with a smile.
-And I’m coming with you, Jagger added. –As you are crossing the mountains you will need my help so you won’t fall off its edge.
Jagger’s smile wasn’t reassuring.

To be continued...
J.L.Frick