Chapter 8:3 - Returning
Ana’s stomach growled and Ana’s pale cheeks got some of its glow back as they turned red.
-This is all Jagger’s fault, I’m never hungry in the morning. Better get something to eat.
She swung her right leg over the edge and carefully lifted the left leg from the bed. She tried to stand but faltered and to sit down again.
-Soi, can you give me my staff?
She reached for it where it leaned against the wall.
-Of course. Before we go down there is one thing I need to talk to you about.
-Well, it will have to wait after I’ve eaten, otherwise I will kill someone.
She limped to the door and Soi followed her.
-It’s about Nibbles.
-No, Ana said with a firm voice and took the first steps down the stair.
-No what? Soi looked surprised at her.
-No, I don’t think he run because of the rumors of the flute.
-I don’t either, but that’s not what I was going to say.
They were at the last step and he grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.
-Listen to me, he said under his breath. –Nebelius Silver is here. And he’s in the company of two men, the older of them miss three fingers on his right hand.
Ana’s eyes filled with suspicion and her jaws tensed.
-I think he’s a…
Before he could tell her about his suspicion a hand decorated with one too many rings and jewelry was put on her shoulder where Soi’s own hand had recently lied. Ana’s eyes flared open for a moment before she recomposed her expression to a resolute and bored look.
-Nibbles, Soi did precisely tell me you were in town.
Nibbles put his one-eye face next to Ana’s and kissed the line of her neck, playfully sinking his teeth into her neck.
-Missed me much, sweetheart? He whispered with a seductive voice and his eye locked with Soi’s slanted ones. Soi felt a chill run down his back like a drop of water when he realized the question was directed to him. But fortunate for Soi, Ana answered it.
-I think your stallion missed you more. Can you stop drooling over my shoulder, it’s hard to stand straight as it is!
She shot Nibbles a cold glance.
-I understood you had some kind of trouble. So it’s your leg that’s bothering you? Nibbles looked truly concerned.
-Among many things. Jagger’s forcing me to eat breakfast, Ana whined.
-Oh, dear girl. Yes, I can see that now, you look positively sick.
Nibbles nodded caringly, put his jewelry covered hand to his cheek and pouted a little with his mouth- drowning in empathy like an old lady.
-Oh please, a bit of breakfast hasn’t killed anyone!
Jagger stood at the top of the stairs and glowered at the three of them. Her hair was a mess as always and she could very well be taken for a young boy.
-Yet, Nibbles pointed out and smiled at the morning tired Jagger who narrowed her green eyes.
-You better not be in the company of that white snake this morning otherwise I’ll eat you for breakfast, she muttered and she clumsily tumbled down the stairs two steps at a time.
-You met them as well, Ana asked Jagger surprised.
-Me and Soi met them together. They arrived when we ate dinner. I don’t like the older one. They’re brothers, ain’t that right Nibbles?
-Absolutely correct, Nibbles answered with a wide smile and repeated his wink from last evening.
-What’s that? Ana asked curious and annoyed. –Why did you wink?
This time Nibbles rolled his eye instead.
-Dear girl, why would I wink if it wasn’t to point out that they are both two good looking brothers?
-So?
Rolling his eyes and sighing a little.
-Some things you are obviously too young to understand.
Jagger laughed and Soi had to turn away to hide his smile. Ana, however, was furious, her eyes got back some of their usual coldness, they were tiny slits and her eyebrows were wrinkled in irritation. But Nibbles just stood there, smiling like a fool. Ana stamped away, forgetting the aching in her left leg. The rest of them followed in her destruction and sat down at one of the many empty tables. Ana soon let go of her annoyance and their breakfast was taken in under a lighthearted mood. As Ana and Jagger competed in who could stuff in the most food, the front door of the inn opened and entered did the two white haired brothers.
-So it’s here you are hiding, Nebelius, Haz said.
His eyes weren’t warmer this morning when he smiled. Maybe it was as Soi imagined but he could almost swear Nibbles twitched when Haz spoke. Now he was his usual confident self and waved the two brothers to sit down at their table. But for a moment, wasn’t it fear Soi had smelled in the air?
Haz sat down beside Soi, with Ana opposite to them, and Ard sat down beside Jagger.
-Looks like we just missed breakfast, little brother, Haz leaned in over the table and gave Ard a meaningful look. –So I presume we have the honor of sharing table with the legendary immortal girl.
Haz sent a cold smile to Ana across the table, but she simply snorted when she heard the word girl and looked the other way.
-Really? Ard turned his eyes to Ana for the first time and watched her with admiration etched in his eyes.
-You would have noticed much sooner, young brother, had your eyes not been drawn immediately to another young girl.
Haz glanced at Jagger through the corner of his cold blue eyes and Ard’s cheeks flushed red instantly. Jagger didn’t notice Haz’s meaningful glance, his remarks or his brother’s flushed cheeks, as she focused fully on her plate. It was, unfortunately, empty.
Ard overcame his embarrassment and coughed a little to smooth it over. Then he directed his eyes once again to Ana.
-So, how old are you? You don’t look more than ten.
Protests against the question came from everywhere:
-How could you ask such a question, you should be ashamed! Jagger objected.
-There’s no point in asking, she doesn’t know herself, Soi put in.
-I wouldn’t ask if I were you, Nibbles warned him.
Ana herself, despite her earlier outburst, laughed which brought Ard back a bit.
-Did I say something wrong? He asked and looked around at the others to read their expressions, which had turned to an united look of surprise and suspicion to Ana’s reaction.
-No, nothing. It’s just that I don’t know. Age has never been important to me.
Ana smiled, an unusual sight for her friends if they didn’t include her sarcastic grin from time to time. Jagger recollected herself and turned something over in her head.
-Soi and I discussed this matter last night, she said which afforded her several curious glances not at least from Ana who still smiled, but it had changed a little and looked more like an annoyed grin.
-Did you now, there was a hidden tone of sarcasm in her voice, her head was slightly tilted to the right and she watched Soi through narrow eyes.
Soi find himself looking for the nearest exit but stayed put.
-Yes and as you and I met when I was around six years old, we, Jagger made sure to point out that “we” included Soi by pointing directly at him, came down to that you have looked like a fourteen year old girl for about ten years.
-So, you are sixteen, Jagger, was Ard’s first response and he got several irritated shots.
His brother was a step ahead of him.
-Then you, immortal girl, are by all means no longer a girl. You should be around four and twenty years of age.
This sent a shock of realization among all of them, though Ana was the first to cope from it by smiling proudly.
-See, I’m not a little girl, she said with broad smirk which made her look like a spoiled six year old.
To be continued...
By J.L.Frick
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