corner of the feast chamber. I walk back and sit down at the table. Helm turns to me.
"Sam, I think someone should stand guard for you tonight. In the past, when someone new takes over as a leader, people generally try to kill them. There have been a lot of reasons: jealousy, hatred, fear. One time a new leader for the animals was killed just because the killer was bored. The killer died a day later when his son stabbed him with a spear. People in the Crag are dangerous."
My first instinct is to refuse, and tell him that I can protect myself, but I know better. I know that there really is a good chance that someone will try to kill me tonight. If I fall asleep alone, I may never wake up.
"Okay Helm, at least for tonight, you can post a guard in front of my room," I say.
"And they will also follow you the rest of the night," says Helm.
"I wasn't agreeing to that," I say.
"Look Sam, you don't seem stupid. You know that the Crag is dangerous just walking from room to room. There are so many places a person can hide. So many rooms, so many shadows, so many tunnels. You should let someone walk with you, and make sure that no one tries to attack you."
The last thing I want to do is look weak, like I need someone watching over me all the time. But maybe I do. Maybe I need someone to keep me alive. At least for a while. In a few days people might forget what happened. Maybe they won't treat me like an outcast. Someone to be hated, feared, or even worse: worshipped.
"Fine," I say.
Helm stands up and points at one of the hunters. I think her name is Ebb. He waves her to come over. She stands up and makes her way to us.
"Helm, you have need of me?" asks Ebb.
"Yes. Ebb, this is Sam. I don't know if you have met the new Leader of the Hunt yet," says Helm.
"I have not," says Ebb.
I smile and shake hands with her.
"Ebb, we need you to do something for us tonight," says Helm.
"What do you need?"
"We need you to protect Sam. There could be killers hiding in the shadows, and someone needs to act as Sam's guardian. Can you do that?"
"Yes. Yes of course," says Ebb.
Ebb seemed genuinely honored to be asked.
"Thank you Ebb. I owe you a debt for this," I say.
"It is nothing. And you can thank me tomorrow, if we survive."
"Ebb, I am heading to Charm's room first then back to my room. Are you up for that?" I ask.
"I will protect you with my life," says Ebb.
I place a hand on her shoulder and bow my head to her as a sign of thanks.
"Oh, and Sam, may I put my armor on first?" asks Ebb.
"Yes, of course."
I honestly hope she doesn't need the armor, but she will make a much more dangerous looking guard than if she just dressed in her normal clothes. I am glad that I have someone looking out for me, but I also don't want anyone to get hurt. Especially if it's to save my life.
12
I walk with Ebb to her room so that she can change into her armor. She decides to go first, checking down side-tunnels, making sure that no one is waiting to attack us. It takes much longer to get to her room, but it's worth it to be safe. I would rather wait than die; it's a simple choice.
Ebb invites me into her room while she changes, just to make sure no one passing by will see me. Her room has the same red floor as ours, which makes me sad. I don't like looking at the red floor in our room. Here it feels so... wrong. Ebb seems strong though, like she can handle it. Maybe it doesn't bother her as much as it bothers me.
Something else I notice about Ebb's room is that it smells like wildflowers. Our room doesn't smell like flowers, and I had never thought to do that. It makes Ebb's room feel less like a place to sleep, and more like a place where you can just... be.
Ebb takes off her shirt and pants then puts on her armor. I help her tie the straps together so that her armor will stay on. It doesn't take very long, and I don't mind helping.
"Thanks, Sam. You know, I can put the armor on myself, but it's nice to have help," says Ebb.
"You're
"Sam, I think someone should stand guard for you tonight. In the past, when someone new takes over as a leader, people generally try to kill them. There have been a lot of reasons: jealousy, hatred, fear. One time a new leader for the animals was killed just because the killer was bored. The killer died a day later when his son stabbed him with a spear. People in the Crag are dangerous."
My first instinct is to refuse, and tell him that I can protect myself, but I know better. I know that there really is a good chance that someone will try to kill me tonight. If I fall asleep alone, I may never wake up.
"Okay Helm, at least for tonight, you can post a guard in front of my room," I say.
"And they will also follow you the rest of the night," says Helm.
"I wasn't agreeing to that," I say.
"Look Sam, you don't seem stupid. You know that the Crag is dangerous just walking from room to room. There are so many places a person can hide. So many rooms, so many shadows, so many tunnels. You should let someone walk with you, and make sure that no one tries to attack you."
The last thing I want to do is look weak, like I need someone watching over me all the time. But maybe I do. Maybe I need someone to keep me alive. At least for a while. In a few days people might forget what happened. Maybe they won't treat me like an outcast. Someone to be hated, feared, or even worse: worshipped.
"Fine," I say.
Helm stands up and points at one of the hunters. I think her name is Ebb. He waves her to come over. She stands up and makes her way to us.
"Helm, you have need of me?" asks Ebb.
"Yes. Ebb, this is Sam. I don't know if you have met the new Leader of the Hunt yet," says Helm.
"I have not," says Ebb.
I smile and shake hands with her.
"Ebb, we need you to do something for us tonight," says Helm.
"What do you need?"
"We need you to protect Sam. There could be killers hiding in the shadows, and someone needs to act as Sam's guardian. Can you do that?"
"Yes. Yes of course," says Ebb.
Ebb seemed genuinely honored to be asked.
"Thank you Ebb. I owe you a debt for this," I say.
"It is nothing. And you can thank me tomorrow, if we survive."
"Ebb, I am heading to Charm's room first then back to my room. Are you up for that?" I ask.
"I will protect you with my life," says Ebb.
I place a hand on her shoulder and bow my head to her as a sign of thanks.
"Oh, and Sam, may I put my armor on first?" asks Ebb.
"Yes, of course."
I honestly hope she doesn't need the armor, but she will make a much more dangerous looking guard than if she just dressed in her normal clothes. I am glad that I have someone looking out for me, but I also don't want anyone to get hurt. Especially if it's to save my life.
12
I walk with Ebb to her room so that she can change into her armor. She decides to go first, checking down side-tunnels, making sure that no one is waiting to attack us. It takes much longer to get to her room, but it's worth it to be safe. I would rather wait than die; it's a simple choice.
Ebb invites me into her room while she changes, just to make sure no one passing by will see me. Her room has the same red floor as ours, which makes me sad. I don't like looking at the red floor in our room. Here it feels so... wrong. Ebb seems strong though, like she can handle it. Maybe it doesn't bother her as much as it bothers me.
Something else I notice about Ebb's room is that it smells like wildflowers. Our room doesn't smell like flowers, and I had never thought to do that. It makes Ebb's room feel less like a place to sleep, and more like a place where you can just... be.
Ebb takes off her shirt and pants then puts on her armor. I help her tie the straps together so that her armor will stay on. It doesn't take very long, and I don't mind helping.
"Thanks, Sam. You know, I can put the armor on myself, but it's nice to have help," says Ebb.
"You're
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