welcome, and I am the same way. I can get my armor on by myself, but with help it goes much faster. Flot and Jet usually help me put it on," I say.
"Those are your brothers, right?" asks Ebb.
"Yes, although I guess they aren't really my brothers. We don't come from the same parents. I just watch over them and make sure that they are safe. But I call them my brothers."
"Well then since I'm watching over you, I guess you have a new big sister," says Ebb.
"I don't know if I would say you were my big sister, because I think we've seen the same amount of snows," I mention.
"It definitely seems like it, or at least close. Fine then, I will just be your sister," says Ebb, smiling.
I smile back, but inside it kind of hurts. I have spent so long trying to survive, that I haven't really tried to make friends with anyone. I don't know Ebb well enough yet to know if I can trust her, and especially not enough to call her a friend. But I hope that someday I will.
I wonder if I scare people away so that they can't hurt me, either by hurting me with their fists and weapons, or by hurting me inside, in my heart. I realize that Ebb is looking at me, waiting, while I am lost in my thoughts.
"I don't have any friends," I admit.
"I doubt that's true, Sam. I'm sure you have many friends," says Ebb.
"I am friends with a few gray ones, but no one that was a new one when I was."
Her smile fades.
"I could imagine it would be difficult for you to make friends, Sam, when people think that you are the Sky Child."
"I think that people only started believing that because of what happened today," I say.
"Actually, there are a few of us who have believed it for a long time, or at least thought it might be true," says Ebb.
"So you think I might be the Sky Child?"
"It's possible, but you seem like a normal person to me. I would think that the Sky Child would be covered in flames like a glowing stick, and could fly like a bird, and things like that."
"Yeah, I can't do any of those, but I'm pretty good with my sling," I say.
"I know. I've seen you use it during the hunt. You have very good aim, when you aren't purposely missing," says Ebb.
"Um, what do you mean?" I ask.
"I know that you miss on purpose, so that the other hunters won't know you're as good as you are," says Ebb.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I've seen you use your sling when you really need to, and you never miss. And some of the rocks that you've thrown with it have struck very small targets. When you hit an animal, you almost always hit them in the head. Why is that?"
It takes me a moment to think.
"Because I don't want them to suffer. If you hit them in the head, it will either kill them or make them go to sleep. They won't feel any pain," I say.
"That is very kind of you, Sam," says Ebb.
"I don't like killing things. I only do it because I must, so that we can all live and have food to eat. I really only think about surviving," I say.
"That makes me a little sad. There is more to life than just surviving. But I imagine it would be even harder to do more than just survive when you're taking care of a pair of brothers."
I just nod.
"I'm ready to visit Charm now, if you are," says Ebb.
"I'm ready too," I say.
It takes us a while to walk to Charm's room, because it's down some long tunnels, tucked into the very back of the Crag. Ebb makes sure to check every corner again before I walk past.
I look forward to seeing Charm, because she's the closest thing to a parent I've ever had. I never knew my real parents. I don't know who they were, and no one in the Crag seems to know either. I have asked many, but all that they remember was that I was very young when I was found outside the cave. I was left out in the rain, and several of the women that were unjoined, and women that were gray ones took care of me.
Charm is the one I remember taking care of me more than any of my other mothers. She has always been so good of heart, and has always treated me well. But
"Those are your brothers, right?" asks Ebb.
"Yes, although I guess they aren't really my brothers. We don't come from the same parents. I just watch over them and make sure that they are safe. But I call them my brothers."
"Well then since I'm watching over you, I guess you have a new big sister," says Ebb.
"I don't know if I would say you were my big sister, because I think we've seen the same amount of snows," I mention.
"It definitely seems like it, or at least close. Fine then, I will just be your sister," says Ebb, smiling.
I smile back, but inside it kind of hurts. I have spent so long trying to survive, that I haven't really tried to make friends with anyone. I don't know Ebb well enough yet to know if I can trust her, and especially not enough to call her a friend. But I hope that someday I will.
I wonder if I scare people away so that they can't hurt me, either by hurting me with their fists and weapons, or by hurting me inside, in my heart. I realize that Ebb is looking at me, waiting, while I am lost in my thoughts.
"I don't have any friends," I admit.
"I doubt that's true, Sam. I'm sure you have many friends," says Ebb.
"I am friends with a few gray ones, but no one that was a new one when I was."
Her smile fades.
"I could imagine it would be difficult for you to make friends, Sam, when people think that you are the Sky Child."
"I think that people only started believing that because of what happened today," I say.
"Actually, there are a few of us who have believed it for a long time, or at least thought it might be true," says Ebb.
"So you think I might be the Sky Child?"
"It's possible, but you seem like a normal person to me. I would think that the Sky Child would be covered in flames like a glowing stick, and could fly like a bird, and things like that."
"Yeah, I can't do any of those, but I'm pretty good with my sling," I say.
"I know. I've seen you use it during the hunt. You have very good aim, when you aren't purposely missing," says Ebb.
"Um, what do you mean?" I ask.
"I know that you miss on purpose, so that the other hunters won't know you're as good as you are," says Ebb.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I've seen you use your sling when you really need to, and you never miss. And some of the rocks that you've thrown with it have struck very small targets. When you hit an animal, you almost always hit them in the head. Why is that?"
It takes me a moment to think.
"Because I don't want them to suffer. If you hit them in the head, it will either kill them or make them go to sleep. They won't feel any pain," I say.
"That is very kind of you, Sam," says Ebb.
"I don't like killing things. I only do it because I must, so that we can all live and have food to eat. I really only think about surviving," I say.
"That makes me a little sad. There is more to life than just surviving. But I imagine it would be even harder to do more than just survive when you're taking care of a pair of brothers."
I just nod.
"I'm ready to visit Charm now, if you are," says Ebb.
"I'm ready too," I say.
It takes us a while to walk to Charm's room, because it's down some long tunnels, tucked into the very back of the Crag. Ebb makes sure to check every corner again before I walk past.
I look forward to seeing Charm, because she's the closest thing to a parent I've ever had. I never knew my real parents. I don't know who they were, and no one in the Crag seems to know either. I have asked many, but all that they remember was that I was very young when I was found outside the cave. I was left out in the rain, and several of the women that were unjoined, and women that were gray ones took care of me.
Charm is the one I remember taking care of me more than any of my other mothers. She has always been so good of heart, and has always treated me well. But
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