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 Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:06 pm
 Dad didn’t hit her. She’d been certain that he would be about to hit her, especially when he pushed her arms down. But all he did instead was put her jacket on her and give her a kiss, then promise to give her pets free range of the house. Ruka blinked, but did not move towards the carriage. Instead, she watched her dad as he moved through the house, opening some doors and closing others.
Dad was special, wasn’t he?
He was the nicest grown-up she’d ever met. She’d openly defied him, but he hadn’t hurt her. He hadn’t given into her, either, but once she’d seen that angry look on his face, she’d known that he would never give in to her. He had made up his mind, and nothing Ruka said or did would change his mind at that point, and yet, he hadn’t proven it through violence. Instead he’d done it through affection. He’d been nice to her. And what was more, he’d taken her worries seriously, instead of just dismissing them.
Ruka started to cry. Dad really loved her, didn’t he? As much as she loved him. She waited for him until he came back to her. She grabbed his hand and walked with him back to the carriage in silence. She sat down on the nearest seat and wiped away her tears. “Thank you, Dad,” she said.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:08 pm
 Oh, thank goodness, it was all over. They were in the carriage, and they were on their way out of there. They weren’t taking any animals with them, either—Jurvik and Nkiruka had arrived both wearing jackets and boots, with the only extra possession with them a stuffed rabbit. It seemed that whatever had happened, Jurvik had handled it his satisfaction. Not necessarily to Nkiruka’s, though—the little girl was crying.
Sigrin gulped and started the carriage. They’d gone about half a block when Nkiruka spoke to thank her father. Sigrin risked a glance at him. Xie’d assumed that Nkiruka was crying because of the result of the argument, but the tone of the little girl’s voice indicated that she wasn’t angry at all. She was thanking her father—why? What had he done? How could that situation have ended to both their satisfactions? What had happened there?
I guess the relationship between a parent and their child will always be a mystery, Sigrin thought. It was sort of beyond xem. Still, xie couldn’t help but wonder—what had happened? And why? Would xie ever understand what sort of bond there existed between them? Xie was almost beginning to feel jealous of that.
I can’t think about that now, xie thought firmly. I have to think about the here and now. There was danger afoot. Then again, the fact that there was also love afoot lifted some of the worry from Sigrin’s anxious heart.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:10 pm
 Nkiruka hadn’t followed his instructions, but honestly, he hadn’t expected her to. She was worried and upset, and he wanted to be there for her. Besides, if there was something bad out there, he wanted her to be at his side, not unattended on the admittedly short walk from the porch to the carriage. He took her hand and walked her out to the carriage. She was crying, softly, gently. He’d frightened her. He wasn’t sure if he could forgive her for activating her instinct, the one that told her that an angry grown-up was a violent one.
The look in her face as she’d covered her head.
Oh, Nine. Could he ever be forgiven by anyone?
“You’re welcome, Ruka,” he said, turning back in his seat to face her. “I’m sorry I scared you, Ruka. But I’m really scared right now. I don’t want any of us to get hurt. I want us to get to safety as soon as possible.” Jurvik turned to Sigrin and murmured in low tones, “Where are Flash and Berek? And Iona?”
“Flash is out of town,” Sigrin said quietly. “A party at Grendel. If the emergency extends that far north, she’ll be at a shelter at Leviathan by now. Berek was at a Haunted House near the Academy, so he’s at the Academy safehouse by now. I don’t know about Iona, she hasn’t responded to any of my texts.”
Jurvik nodded, then flinched. He’d left his cell phone behind. Great. Just great. “I’ve left my cell behind, just so that you know,” he said. “It was out of battery.” Sigrin nodded and Jurvik leaned against his chair. It was going to be a long night.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:12 pm
 Nkiruka had climbed into the carriage in tears, but her hair was still un-mussed, and she was carrying her stuffed rabbit. She was okay, then, and she had accepted Dad’s decision.
That was an uncharitable thought. Xeno made a face. Had he seriously thought that Dad would hurt Nkiruka? Dad would never hurt either of them, no matter how angry he got. Not that he got angry much. Oh man. Xeno leaned over to Nkiruka. “Are you okay?” he said. “What happened?”
What was Xeno supposed to do in a situation in which his dad was in an argument with his little sister? As someone who considered himself quite practical, Xeno liked to do the right thing, and stand up for the right thing to do. And yet, the right thing to do usually meant protecting your little sister—being a Proper Older Sibling, being there for her, and helping her out in every campaign. So what happened when he was caught between the Right Thing to Do to Protect People and the Right Thing to Do to Protect His Sister? How was he supposed to make that decision? He sighed. Being a big brother was tough. He wondered if Nkiruka realized just how tough it was! It certainly wasn’t an easy decision to make that was for sure.
A chilling thought occurred to him. He might have to make that decision tonight. Xeno was not a very spiritual person, but he sent a prayer to Oreia and Kthonios that he would make the right decisions tonight.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:13 pm
“It’s okay,” Ruka told Dad. He was worried, then—as worried as she was. She should put on a brave face for him, let him know that it was going to be okay. If he understood that, he’d calm down, and he’d stop frightening her. “Everything’s going to be okay, Dad. We’ll be home again before you know it.” She snuggled into her coat and watched the scenery of houses and street trees go past her window while she listened to the low murmurings of the adults. Her reverie was interrupted by her brother. She turned towards Xeno. “We closed the door so that Dad’s rats will be okay. All of the other animals are loose in the house, though.” She bit her lip. “Xeno, that means your goats, too. I hope they’ll be okay.”
Xeno nodded. “My kiddens will be fine, Ruka. They know how to take care of themselves.”
Ruka sighed and nodded. “Yeah. That’s what Dad says, too.” With that, she fell silent again. Everyone in the carriage was silent. No one spoke until they got to the “emergency shelter,” which was really just the community sports stadium. They filed quietly inside, some of the last people to get there, and found places to sit down. They sat as a group, Nkiruka sandwiched by her family and Sigrin at Xeno’s side. Nkiruka closed her eyes and leaned against Dad, clutching Licorice tightly. She hoped the night would end soon. She hoped that her words would prove true.
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