by Archer Swift
Chapter 25
It seemed I had done just about enough to keep them from lynching me on the spot. However, I knew I had lost the confidence of my clan. So be it. After all, I did defend one of them. I knew I couldn’t even begin to explain the bigger picture.
The rest of the afternoon was beyond awkward and tense. Unpleasant. Besides Ruzzell hyping up his minions with the final plans for their trip the next day, there was a stilted hush around camp. I certainly didn’t blame everyone for keeping their distance, although I did hope that with Ruzzell away tomorrow, the rest of us could talk. I knew I couldn’t say much, but I did want to alleviate a few concerns that my friends might have.
The chances of that happening decreased to about zero when Judd found his voice, catching me alone for a very brief and blunt heart-to-heart.
“Ristan,” his face screwed up with patent repulsion, “don’t speak to me again. Seriously, I don’t understand what you did, and I seriously don’t care. I’m so tired of your heroics. Seriously. Don’t talk to me again, ever!”
I didn’t know what to say, and though I was tempted to ask him if he was seriously serious about how serious he was; I probably made the right decision by not saying a word.
Gellica was kinder but still pointed when she pulled me aside just before dark fell. “Rist,” she asked, “you’re not telling us everything, are you?” I could see the concern in her eyes, and it poked deeply and painfully at my soft centre.
“No, I’m not,” I admitted with a heavy heart. “I’m sorry I can’t say more, but please trust me.”
“You saved or helped, or whatever you did, one of them, Rist,” she called me out. “Can you understand why the clan is finding it a little difficult to trust you?”
“I do, Gellica,” I felt my Adam’s apple ache. There was so much I wanted to say, but couldn’t. “I really do. But it doesn’t mean I did the wrong thing. I’ve always put others first, and that’s not going to change. You know me.”
Gellica’s brow creased with worry lines and her beautiful eyes dulled. “Just be careful, Rist. Please.”
