Namesakes

I haven't died or anything, just had a minor RL problem. ... which
may or maynot result in my being netless for a little while. Not long
though.

Mother and father were there when he woke. Their expressionless
faces changed to something he didn’t understand when they saw
he was awake. Maybe… maybe that was concern. Mother
immediately hugged him, kissed him and told him that he shouldn’t
scare them like that. Father was silent, but offered a steady hand to
help him up, then the same hand in the small of his back to help him
move out of the trailer and to the sleeping area of the family.

The tent was gone, everyone in the band was just sleeping under
the stars. While they travelled between towns, mother explained, they
slept out under the stars if they could. It saved time, effort and
packing. He was pushed down to Borth’s bed and told to sleep
there, with his front to the fire and his back to Borth’s
front. Borth was kind and gentle to him, giving Ayato an extra
blanket so as to give something that would sit between them. Ayato
clutched his stuffed animal and breathed in the scent of Rava as he
watched the flames.

He hadn’t eaten in several days. They had offered him food
that morning but he couldn’t bring himself to eat meat. It was
something that he wasn’t allowed. His stomach didn’t
growl and so they left him be and let him decline food once more. He
was used to sleeping on an empty stomach.

When his eyes closed he felt as if Borth and he were in the same
dreamscape. Borth gently plucked him up out of the mire that was
swallowing him up and placed him on sturdy ground. Showed him the
path to a better place and played a game with him. When Ayato’s
nightmare crept into their little hidden world Borth cut it down, and
the others that followed. All the while protecting Ayato from them.

When dawn came, and Ayato opened his eyes, he knew that Borth had
really been there. But didn’t really mind. He found himself
turned against his older brother, shivering because the imp had taken
all the blankets but the extra one he had, but he was so very, very
comfortable. Father said no, no, now is the time to get up. He
travelled beside Borth, because he refused to leave the young man’s
side, and his brother became his caretaker. Within three days he had
stopped doing the easier things, leaving them for Ayato to accomplish
on his own.

And Ayato understood, he was being led gently into this world of
theirs.

By the time he was ready to sleep in his own bed they had settled
outside of a large city and Sila rejoined them, cursing all the while
about that bastard and how dare he leave her behind after all she had
done for him. Sila wasn’t old. No older than he was at least. A
multitude of scars covered her arms and shoulders, and legs. Most
likely covered what he couldn’t see as well. Her blonde hair
was cropped short against her head at all angles, like his was, and
her piercing yellow eyes pinned him to the bed he had just sat in.
Her bed.

The yellow was almost an amber colour, which Ayato had seen in
other people before. But it was a rare eye colour.

“Who are you?”

“Ayato.”

“Well. That’s my bed. Get out before I gut you-”

“Sila.” Sila paled considerably at the tone of
mother’s voice, as mother came into the tent as if magically
called forth, “We have no other beds and he must sleep on his
own.”

“Then put him in a children’s bed!”

“Outside. Now.”

The other children seemed to think this was of great importance
and that Sila was in deep trouble. The youngest girl wondered out
loud if father was going to use his belt on her. Borth silenced them
all with a finger to his lips. No one beat Sila and got away with it
and father didn’t beat them.

“How many of you are … theirs?” It was the
first time he had asked something that was likely not his place to
ask.

“Me,” Borth muttered, “that’s it.”

“All that’s left.”

Ayato looked between the sibling that had spoken, then Borth, not
understanding. Borth shook his head and seemed to be pained by
memories.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Sila returned a moment later, her back straight, her eyes glaring
at Ayato, “why they would even take someone in like you is
beyond me.”

“You used to be like that.” Sila tensed as Borth
spoke, “or need I remind you of your past?”

“If I had his power? I would have slaughtered the entire
village.”

“You would have slaughtered the village if they looked at
you the wrong way.”

“I’ve had enough of your tongue.”

“She’s a priestess of Tesenai-ai,” Borth
explained to Ayato, “who became the god of Deaths after a
little. Incident with Rahl-ta falling from power.”

“He hasn’t fallen from power. Unfortunately he is very
much in power. He just has no titles.” Sila spat out.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you, he’s an Aniege.”

The anger, the hatred, the cold exterior meant to keep others from
taking advantage of her disappeared. Fear and pity replaced them as
Sila looked at Ayato and seemed to come to a different decision about
him.

“Ayato. Aniege?” her voice was a little higher.

“Yes.”

“From that village? Why… w-why would they even? I
have to go pray to my god.” and she left the tent.

Borth looked quite pleased with himself, “food?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat something.”

“I’m not hungry, honest,” Ayato’s stomach
growled. At just the wrong time.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the market and buy you
something good to eat.”

“oooooohhhhh,” the younger children giggled from their
beds, “it’s a date!”

“Must I remind you all that I am engaged? To a very
beautiful woman no less? Come on Ayato. We have to be back by
nightfall or Una will be angry.”

.