Castle in the Forest

Chapter 7: Heritage or Dark legacy

"Can we go play in the meadow today?" Winnie asked with a yawn. She scrubbed the sleep out of her eyes and mama paused during in stirring the stew. Her body tensed.

"No." 

"Awwwwwwww come on its the only day of the month where we get to play hide and seek with Lilah," Winnie said staggering with sleep heavy legs. Her eyes wide with childish pleas and longing. Mama pursed her lips and shook her head. "but--"

"No," she said curtly, "Papa and I don't want you wandering off today. We have a family meeting," she finished going back to stirring the stew. She eased the tension out of her shoulders . Winnie continued to whine loudly but, didn't  over do it. Deliah had decided to lay by where Mama sat near the fire. The little girl stared up at the ceiling her eyes had a glazed over expression. Winnie sat down by Deliah's feet in resignation. She stared at the stew as if it were full of spiders instead of meat. Mama glanced around the den. Colton was laying in the corner nearest the entrance fast asleep. She rolled her eyes. That boy could sleep through the screaming of a Banshee. So much for guarding the entrance of the den.

Papa crawled through the entrance of the den with a smile on his face. Deliah got up from her place on the ground and jumped towards him with a childish smile on her face. Winnie did the same tackling him into a hug. His kind eyes shone with amusement and fatherly love. However his dark eyebrow scrunched up quizzically when he realized that his son was not there. He cast a gaze towards his mate. Mama rolled her eyes towards the sleeping boy in the corner.

"That boy is going to sleep his day away," Papa mused.

"Yeah he hasn't even gotten up to try and sneak stew," Mama said with a chuckle and another eye roll. 

"Lilah and I will wake him up," Winnie announced flashing her younger sister a mischievious grin that was contagious. Deliah returned her grin. Soon Deliah was on the right side of Colton and Winnie Carefully position herself on top of Colton's stomach and carefully pinned his arms to the ground. Their parents watched in silent amusement a Deliah stuck her index finger in her mouth and then right into her brother's ear with a grin that was too big for her face. Colton's eyes flew open and he tried to move but Winnie held him still nothing but childish glee and determination in her eyes. She began to cackle malisiously and Deliah let out fits of laughter. Colton's eyes narrowed as he tried to twist and squirm his body away from his sisters. His eyes promised nothing but childish revenge later. 

"Get off of me!!! Lilah how could you! My brain has been contaminated with sister germs," Colton exclaimed while trying to sit up.

"You can't contaminate what you don't have," Winnie taunted and Deliah was on her back laughing. It was too much tears of joy stung her eyes. Colton looked to Papa for help but he only shook his head trying to keep from laughing.

"Don't look at me son."

"Mama?"

"You did this to yourself. Don't sleep like the dead and they won't do these types of things," Mama retorted rolling her eyes again. 

"Alright, alright," Papa said between laughs, "Winnie get off of him."

Deliah smiled as Colton heaved himself up off the ground and went to go sit by Papa who was still laughing. Soon Mama was handing out soup and soon they were eating stew and laughing about something funny from couple of full moons ago. They sat around the fire until all the stew was gone and their stomach were full. Deliah helped Mama clear the bowls and then everyone sat around the fire. A comfortable silence settled in as Deliah sat on either side of her sibling . Stared dreamily into the fire. Then Mama broke the silence.

"How have you three been holding up?" Mama asked and the comfortable silence was shattered as the siblings minds reeled with the haunting images of last month's events.