An Axe in the Flames

Clearing the Air

Draxx visibly winced at her words as color flushed his face. He wasn't good with women, and even worse with children it seemed. He enjoyed solidarity because he knew what to expect day in and day out, so he wasn't fully surprised that he understood some of what she was feeling. So many unknowns, with every day seemingly producing a new one. He forced himself to smile his best reassuring and soft smile he could muster, but it came across as more of a grimace.

"I understand your frustrations, I do. So many unanswered questions and so many things not known, but Anese, you've got to know. We are all almost in the same boat as you. I've never been in charge of children, for fuck's sake, I've never even had children of my own. I barely know what to feed you, let alone how to talk and coddle you."

She gasped, visibly upset. "Coddle, that's what you think this is? You need to swathe and bathe me like a baby? I'm a woman you moron, not a child! Yes, everything is difficult and hard to understand, I'm sorry I'm a nuisance to you. Maybe you should've stayed with your big-titted commoner back at Dry Lake! King of the Wilds? King of nothing is more like it."

Amery threw his hands up, in a I give up manner, "That's not what he means, Anese. Give him more credit than that. He's trying, I'm trying. We are all out here suffering, but united because we want to get Pela to safety."

She spun on Amery in her saddle, "Are we? Are we suffering? All of us? Shut up, you mop-headed twit, I'm so sick of your whiny voice."

Draxx cleared his throat, "Now that's enough of that. You don't get to go around and just be nasty to everyone because times are tough. I'm sorry you lost your parents. I've lived through that hurt before, I've watched that horror unfold before my own eyes when I was younger than you. I didn't hate everyone and want the world to burn."

"No, you joined the army and killed people." She retorted.

He sighed again, maybe he needed a different approach. "You're right. I had an outlet that was in a violent form. I didn't have a support system of any kind. I didn't have a Pela or an Amery or a fat-headed eight-fingered moron to yell at."

She looked him up and down momentarily, "You are a fat-headed moron."

"I'm sorry we haven't sat down and tried to process everything, Anese. Everyone deserves that because everyone needs that. We've just been on the go and dealing with what's been thrown at us, we haven't been given that chance. It's not that we don't care, not at all."

She covered her face with her hands, "I just wasn't ready for everything to change. I loved my life, and even though I knew Lucan wasn't a good person, I was comfortable!"

As she began crying Draxx looked at Pela and motioned with his head for her to go to her friend. She smiled a sad grin. How was he supposed to help someone crying? In the army men didn't cry except when they were dying from some sort of grievous wound, then you just said a pray and promised them whatever they wanted to hear. This was a child, and this was way out of his element. He looked to Amery for help but he looked just as lost, staring at her with his head cocked to one side and a puzzled look of helplessness all over his face. Nila grunted and took a step to the side, Draxx reflectively reached down and stroked her head, but she grunted again and began walking to where Anese sat on her horse.

"What's the deal girl? Don't make me deal with this shit." He whispered to the hulking swine.

It was too late, she had walked him directly beside her. Anese peeked through her fingers and saw him with a pained smile. "Hey, I know. All of this is-"

His words were cut off when Anese threw her arms around his thick neck and drove her face into his shoulder, sobbing loudly, leaning from her horse to his massive frame. He was stiff and not entirely sure how to act. He patted her back for comfort, but that seemed not so sentimental. He noticed Pela looking up at him and she motioned for him to hug her. Of course! That's what his mom would do when he was young, she would pull him in tight and hug him like there was no tomorrow and nothing could ever hurt him again. He wrapped his muscled arms around the skinny girl and embraced her as she shook from her sobs. It was awkward at first, holding a child so close and both still being saddled, it felt foreign but it felt right. He was the protector in this situation and though he couldn't have changed anything about her situation, he could at least protect her from the things around them now. He warmed to the embrace and squeezed a bit more, he felt his eyes begin to water in empathy for what she must've been feeling. He was brought back to his childhood watching his house go up in flames and hearing his parents cry for help, he was again that young boy. So helpless and weak and he too began to cry.