Hidden Truths - Ethan

38 - The News

"I give up!", Connor then announces happily and I shake my head in disbelief. Those Irish are unbelievable, no matter how long they have left their country, they stay the way they are. The others start gazing at me to figure out if that's really a proper way to end a fight of ours. I guess it is. Connor will not be seen as the loser, though. Our system starts to crumble in front of my eyes and Ethan is the epicenter of that earthquake. I start to understand why Tristan wanted to keep him close in first place. He is capable of ruining everything just with the way he is.

~~~~

"Back to work. Naveena won.", Lyall announces not too amused about the outcome I guess but I still grin. I was the only one to end that farce. What could have happened? That they punish me? Again? I just figured out how to get to my daily dose of blood, I didn't want to figure it out with another caretaker. It was risky though. Every outbreak of mine is now Naveena's problem too. That earned her my respect. Probably she is just stupid. I've never seen someone taking punches like that for me; not even Tristan has done that.

Connor maybe is an asshole, but he is one I will be able to handle. My years in Dublin are a bit blurry because it's so long ago but I remember the streets full of wounded due to the absence of a proper hospital. Either way, tough times in many ways and considering I was still a human back then didn't make it easier. I turn around to find Naveena still sitting on the ground trying to wipe off the traces of the tears on her cheeks.

I reach out my hand to help her up and she takes it thankfully before using her movement to wrap her arms around my chest. I growl and force her to let go of me. Just because I stopped that, doesn't mean anything else changed. Connor taps my shoulder as I still look at her with disagreement in my eyes. "I ended up here because of the Great Famine. Don't be mad at me for poking fun. We are all in the same boat right?", he grins and Naveena gives him a deadly glare.

I get the feeling that they share a bit of a history. "Hey what about opening that straps of his and letting the two adults chat, mo gradh?", he asks Naveena and she is about to hiss at him when my reaction becomes obvious. I feel like a rock just hit me and that's not because I'm still bleeding. Turning around on my heels, I walk away fast. I need a moment to process. It's been a while since I heard that nickname and it still hurts to hear it.

Behind me, Naveena comes running in a jog to not lose sight of me in the woods. After a while of silently walking next to each other, she whispers. "I need to treat your wounds.", her fingers run over one of the plants that grow there. "These are the right ones. Sit down.", and I just do as she says, still lost in thoughts. Right now, I'm pretty happy that nobody expects me to say something.

"Does that reaction have something to do with the little nightmare you wake up to this evening?", she wants to know but I don't react. It was just a trigger I didn't expect to come up. 

Everything is fine.

~~~ A few weeks later ~~~

I'm about to return from the hunt with a deer over my shoulder. Naveena makes her way up in the trees jumping around happily. We figured out a way to be of use in the end. I hunt while she is always on a lookout. I could do it alone, but she still is my caretaker and that's enough excuse for her to be around me all the time. I'm not always granted to hunt, but I like it more than working on the barricades. Etain was right; it is a tiring and never-ending story and especially now that the winter is coming closer fast. She also makes sure that I never share a shift with Maria for obvious reasons.

Putting the animal down first I hang it up on its hind feet after preparing it and place a big bowl underneath to start bleeding it out. Naveena allows me to use my own knife. Isn't she nice? Actually, it's not really my knife, but it's the stolen one from the first murder on Warlow. It's the one that didn't fit in with the carving. It reminds me of my mission here.