A HENRY STORY 2: Trials Of The Fallen Prince

VIII. A Single Vine

There was a long pause, then Ripred cleared his throat. "Dears, haven't we stood around here uselessly for long enough?"

Everyone began shuffling, embarrassed. Luxa jumped and almost ran back to the starshade stack, where Gregor still sat. Hamnet excused himself as well, and when he saw that Henry didn't follow, he went to fetch his own knife and cut the tape.

"He's not quite the way he once was," said Ripred, looking at Hamnet.

"No," replied Henry. "Choosing not to fight!" He shook his head. "What could ever come out of that?"

"At least he has a choice, you mean?"

Henry whipped around to Ripred but could only hold his inquisitive gaze for a few heartbeats. "He is throwing away a choice that—"

"That you would give anything to regain?"

Henry said nothing; he gritted his teeth and angrily wiped his face. To cry in front of Ripred was really the last thing he needed now.

A moment of loaded silence elapsed. Henry thought about the quest and how much better he felt being here with everyone, plague or not. And then, for the first time, he thought about what would happen once this quest was over. The thought filled him with horrid dread, so he shoved it aside. He didn't want to think about an "afterward" because he had none. None that would feel like this did.

Just as Henry turned to reluctantly get back to work, Ripred spoke again: "So, is that really "anything"?"

"Obviously," scoffed Henry. "Although I don't see how this matters. There is nothing anyone can do. Not even you." He wiped his face again, yet the tears kept rising despite his best efforts. "I shall be useless for the rest of my life, and so is the truth. To pretend otherwise is cowardly."

Ripred said nothing, and a wave of shame washed over Henry about how pathetic he must look. "Just do me the favor and let us forget—"

"Not so fast."

Originally planning to storm off, Henry abruptly halted in his tracks. "What?"

"What?" aped Ripred, but his attempt to sound carefree did not fool Henry. Not with how his claw agitatedly worked the ground. He did not even look him in the eye. "The "what" is that your issue lies with your diminished eyesight, no?"

"Yes," said Henry, frowning. "How does that matter? It's not like I may regrow eyes."

"No," said Ripred, finally dropping to lie on his side amidst the starshade. "But eyesight is not the only way to perceive. There are others."

"Such as echolocation?" Henry scoffed. "But of what use is that if I cannot use it in battle?" He crossly snapped his fingers. "I am human. For me, there is no way to produce any sound consistently enough."

It was then that Henry thought Ripred became properly interested for the first time. He even rose a little, staring at Henry with wide eyes. "You can already use echolocation?" he exclaimed, staring at Henry for a few seconds before his eyes trailed to Gregor. "Well, perhaps you could do me an outcast favor and have a little chat with the great warrior over there. I've been trying to teach him for a while now, yet he persistently fails."

"I may," said Henry, suddenly feeling incredibly dejected. "But none of this explains why we are still having this conversation! Why is echolocation of relevance? It cannot help me!" He kicked the grass, only to almost trip. "Don't you get it? I hate it!" he screamed, and both Hazard and Lapblood, who stood closest, turned his way. Henry waved in their direction reassuringly but persistently battled the rising tears.

Surprisingly, Ripred did not respond to his little outbreak. He remained lying in the grass, pensively plucking a few flowers. Then he looked up at Henry, his expression more evaluating than ever.