Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 4 | Rog

He has found a new wife? This is wonderful, but I am not going to pretend to be his child.

But why must he torture me by keeping me small?

I purse my lips and glare through my pain as he looms over my demeaning bed. I am too old for this ridiculous situation.

Adler makes a fussing noise.

"Don't be sour. I can't have my wife thinking you are an adult," he explains in a serious tone while petting my hair. "Or any of my enemies either. I don't want anyone to find out about you. You will remain my daughter and sleep in your noyk when visiting me here. Cephine is not fond of you staying in our bed yet."

That is the truth I told myself he would not be crazy enough to admit.

I don't answer immediately. How long have I been asleep in here? I have been in and out of it. I know at one point Enoch was taking turns watching over me.

The noyk has high sides that are taller than myself. It keeps me from getting out on my own.

Embarrassed, I reach up toward him.

"This is humiliating, Adler. I want out. Get me out of this, please. I am not a child."

Right away, he reaches down and tucks my face into the crook of his neck lifting me from the little clouded trap. My weight completely slumps against him. He sits down with me on his own much bigger bed.

"I missed you so much," he says in a tender voice. He pulls his tunic to the side letting me hold the shell of the necklace I made. "Look at all the gifts Cephine and I brought you."

A pile of books. Tins and wrapped morsels of sweets clutter his bed as well. My throat is sore, but growing curious, I sit up, even more, finding a strange jeweled cage beside me too. The thick bars are made of shiny metal with tiny little gems embedded within them.

"Do you remember what you asked me to get during my sea voyage?" Adler asks. "I've been looking after it all this time...waiting to show you it."

I can barely hear his voice over the excitement and shock of finding something indeed in the cage.

Nestled inside, the most adorable little ball of fluff. Its three teeny tiny eyes are closed as it sleeps curled in a ball. Three little puffy notches form the end of the strange antenna centered on the top of its head. A long furry tail wraps around its body. On the end of it, a ring drifts, separate, yet attached, to the living creature.

The door of its cage is left ajar I can see as I brave a peek at it from the side of Adler's chest.

"Go ahead, little pearl. Don't be shy. You can open it."

Intrigued, I tap one of the bars, watching the cage door swing a little further open. The shadow of Adler's hand taps it even more open as I gaze at the fluffy ball resting peacyinside. Its eyes burst open from the movement. My hands clasp together with giddiness as I look up at Adler.

He tucks his chin in to peer down at me. "Oh?" he breathes with a wide grin. His arm moves over me. "Do you like it?"

I nod, watching him open the tiny door of the fancy cage all the way.

The creature darts out running right into his outstretched palm.

My heart swells when he cups it in his hand and sits up more with me.

He holds it between us while I pet its warm chubby body. Oh, it is so soft! Its little heart races so fast. Its head twitches around as it has a look at us.

Adler drops it off on my belly where it curls back into a ball as if to sleep right on me.

"It's called a limpnut. You can take it for walks," Adler whispers while tying a strange contraption around its body. "But this harness will let you do so without having to worry about it running away."