Young Writers Society

"Good night." He nodded to her, then trudged back to the fire.

Ky grimaced and glanced at Jerica.

Jerica was staring after Ronn suspiciously. "...I don't see why you trust him."

"You don't have to," Ky said tiredly, then turned and headed back to the camp. "You can both be good friends, whether you like each other or not. I'm not going to pick between you."

Rönn set the stripped legbone aside, gazing at it in silence.

Jerica hesitated, glancing between them, then followed Ky back to the camp.

"What was that about?" she asked as they neared the tent.

Ky shook her head with a little sigh. "Don't worry about it."

Jerica furrowed her brow. "But--"

"I'm really tired," Ky said, glancing at her with a tired look. "Can we talk in the morning?"

Jerica bit her lip and inclined her head. "Very well." She didn't like that answer. But Ky was clearly not in the mood to talk. And Derik had told her she needed to get better at not pressing Ky so much, so she was trying.

"Thank you." Ky gave her a quick hug and then crawled into the tent.

Jerica started to follow, then went, "... I'm gonna take a shit real quick. I'll be back in a few."

Ky poked her head back out and looked at her suspiciously.

Jerica raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

Ky looked at her suspiciously a moment longer but didn't have the courage to challenge her. "No... be safe."

"Mhmm. Sleep well." Jerica fastened the tent shut and then headed back for the fire, determined to figure out what Ky saw in the brute.

Rönn had settled down by the fire at this point and set the bone on as kindling. The marrow had been sucked out at this point, but it still smelled agonizingly like meat.

Jerica had to actively resist the urge to draw her sword or even rest her hand on it as she walked. It gave her a sense of security to be armed. But she knew that wasn’t the way to go about this if she wanted a prayer of it going well. She’d be prickly if he approached her with a weapon; it was only rational that he’d feel the same.

Instead, she crossed her arms against the cold and walked with deliberate steps directly towards him, not lingering in the shadows this time.

He raised his head immediately as he heard her, bristling again. "What you want now?" he growled.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, continuing to near. “…a truce. It’s upsetting Ky that we’re at odds… I don’t want to upset Ky.”

"We not at odds so long as you stay away," Rönn replied hotly. "Truce is you not bother me, I not bother you."

Jerica snorted and rolled her eyes. “What are you, twelve?”

"No. I very old. Have sense and experience."

“And that’s why you’re deciding to hold a grudge against a teenager?” She raised an eyebrow.

"No grudge. I just not trust."

“I’m not asking for trust… or… well… I don’t know what I am asking for. I just know me and Ky are gonna be together and if you’re gonna be around too we better get this figured out or something.”

"We just not be close at same time," he said with a shrug. "I not go in Keep."