Kapitel 14: The Gardens And The Fight
Huck was very quiet after their talk with Ivan. Now that they could all be in their human forms, Agatha prepared a big meal for them and they ate together around her table. Huck smiled and answered when the girls giggled and asked him many, many questions, but Cassia could see it was an act for their sake. He was polite though and joined in the conversation with Agatha and Nico enough Cassia knew the others who didn't know him as well couldn't have known something was off. "Ivan informed me the two of you actually aren't mates," Agatha said quietly to her after eating, taking her aside, "If that is the case it would probably be for the best if the two of you didn't sleep in the same bed. It is up to you, but you should think of your future and when you have your true mate, what he might think." Cassia had nodded and assured Agatha she understood.
Back in their room later, Huck pulled off his tunic and went about getting ready for bed. Cassia watched his slightly pained movements and didn't like knowing he had shifted before he was ready. She wondered if she should mention what Agatha had said. They had always slept in the same space when they were shifted. Never having had their own home though they had never done more than doze off or nap together in human form and it was never in a bed like this. When he was about to lie down, she anxiously blurted out her conversation with the woman.
Huck's eyes landed on her, his face first surprised but then displeasure wiped that away. "Alright," he said quietly and grabbed up the cover that had been his. Their pallets were still separate things but had been put together by Nico when he had seen them together. Now, Huck winced as he bent down and grabbed the corners and yanked it across the room.
"Wait," Cassia tried, feeling guilty then knowing she'd upset him, "You don't want to even talk about it? If you don't think there's any harm in it then neither do I."
"No she's right Cassia. Who ever you end up deciding on as a mate probably wouldn't appreciate knowing you'd slept with another man. I'm going to bed."
She watched him, mouth open as if she were about to speak but didn't know what to say. He didn't look at her as he got in bed and rolled away, back to her. Cassia felt tears sting her violet eyes. She didn't know what to do. Huck wasn't her mate as close as they were. They had never talked about it. He was upset now and it didn't make sense. He had had their whole lives to ask her to be his mate but he hadn't and they both knew what Agatha had said was true.
Cassia didn't have time to talk to Huck about it the next morning because Ivan was there to wake them when it was still dark outside. "What's going on?" Cassia had asked in sleepy confusion. Ivan had smirked and reminded her of their deal to work in the territory gardens. Huck used the wall to support himself as he stiffly got to his feet. He held his face in his hands and Cassia watched him. When he slid them down and stood to pull on his tunic, their eyes met. He didn't look away as she had worried he might. Instead he just studied her for a moment, his face unreadable. At last he finished getting dressed and left the room without a word. Feeling the sting in his actions, Cassia dressed and hurried to follow him.
The fall air was chilly when they stepped outside. The porridge Agatha had made for them for breakfast sat in their stomachs like a comfortable, warm weight. It was quiet and still, only a few birds chirping as they began to wake for the day. The sun was coming, starting to brighten the sky but had not yet broken the horizon. They walked without speaking, Ivan in the lead. Cassia met Nico's sleepy eyes and he managed a small smile. When she looked at Huck on her other side he purposely didn't turn her way. A while later, they crested a hill just as the rays of sunlight painted the morning sky a beautiful mixture of pinks, oranges, purples, and golds. Cassia's breath caught as she looked out on the scene below.
The territory gardens were unlike anything Huck or Cassia had ever seen. Down in the valley below them, going on and on, was a checkerboard of gardens full of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Every other square was left natural. Ivan informed them they rotated the crops to the next squares every few years so the soil never got overworked. There were already men and women heading out into the fields, coming from the trees on all sides. It was the fall and time for harvesting, something they had apparently been working on since just before Cassia and Huck had arrived, thus them seeing so little of Ivan. He was needed in the fields.
Ivan lead them down to a field full of corn, the green stalks reaching high over Cassia's head with their long leaves at the base of green tubes, the corn silk on the top like a bow on top of a present. Ivan handed one of those to Cassia who shucked it like unwrapping that present to reveal the golden kernels inside. She looked up at Ivan in disbelief and he couldn't keep a proud little smile from his lips. "This is the biggest corn I've ever seen," Cassia gasped, turning to show it to Huck, "Corn never grows like this in our woods."
"Not the climate for it," Ivan responded, "We have the perfect territory for gardens. You'll never find fruits and vegetables like ours. But we need to get going. This is just one field that needs to be gone through and harvested. There are many more still waiting."
It was after that the Cassia and Huck learned just what Ivan had meant when he'd warned them about working the gardens. They were each given huge sacks to throw over their shoulders and sent down a row to look for ripe ears to pick. They would go from row to row until their sacks were full. At first the pair had thought it couldn't be that hard. How much could there be? But by the time Ivan returned around mid day to check on them and bring them a meal, they were already growing tired and red from so much sun. Ivan, noticing that Huck's limp was much worse after the mornings work, told him he would take him to work off his feet. "I'm alright," he'd tried, "I can stay with Cass."
"What good will you do to her if you overdo it and end up damaged for life?" Ivan demanded bluntly. Huck looked away, again put in his place.
Cassia went to him and took his hands in hers. She was relieved when he didn't pull away. She looked up at him but he didn't meet her eyes, looking at the ground beside them instead. She gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "It's alright," she whispered, not wanting to embarrass him knowing he would hate seeming weak, "You'll get better and then we'll be together again."
He looked down at her now and rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes, "I don't like this. We should stay together."
She leaned up to kiss his cheek just beside his lips, "I'll be safe Huck. You don't have to worry about looking out for me here."
To her surprise he pulled back then and his eyes flashed as his face shifted into a frown. "You're right," he said evenly, "you have your new friend to take care of you now while I can't." He stood upright again, his face cold.
"What are you talking about? You know that's not what I meant. We're just safe here."
He didn't hide his anger now as he stared down at her, "What are you talking about Cassia? What makes you think we're so safe here? Your friend of a week or so and his parents? You really think if your siblings or parents show up it'll be them who will stand a chance at helping you?"
"Stop it Huck," she hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to hear them. Luckily Ivan had gone to find Nico for their meal. "Why are you being like this? I just meant we're not in any immediate danger here picking corn. Why are you taking everything I say as an insult now?"
"Because you've been insulting me," he snapped, jerking back from her, wincing and grabbing his leg in pain from the effort.
"Huck," she gasped and reached towards him but he slapped her hand away.
"Just leave me alone Cassia," he spoke loudly now, "I'm in pain and I need a break. I'm not your only friend now so why don't you go talk to him?"
"Is everything alright?" Nico asked as he and Ivan came upon the scene.
"And while you're at it, you should probably tell him who you really are," Huck smirked, "You know, since you're such great friends now. See if he's so eager to watch out for you then."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein