He’d find Digger. The fire was bright, the flames were big. He’d come.
“When it was Wasted—” Fiver stopped short and cleared his throat, pretending to hack something up, then spat at his feet. “When it was Wasted, Crow told me I should, ah—” He stopped again, kicking the spot where his spit had landed. His chin was pressed to his chest, but even still I could see it quivering. I felt a sudden sting in the pit of my stomach. Fiver had done this before, for Wasted, his Little Brother. And none of us had been there with him.
Fiver let out a breath and looked to me. “He told me I should say something to Rawley. Ask him to come, andthat I should”—he shrugged—“I should tell him the kind of things Wasted liked, so he’d know.”
By the fire, I could see flames reflected in his glossy eyes, and my own started feeling hot, knowing it could have just as easily been me who spoke to Rawley.
Av shifted on his feet and let his hands fall behind his back as he stared into the flames. “Rawley,” he started, his voice heavy and dry, “this flame is for our Brother, Digger. Digger really likes setting snares; he was always very good at it. He had a Little Brother named Fingers.” Av stopped and wiped at his eyes again. “But he looked after everyone. Sort of tried to be a Big Brother to us all, I guess.”
I’d never thought of it like that, but Av was right. He’d bossed us around, but really he was just trying to take care of us all.
I looked up into the sky—wisps of silver-lined clouds drifted in a black sea of stars—and I wondered if that was how Rawley would find our Brother, if he’d ride it to Digger’s lonely spot in the Baublenotts and take him away. And Cubby. He was alone in the dark somewhere. Would Rawley watch over him? I squeezed my eyes tight and swallowed again. I made a silent wish to Rawley, begged him not to come for Cubby. Not now. It would be me who came. It had to be me.
THIRTEEN
When the flames had finally dwindled on Digger’s fire and the embers were cooling, the smell of roasting meat drifted lightly on the breeze. My stomach growled and I looked over to Blaze’s fire. The flames were still high, and they were licking at something Blaze was roasting over it.
“We’ll be at the Temple in the morning. You should eat something,” he called out to us. “Come have some Marmos.”
I didn’t know what Marmos was, or where he’d got it from, but the smell was enough to tell me I’d like it, and I started to make my way over. Fiver was already ahead of me.
Av didn’t follow. I turned back to see him, his arms crossed and trembling in front of Digger’s dying embers.
“You should eat, Av.”
“I can hunt for myself,” he said. “I don’t need
him
to take care of me.”
If anyone knew Av didn’t need someone to take care of him, it was me. But he hadn’t eaten anything but a nibble of the Abish cake. He had to be just as hungry as I was. And the cold was seeping in again. I could hear his teeth starting to rattle together.
“At least come warm up,” I tried. “We’ll have to get going soon. You might as well be dry.”
He bounced on his knees and stared at the cinders, deciding whether or not to listen to me. I could tell he didn’t want to. We’d all been shocked by Digger’s death, but it was weighing on Av the most. Digger was Av’s Brother, my Brother. Digger was one of us. It was the “us” part that Av was always reminding me about. It was what we were, what we had. We were Brothers. And Blaze took Digger away from us. How could I ask Av to trust him?
“You’re right,” I told him. “About Blaze, I mean.”
He looked at me. That was a good start. He’d been so mad, so different. Av hated Blaze, and Av never hated anyone. But I needed Av to put up with him, just a little longer.
“I don’t trust him either. But he’s all I’ve got to get to Cubby, Av.”
Av bounced on his knees again, not saying anything. Just talking about
“When it was Wasted—” Fiver stopped short and cleared his throat, pretending to hack something up, then spat at his feet. “When it was Wasted, Crow told me I should, ah—” He stopped again, kicking the spot where his spit had landed. His chin was pressed to his chest, but even still I could see it quivering. I felt a sudden sting in the pit of my stomach. Fiver had done this before, for Wasted, his Little Brother. And none of us had been there with him.
Fiver let out a breath and looked to me. “He told me I should say something to Rawley. Ask him to come, andthat I should”—he shrugged—“I should tell him the kind of things Wasted liked, so he’d know.”
By the fire, I could see flames reflected in his glossy eyes, and my own started feeling hot, knowing it could have just as easily been me who spoke to Rawley.
Av shifted on his feet and let his hands fall behind his back as he stared into the flames. “Rawley,” he started, his voice heavy and dry, “this flame is for our Brother, Digger. Digger really likes setting snares; he was always very good at it. He had a Little Brother named Fingers.” Av stopped and wiped at his eyes again. “But he looked after everyone. Sort of tried to be a Big Brother to us all, I guess.”
I’d never thought of it like that, but Av was right. He’d bossed us around, but really he was just trying to take care of us all.
I looked up into the sky—wisps of silver-lined clouds drifted in a black sea of stars—and I wondered if that was how Rawley would find our Brother, if he’d ride it to Digger’s lonely spot in the Baublenotts and take him away. And Cubby. He was alone in the dark somewhere. Would Rawley watch over him? I squeezed my eyes tight and swallowed again. I made a silent wish to Rawley, begged him not to come for Cubby. Not now. It would be me who came. It had to be me.
THIRTEEN
When the flames had finally dwindled on Digger’s fire and the embers were cooling, the smell of roasting meat drifted lightly on the breeze. My stomach growled and I looked over to Blaze’s fire. The flames were still high, and they were licking at something Blaze was roasting over it.
“We’ll be at the Temple in the morning. You should eat something,” he called out to us. “Come have some Marmos.”
I didn’t know what Marmos was, or where he’d got it from, but the smell was enough to tell me I’d like it, and I started to make my way over. Fiver was already ahead of me.
Av didn’t follow. I turned back to see him, his arms crossed and trembling in front of Digger’s dying embers.
“You should eat, Av.”
“I can hunt for myself,” he said. “I don’t need
him
to take care of me.”
If anyone knew Av didn’t need someone to take care of him, it was me. But he hadn’t eaten anything but a nibble of the Abish cake. He had to be just as hungry as I was. And the cold was seeping in again. I could hear his teeth starting to rattle together.
“At least come warm up,” I tried. “We’ll have to get going soon. You might as well be dry.”
He bounced on his knees and stared at the cinders, deciding whether or not to listen to me. I could tell he didn’t want to. We’d all been shocked by Digger’s death, but it was weighing on Av the most. Digger was Av’s Brother, my Brother. Digger was one of us. It was the “us” part that Av was always reminding me about. It was what we were, what we had. We were Brothers. And Blaze took Digger away from us. How could I ask Av to trust him?
“You’re right,” I told him. “About Blaze, I mean.”
He looked at me. That was a good start. He’d been so mad, so different. Av hated Blaze, and Av never hated anyone. But I needed Av to put up with him, just a little longer.
“I don’t trust him either. But he’s all I’ve got to get to Cubby, Av.”
Av bounced on his knees again, not saying anything. Just talking about
Similar Books
