Across the Sea—Chapter XIII

So! Heh. Here we go. Um….things happen….in this chapter….yaaaaay.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: IT ALL CRASHES DOWN

“We’re late, Esben, hurry up!” Artham shouted up the stairs. Emerald was standing beside him, twirling her red curls.

“Artham, do you think I look pretty?” Emerald asked.

“Of course, Em. I think you did nice on your hair…..if, my opinion matters,” he finished, a bit awkwardly.

She looked down at her dress, and then back up at Artham. “It does.”

Esben finally tramped down, looking a little messy, but not the worse for wear.

They finally got out of the house, and now they were almost at school.

They tramped off to their history class, and Artham had to sit down next to Nia. She shot him a glance immediately.

“Well, you’re late,” she sharply said.

Artham looked at his paper. “A bit,” he admitted.

She shook her head, but Artham noticed something interesting. She didn’t look him in the eye, almost as if she couldn’t bare the serene coolness of them.

She looked away.

“Nia,” Artham said, glancing in her direction, “why are you—“

But he couldn’t finish his sentence, as the teacher came in. Nia was nervous through the whole class. And Artham knew it was on account of him.

Lunch came and went, but Nia didn’t sit by them. Nibbick Bunge sat by, close, too close. Artham watched him from across the room.

“Something weird’s going on,” he muttered.

In the hallway, Artham slipped away for a moment to get something for class, leaving Esben and Emerald in the hallway. In fact, he was still in the hallway, just walking back, when Emerald felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see Nibbick.

“Well, who did your hair today? Your brother? It looks like you just rolled out of bed and put a bird’s nest in your hair.”

Everyone giggled, but Emerald flushed.

Esben suddenly stood in front of Emerald, and faced up to Nibbick.

“Stay away from my sister.”

“What are you gonna do about it, squirt?” Nibbick asked, giving Esben a shove back into Emerald, causing their legs to get tangled and they both fell in a heap.

Everyone now laughed, and Esben was now flushed. Nia watched in complete silence, beside her best friend, Olumphia Groundwich, who was two seconds away from clocking Nibbick.

“Well, squirt, let’s see if you’ll take a hit for your sister.”

He pulled back his arm, quite ready to strike, but his fist was stopped by another hand, and thrust back with such force that Nibbick almost fell.

It was Artham.

“Pick on someone your own size.”

He then turned and helped Esben and Emerald up. “You okay?”

Esben nodded, but Emeraqld was crying. He helped them to their feet, dusted Esben off, and tenderly helped Emerald tidy up.

“Oh ho ho. Look at this, King Artham. You know, it’s funny, you’re pretty strong for a skinny boy. You know, I think I’m gonna call you broom boy, since you’re so skinny and all.”

Artham blushed fiercely, but he kept his mouth shut. He dusted Emerald off, and then Nibbick seized him by the shoulder and pulled him into his face.

“What are you gonna do about this, huh?”

Artham rested his shoulder from his grasp, wanting more than anything to hit him once, just once, but his honor stopped him. That and an old thing his father had told him.

Let them hit first.                

Artham had always known his duty as a Throne Warden, and his father had told him little things like that all the time. It helped him move forward.

Maker, help me, Artham prayed.

“Let’s get to our class,” Artham said, holding Emerald’s little hand. He stood up, turned towards Nibbick, and was struck with a full fist right in the face.

Artham saw stars for a moment. He thought he heard Emerald scream, and Esben challenge Bunge.

He hit first, he silently prayed, what now?

Reader, I don’t want to dwell on the fight that ensued. Let me simply say, Nibbick tried again to pull his trick on Artham, but Artham defended himself, and then he found Nibbick made a good punching bag.

He let out a little bit of anger, and grief. He had said he was fine, but Artham wasn’t so sure now. In fact, he knew he wasn’t. He had been trying to be happy, and it had worked. But deep, deep, deep down, he knew his heart was still broken…knew he wasn’t still completely lost without his parents. Knew he….he felt alone.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but he felt a strong hand push him back on his shoulder, and a voice bark out, “What’s goin’ on!? Who started this!? Don’t matter! I’m finishin’ it!”

It was Guildmaster Stub. He looked both boys over. Artham had a black eye and a nose bleed, while Nibbick had a swollen lip and a few bruises.

“Now, who did this?” Stubb said, his nostrils flaring.

“I’ll tell you who! My big brother was helpin’ us, and—“

“Sorry Esben, I can’t take a biased opinion. Who can I take unbiased?”

He looked around. Every kid he saw was either on Artham’s side or Nibbick’s side. Except Nia. She was unbiased.

“Nia. Who started this? They’re both at fault, but who started this?”

Nia looked up. She had seen the fight. She looked at Artham, who definitely got the brunt of it, and she knew was not at all fine. She knew he was hiding it. She knew one simple truth would let him off with just a warning, and Nibbick would get what he deserved.

But then she remembered the letter. The blackmail. The deal.

She couldn’t look at Artham now.

“It was Artham,” she lied. “He started the fight.”

Artham’s head whipped up. Grief and anger flitted in his eyes. Then tears started, he quickly wiped his eyes, and heard his Guildmaster say, “I’m suspendin’ ya fer a week, since this is your first issue with our rules. On your first day back, you’ll run laps all day.”

Artham nodded. “May I walk my siblings to their classes before I leave?”

Stub nodded.

Nia lingered in the hallway, till Artham returned. He looked at her, and then raced off.

Nia hesitated, then chased after him. “Artham! Artham!”

Artham spun on his heel, looking extremely enraged. “Artham, look. I’m sorry. Really. But, Nibbick….he found a letter, from that Arundelle girl, and he read it, and it was sweet, and he said he’d say it was from me if I didn’t take his side, and—“

“Hold on. You read it too? Where is it?”

Nia reached in her pocket, and handed him the letter. Artham took it, and turned redder, and redder, and redder. It’s not even that it was a terribly sweet letter, it was just sweet.

She told him she missed him, and that she appreciated him a friend, and she really loved the poem. She was still going on about it!  But the fact that Nibbick and Nia had read it ruined it.. His hand trembled with rage. His face was red, and his eyes were watery.

“Leave me alone,” he said, and he turned on his heel.

“Wait!”

“Just. Stop!”

Artham faced her again and his eyes were on fire. “I never asked for this. I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this! Leave me alone!”

He raced off very quickly, trying to get home….

“Bu that’s across the ocean!” Artham said in complete agony. He was in the middle of nowhere. He was all but lost. He plopped down under a tree.

“Mama and Papa are gone,” he said, tears streaming down his cheeks, his throat constricting. “Illia’s gone….and Danniby. And now,” but Artham could not continue in his rant, for the tears burst forth in unmitigated numbers. There was no reprieve from his grief….except for when, as usual, complete exhaustion kicked in and he fell asleep.

Sooooo…….yeah. Artham had his breakdown. It happened. And yeah. It had to happen at some point! (Can I also say that this ending with Artham reminds me of how Janner reacted to Sara being gone 🤣)

I hope you liked it….in spite of sadness…