Aevrin
Aevrinwokeslowlyasthe mattress shifted. Cracking a bleary eye open, he watched Cassia slip out of bed.
“Morning,” he said, reaching an arm out to invite her back. She smiled but didn't take the offer.
“Morning. I slept in,” Cassia answered, sounding worried.
“Not light yet,” he observed, though the first brightening of dawn was visible out the window.
“It will be soon,” she said, shivering in the morning cold and picking her way to the door in her thin sleepwear.
Aevrin had never been one to hurry out of bed in the morning. As a rancher, he was always up early—he just wasn’t upfast. Now, with a half-groan half-yawn, he pushed the blankets off and swung his legs onto the floor. Cassia was right. The rest of the family would be getting up soon. Nobody would blame her if breakfast was a little slow, but, well, he had two hands to help her with.
Cassia opened the bedroom door, then squeaked and jumped back. Aevrin quickly stumbled towards her.
“Please don’t tell anyone,” he heard Cassia beg.
“Wha…?” He heard Mavek muttered. Aevrin reached Cassia, stopping just behind her. His older brother was in the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, blue eyes squinted near-closed with sleep. “That you’re sleepin’ together?”
“Can you just pretend you didn’t see me?” Cassia said.
“Uh… sure?” Mavek muttered. “But it’s no secret.”
“Did you all hear us?” Aevrin asked, putting a hand on Cassia’s waist.
“C’mon. We all know you’ve been a pair for weeks,” Mavek said. “You’re a worse-kept secret than baked eggs.”
“That’s… not how that saying goes,” Cassia said, sounding confused.
“What’re you talking about?” Aevrin asked with a frown. They’d only gotten together recently.
“Shit, sure, you wanna keep pretending, I won’t say anything.” Mavek yawned. Then he blinked and stared at Cassia for a moment. “Wait. This mean food’s not ready yet?”
“I’m so sorry,” Cassia said. “I didn’t mean to sleep in, but…”
“Whatever,” Mavek interrupted. “Going back to bed. Aevrin, wake me up when there’s food.” He turned and stumbled back down the hall, rubbing his eyes.
Aevrin sighed and covered a yawn as Cassia darted into the necessary.
By the time she ran downstairs, fully dressed with her hair braided, he had a cup of hot, fresh grallo ready to go, made from the root she’d powdered just yesterday. Aevrin put it into her hands, passing her the lotho separately, since she didn’t seem to take them together like most people he knew.
They got through breakfast alright. His father suggested that he and Aevrin come back to the ranch at lunch to visit the jail and see about Rylan’s situation. Cassia nodded nervously, hands twisting together.
“Aevrin?” Sorven asked quietly as the men all headed out the back door. Sorven was still walking awkwardly on his hurt ankle, but had been coming out each day to do some of the work in the coop.
“Yup.” Aevrin fell back to walk with his younger brother.
“Can I ask something?” Sorven asked, as Mavek and their father pulled further ahead in a conversation of their own. Sorven’s eyebrows were a little furrowed. Aevrin frowned.
“‘What’s up?”
“I’ve been thinking, about yesterday.”
“With Rylan?”
“Yeah,” Sorven said, trudging across the worn clover towards the coop. “Aevrin? D’you think I’m too sheltered?”
“Sheltered?”
