Ranger Rising

Part 17: Mounting Worry

"Let me go," I said not even a breath after Father had finished explaining the plans for the afternoon. Father had kept Andrew and I closer to him for most of the morning. It wasn't until midmorning that he'd let us return to the field to finish our task. He was frightened. Now, though, he seemed to have a plan that involved pushing forward with practicality and strengthening the barn to keep unwanted creatures out.

He'd also determined that we had enough spare pork to sell to Wilmot for his butcher's shop. So one of us would stay with him and the other would run the errand to town. I wanted to run the errand in town.

Father and Andrew looked up at me from their plates, mouths still open. Either in surprise or because they were halfway through a bite I wasn't sure. It could've been both.

"You?" repeated Andrew with a light scoff.

"Yes me. Let me go to town," I said quickly. Father's face fell into a scowl that I was all too familiar with. Maybe I shouldn't have spoken so quickly. I came off as too eager and it was much too suspicious.

"It should be someone who's negotiated prices and trade before... and definitely not someone who's going to drag their feet in town."

"Who do you think does most of the buying in the market?" I said, drumming my fingers on the table.

Father raised his hand to stop our argument before we got out of hand. I wondered if he was starting to regret hiring Andrew. "Your visits to town haven't reflected well on you lately Lena." Father reminded me firmly.

Heat flooded my face.

"Did you ever apologize to Mayor Terrin or Clive?"

No, and I never will.

I clenched my hands into fists beneath the table and I pressed my lips into a thin line. Father shook his head and said, "That's what I thought. Why should I let you go into town if you're incapable of following simple instructions at the moment? Maybe you should stay with me and help me in the barn."

Father went back to moving food around his plate. His brow was creased as he continued to think deeply about something. Andrew gaze flitted from Father to me and back again. Most likely this was the most interesting show he'd seen in a long while. A smirk grew on his face but he quickly hid it behind his mug, pretending to take a drink. It made my blood boil.

"Because Andrew would be so much more help to you in the barn," I said crisply.

Andrew choked on his drink.

"What?" he sputtered. Father looked up at me again, eyebrow raised.

I forced the smirk that had crept on to my face into an innocent smile and waved my hand towards Andrew. "You want to reinforce the barn doors and make sure there are no breaks in the walls. Wouldn't Andrew be a better fit for that?"

That wasn't true in the least. I was just as capable as Andrew in doing the heavy lifting and assisting with reinforcing the barn. I'd done it in the past. I just really wanted to go to town and find Aust. Someone had to tell him about what we'd found this morning!

Father set his fork down and clasped his hands in front of me. I felt very small under his gaze. "It would be straight to Wilmot's and then straight back," he finally said.

A weight lifted off my shoulders. It wouldn't take me very long to find Aust and tell him about what I'd found in the fields. Like ten minutes tops. There would be no reason for Father to miss me for very long. I nodded, "Of course."

Andrew looked between me and Father, with his jaw hanging open.

"Merrik, with all due respect..." he shook his head as he spoke. I just barely withheld my desire to kick him under the table. That would've been as subtle as telling him to shut up out loud.