Maybe The Dead
Warning: Contains talk of abuse, and heavily implied sexual assault/rape
think he’s a sapling?”
“He follows Baya everywhere, and looks like a sad sylvan pup when she’s gone. That is not adult behaviour.”
“How can you even tell that? He’s always smiling-”
“Further, he doesn’t appear to ever really know where we are or where we’re going when we leave on raids. He gets distracted by everything and his eyes light up at small things like rocks and fireflies. It’s as if he’s never explored the forest before. It’s as if it’s all new to him. It’s as if-”
“He’s a sapling.” Meritt stared at her, wide-eyed in awe. “How do you even notice all this? He always looks so… calm to me? I can’t read him at all! It’s like when you told me Claws was an engineer – it makes sense but like, he’s never said-”
“Please stay on topic.”
He shook his head. “No, this is enough. You’ve been obsessive over this ever since your first raid. Maybe he’s a sapling, and he leaves us blueberries, and he’s apparently like Baya -fine! So what? What is the point in finding this out?”
“I don’t like mysteries.”
“Well you’re gonna have to get used to em! Baya is a mystery! I’m sorry, Mute, but I already told you all I know about her! No one knows about her family, and if he was, surely she’d have said something.”
She decided that was the last she’d bother Meritt about it.
Family or not, it was obvious she was training the kid. He was far more skilled than the others thought he was: stealing more than most of them, hiding in plain sight… he
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