Both children were growing in leaps and bounds, though that wasn't entirely unexpected. Just because they were twins (small at birth, so precious and small) didn't mean they weren't going to grow into two completely different, strong, powerful women. Women, he thought with a laugh. Of course Covet would be cursed with all daughters in his old age. None of his sons ever panned out and yet the women were resilient. He likes to think the trait came from him but with Librette's blood no one could be sure. It was like mixing two unpredictable metals, two unpredictable chemicals, and having an even stronger outcome.
Covet half expected them to implode.
Thorunn settled herself in the grass under the tree, content to rub the bits of dried sweat from her back and haunches in the thick Valley grass. Spring was becoming summer and any minute now the sun would burn through the thin fog and leave them perpetually dried out. She'd only lived for one year thus far, but she knew enough about pattern recognition to know it was coming.
Val spoke and Thorunn flicked a single ear in her direction. She'd mastered the art of detachment, mirroring her father as many ways as she could. She hoped to be a small version of him, unaware that she was nearly his height. At 14hh that wasn't impressive, but something about Covet always seemed so much...bigger...than his short stature. She watched her father with the same inquisitive eyes as Val, wanting to know of all his battles.
Covet, however, was not one to brag.
"Not nearly enough," he says in his quiet voice. He is, of course, referring to the way age descended on him so quickly. A year ago his immortality was so much stronger. Now? He doubted it even existed anymore. His gait was shortened with old injuries flaring up. His coat was mottled and didn't quite shed right. The scars looked like pock marks instead of badges. Covet - the warrior -now so old.
Thorunn was not so easily thrown off a trail, though. "I heard you were a king," she says. She tosses a look to Val and for a moment her orange eyes are conspiratory. She kept this little bit of information from her sister the way all siblings do in their young age.
Covet misses the glance and frowns, but speaks at long last.
"Twice. Once of the Dale, back when it was the Forbidden Dale. I lived in the Chamber of Evil and was recruited by the king, Colt. Together we murdered Coca-Cola, the king of the Dale, and I took the throne. We were a sub kingdom of the Chamber until I freed us. I ruled there for almost twenty years before handing it over to Ashley." Ashley, whom he killed. He leaves out the intricate parts of his reign - being abandoned by Craft, Anatomy's betrayal, the great wars. Another time, perhaps. "Then, much later, of the Tundra."
Covet half expected them to implode.
Thorunn settled herself in the grass under the tree, content to rub the bits of dried sweat from her back and haunches in the thick Valley grass. Spring was becoming summer and any minute now the sun would burn through the thin fog and leave them perpetually dried out. She'd only lived for one year thus far, but she knew enough about pattern recognition to know it was coming.
Val spoke and Thorunn flicked a single ear in her direction. She'd mastered the art of detachment, mirroring her father as many ways as she could. She hoped to be a small version of him, unaware that she was nearly his height. At 14hh that wasn't impressive, but something about Covet always seemed so much...bigger...than his short stature. She watched her father with the same inquisitive eyes as Val, wanting to know of all his battles.
Covet, however, was not one to brag.
"Not nearly enough," he says in his quiet voice. He is, of course, referring to the way age descended on him so quickly. A year ago his immortality was so much stronger. Now? He doubted it even existed anymore. His gait was shortened with old injuries flaring up. His coat was mottled and didn't quite shed right. The scars looked like pock marks instead of badges. Covet - the warrior -now so old.
Thorunn was not so easily thrown off a trail, though. "I heard you were a king," she says. She tosses a look to Val and for a moment her orange eyes are conspiratory. She kept this little bit of information from her sister the way all siblings do in their young age.
Covet misses the glance and frowns, but speaks at long last.
"Twice. Once of the Dale, back when it was the Forbidden Dale. I lived in the Chamber of Evil and was recruited by the king, Colt. Together we murdered Coca-Cola, the king of the Dale, and I took the throne. We were a sub kingdom of the Chamber until I freed us. I ruled there for almost twenty years before handing it over to Ashley." Ashley, whom he killed. He leaves out the intricate parts of his reign - being abandoned by Craft, Anatomy's betrayal, the great wars. Another time, perhaps. "Then, much later, of the Tundra."