THE PLAN TO ERADICATE ALL XIURS
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13th Ashan, 718
Finn awoke one of Zipper’s bedrooms while the roosters still slept and dew still clung to the grass. A few shy rays of sunlight crawled over the horizon and tickled his skin through the worn-out curtains, blowing in a gentle morning breeze. He’d removed a handful of Doran figures hanging from the ceiling the night before, not wishing to be greeted by that sight again. Yet as he rolled over to his other sife, he couldn’t escape the prying eyes of three unfinished Doran’s scattered across the floor. With a sigh he closed his eyes and tried to banish the mental image.
How long, he wondered. How long would it be before she snapped again. She’d let him off the hook yesterday, he knew, though he didn’t know why. This wasn’t the first time they’d argued, fought, and then simmered down again, but each next time it got so much more tiresome. He wondered if there was any way out of the cycle, any way at all to stop them from tearing each other to piece. There was a way. If she would just stop whining about everything he did and would join him. What was her problem with Vuda anyway? True, the old fart was a bit of a creep, but he was only the Chief Advisor, not the Grand Marshall.
Bare feet pattered across the floor as he searched Zipper’s small kitchen for something to eat but found nothing. Sighing, he returned to his room, rummaged through his backpack and slipped on some fresh clothes and pocketed a few golden nels. Best way he knew to make her more agreeable and defuse the situation at least for the time being was to prepare a hearty breakfast.
More than two bells passed before he returned and then it took another half bell before he had everything prepared. The kitchen table was filled with various fresh loaves of bread, a salad, fresh juice, warm tea, and all the appropriate plates and cutlery to consume the royal breakfast. He even cleaned out the stove, replaced the firewood and boiled two eggs in hot water, as the proverbial cherry on top.
“Fi?”
He gave a little rap on the door to her bedroom. “Fi, I made breakfast for us…” He idly flattened his hair with his free hand as he waited for an answer.
No response.
“Fi? Zippo? Zipperrrrr...” Nothing still. He knocked again, a little harder this time, making the loose hinges rattle. “Hello? Fi? Hey! Wake u-!”
How long, he wondered. How long would it be before she snapped again. She’d let him off the hook yesterday, he knew, though he didn’t know why. This wasn’t the first time they’d argued, fought, and then simmered down again, but each next time it got so much more tiresome. He wondered if there was any way out of the cycle, any way at all to stop them from tearing each other to piece. There was a way. If she would just stop whining about everything he did and would join him. What was her problem with Vuda anyway? True, the old fart was a bit of a creep, but he was only the Chief Advisor, not the Grand Marshall.
Bare feet pattered across the floor as he searched Zipper’s small kitchen for something to eat but found nothing. Sighing, he returned to his room, rummaged through his backpack and slipped on some fresh clothes and pocketed a few golden nels. Best way he knew to make her more agreeable and defuse the situation at least for the time being was to prepare a hearty breakfast.
More than two bells passed before he returned and then it took another half bell before he had everything prepared. The kitchen table was filled with various fresh loaves of bread, a salad, fresh juice, warm tea, and all the appropriate plates and cutlery to consume the royal breakfast. He even cleaned out the stove, replaced the firewood and boiled two eggs in hot water, as the proverbial cherry on top.
“Fi?”
He gave a little rap on the door to her bedroom. “Fi, I made breakfast for us…” He idly flattened his hair with his free hand as he waited for an answer.
No response.
“Fi? Zippo? Zipperrrrr...” Nothing still. He knocked again, a little harder this time, making the loose hinges rattle. “Hello? Fi? Hey! Wake u-!”