Snuggled up close with her wife, Kes was startled awake the next morning by Lanam’s cry. Kes got up so fast she ended up getting tangled in the blanket and falling out of the cot, crying out herself when her hip hit the floor a little sharply. ”Ouch…” She murmured her herself, shaking her head and realizing what had happened. She turned to look at her crying daughter who was sniffling and calling out, asking what was happening.

”Kes? Kes, what’s wrong?! What’s happened?!” Anara asked, getting up. ”Where did you go?” She asked, getting out of bed and tripping herself. Kes scrambled to catch her when she fell. She sighed in relief. ”Are you…  are you alright?” Kes asked.

”Fine… I’m fine. Never mind me, what-”

”Lanam’s fine, Tresit’s…” She looked around to be sure. ”gone somewhere, I…” She sat her wife down and went to go scoop the sniffling Lanam up in her arms and bring her to Anara. ”Shh, Lanam, I’m here, we both are.” Kes cooed, handing her to Anara who held her close.

”But Tresit, where’s brother gone?” Lanam pleaded. ”He’s never gone when I get up, he never is!” She told them urgently.

”That’s true, he… oh Kes, what could have-”

”Oh no…” Kes spoke quietly.

”What, what is it? What do you know?” Anara asked urgently, holding Lanam to her so her daughter’s head rested on her shoulder.

”Last night, he heard us. When – he heard what we said. Maybe… maybe he just needed some time to himself?” Kes ventured.

”…If…” Anara wiped some welling tears of her own from her eyes. ”If what you say is true, then it’s… it’s much worse than that, Kes. So much worse… All my fault. I’ve dreaded it so long… I should have never spoken it aloud, never…” She spoke in a broken sort of despondent way.

”Anara… Anara, you have to tell me.” Kes prompted, moving close and touching her face and shoulder consolingly. She longed to hold her, hold them both, but she knew that whatever Anara was afraid Tresit had done was more important than that now.

”He’s gone to kill him. He’s gone to kill his uncle. I knew, if he ever found out, his honor would make him do this… He’s… he’s just a boy though, Tulk will… will surely kill him.” And as the words hit her, they hit Lanam too and she started crying, wailing really, inconsolably.