Recent content by Hath Charosh

Hath dipped his head to Shari in acknowledgment, though he did not step away from Pern. <<All is well,>> he echoed after Pern, his voice even, calm. Shari’s sharp look bounced between them before softening with a knowing hum that did not need words. She seemed satisfied for now. Hath fell...

Hath did not release the pole. His hands shifted only enough to ease the strain a little further, his knuckles brushing the fabric at her shoulders. A low sound escaped him. It was not quite a laugh, more like a quiet breath that warmed the air between them. That smile warmed him more. They...

Hath’s jaw tightened. It wasn't in anger, but in holding himself steady. Her words landed hard. It was more than he’d had any right to expect with how he had behaved. And yet it was still not enough to quiet the ache in him. "You think you must have an answer," he said. "And I have pushed you...

Hath watched the orclings go, their small bodies swallowed by the tall grass. He felt regret for the way they had looked at him. Then words landed like stones dropped one at a time into cold water. A dream. Her home. Her father. CAging him. He took it all in without interrupting. It was not...

Hath felt her shrink before she even spoke. He knew her too well. It was in the subtle retreat of her shoulders and the way her gaze dropped away from his. It pulled at him in two directions at once. Part of him wanted to press, to drag the truth out of her. The other felt the hitch of her...

Hath had not expected the sting of Pern’s anger. He felt it the moment she turned her back on him. In the wake of that glance he felt a turbulent cold down in his gut. It felt far worse than a strike or a harsh retort thrown his way would have. He didn't understand her and that made him feel...

Hath watched the younglings scatter toward the water, their laughter trailing behind them like birdsong. It was nothing like the tight discipline of the clan he had grown up in. They would not have gone near the water making noise. That was where the worst savanna predators would have waited...

Hath walked because standing still felt dangerous. His boots carried him toward the river path without thought, toward the sound of laughter riding lightly on the wind. Thrann was a mighty hunter. The war party rushed into the long grasses together, but he was their leader. They looked to him...

Hath wouldn't regret asking the last question. He would never stop and accept fate. The words of a shaman could change the future on their own. In a way, it was less unsettling to only have one serious crossroads ahead of them. The clap of hands made him jump. The offer of food confused him...

This time the tusks came out. It was instinct. If he had been sharper then he might have been more animated in his reaction. Instead he simply bared his teeth at the blade. Hath felt the heat from the embers brush his skin, smelled the acrid sting curling in the smoke. The hairs that had once...

Hath had to keep himself from bearing his tusks at the flash of blue flame. He didn't shirk, but his discomfort was etched into his face. That smoothed out as he saw the smoke coalesce into Kardidua for the span of just one breath. He didn't trust magic, but he didn't doubt it's existence...

The tent felt smaller once the flap dropped behind him. Close. He could smell the herbs hitting the mixture in the bowl. He said nothing at first because he didn’t trust his voice in this place. It felt like shadows bent in strange ways over the shaman’s hands. Three questions. He’d never...

Hath stiffened at the shaman’s voice. Yska’s words carried like thrown stones, sharp enough that even the wind would flinch at their passing. He cane to a stop. He had expected the quiet he had found in the rocks to shift into the noise of the orcs gathering around fires. He hadn't expected it...

Hath watched her go, the campfire crackling softly between them. She’d smiled but it hadn’t reached her eyes. Something in her voice had been off. They had spent too much time travelling together for him to miss it, but he felt frustrated at himself for not understanding. He turned his gaze...

Hath sat in silence for a long while after Pern spoke, the weight of her words settling heavily upon his shoulders. A few years ago he had thought of himself as simple in his wants: food, fire, a good hunt, the freedom of the wilds. Now here she was speaking of belonging and prejudice. “A...