Novel Full Chapter 445: …what do we do about her?
Chapter 445: …what do we do about her?
The woman called it faith, something that uplifted people, but the husband called it weight placed on the wrong beam, a false hope that might be crushed at any moment.
And just like that, the argument became worse, just like every other day.
But then yesterday…
The husband kissed her hair and went to the Wall before dawn. Today was an important day; today, the husband was supposed to go on a hunt beyond the Wall.
The woman hugged him and sent him away with a big smile. She wanted to tell him that everything would be fine because the Dragon God resided with them, but because she knew her husband didn’t like her mentioning the Dragon God’s name like a fanatic, she stopped herself.
But then—
In the evening, when her husband was supposed to return, the people who visited her were…
The Voice of the Commonfolk and the Commander of the Watch.
The woman froze. Seeing how these people couldn’t even meet her gaze, her mind understood what had happened, but her heart refused to admit it.
But then the Commander of the Watch stepped forward. In his hand was a piece of cloth that had some blood marks on it.
“Vandra Velmourn, your husband fought bravely.”
He spoke in a soft, trembling voice.
And just with those words, Vandra’s heart, that refused to accept what had happened, trembled. Her legs started shaking, as if her entire world was falling apart.
“N-No…
This c-can’t be true…
He said—he said he’d return before nightfall…”
She stuttered, her body staggering back from the shock.
“He kept his promise the only way a soldier could.”
Korvath’s throat felt dry, his voice cracking.
Vandra placed her hand on the piece of cloth Korvath had brought. It was from her husband’s cape, and the moment she saw the blood marks on it—
She collapsed on her knees and began crying.
Tarevian quickly held her gently, trying to offer some words, anything that could make this better, but he knew nothing would make it easier.
The only thing he could offer right now was his presence.
As for Korvath…
He just stood still, staring at the scene, his eyes glistening, but he did not show any expression.
He knew he couldn’t spend all his time here, he…
He needed to visit other families as well…
In the end, the Commander of the Watch could only watch in silence as Vandra continued to cry, and the woman…
Her world became gray. She remained on the floor because her knees had forgotten how to stand. The rest of the story Korvath shared echoed in her head, and she…
She only stared at the ceiling above her head in silence, her arm remained on her forehead as she breathed and breathed and did not know why the room had no air.
Now—
Now Vandra stood in the line and watched the ladles lift and fall. The crier’s words about Divine Rations and Living Blessings and respect rattled around her skull.
“So keep the living blessing pleased… share it… eat it fresh… leave no bowl with shame.”
She swallowed a sound that wanted to rise from her chest.
Respect.
Living Blessings.
Shame.
She felt like laughing out loud at the ridiculous words that were being fed to them.
’If he was a god, then why—’
She pressed her mouth shut so the thought would not finish itself.
Ahead of her, Elder Garet touched his forehead and said to a man with a limp,
“Eat well.”
The man smiled with red eyes and moved on.
“Names?”
An old woman asked gently when the line brought Vandra forward. Vandra’s fingers tightened on her bowl.
Her mouth opened, and her husband’s name stood on her tongue—wanted to be said and fed and warmed and remembered.
But then she froze.
Her expression cracked and—
“Just me,”
She whispered in a low voice.
The elder filled the bowl and tipped the rim so not a drop spilled.
“Eat near the brazier,”
She spoke in a gentle tone.
“Your hands are cold like ice.”
Vandra nodded and stepped away.
She sat on the low stone near the heat, blew on the steam, and ate slowly, even though every spoonful wanted to be three.
It was good.
It was so good it made her angry.
And finally—
The tears she had been holding back crawled down without heat.
She wiped them with the back of her hand and kept eating like a stubborn child.
Vandra ate until the ache in her belly eased and the ache in her chest sharpened. She watched a boy run past with two bowls and almost smiled at him out of habit.
But…
She did not smile.
She lowered her head, ignoring the child.
When her bowl was clean, she stood up.
Just as she was about to leave, the crier lifted the horn again and—
“Do not store the food inside your Sanctuary,”
He called.
“If you go against any of these instructions, you will be disrespecting the Divine Rations, the Living Blessing we were blessed with.
And the penalty of your mistake will be paid by us all…”
Suddenly—
Vandra paused.
Constantly hearing those words… it… snapped something inside her.
She clenched her fists, her eyes reflecting strong dissatisfaction and… anger.
In the end, she turned around.
The rules said she could take for family.
So this was what she was going to do.
She moved to the second lane—the one for carry-backs—and waited there, silent as stone. When her turn came, she lifted the empty bowl.
“Names?”
The elder asked in the same kind voice again.
She opened her mouth. For some reason, the memory of her husband standing in the doorway with the Wall’s dust on his boots, saying, “He is a man,” appeared in her head. Then, the memory distorted and her husband, “I am sorry,” he apologized.
Vandra looked around. She saw the crier’s lifted horn, she saw the chalk lines on the stone, but then—
“Names?”
The elder called out again.
She wasn’t supposed to stall, she needed to keep the line moving.
“Mother and sister,”
Vandra lied softly and spoke two names that were real, though they lived two rows over. The elder nodded and filled the bowl. She thanked her with a voice that did not sound like hers and slipped away.
The lane behind the kitchens ran narrow and quiet. Snow here was only a thin skin; the wind was kept away by the buildings’ curves.
She walked in with her hood low, her heartbeat fast—not with fear of being caught, but with a hot, sick anger she did not know how to hold.
“Divine Rations,”
She muttered under her breath, her voice filled with mockery.
“Divine rules.
Divine bell.”
She held the bowl in her hand even more tightly, and once she entered an empty alleyway, where no one could see, she stopped.
A wide, transparent crack then formed in front of her.
It was her Sanctuary.
’Eat it fresh.’
The crier’s voice rang in her head.
’Leave no bowl with shame.
Do not put the divine food inside the Sanctuary.’
These echoes in her head got stronger, but a determined, vengeful light shone in her eyes.
“You aren’t a god.
If you were, you would have appeared when the Stormcallers came.”
She muttered out loud.
Who was she talking to?
She did not know.
It could either be a God, a Man, or even a Ghost, she didn’t care, she just… wanted to prove that her husband was correct all along.
“Divine Rations?
It is all a trick, and I will show it to everyone!”
The woman spoke and then—
She tilted the bowl. Steam rose like a ghost, the rich, sweet smell of the dish lifted toward her face and then slid downward, right into her Sanctuary.
For one heartbeat, the food did not move, almost as if it was resisting, but Vandra did not give up.
She tilted the bowl even further, and this time, the food moved, slipping right into her Sanctuary.
And just like that, the food was gone.
Vandra looked around, and in a second, a small, vindictive grin appeared on her face.
“As I thought, nothing happened.
Heh, Divine Rations my foot.”
The woman then slowly walked away, back to her house.
Yes, she wanted to reveal the truth right now and stop this ongoing farce, but she also did not want to interrupt when the people were eating.
Her goal was to reveal that bastard’s trickery, not starve the people, so for now, she would return without causing a scene, but it wouldn’t be the same when it was time for lunch. That would be when she would reveal everything.
“…”
As the woman walked away, the Ant that followed her shared everything with her Mother, and her Mother…
“…”
She shared everything that happened with Kael and Lavinia, and the couple stared at each other with a grim, somewhat guilty look on their faces.
“…what do we do about her?”
Kael questioned, and with a light gulp, as if to prepare herself, a determined look appeared on Lavinia’s face and—
“We need to set an example.”