December Free Fiction: Advent Story: Thear Collection: Trey: 1113 words

[k_a_webb]

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Nodding, Trey watched as she stood and walked away. It was slowly getting lighter, so he knew that he should be getting back to the front of the Residence in order to meet Aisling properly, but he didn't really want to move. Knowing that someone trusted him was a great weight lifted off his shoulders, even though he didn't know if her plan would work. He did want to get his friends to safety before anything could happen to them, so making the first move did seem like the best idea, but at the same time he didn't want to draw attention to what was happening. Sighing, he stood, still thinking. People travelling at different times would draw less attention than everyone leaving at one, so having more time would be a good thing.

Trey pulled his cloak tighter around him. It was a cold morning, but he hadn't really noticed how cold until he moved. He was tempted to just sit back down again, so he could just be Trey rather than the High Priest of Herne. Finally he forced himself to walk back around the Residence, just as the sun was rising, in order to fulfil his duty as a High Priest. Being Bast's High Priest meant that he should be doing the job, no matter what, and he didn't want to let his deity down any more than he already had. Aisling's coach bumped down the road less than a minute later.

Closing his eyes, Trey focused on being who he was supposed to be in that situation, even though he wished he didn't have to. There would be people watching, in the same way there always was, and they would be reporting back to his father. If his father found out he was acting in a less than normal way it was always possible that a visit would happen, and Trey didn't want his father anywhere near the Residence.

When Trey opened his eyes Aisling was sliding out of the coach and dropping to the ground, and the sight made it hard for him not to smile. He hadn't noticed before but she was short for an Uisdro, almost more Dorma height, so he knew that the next thing on his list of things to do was her family tree. Somehow he managed to bow to the new High Priestess without smiling or acting out of character in any way.

Their eyes met. “Welcome, High Priestess of Persephone,” Trey said, grateful that he sounded entirely normal and slightly dismissive of her.

A twinkle of mirth lit her eyes for a second and then faded. “Greetings, High Priest of Herne.”

“You are welcome at the Residence.” It was the first time Trey had meant the ritual words he was saying. “If you are in need of anything then do not hesitate to ask.”

“I am grateful for your hospitality.”

Once she had stepped to the next person in line, the High Priest of Poseidon, Trey had to stop himself from breathing a sigh of relief. All he could do was hope that they wouldn't spend too much time together, because he had a horrible feeling that having her around was going to make it very difficult to keep pretending to be his father's son. Shaking his head, he looked at her, needing to do something to take his mind off what was happening, what could happen, and the worries that were filling his mind.

“Welcome, High Priestess of Persephone,” Logan said, sweeping a low bow and then taking her hand, which he slowly lifted to his mouth to kiss.

“Greetings, High Priest of Anubis,” Aisling replied, sounding slightly confused.

“You are very welcome at the Residence. On behalf of Anubis I must say it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Trey shook his head. Logan never stuck to the ritual words, but then as a true High Priest it made sense that he didn't, even though it did draw attention to him. Thankfully Trey knew that Logan was just seen as flamboyant and different, which wasn't something the Dorma particularly like, rather than as though he felt he was the only true priest in the Residence, because if someone found out that there were true priests then it was likely that they would be hunted.

At the end of the line stood the High Priestess of Epona. It was easy to see the dislike in her eyes when she looked at Aisling and it was something that was expected. Maybe, long ago, the Dorma and the Uisdro had been friends, but that friendship had turned into hatred of the differences between the two races. Once again the ritual words were said, even though it was obvious the words weren't met, before the short line of Highs broke up. Wrapping an arm tighter around himself, Trey followed the High Priest of Poseidon into the Residence. He knew that Logan and Aisling were behind him because he could hear them talking.

“Do you think the deities might lie to us?” Logan asked.

“I've never known Persephone to,” Aisling replied, and it was possible for Trey to hear a slight hint of dislike in her voice, but he knew it could also have just been his imagination.

“It's just Anubis told me that Trey, of all people, is the High Priest of Bast and I really don't think that's possible.”

“Why?”

There was a short silence before Logan answered. “Trey isn't a nice person, Aisling. He is the son of the Dorma supremacist movement and I just don't like or trust him.”

“Being someone's son doesn't make anyone a bad person. Are you like your father?”

“No, not really.”

“Don't judge someone by what their family do. One of my relations, Conall, has a father who really isn't a nice person, but Conall is a healer and does everything he can to look after other people. They're not alike in any way.” She sighed. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe Trey acts the way he does in order to keep himself safe, because he's nothing like his father?”

“I suppose it's possible.”

“Logan, if Anubis has told you that Trey is the High Priest of Bast, then he's done it for a reason. What you need to think about is the reason. We're coming up to a time of change, everyone knows that something has to happen soon even if they have no connection to the deities, and Trey may very well be a part of that change in some way.”

“Anubis told me that Trey is a good person...” A long silence followed. “I don't know if I believe him.”

© K A Jones 2011


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Comments

[ocean-queen1990.livejournal.com]

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[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>>in order to fulfil his duty <<

That should say "fulfill" above.

>> There would be people watching, in the same way there always was<<

Subject/verb disagreement: change "was" to "were" above.

>>it was obvious the words weren't met<<

I think that should say "meant" above.

>>He is the son of the Dorma supremacist movement and I just don't like or trust him.”<<

That should probably say "Dorma supremacist leader" or somesuch.