Rosin

Part 3: The Humans

She didn't sleep well.

"Rosin."

She emitted a small scream, broken so violently out of her thoughts that her hand shot out to grip her spear. It was only Aspen when she whipped around to where the voice had come from. The boy was stood in the doorway of her temporary room, watching how she had flown to her spear, maybe judging her for it. Rosin felt a flush of anger on her cheeks.
"Good gods!" She threw her spear harshly to the wall, "Don't you knock?!" She didn't like being caught off guard like that, not to mention Aspen had a special way of irritating her. She very nearly flew into another shout before she caught sight of the state of him.

Aspen stood like a ghost. There were heavy shadows under his eyes, a hollowness to his stare.
"What's wrong?" She asked carefully.
His voice was hoarse, "She's still not back."

She. Rosin knew even before he spoke that something had happened to Azure. Too much time had passed now, something was horribly wrong, off. Was Aspen's voice so dry from tiredness or crying?

"I'll go by myself." He uttered in her silence.
"Aspen-"
"Shut up, Rosin. I don't care what you say." He sighed, shutting his eyes. The boy had now gone beyond the point of anger, beyond arguing with her. "Or what the Elder says. I'm not asking your permission anymore. I'm just telling you."
She believed him without a shadow of doubt. It was in his face— he would have to be chained down if the Elder meant to keep him in this tribe.
She gritted her teeth. Then, "Go."

Aspen didn't wait for anything more. He turned on his heel with a new spark of energy in his eyes.
"No more than two of you." Rosin called just as he disappeared. The boy was immediately back in her doorway.
"Are you joking?" He demanded.
She didn't humor the jab, "Three, at most."
"Four."
This boy. She glared at him, "Aspen-"
"So we won't be alone if we're separated." He cut over her. Calmly. And what argument did she have against that? It was reasonable, it was safe. Still, she had to hesitate for a minute before agreeing. Just because it was Aspen, and he annoyed her.
"Four. Go."
He didn't waste a second.

"Aspen?" Rosin called against her best attempts not to.
"What?" The boy groaned, though he did stop. He tapped his foot with impatience and stared at her. Words squirmed in Rosin's chest. Emotions. But in the end, all she said was, "Nothing."
The boy was gone before she had finished speaking the word.

Rosin stood in cold silence in the middle of the room. She bit her nails. Aspen. He would be gone within a few minutes. No doubt he had all of those boys on alert in the barracks.
She had a bad feeling about not letting him go yesterday. Maybe that's what she had wanted to say to him; I'm sorry. But, no, that wasn't it— sorry for what? He had been totally beside himself with emotion last night, in no state to go looking for her...
And what did you do to comfort him? She though of Kovu's heavy hand on Aspen's shoulder. The reassuring grip he had kept on the boy when his anger wavered and the fear broke through. Aspen was just scared something had happened to her, that was all. And his way of being worried was to shout at everyone.
Like Kristin.

She shut her eyes tightly.

What are you doing here, Rosin? She didn't belong here— she never had. Kovu would be the comfort that Aspen couldn't find in his mother, the scouts would go and find Azure and bring her home, look after her, and everything would be fine. Rosin's home was with Wren. Wren, who needed her, who had despaired at her leaving.
Rosin just wanted to go home now. She felt ridiculous for even involving herself with the Hollow's problems.

She flopped onto the bed and released a deep sigh. You're as bad as Aspen. Springing up and charging over the lake in a panic about Azure. Azure was fine. And if she wasn't, if she was hurt or ill or lost, the scouts would go and find her and it would all be sorted out by the end of the day. There had been no need for her to come back.