# Document — Anothen/.gemini/tmp/apps/tool-outputs/session-2834ac85-277d-41eb-9df1-483069fa296b/run_shell_command_run_shell_command_1773276296402_0_6mg0s.txt
{
"output": "Output too large. Showing first 8,000 and last 32,000 characters. For full output see: C:\\Users\\Praxillax\\.gemini\\tmp\\apps\\tool-outputs\\session-2834ac85-277d-41eb-9df1-483069fa296b\\run_shell_command_1773276296402_0.txt\nOutput: (1-21-16 This second chapter of the book breaks away from Evan completely, and we won’t see him again for a long time, though he’s one of the central characters of the coming story. Red texDUDE! ACK. Thou must go through and alter all spoken sentences in Kaerick to reflect the word 'Ye' instead of 'You' where itAuraleus sat bolt upright, awakened by the sound of a scream. It was high and long and wavered before suddenly coming to an abrupt halt. Chills ran up the man’s spine and all the hair on From beside him, her voice bleary from sleep, his wife asked, “He answered, “Don’t know. Sounded as though it came from near Auraleus swung his legs over the side of the bed, set his arms on either side of his legs and leaned forward a bit, his elbows locked in place while he gathered himself. Still bleary from his late night celebration of the kingdom of Kyaur’s new year, he was feeling more than a little agitated at being awakened in the dead of the night. From the sound of the sharp barking coming from outside, Fithlle, was every bit as agitated as he was Taking a deep breath, he leaned further forward and then up onto his feet. Pip’s pen was too far away from the house to warrant slippers and his night shirt. Though spring had just begun, the air outside was chill – by the heavens it was chill in here – and walking that far out in the dark meant he’d need to pHe grumbled a bit as he pulled on his breeches and jerkin, slipped on his boots and said to his wife, “Stayest thou here until I return. I shant be but a few minutes. That blasted pig hadAs he stepped out into the nearly pitch black darkness of the hThe voice of his eldest daughter, Mya, came back to him. “WhatAuraleus sighed. “Don’t know. Now get thee back to bed. I’llHe walked down the stairs, grabbed a lantern off the end table and set it on the dining room table. Using a coal from the fireplace he was able to get it alight, and then turned to head for the back door. There was his daughter, hugging herself against the cold air in her nightgown, her hair mussed and a frown o“I thought I told thee to go back to bed get hence to thy bed, Auraleus smiled at her. She was a good girl, and he didn’t need to let his foul mood, grown from being awakened at this forsaken hour, cause him to mistreat her. “Ah darlin’, there’s naught to be afraid of. I’ll go and see if Pip’s stepped on the pitchfork maybe, or if ‘tis just that one of the piglets bit her too hard whilst suckling, or maybe even just had a terrible dreMya shook her head. “I’ve never heard her scream like that, Papa, not when she stepped on the pitchfork that once, surely not from one of the piglets biting her. I’ve had one bite me, thiAuraleus smiled. He stepped over to his daughter and knelt down on one knee to be on her level. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll be but a moment, and then we can all get back to sleep. If thou must, stay here and watch out the window, and thou shalt seeWith that, Auraleus hopped up, grabbed the lantern and headed out the back door toward the pig pen. As he opened the door, FiFithlle was the family’s pet chorffle, a two-legged hairy creature with a long, heavy tail to help it keep balance. Chorffles as a species had no front legs, per se; rather, a bony structure much like shortened arms led from where their shoulders were, running up and reinforcing their long necks to where appendages much like long paws or short fingers protruded from the animal’s snout cheeks and down over their mouths to their jaw line, almost like a paw mustache. A common animal and household petAuraleus reached down and pet his head. “I know it,” he said, as if in answer to a question. “Let’s go take a look, shall weAlmost as if he understood his master’s word, Fithlle looked upAuraleus reached to close the door behind him, then stopped, leaned back in on second thought, and grabbed his father’s old battlery sword from off the wall next to it. He whispered, “ThouMya worked her way over to the window and watched through the warped, wobbly glass as he and Fithlle walked up the path towardIt was cold outside, what with the wind blowing as it was, much colder than he had expected. Auraleus was glad he’d grabbed his heaviest tunic, but wished he’d brought his bloomin’ cloak. This served to spur him onward more quickly, and he moved intoWhen they had first been planning to acquire a sow, Adrianna had been worried that it would stink horribly, despite Auraleus’ arguments against it, telling her that only happened with animals that were poorly cared for. She’d won him over with hand wringing and fussy looks though, and so when it was all said and done, Auraleus had broken down and built the thing far enough away from the house that his soft-spoken wife would be comfortable with it. As of tonight, that was officially a thing of the past. “If I have to move the cursed fence one splinter at a time...” he mumbled as he and Fithlle hoofed it past the water pump, past the barn, past the blackberry bushes that marked the edge of their garden and then still on down the path to where thHis mood began to change as he finally approached, and his jog turned back into walk, and his walk into a careful, softly stepping near tippy-toe. Fithlle whined quietly. They could both feel it, now that they were close - something was wrong. The hair on Auraleus’ arms stood on end again and goose-bumps covered his back. Yes, something was out of place. With a shiver, he held the lantern up, as if he were trying to throw the light further into the darkness where the moonlight couldn’t reach soFithlle barked sharply and then growled, staying very close by his master’s side, whether out of fear and a need for protectio As he opened the main gate to the pen, he saw the gate to Pip’s inner-enclosure was wide open. Pip’s gate, the one to her inner-enclosure, was wide open. The wind was cold, but not strong, certainly not enough to blow that heavy old thing open even if he’d left it unlatched. He thought hard. Had he closed it before sunset? It was such a part of his daily routine that he couldn’t remember if he had or hadn’t. He cursed himself inteMoving around to the side of the shelter that housed Pip and her piglets, automatically holding his sword in a defensive stance, he wasn’t sure whether he would fight or run if there was someone actually in there. Surely by now they’d be gone, though, wouldn’t they? The scream would have scared anyone off, or at least let them know that someone was coming to investigate, right? The fact that his chorffle was at heightened attention argued against him. He found himself wishing it were twenty minutes later, when all this was just a memory, when he already knew the answers. He hated this. He’d been out here in the dark before. He’d tended to his livestock in the middle of the nighHe asked his companion, “Am I man or mouse?” He summoned courage and followed up with a louder, stronger voiced, “Pip? WhereAs Auraleus boldly turned the corner, Fithlle growled deep in his throat, the sound drawn up from his chest. There on the wall of the enclosure, hung by a cord from their back feet were all the piglets, butchered and dripping blood from their snouts. He tried to pull up, but his courage had given him a burst of momentum, and so he found himself finishing the turn none-the-less. He felt it before he saw it, but there was no stopping noHis lantern light cast the sharp shadow of a figure lurking in the corner, and he let out a mighty bellow of fear as he staggered backward. Fithlle burst into furious barking, fangs showing, ears back, hackles raised. The figure screamed also, then bolted at them. For Auraleus, His mind reeling, unable to register what his eyes were seeing, time seemed to slow. He Auraleus stumbled, tripped over Fithlle, fell over backward taking the chorflle down with him, and as he was falling, flung his lantern at the intruder in a defensive flinch, with it mid-\n\n... [4,647 characters omitted] ...\n\nng. Then there was a loud yelp and Fithlle tumbled to the side. Auraleus gasped, “NO,” but had no time to care for the chorffle. Now just the two oThen the grass stood still. A voice whispered up, shocked and Long, gasping seconds passed before finally a figure rose up, silhouetted against the night sky. Its chest heaved with exertion, its body trembling and gasping for breath, and then it turned and began to stumble toward the forest. After a few steps, it stopped and turned to look at the pig pen. A long pause again, and then it headed hastily back toward the farmstead, over the fence to the inner-enclosure where it grabbed Pip's gutted carcass and dragged it quickly to the fence. Vaulting to the other side, it seized the pig by the feet, pulled it under the fence, and then began a hurried stumbling jog back into the meadow and toward the forest. A few long minutes later and it disaThe moon continued to traverse the sky, the breeze whispered through the grass and crickets (are there crickets on the first day of spring?) chirped, oblivious to the struggle that had takeMya watched through the window, the glass distorted and making her father’s lantern light appear to stretch and narrow shrink and grow as he and Fithlle walked out to the pen. She pulled her nightgown closer and shivered with the cold, then reached up to wipe away the fog her breath had made on the glass. The light, now little more than a glimmer in the distance, looked small and she couldn’t make out anything from here. Then suddenly her father shouted in fear, Fithlle began barking furiously – and then there was another shout, not his – and the light winkeFear bolted through her with a gasp, and she felt goose bumps run along her arms and shiver up her back. She peered out the window intently, hoping to catch some glimpse of something, squinting, focusing, but to no avail. It was only moments before she heard the sound of her mother’s footsteps on the wood of theMya stood in the window, peering cautiously through the slit in the middle of the curtains. holding the curtain back so she could see outside. As Mama came into the kitchen, she didn’t notice her daughter in the darkness, even though it was only the fact that Mya held the curtain back that allowed there to be enough moonlight filtering in through the window to let her see what she was looking for. Moving in a straight line, whispering quietly but anxiously to herself, she went to the knife rack on the counter, drew out a butcher’s knife and then rushed to the back door. Breathing hard and fast, she leaned against the wall, blade gripped clutched to her chest, and then reached for tFrom out in the distance, out past the pig’s pen came a far offMya's thoughts seemed to crystallize, all of them coming into focus at the same time. She had never seen Mama like this, butcher’s knife clutched in her hand, looking like she might actually go outside and do something to help Papa. The part of Mya that was still a frightened child wanted to call out to her mother, ask what she should do, but she didn't want to risk interrupting her mother's apparent initiative, having never seen the like of it in all her life; but more than that, she knew that asking Mama what to do might come with instructions that were...well, Mama had proven not to think clearly under high stress situations in the past. There was no longer any question that there was a real threat outside, and where there was one, there might be more, maybe nearby. Papa had walked them all through the emergency plan a hundred times, and though he wasn't here, she remembered exactly what to do with perfect clarity. All the other children were still upstairs and with Papa outside and MaWithout another second’s hesitation she turned with a shiver and hurried silently out of the kitchen and to the upper bedrooms, her mother so self-absorbed behind her that she never noticedStopping briefly at her bedroom, Mya grabbed her cloak and then headed for her brother Lain’s room. She grabbed her cloak on the way to Lain's room first. He was 10, the next oldest, and would be able to help with the littler ones. As she opened the door to his room, she felt as if it had opened itself and though it was pitch black in the hallway, she could dimly make out a close shadow silhouetted against his bedroom window directly across from the his doorway. As the shadow moved silently toward her, she couldn’t help but squeak in fear. In response the “Thou ‘bout gave me a heart attack, Mya,” pouted Lain in a hissed whisper. “My heart’s about to leap from my chest. Didst thou hear those screams? One of them sounded like Papa, and – anMya nodded, not realizing that her brother couldn’t possibly see her gesture in the dark. “‘Tis why I’ve come to get thee. I need thine help to get the other children together and down toMya shuddered. She didn’t really know. “Outside, looking for whatever made Pip scream. Lain, there’s something here, something that made Papa yell. Thou knowest the emergency plan, and Papa isn’t here to help us. ‘Tis up to thee and me to get the Lain nodded, but of course Mya couldn’t see him any more than he could see her. Still bleary with sleep, the whole feeling of the situation was surreal to him, feeling more like a dream than reality. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was having a nightmare and pinched himself to see if it would wake him up. The“Good. Couldst thou get Roland and some blankets? I’ll meet thee with the other girls at the pantry door. Don't forget thy Lain, already wrapping himself in the thick cloth he asked, “Ge“Downstairs guarding the back door with a butcher’s knife. I suspect he’s still in his crib. We must hurry now. There’s no “Aye,” he answered, and moved quickly down the hall away from his sister. Listening to his feet padding softly away, Mya turnShe went first to nine year old Asgreth’s bed, the sister closest to her in age. Shaking her gently, the little girl asked thAsgreth asked in a whisper, “Why?” but Mya moved to Yenna’s bedFour year old Yenna wasn’t quite as pleasant. When Mya shook her gently, the little one began to whine. Mya hissed, “Quiet, Yenna. I needest thou to get up, quick like a bunny, and get thy slippers and cloak.” Yenna whined again and threw her sisteThat got an answer from the last of the girls in a neighboring Mya nodded. “Yes yes, treats for everyone, and special treats for those who get their slippers and cloaks on quick like a bunny. ‘Tis a game. We’re all mice, and we must sneak quietly toThat got Yenna moving, and Denelle also, who was not to be outdone. When Mya had the other three girls gathered at the door she whispered to them all, “Very good. Now remember, quiet likeThree heads nodded in the darkness, and though Mya couldn’t see them, she could feel that all three were following her directions. Good. None of them had put together that this was the emergency drill they’d done with Papa time and time again. Papa Out the door they went and were greeted quietly by Lain in the Mya asked again, a bit impatiently, “Lain, didst thou get RolanDenelle, hands curled in front of her doing her best mouse imprFive pairs of feet padded down the hallway, Lain holding sleepy baby Roland, then Asgreth, squeaking Denelle, grumpy Yenna andAs they came into the kitchen, Lain saw Mama by the back door. “Mama,” he said, too loud for comfort. He lowered his voice again then. “Come with us into the pantry. We’ve got to do whaMama didn’t move. Her husband was still out there. “Is everyoThe other children all came into the kitchen behind Lain. “Yes, Mama. We’re all here. We’re going into the pantry. Come onMama shook her head. “Thou takest the others down with thee. Mama said absently, “Of course thou art. The very best. Now be good and I’ll be right back. Everything will be ok. Go on now, down into the pantry, all of ye. Everything will be ok. ILain, his heart beating madly, headed straight for the hidden door that led to the pantry. The door itself was nothing fancy, disguised by several shelves that were meant to be filled with goods when the door was originally built, but that turned out to be a recipe for disaster. Every time anyone needed to get to the pantry, the door swung open and flung goods and dishes across the kitchen floor. Lesson learned, the shelves stood out like a sore thumb now in a kitchen where every other nook and cranny was filled with some dish, food stuffs or rags and towelsLain whispered, “Mya, canst thou help me? I can’t do this with one hand.” Sleeping Roland was starting to get heavy in his aMya, who was already on her way, didn’t need to be asked. TogeThe entry way was lit dimly by the moonlight, but the depths heart of the pantry was frighteningly black. Both Lain and Mya fLain smiled invisibly at her in the darkness, and then hurried to get a candle, some tinder and a coal from the fireplace. As it turned out, that wasn’t necessary. Mama had beat him to it. Hurrying out of the kitchen and into the living room, she'd already grabbed and lit a candle and placed hurricane glass over the top of it and was on her way back. Though focused intently on going to check on her husband, she’d thought to grab an eIt was only a minute, but it seemed like a terribly long minute before Lain had returned. With Asgreth, Denelle and Yenna in tow, the children snuck down the stairs, lit by the single smalIn the meantime, Adrianna slipped out the door and into the frigid night. It was bitter cold, but she only barely noticed it. Auraleus was her world, her meaning for life, her anchor. Without him, she was nothing. Quickly she headed in the direction of Pip’s pen, the butcher’s knife handle clutched clasped tightly in one hand, the candle on its brass base in the other. Though the moon was out and much brighter here, the world was without color and alive with shadows that held nothing but darkne“Auraleus!” she called out loudly. She couldn’t see him anywheThe cold bit at her, and every shadow seemed sinister. The wind blew and something seemed to whisper from a bush beside her. She yelped and spun on it, heart beating madly, quivering as much with adrenaline and fear as she was with the cold. The wind blew again and the bush whispered once more. It was nothing.“Fithlle? Here boy! Come on, Fithlle. That’s a good boy. CoBy the time she reached the pig’s pen, she was beginning to truly feel the cold, even through her panic. Not that it matteredThe gate to Pip’s pen was wide open, and as she stepped through she could feel what her husband had felt not long ago. Something was wrong. She called out again, “Auraleus? Pip? Fithlle?” She stopped for a moment in the middle of the pen, dreadingAs she came to the corner of the building, she could smell the combination of the broken lantern’s tallow and what was unmistakably a gutted animal. That scent was like no other, half dried blood, innards exposed, a mixture of now cold, raw liver, heart and lungs. A wave of terror hit her and washed from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. It was too dark to see inside, the moonlight only showing her the entry way, but she had to know. With nothing but the tiny flickering light from heFor one terrifying second, the head in the corner had appeared to be that of her husband, her fear causing her eyes to see what she was most afraid of seeing. She gasped and froze before crying out and stumbling forward. Then the shape and size of the head lent her some relief. It was Pip, her head lying on its side beside her guts. Whoever had killed her had taken her caTurning she gasped as she saw the bodies of the piglets hanging on the wall of the pen. Again she cried out, “AURALEUS?” WheRunning now she moved out into the night again, peering in every direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of some motion. Inside her she felt her anxiety rising like a clenched fist in her chest, her need to see him making her breath come in short gasps. She moved quickly out of the pen, no idea which way to run, where he might be. His last cry had come from this direction, bu“No no,” she whispered to herself. Turning she looked at the skyline where the shadow of Shaddiltac Forest blotted out the stars. Her mind reached to draw up the image of her worst fears, but she refused to permit the thought to crystallize. She criRunning out the gate and then around the fence, she began to head toward the trees, walking quickly through the thigh high grass, the feeling of utter loss beginning to reach for her, creeping into the corners of her mind. She fought back, not permitting anything to form into firm words, but the fear motivated her shouts, more panicked now that she’d seen Pip and the piglets. She feared for her life, but more than that, she feared for And then she gasped. The processes of the human body, a nursing mother, didn’t care what emergency was occurring, how frightened she was or how desperately she needed her husband. Back at the house there was a one year old baby boy who was hungry and crying now. She didn’t think it, she knew it. The pain of her milk letting down, the pressure of it ached, and without warning soaked through her nightgown. Even if there had been something in the pantry to quiet baby Roland, the cold night air wouWith her arms now pressed tightly to her chest, trying to hold back the inevitable, she turned and hurried as quickly as she cGetting the littler children settled was no easy chore. The pantry was meant for food, not a half-dozen people, even little ones. Lain set the candle down on a shelf and worked to help clear a place for his sisters to sit. As Mya worked to help him with one hand, holding a now restless Roland in the other while trying to move bags of flour and sugar to make room for them tSuddenly there was a bang as Lain’s elbow knocked a tin to the floor, and as he spun with startlement, the candle was knocked over and the flame winked out, the stink of the smoking wick puA few seconds ticked by in the dark, and then Denelle asked agaMya, her heart thumping in her chest, shushed her. “Quiet DennDenelle’s eyes filled with water, but in the dark nobody noticeMya, knowing where this sound led to, felt apprehension anxiety rising in her chest on top of her fear. She leaned down to her sister and whispered, “Oh yes, thou wert the best mouse ever.It was black as pitch. “I’m sorry, but thou canst. I know where the sweets are. Give me a minute to get everyone a seat andYenna had already found a corner where she sat on the potato biTrying to clear a space in the darkness for all of them to sit was all but impossible with Roland in her arms. At first she asked Lain to just stand in the corner while she worked, but soon enough she realized that it would have to be her in the corner while Lain cleared a space, unless she wanted to hand the baby to him in the dark and she was afraid that would wake the baby Roland up. Not much point in hiding in the basement if you hIt took a painfully long amount of time for him to work. All the while her mind kept reaching back to the screams she’d heard, her father’s shout of fear echoing over and over in her mind, followed by that other scream of fear and the light winking out. What had happened? It was terrifying. She tried to think about something else, but here in the darkness her imagination There was a meaty thump in the middle of the room, and Mya yelped. Lain said, “Sorry. Sorry. My fault.” Mya felt like a too taut lyre string, but she held it together for the sake of the others who didn’t know what was going on. Distantly she dreaded to think what the floor would look like in the morning, but things were as they were. At least she’d managed to get all the children down here, and she was grateful for her brother’s hThen Roland began to fuss, and she bounced him gently, quietly, going, “Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh. Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh,” over and over again, trying to comfort him, but it was no comfort. His fussing became worse. Inside her she felt her tension level rising. The sound of that other shout, the one that wasn't her father, ran through her memory. Fear bit into her like teeth made of ice, and for a moment she thought about the noises her brothers and sisters might make if it were them... Roland was getting louder and her anxiety reached a peak that caused a gripping pain in her stomach. Pressure suddenly spiked in her head and she heard a rush like pulsing water in her ears, felt the closeness of the room, the cloying darkness, the dreadful absence of her father, the loneliness of being the closest thing to a parent, the sole comforter with no comforter for her, the weight of responsibility without experience, out of her element, no one to turn to, Denelle's whining, the volume of her fussing baby brother, all magnified by the memory of the scream and that awful shout, and then...and then something switched over inside her. She could suddenly feel the other children. Roland was hungry, Denelle was feeling cheated, Yenna was annoyed, Asgreth was confused, Lain was frightened and hoping for instruction, anThe pressure in her head released, her focus turning from inside to outside, and the air around her seemed to feel as if it were vibrating. Suddenly the closeness of the room became her friend, the echoing effect of the walls around her became her strAnd the limb on the tree and the tree in the hole and the hole The gentle tune, like soothing water, washed over the children, the walls seeming to reflect the noise back to them, multiplying the cathartic effect, and as they heard the gentleness and love in her voice it worked to calm them. Little Roland's hunger was bothersome, but not so demanding and his fussing lessened. He leaned his little head into her chest so that he could hear the sound of her voice, not through the air around him alone, but through her body, reminding him of days gone by when all the world was weightless and any noise came through the boom ofDenelle was being cheated, but it just wasn't so big of a deal. She could wait a moment and enjoy her sister's singing. She'd get what she wanted. She would get what she wanted. But it Yenna was indeed annoyed, but there were much worse things than annoyance. True, her bed was upstairs and it was uncomfortable and cold down here, but then, Mya's singing was down here, soAsgreth was confused, but that was completely ok. Mya knew what was going on and was taking care of it, and all she had to do was come along for the ride and everything would be ok. ShuckLain, still working to clear a space for his sister, was frightened, and he had every reason to be. Papa was gone, Mama was gone, something had screamed, and they were hiding in the emergency shelter. This situation was deadly serious. Their lives, all of them, may very well be on the line, but this was no time to panic. Mya had figured it out. They were all concealed, she Mya new how to get the others quiet, and that alone helped his heart settle and a distant peace came to him. They could stAs Mya continued to sing, the walls sang back to her, and she turned her head slightly this way and that, willing her voice to answer each of them, not in words, but in feeling. And they all fell silent and listened to her as her voice, quiet and softThe song ended. There was a pause and then Lain said quietly, “Ok, I got it cleared. Thou canst sit here,” but Mya knew that already. She reached in the dark and found her brother’s hand who led her through a pile of some mysterious powder and to a After a minute, Denelle asked with annoyance, “Well? Where’s mAnd then above them the back door opened and then closed. Mya froze. Instinctively, all the other children sensing her fear, went silent and the cathartic echoes of the song winked out in an instant. Someone was walking on the boards above them, softly, quietly. Trickles of ice worked their way through Mya’s veins. She stared in the darkness up the stairs at the hidden door, frozen with fear. The slightly creaking boards told her that the person was moving across the kitchen and then up the stairs toward the bedrooms. For several long moments there was nothing – a minute, maybe more – and then the sound of someone coming back down the stairs, the sound of the hidden door’s latch being pulled. They were coming. She didn’t hear the thin noThe door creaked open and Mama stepped into view, candle in hanMama, coming from upstairs after quickly changing into a fresh nightgown, came hastily down into the pantry to take the baby from her daughter. As she reached for the boy, she asked, “Is everyone alright?” Mya, with a deep sense of relief, stood up so Mama could have her seat and then traded Roland and a blanket for the candle. “Ah, that’s where the blankets went,” said Mama. Mama, coming from upstairs after quickly changing into a fresh nightgown and grabbing a couple of blankets, came hastily down into the pantry to take the baby from her daughter. As she reached for the boy she asked. As she sat down and covered herself and the baby with the blanket she asked, “Is everyone alright?” Mya stood up so Mama could have her seat and then traded Roland for the candle and blankets with a deep sense of relief. As she quickly sat down and Mya covered her and the baby. The other children naturally gathered to where Mya sat and cuddled in next to her as best they could, wrapped in their blanDenelle whined, “I won the game. I was the best mouse. Where'Asgreth whispered, “I was a good mouse too, wasn't I? May I haMama said, “All of ye be quiet now. This is no time for games Denelle whined, “But Mama, Mya said there were treats if we plaMya said, “Ok ok. I’ll get thee thy treat, but thou must be quMama, who had always been as fierce as a moth and just as intimidating, didn’t say anything while her eldest went and grabbed treats for everyone. It was sufficient to shut them all up, at least for the meantime and soon enough the only noise to be heIt proved to be a bitterly long night. Mama, Mya and Lain were eaten alive by worry for Auraleus, but didn’t want to pass that along to the younger ones. The treats had gone too quickly, and then there had been crying and fussing, and of course the inevitable question about where Papa was. Mama was quick to lie about that, telling them that he had to leave late in the night to go help a friend, but that he’d be back soon. Mya bit her tongue, saying nothing, but hated the lie. It was so typical of Mama. Why her mother did it she would never know. It always back-fired. Eventually it would come out, and usually it had been for nothing, and all it did was wind up with hurt feelings and distrust. Not to mention that, this time, Adrianna had to bail out fast in order to keep the children from revolting and going back upstairs to their beds where they had things like mattresses and pillows. Mya had to step in and start promising pony rides and a trip to the trading post to keep everyone in line. (Did you outline this? Yes) Lain wasn’t stupid though. He knew Mama and her lies well, and when she started lying about where Papa was in the middle of the night, with everyone gathered in the basement, hushed and in the dark – he knew something she wasn't telling them something. Something horrible. He could feel it. He kept his mouth shut, fear gathering like weAdrianna spent the night staring at the base of the pantry door, looking to see when daylight would poke through. One by one the younger children fell into a restless sleep, fussing and crying a bit in their discomfort. Then it was just Mama, Mya andMya looked up at the base of the door and saw a dim, grey line of twilight attempting to peek through. “I think ‘tis,” she anMya worked her way out from beneath sleeping Asgreth and Yenna, crawled out from beneath the blanket, wrapped tight in her cloak and went up the stairs to get a closer look. She called bacAdrianna carefully stood up with Roland. “Bring the children. We’ll load into the wagon and be off for town where we can getWaking the little ones up stirred a great deal of contention, especially when they were told they weren’t returning to their beds still. Trying to keep them quiet now, especially Denelle, turned out to be impossible, and she began to wail like a banshee with grumpiness and exhaustion. Finally Lain reached out an“Shh,” he hissed. “Shut up! Dost thou not get it? Something’s happened to Papa, and we’re hiding and staying quiet so the sDenelle’s eyes grew wide in the darkness. Lain took his hand aNow with all the children silenced – terrified, but silenced – Adrianna was able to lead them like sheep up the pantry stairs, into the kitchen and to the back door. Every ear was cocked, listening for anything out of the ordinary. Little Yenna’s eyes ran tears the whole time, and she fought for all she was worth to be quiet, but the four year old’s power over her body was weak and she couldn’t help but make some noise. She clapped her own hands over her mouth to keep her cries from being too louTurning to her brother, Mya said, “Quick, Lainy. Goest thou and grab us our cloaks from the front closet, wouldst thou?” SheLain didn't have to be asked twice. He was only gone a minute,When he'd come back, and everyone was wrapped up, Adrianna opened the back door a crack. Still no Fithlle? That was a horrible sign, almost equal to her absent husband. Her insides did a sickening flip as she leaned back against the wall, summoning courage. Her ears were roaring, she felt a little light headedDenelle whispered, “But we’ve got to have Fithlle. We have to.Mya said, “Quiet. We must be quiet. We’ll look for Fithlle, bMya took a very deep breath, her face turning a bit red, and she turned to Denelle, her tone firm, almost angry. “Denny!” The younger sister startled at Mya’s sharpness. That wasn’t like her at all. “We all want Fithlle, but right now, we have to jDenelle stuck her lower lip out just as far as it would go and stamped her foot, a fire burning behind her eyes, but she shut her mouth. There would be time to show Mya she shouldn't talk Denelle, a fire suddenly burning bright within her, clenched her little fists and squared off with her older sister. Before she could say anything, Lain leaned over and quickly whispered two sentences in her ear. Whatever he said made her eyes turn from angry to frightened. Her head snapped to the side to look at his eyes, and saw just how very serious he was. Whatever he’d said, he meant. Her eyes turned and looked at quiet Asgreth, and the rising color in her cheeks became tame once again. She shut her mouth and didn't say another word. (Lain knows that Denelle broke something of great value to Papa and either let Asgreth take the blame for it or straight up accused her of itMama turned back to the door and peeked out it. The sun was only beginning to rise, its body not even above the horizon yet, and the sky to the west was gray, but there was enough light for Adrianna to plainly see a thousand different places where danTrembling a bit now, she turned to Mya. “Take a look, hun. DoBefore Mya answered Lain said, “Wait one more second.” He darted toward the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. Mama whisper shouted, “No! Lain!” but he wasn’t listening and moved quicklMama snapped, “Don’t know.” Then louder, yell whispering again Ten long seconds passed, twenty, and then he came back down the stairs, holding the unstrung training bow his father had brought him for his tenth birthday, and a quiver filled with arrows. He stopped near the back door and, with clumsy, untrained fingers, using every ounce of strength in his body, holding his breath until his face turned beet red, he bent the bow and pulled the string from one end toward the other, stretching it, bending the bow, stretching the string...bend... ing...the...bow...until, just...baaaarely, he was able to latch it in place. Breathing out loudly, he slumped back against the wall for a moment to catch his breath. Then, slinging the quiver on his shoulders, he drew one arrow out and nocked it on the string of the Mama frowned at him, but then went back to the door. Again she peeked out it, holding Roland back from the edge, and though the whole world was filled with places where there might be terror, she couldn’t see anything that was actually a threat. Taking a deep breath she said to the kids, “Stay close. We must beMya and Lain nodded, Denelle, Asgreth and Yenna all just looked petrified. Mya said to Asgreth, “Thou art going to do a great job, sissy. Take Yenna's hand...” When Asgreth didn’t respond immediately Mya took both her hand and Yenna’s and put them together. “Good job! Just exactly like that. Then I’m going to take her other hand, and...” She turned to Denelle and reached out for her with her free hand. “Denelle is going to take my other hand, right 'lil mouse?” Denelle, was pouting and shooLain stepped forward. “Maybe Denelle can stay here and look for Fithlle all by herself and find out why Papa didn't come backMama gasped, “Lain!” but Lain was already out the door, crouched, bow and arrow held in front of him, tip pointed at the ground, his head glancing left and right as he hurried in a half-crouch out into the open. Nothing attacked him, nothing stirred except for the music of crickets (are there crickets on the first day of spring?) and the first songs of early morning birds, and he was halfway to the barn before they knew it. When he reached the other side, he turned back, his figure a silhouette ofMya turned to Denelle and looked her in the eyes. “Denny, we have to get Papa.” Reaching out she caught the other girl by the hand. For a moment she resisted, but Mya, followed by both Asgreth and Yenna obediently, tugged her out the door, and relucIt really wasn’t very far to the barn, though it felt as though it were a mile. Mya and her sisters half-ran across the dirt and gravel path with Mama and Roland were right behind. As they met up with Lain, he reached to the door’s handle. and in a flash they all met up with Lain. The door. It was unlocked, and after a terrifying moment where they thought the old mare was an enemy (and thank goodness it turned out that Lain was a terrible shot with the bow) they were inside, and getting the horsMama was relieved to see that Papa had been remiss in his duty to take the canopy down from the wagon after the festivities last night, and the four younger girls piled inside beneath it. It was still filled with hay and mugs from last night’s New Year’s celebration, and the smell of apple cider and cinnamon was strong where it had been contained within. Lain hopped up in back and quickly searched for the chorffle. Denelle saw what heLain cringed in apology and then reached to help his sisters up beside him. Mya hopped onto the bench up front and reached for Roland, who had thankfully had been sleeping this whole time, content in his mother’s arms. Only just now did he begin to rouse, but Mya’s warmth quickly sent him back to dozing and he contentedly snuggled into lay in her arms. Lain moved to the front of the wagon and then crawled up beside his sister, bow and arrow in hand, ready to shoot at the first sign of danger, and“Ok,” said Adrianna, “we’re going to ride fast, so everyone hold on tight, stay down low and...” She couldn’t think of anything else. “Here we go.” With a couple of clicks from her mouth she gently swatted their horse on the haunches with the reins, and out the door they went. As they passed from the barn into the cold morning air, all of them pulled their cloaks and blankets tightly about themselves, and though this served to protect them from the chill in the air, none of them felt much warmer for it.\nProcess Group PGID: 169644"
}
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## Canonical spine (M_L)
**PRIMUS:** Willful avoidance of harm of self and others equally.
**SECUNDUS:** Willful seeking of healing of self and others equally.
**TERTIUM:** Willful pursuit of benefit of self and others equally.
Love is the sole logic that produces mutual prosperity without a zero-sum trade.
- Full paper: `MASTER DOCS/PAPER/Another_Paper_Draft_v1.md`
- OSF preregistration: https://osf.io/qa54c
- Corpus phase: extract v0.1 (mined from local Braid archive)