Chapter 20: Mother of all Scoldings

“Just what were you thinking?” Reia is demanding Alunya, who was sitting alone at the family’s table, looking off to the side with irritation. The table is cleared; No breakfast in sight. “Actually, no, don’t answer that question, I’ll answer it for you. You weren’t thinking. And now you’ve undone years of hard work from me trying to make you boys respectable in this village! Clearly, I have been far too lenient with you.” Reia lectures in her finest scolding voice.

Alunya crosses his arms and glares back at his mother rebelliously. “I didn’t do anything wrong! You should have heard the things he was saying about Antares!” Alunya protests.

Reia shakes her head dismissively. “I don’t care what he said. Words are just words, actions are actions. And now you’ve broadcasted the message to the whole village that you’re every bit as savage as they think you are. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

Alunya bolts up from his seat, clenching his jaw. “How is anybody going to respect us if we can’t stand up for ourselves? I’ve tried doing things your way, it never works! At least this way I shut him up!” Alunya raises his voice. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, I did what I needed to. Alunya thinks with utter self-confidence.

Reia huffs in irritation. “You broke his nose, Alunya. You broke. His nose. I don’t even know how you did that, you’re like half his weight. Now not only do we have to make sacrifices to Hylicia to stay in their good graces, but you’ve ruined our relationship with his family, too.”

Alunya puffs out a cheek and huffs right on back. “Hmph. As if! They didn’t respect us before and they don’t now!” Alunya retorts. “I’d rather have them be scared of me than look down on me!”

Reia is livid now, shaking her head furiously. “No, no, no, you just don’t get anything, do you? This is a community, we all rely on each other. Thanks to your actions, we’re social outcasts, and I’ll need to do everything I can to get back in the village’s good graces again.”

Alunya rolls his eyes. As far as he is concerned, they’d always been outcasts; Nothing had changed, now. Besides, the men were always boasting about how strong and tough they were; Surely if they flinched at a little bit of blood they weren’t any better than the womenfolk they were always talking down to.

But Reia isn’t done. “We can’t afford the food we’re going to have to give up in sacrifice, so you’re not going to eat until we’ve paid it back. Maybe a good bit of hunger will give you a new perspective on what life is like without the gods’ blessings.”

Alunya’s stomach didn’t like that suggestion, but he isn’t going to back down that easily, so he just crosses his arms and puts his chin in the air, refusing to respond to his mother any further. He could just get food from the forest, anyways; It was summer. Maybe that would be a big deal in winter, but ... No, even then he could catch fish.

“... And, because I apparently can’t trust you to interact with anyone without constant supervision, you are grounded for the entire summer.” Reia was continuing.

Alunya feels his heart sinking. That might put more of a damper on his mood ... It was a bit harder to catch food if he couldn’t, you know, go outside.

“Mom! That’s totally unfair! He was the one that started it anyway! He pushed Antares!” Alunya protests. He hated pleading his case like this, but he couldn’t just accept it.

“I don’t really care who started it. You certainly finished it, and now it’s up to me to deal with the fallout.” Reia dictates. “You’ll understand one day. I’m doing this all for your sake. You’ll ruin your chances of ever finding a wife if you don’t get your anger under control. And then where will you be? You’ll be like me.”