Atticus had expected more of a retaliation than the careful brush off Sir Bereck gave, not understanding why the man allowed him to talk back like that. It made him uneasy. Still, he didn’t nudge, and the moments of silence let him try to salvage his cold shelter.<br/><br/>Only to have it shatter utterly when the knight made it clear he was ending the hour early. “What,” Atticus choked, suddenly rigid. “You don’t...” He swallowed and shook his head. “Yes, Sir, thank you, Sir,” he said, a sick dread grasping his guts. Without another word, Atticus led the knight from Fiona’s room, a new, ugly weight pressing down on him.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>(To (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=98329.msg4955523#msg4955523))