Making the Team
Part 12
Menzo turned his eyes towards the village head’s smiling and nodding face. In this moment, more than ever before, the little man annoyed him to no end. He suddenly felt a need to go elsewhere, anywhere. Somewhere that might become the home this village wasn’t.
It hit him that his life here had, at best, been mostly quiet but it had never felt like home. So long as he provided a regular patrol of the nearby woods, the people here had left him to his own devices and he to theirs but there was little happiness to be found for a long time now. Even the others his own age in the area weren’t really friends, and they seldom made any effort to pull him out of his solitude.
“Come now,” insisted the mayor, beginning to seem frantic. “you are one of us.”
“As a matter of fact,” came Yavan’s voice from the side, surprising them both, “I would be delighted if Menzo were to join Joren and I. We have been short one man for far too long and he has proven his worth by saving my pupil’s life. If he wishes to join us, his company will be most welcome.”
Dinnean stuttered and attempted to interject but Yavan simply raised one hand and, without even looking, managed to silence the man. The Vigil’s expression showed no uncertainty and seemed to now show as much assurance as Joren’s. Menzo straightened his shoulders and exhaled slowly. While the lifted weight of one expectation had made him feel awkward, a new sense of responsibility settled in comfortably. He smiled.
“I would like that very much, sir.”
“Hm. I was hoping you would. Please, come; I have a first task for you.”
As they walked back to Medah’s together, the village head stood in shock. by the time he finally burst into indignation, both men concerned were too far away to pay him any mind.