Refuge - Chapter 16: Mending Fences
Imported from SF2 with no description.
Casey seeks to make amends with the villagers.
Refuge
by TypicalFloof
Chapter 16: Mending Fences
Chapter Theme: Philanthrope - Lament (ft. Plusma)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMd9ix1EyJM
The remains of the village's smashed palisade grew larger as Casey and Nora drew close. Reining in the horse, Nora looked back at him.
“Ready?" she asked.
“Ready as I'll ever be."
Much like the first time he entered the village, anthros whispered and stared. Soon a small crowd formed, blocking their path. When it became apparent they weren't going to be let through, Casey dismounted. His heart sank as he saw Thomas's father pushing his way to the front. The rabbit's wife trailed behind with the toddler clutched in her arms. Casey swallowed. Was she going to berate him like Helga did, only this time in front of everyone? His heart rate picked up. This could get ugly.
Nora stood at Casey's side as the lapine family stopped in front of him. Thomas's father was silent, whiskers twitching. Casey tensed as the rabbit stepped within striking distance. He held up his hands, partially in beseechment, but also in readiness to deflect an incoming blow.
To his surprise, the rabbit embraced him. “Thank you," he choked. In shock, Casey didn't move at first. Awkwardly, he patted the rabbit's back. The rabbit pulled away and cleared his throat. “You saved my son," he said, wrapping an arm around his wife. “Jess and I can't thank you enough."
Speechless, Casey could only nod. Thumb planted firmly in his mouth, Thomas swiveled his head to look at him.
“Is he alright?"
“Yes." Jess gave a small smile and shifted the bunny in her arms.
“Nora!" Abbott and Mary appeared and hugged their daughter. The crowd pressed around Casey. His mind spun as he was overwhelmed with hugs and cries of gratitude.
Eventually, Abbott took hold of his shoulder. “Casey, the elders will want to see you." He pointed to the group of three clustered further down the street. His tone was reassuring, but Casey felt his stomach drop. The crowd parted to let him through. Nora managed to break away from her parents to join him. Numbly, he stopped a few yards away from the elders.
Casey turned to her. He knew this was necessary, but he was dreading it all the same.
“I need to talk to them alone," he said.
“It'll be okay," she said, rubbing his arm. Straightening his shoulders, he trudged the remaining distance and clasped his hands behind his back. He tried to read their expressions. Would they cast him out? It was entirely his fault that their village had been attacked, so it would be reasonable for them to do. Despite Nora's assurances, he wondered if they could prevent her from leaving with him. He had no idea how far their authority extended.
Cedric was the first to break the silence. “It's good to see you. We weren't sure if you…" The rabbit cleared his throat.
“Thank you," Casey said. “Cedric; Arthur; Madeline." He met each elder's gaze in turn. “I'm humbled you let me return." He swallowed, thinking through the words he'd rehearsed. “I know it can't make up for the damage I caused, but I'm here to apologize for what happened to your village. It was my fault; the Capellans came because of me. You were right to be skeptical of me." The last statement was directed at Madeline.
The mouse held up a paw. “No," she said. “I was wrong about you." Casey's heart pounded. “We learned the story from one of your … colleagues. We were betrayed by one of our own."
Madeline's words brought Wei's comments to the forefront of his mind. So Wei had been telling the truth about the gray fox. He couldn't understand what would lead Matthew to do such a thing.
Madeline continued. “We are in your debt. You saved us."
Casey inclined his head. “So did Nora."
“Yes," Cedric said. “We are grateful to you both. And your company."
“What will you do now?" Arthur asked. “I'd imagine you'll be leaving this planet? What if the invaders return?" The otter leaned on his cane.
“I will. We've fulfilled our contract with House Marik, so we will be leaving probably in the next week. But as for House Liao, they failed in their objective. My commander is sure that they are keen to forget this defeat and focus on other battles. My guess is that a small Marik garrison will be set up in Vella, if the city wishes."
“We just want to be left alone," Madeline said.
Casey nodded. “I don't blame you. The Free Worlds League has its problems, but the Stridus system is at the border of their territory, so it's in their interest to protect it. For the most part, and especially compared to the Capellans, House Marik leaves worlds in their control to govern as they see fit. Things should return to normal soon."
“Let's hope so," Arthur said.
“There is something I'd like to ask before I go," Casey said. Cedric focused his eyes on him. Casey hooked a thumb back toward the village entrance. “I want to help you rebuild."
Cedric clasped his arms in front of him. “Casey, don't feel like you're obligated," he said. “But if it's what you want, we'd be glad for your help."
“Thank you," Casey said, with a small grin. “I bet Grismore is itching to get the wall repaired as quickly as possible." The elders' pained expressions caused a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Obviously, he'd said something horribly insensitive.
“No one told you?" Cedric asked quietly.
“Told me what?"
The rabbit blinked slowly. “Grismore was among those killed in the attack."
Casey rocked back on his heels as a fresh wave of grief washed over him.
He almost didn't want to ask. “Did he have any family?" Cedric shook his head. Casey closed his eyes and swallowed. Regaining his composure, he looked at each of the elders. “I'm sorry."
Cedric touched a paw to his shoulder. “It will take time, but we will heal from this." The rabbit put his arm around Casey and gently turned him around, steering him toward Nora. “You can be at the palisade at eight tomorrow morning. And one more thing," he said, stopping. “We are having a feast in three days. You are more than welcome to join us."
“A feast?" Casey felt a pang of sorrow. The villagers had suffered greatly; what cause could there be for celebration?
“Every year about this time, we hold a feast as winter approaches," Cedric explained. “My hope is that it will be one of many small ways that we can come together and put all this behind us."
“I'll be there." The rabbit patted his shoulder and turned, leaving him alone as Nora approached. He embraced her and stood still for a while, staring out over the village street that had emptied during his conversation. He swayed, suddenly feeling very tired.
Nora slipped her fingers through his. “C'mon," she said. In the waning evening light, they withdrew deeper into the village.
***
The chainsaw screamed, biting into the thin bark of the young tree. Casey held it at a steady angle as it plunged deep into the trunk. Meeting the base of his first cut, a wedge of wood popped free as he completed the notch. “Watch out!" he yelled, maneuvering to the other side of the trunk. With a sure motion, Casey made his last cut and yanked the chainsaw out of the way as the tree toppled to the ground. A gang of villagers also equipped with chainsaws made short work of the felled tree, cutting the trunk to a usable length before hitching it to a waiting horse. The horse dragged the log away toward the village entrance where a waiting team would stake it in place.
Casey's shirt clung wetly to his frame as he stood to the side so that the ferret with him could cut down the next tree.
“That's enough for today," Walter announced as the final log was dragged away. Casey fell into step beside him as the small crew hiked to a squat, freestanding structure. They deposited their tools in the rough shed and dispersed to their homes. Locking up, Walter grunted as he bent backwards, hands on his lower back.
“I want to take a look at the wall," Casey said.
Walter nodded and the two trudged down the main road toward the front of the village.
“We made good progress today," the ferret said.
Casey appraised the new construction with surprised admiration. The villagers had worked hard, and the wall looked nearly complete. A squirrel sidled up to the pair, removing his hardhat and wiping his brow with a grimy handkerchief. He grinned tiredly.
“Almost finished, Walter! Just have a couple little things to wrap up, but we should be able to get it done tomorrow before midday."
Walter clapped the squirrel on the shoulder. “Excellent! Tell your boys to have a good night." The ferret raised an eyebrow at Casey as the two were left alone. “I've been thinking," he said, waving a paw over the entrance. “We need to harden up the approach to the village. We could use a couple of machine gun emplacements here. I'm sure you were able to capture a lot of Capellan hardware." His bony elbow poked Casey in the ribs. “It'd be a lot of trouble to lug all of it away with you."
Casey nodded. “That isn't the worst idea in the world. I'll see what my master supply sergeant can do." He grinned. “It's shocking how sloppy inventory reports can get. Fresh fruit and vegetables always go a long way, not to mention booze and tobacco."
He bid Walter farewell and headed back to Nora's cabin wanting nothing more than a hot shower and bed. While the villagers had made quick work of the repairs, the last few days had been backbreaking. Still, he felt a sense of accomplishment seeing the hard work pay off. Finishing the wall before the feast tomorrow would be the icing on the cake.
Plodding up the few steps of Nora's porch, Casey slipped inside her cabin. “I'm back!" he announced. Nora met him at the door and kissed his cheek. Smiling at her, Casey walked to his pack to get a fresh set of clothes.