Chapter 1:Truthes and his wings

Authors note: All peaces are subject to change frequently and to never be spelled right, you have been pre-warned.

Truthes laid face down on fern and grass, soaked in his own blood and tears. His half grown wings lay next to him in a tangle mesh of feathers and red stains. His back ached in pain, but he didn’t care, he was rid of his burden. Finally he wouldn’t be mocked and teased; he was free. Tears flooded his view, but he was free. Truthes tried to stand, but fell forward and black out momentarily. Fear leaped to his throat as he heard a panic stricken voice calling his name, “Truthes!”

Truthes stammered back up and tried to run, but stumbled and hit his head again against the forest ground making him black out for a moment more. The voice drew nearer, “Truthes! Oh Truthes what have you done!?”

Mara stood in silence, unable to take her eyes off the bloody, stubbed bone exposed on Truthes’s back where his wings were once attached. Her own wings twitched in pain looking at his mangled back. She looked back and forth between the knife in his hands and his stunted wings. Coming out of her daze, Mara knelt by his side. Slowly, she took the knife out of his hands and placed it in her belt. A little roughly, Mara grasped Truthes left arm and leg and swung him onto her back above her wings and stood up. She carried him to the house, ready to remedy his mangled back.

Truthes woke with a sharp pain in his back, he gritted his teeth and moaned. Mara quickly came to his side. “You are awake.”

Truthes nodded.

“Why did you cut your wings?”

Truthes ignored her as a tear rolled towards his pillow.

“Turthes this is a great dishonor to yourself and our people, I must know.”

Truthes cried harder, “I don’t want them. They are no honor! They have only caused me pain.”

“Why do you say this?”

“I am never free from them. I am always teased for them. They are no blessing I am glad to be rid of them.”

Mara nodded, “You are never free of them Truthes. It is a gift that we have been give and can not give back, your wings will re-grow, and will be there just as they were before.”

Truthes hugged his knees close to his chest, rocking on the bed, and cried him self to sleep.

Truthes rose in and out of sleep for the next few days, as his wings worked to grow back to there original size. Many had come to see him, some to spit in his face for his disgrace and others to console him as much as they could. After a week he fully awoke from a long and fitful nightmare of pain and hopelessness. He sat up in bed and felt his silk feathers rub up against his back. A wave of emotions crashed into him as he feared what was to come.

Mara rushed in and had him turn around, “Your wings have completely re-grown. When you are able to rise out of bed, you are to be judged of your actions,” and simply stated, “I do not envy you.”

Truthes whispered, “Nor do I.”

Over the next day Truthes worked to rise out of bed and walk around his room, the work was terribly exhausting and after making a single circle, he crashed to the floor. When Mara heard the thud from Truthes’s room she scrambled from her pot of stew and ran to his side. Sternly, she helped him to his bed, and remarked, “You got farther this time, soon you will be ready to be seen by your people.” And staunched off quickly so he wouldn’t see the tear trickled down her check.

As Mara left his room she cradled her churning stomach, aching with emotion. There were so many words she wanted to tell him; so many times she wanted to hold him gently in her arms, as she did when he was younger as he cried from a scraped knee just to tell him that things would turn out alright. Mara had raised him as though he was her own son, even though she was barren.

But now things had changed, he didn’t show Mara the love he used to. He never touched her fondly the way he did, no more did his eyes twinkle with a smile as they did when he was little. As he was coming out of childhood and entering manhood he had grown tough and cold, gruff and closed and so confused. He had so much emotion that he was meant to control and hide, but she never showed him how like she was meant to and for that he resented her, she could tell.

She took out the carrots she had pulled earlier that day meant for her stew, and started to chop madly away at them, trembling in anger. Oh how she had worked to ensure that he wouldn’t be like her, so emotional, how she worked to let him love his people and the non-winged ones, how she worked to make him like his father, long since dead. But nothing worked as she had planned. He had learned somehow to hate what he is, and he disgraced himself and her! It was enough to make her scream! How dare he dishonor her like that! How could she comfort his pain when he had caused her so much! She didn’t know whether to nurse him to health or lash out at him in her bitterness! He had only thoughts for himself, his hurt, his pain, his dismay! Mara muttered under her breath, “Well what that of mine.” She trembled, dropping the knife on the table and reared back to sit in her chair. Holding her head in her hands she cried quietly and gasped, “What that of my pain…”

Chapter 2 Truthes and his wings

Grapping both his arms Mara pulled the healed Truthes with all her might, “A council has been prepared and you are going to go!”

Truthes, although he regained most of his strength, slid a little ways forward as he yelled, “I do not want to go! They can’t judge me of this deed it was my own decision! I did nothing wrong!”

Mara’s face reddened in anger and exasperation, “You will go boy if it be the last thing I do!”

As Truthes and her played tug of war with his hands, Mara started to gain the upper hand, but she suddenly jumped in surprise, letting go of his hands and he flew backwards.

Mara looked hard at him with eyes that could ignite his very body as flames danced in her stare, “What did you do!?”

Truthes shook his head, “What do you mean?”

Mara sunk her fingers into his arms and flung him around, her voice dripping with horror, “Where did your wings go?!”

Truthes turned his head and moved his wings into his own view, he could feel them there, and he knew they were there, but when he turned to look, they were gone. Turthes turned in circles looking madly for his missing wings.

Mara hissed at him, “Stop turning like a lunatic, I don’t like games Truthes. Where are your wings?”

Truthes looked at her, “I don’t know, I can feel them there. I didn’t do any thing with them.”

Mara squeezed his arm a little, “No games Truthes, how did this happen!”

Truthes squirmed under her grip, “Mara you’re hurting me. Here feel, they are there. Feel.”

Mara hesitated, the touching of another’s wings was a sign of deep intimacy, but it wouldn’t hurt to merely check if they were really attached to his back, “Fine.” She reached out toward air, feeling slightly silly for grasping at nothing, but unbelievably enough she felt the soft silkiness of feathers under her hand. She stepped back shocked, “What is this magic?”

Truthes shrugged, “I know not.”

Mara believed him; no boy could make wings disappear. “We will discuss it with the council then.”

Truthes retorted, “I don’t see why I must discuss any thing with a council. It was my actions alone. Why should I be judged of them?”

Mara sighed, he had become so much like her, “Truthes, your wings, no matter the trouble they give you, are a blessing. To dishonor and disclaim them as you did is a dishonor and disclaim to all your people. I do not remember something like this happening in any of the history of the winged ones. I don’t know what they will do.”

Truthes put his head down dejected and this time he silently walked out the door toward his doom. As he walked out the door his wings reappeared.

~~~

“Truthes son of Garabo, do you know what you are to be judged for.”

Standing very still, Truthes’s eyes remind on the green grass around this feet, “For the cutting of my wings.”

The chief councilor, a tall skinny man, sitting in the middle of the five council members, spoke clearly and deliberately, pronouncing each syllable carefully, “Do you understand the magnitude of this dishonor, son of Garabo?”

Truthes’s voice trembled, but he defiantly answered, “Yes.”

Preparing to start the trail, the soft rustle of feathers could be heard as the five council members fidgeted slightly on their simple wooden chairs. In the clearing, the bright blue sky could be seen glimmering above and a quite breeze shook the leaves. Truthes stood in the center of the clearing facing the five council members making ready to judge him of his actions. Only the five council members, Truthes, and Mara graced the beautiful clearing.

The tall looming figure started the questioning, “Why did you cut your wings?”

Truthes shuffled his feet, and glanced at the emotionless Mara sitting to the side. He muttered, “I did not want them.”

The first councilor, a kindly looking women sitting directly to the right of the chief, questioned him further, “Why would you not want such a gift?”

Mara held her breath, tucking her wings closer to her back, hoping he would keep his temper, but she was disappointed.

Truthes snapped his head up, flaring his wings slightly and snipped at her, “They are no gift. They are a curse. I am always teased by the non-winged ones for my wings.”

Mara felt a dagger thrust her in the heart, but she did not let her face show it.

The second councilor, a short, stocky built man, placed on the other side of the kindly women, waved his hands and wings as though to shoo away a pesky fly as he asked, “Why should it matter what the non-winged ones should think? They are a trite people, with whom we should not be concerned.”

Truthes put his head back down and murmured something incomprehensible.

The second councilor blurted out, “Speak up, boy.”

Still examining his feet, Truthes spoke a little louder, “I don’t think that they are trite. I think they are interesting.”

Calmly, the chief responded, “You find them an interesting people?”

Truthes merely nodded his head.

Mara’s heart was wrenching in her chest and her head beat wildly with her own pulse. How could this be happening? But she had mastered her expression.

The third councilor, a man three times the size of the others, on the left of the chief spoke with a deep barley voice, “What about them do you find interesting?”

Truthes almost seemed excited to answer, “They have so much more emotion. They are so happy! They don’t have anything to hide. I feel-” Truthes cut himself short as he saw Mara’s eyes grow wide with terror, fortunately none of the trail seemed to notice.

The kind women spoke again, “You have strong views on the non-winged ones and their open show of emotion.”

Truthes started uprooting the grass with his feet.

The stockier second member asked, “But is that any reason to cut off your wings?”

The councilor larger in stature asked, “Truthes do you participate in your age council.”

Truthes nodded.

He continued, “Who do you attend to there?”

Truthes muttered, “I attend to no one.”

The chief councilor chimed in, “Then who attends to you?”

Truthes looked even more solemn, “No one.”

Softly the women concluded, “Then you are an outcast of your own council.”

Concerned, the third councilor said, “You are alienated among your own kind.”

Mara looked around at the council and noticed the silent fourth councilor staring intently at her instead of Truthes as every one else. His bright green eyes pierced her to the core. He seemed to be trying to read her very thoughts. Although she had obviously noticed his incriminating stare, his eyes did not waver. He appeared locked in his gaze till, finally, his tore his eyes away and scanned across to Truthes, but that stare somehow still lingered with Mara.

The second councilor’s distraught voice brought Mara back to the present, “How often do you see the non-winged children?”

Truthes answered hastily, “Only when they come close enough to my house.”

A little sternly the women said, “These encounters must stop. We can’t have the non-winged ones influencing you so much.”

Truthes dropped his shoulders, almost drooping his wings to the ground.

Intensely, the last councilor on the farthest left chair spoke. His voice immediately brought all attention to himself, every eye turned on him and somehow he seemed to return each stare simultaneously, “You do not belong with them.”

Truthes flared, his wings spread wide extending from his shoulders as he yelled, “Then with whom do I belong! Not among my own people, as you have mentioned, nor with the non-winged ones. What am I to do!?”

Truthes turned to each emotionless face. He could have screamed because of the detached, impassive stare they all gave him. But instead he lowered his wings, dejected, knowing he had made a mistake.

Breaking the deathly silence, the largest councilor spoke. He almost seemed to be whispering after Truthes’s yelling, “How have you done this with your wings?”

Truthes looked back at his wings and again they had disappeared. Shyly he answered, “I don’t know.”

With out hesitation, the fourth councilor with the piercing stare said, “One that has his wings cut will always have that ability, it is something that he will have to learn to control.”

The stout man whispered, “This is most unusual.”

Taking control of his shock the chief councilor spoke, “None the less, if this is something that can be control then it should be, however at this age, most have learned to grasp and control their own emotions. I am afraid there may be no hope for this one.”

With a tilt of worry, the women stated, “We can not abandon him at such a young age, not till at least he has reached full man hood.”

The voice that attracted so much attention spoke again, “I don’t think that he should be punished for the crime of his guardian.”

All eyes turned to the silent Mara. Although she worked to master and control her face, a passing glimpse of shock and fear played across her features.

The chief councilor spoke sternly, “Mara is not the one on trail here.”

He did not falter though, “Yes, but it is her views and way of life that have put Truthes in this position.”

The council sat in silence thinking of what was just said. The shorter councilor asked, “What are you suggesting we do?”

Carefully, fourth councilor slid forward in his seat to look at the council, “I suggest that Truthes be found a proper home and Mara be dealt with for her influence.”

Each council member sat deep in thought weighing the proposition.

Unexplainable fear and panic filled Truthes’s chest. He knew that every word this council member had said was true and he often grumbled himself about Mara and her strange ways that had influenced him so much, but the thought to live with someone else was inconceivable. She had raised him all the way through into manhood. A flint of frustration surged through his body; he couldn’t believe that he was standing there waiting for his life to be decided for him. He glanced at Mara whose expression showed more than she intended, that or he just knew how to read her. The slight furrow of her brow and the down ward pull on the edge of her lips could only mean she didn’t like this either.

Truthfully, the fact that losing him would not be pleasant for her brought a twang of pleasure to Truthes. He often thought that Mara’s life would be better if he just left, but it gave him a certain peace to know that she still wanted him.

Finally, the tall chief spoke, “This course of action does seem a bit harsh, but I think that this plan would be the most beneficial. However, Mara is not on trail and no decision should be made about her here.”

The kindly women nodded her head in agreement, along with the short stout councilor who nodded vigorously. The third councilor sat quietly then asked, “Truthes how would you like this change?”

Truthes plainly said, “I would hate it.”

The councilors stirred in their seats except for the fourth councilor. He sat up so far that he was almost out of his seat and spoke firmly, “All the more reason to move him away from her.”

Staring into the fourth councilor’s deep green eyes Mara slowly stood up and spoke, “I would like to say something.”

The councilor squirmed under her gaze, but she turned her attention to the chief councilor and waited. He nodded his head and said, “Proceed.”

Mara’s whole body was tense with anticipation and worry. They could not take him away from her, she could not let this happen. Mara took a deep breath, “I know I have not done very well to teach Truthes about our culture, I will be the first to admit that. But the fact still remains that he was put in my charge. His parents were aware of my strange ways, but still entrusted him to me. I know his father, Garabo, would not want this and his wishes should be attended to.”

She remained standing watching each contemplating face. Her breathing was shallow and anxious. She could barely move a muscle waiting for someone to say something.

The councilor large in stature spoke first, “She does make a legitimate statement.”

The women quietly said, “But is she still to be trusted to care for him?”

The chief councilor responded, “If Truthes’s father trusted Mara I think that we have an obligation to trust his judgment and wishes and therefore must trust Mara.”

The second councilor argued, “The fact still remains that Truthes cut off his wings and he is not getting the proper training at home.”

The third councilor spoke thoughtfully, “Instead of taking Truthes away from his home, he could receive daily training outside of his home from someone in the society we could trust.”

All eyes turned to the fourth councilor as he spoke, “Would that truly be enough to change this behavior?”

The tall chief answered straightly, “Yes, and I believe we know the perfect man to direct his training.”

Inquisitively the fourth councilor asked, “Who?”

With a smile in his eyes the chief answered, “You, councilor Kelep.”

The council all nodded their heads in unanimous approval.

Kelep raised his brows in shock, but lowered them and nodded his head, “Very well, I will take on this challenge.”

The chief concluded the trail, “Then it is settled, Truthes is to remain with Mara, who will work with him to teach him our ways of life, and Truthes will meet daily with Kelep for farther training, unless otherwise disagreed with.” He waited in silence for an opposition. When none came he ended the trial, “Then we will reconvene in five months time to see Truthes’s progress.”

Chapter 3: Truthes and his wings

Truthes kicked leaves and brush as he walked to his new counselor’s house. Kelep had talked to him immediately after the trail, giving him directions to his house and telling to meet him there tomorrow right after mid day. All morning Truthes anxiously complained to Mara about having to go see the dullest man he had ever met. Grumping, Truthes talked about how quite the man was all yesterday and how he will probably make him sit and meditate. Mara would interrupt every once in awhile commenting that some good meditation wouldn’t do him any harm.

However, Truthes wasn’t to be happy about any of it. He grumbled quietly as Mara gave him last minute instruction to be well mannered and try to not embarrass her to much. He stalked off into the woods, going over the directions in his head.

The whole thing was ridiculous, he was happy living alone with Mara and he didn’t want to go see some stiff man every day. What help would it do to talk to him any how? Mara had instilled in him her ways ever since he was born, he was already doomed to always be like this. Wanting to be like his people, he often tried to control his emotion, but it was so difficult. Oh if Mara had just taught him to control himself, then he wouldn’t have this problem. He went on, gripping about the situation till he came upon a little house with the trees growing right against the sides. The house was so well blended with the trees that if it hadn’t been for the light reflecting off the windows, he would have almost ran into it. Instead of a clearing being made, it looked like the house had just been wedged in between the trunks surrounding it. It was a very curious looking house. Truthes sighed and started toward the door. He tired to hide his disgruntlement, knowing it was something unacceptable. He knocked on the door. For a moment there was silence till finally a stern low voice answered from inside, “Come in.”

Still looking sulky, Truthes slowly opened the door and poked in his head in. Kelep was standing next to a high table bending over a large book with little print. He was quietly muttering to himself as his eyes scanned over the page. The room was lit by sun light shining in through a few small windows. It looked like a kitchen that had been over taken by the study. Books, papers, quills and ink bottles lay scattered over the tables and counters. A neat pile of clean plates and cups sat on a shelf above the counter. On the opposite wall an empty deep set sink laid in the middle of the counter beneath the largest window. The kitchen was connected with a comfortable sitting room devoid of the mess, however not devoid of books; two large bookcases, filled to the brim, flanked either side of a gigantic fire place. A few simple cushioned chairs faced towards the fireplace.

Kelep paid Truthes no attention, so Truthes stood at the door waiting for him to finish. When he continued to ignore him Truthes started tapping his foot on the floor and playing with his hands. He looked impatiently around the room, glancing at the weathered books sprawled on the table. With mild interest he studied the odd symbols on the covers. Finally, Truthes cleared his throat and said, “I am here sir, just as you said.”

Kelep’s piercing green eyes stared at him over small reading glasses. His pointed, oval face was tilted towards Truthes so he could better see him over his glasses. His spectacles rested lightly on the sharp tip of his nose and although he was young he had a far receding hair line leaving most of his head bald. Truthes squirmed under his hard stare, but said nothing. When Kelep could tell that Truthes was almost to the point of explosion he said, “Please have a seat in the sitting room and wait for me, I have some work I must attend to first.”

A little irritated, Truthes sat down and slouch a little in the seat. He rested his hands on his slightly protruding gut and started twiddling his thumbs. His thumbs worked hard chasing each other in circles, till he no longer found it interesting. With a heavy sigh, Truthes sat up resting his elbows on his knees. His eyes scanned around the room searching for everything to entertain him. A small piece of twin near his feet caught his eye, he picked it up and twisted it around his hands. Then he untangled it and saw how many other ways he could twirl the piece of string. When his fingers started to turn a little red from twining the string around them to much, he started tying little knots in the string, pretending that it was wrapped around Kelep’s feet and hands so he could escape this drudgery. Fidgety, Truthes threw down the completely knotted string and turned to look out the window behind him above the sink. He bent down trying to see the sun, but couldn’t, it probably wasn’t even a quarter after mid-day! This old man was taking forever! Truthes slumped back around in his seat, but Kelep paid him no heed. Finally Truthes grunted and turned back around toward Kelep, “How much longer are you going to be?”

With no expression or glance at Truthes, Kelep muttered, “However long it takes.”

Slowly the turns roved by. Truthes thumped his leg and changed position, and moved again the play with stray threads of his clothes. Then he laid his head back counting logs on the roof then moved on to counting logs on wall, then the next wall, then the next. He moved onto the books on the shelves, a harder task given the small sizes of some of the books. He pointed at each book as he counted them and whispered the number under his breath. Three hundred ninety four books on the shelves, one hundred fifty eight bricks in the fire place, two hundred and sixteen boards on the floor, and four hundred and five boards in the kitchen counters.

He sat back in the chair and looked around again, he picked back up the knotted piece of string and bounced it on his hands counting how many times he keep it going. Truthes looked back out the window bending again to see the sun, he could barely see it if he bent low enough, he figured it was 5^th turn and a half. He had been there for two turns and half! Dejected he turned back to his ball of twin. After another game of bouncing it, he turned back to the window only another quarter had passed. Truthes sighed loudly again and tapped his feet on the ground. Finally Truthes could not take it any longer he stood up, “Are we going to do something or what?!”

Kelep looked up from his book, “No not today, you are free to go home. I expect you here at the same time tomorrow.”

Truthes gapped open his mouth in frustration and disbelief, but silently stalked out of the house. Truthes grumbled his whole way home about how stupid the past three turns had been. Truthes loudly rumbled into the house, “Mara you would guess what he did!”

Mara was kneeling on the floor in the main room with a half done, brightly colored, quilt spread across her lap, “What was that?”

Truthes threw his hands up exasperated, “Nothing! I came into his house and he was reading a book. He had me sit down for three turns while he read, then he told me to go home.”

Mara smiled, “Yes that sounds like something he would do.”

Truthes continued on not really hearing what she had said, “What was the point? I thought he was supposed to teach me something, not just have me sit there?!”

Mara sighed, “Patience Truthes, have some patience. He will teach you when he thinks you are ready to be taught.”

Truthes scrunched up his nose confused, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Mara looked up at him from her work, “Don’t worry about it. How about you go hunt a rabbit or something for dinner?”

Truthes slumped his shoulders and tilted his head, “Mara you know how bad I am at hunting, I hate it.”

Mara went back to her work, “Well, practice makes perfect.”

Before she could finish, Truthes started shuffling to his room to get his bow muttering, “yeah, yeah,” as he went.

Mara smirked as he left the room he had been more talkative and friendly to her today then he had in a long while. She supposed he felt guilty for the fiasco of the past couple days and was trying to make it up to her. Or was just bitter and really wanted to vent no matter who it was to, either way it was nice.

This talkative mood toward Mara lasted over the next few days, but his contempt for Kelep grew ten fold. The next day that he went to Kelep’s, he sat there for threes turns and half and did nothing but try to entertain himself. The day after was four turns when Truthes finally asked what they were doing and was told to leave. Truthes begged Mara let him not go the next day, but she would not call for it. Kelep was doing what he thought was best and he had to keep going. This time though, Truthes knocked on the door, staunched in and sat down without a word to Kelep. Not even a third later Truthes stood up and hotly said, “Are we doing any thing today or can I just go home?”

Slowly Kelep took off his glasses. He placed them on his book and stared looked up at Truthes. He stared hard and long almost piercing into Truthes’s very soul. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes. With another deep breath Kelep looked back at Truthes and murmured, “You are free to leave,” Truthes started toward the door when with impressive speed Kelep cut him off, thrusting his arm between him and the door. His face was uncomfortably close to Truthes’s, “but you will come here at fourth turn tomorrow and bring your bow and arrow.”

Truthes stood a little awkwardly, “Alright. Am I… free to leave now.”

Kelep gave him another penetrating stare and Truthes muttered, “I will be here at fourth turn tomorrow with my bow and arrow.”

Without another word and never shifting his gaze Kelep slowly let down his arm and Truthes hesitantly walked to the door while trying to keep his eyes on the staring Kelep, causing him to stumble on his way out. Truthes felt like he was a tiny mouse staring at a gigantic lion, watching for his next move, or when he would pounce. It was all very unnerving. Truthes finally made a few paces a way from the house, but Kelep remained standing at the door looking at him. He started walking hastily trying to get out of his sight but even when he was far enough away to no longer see Kelep’s looming figure blocking the door way Truthes could still feel his incriminating stare surrounding him. He tried to shake off the ire feeling. At least next time they were going to be doing something different then just sitting.

When he came through the door so soon after leaving, Truthes tried to explain it away with that he was told to go home as soon as he got there. Mara gave him a disapproving look, “Well since you are home so early you can help with the chores I have left. There is a basket of laundry outside the door ready to washed, take it down to the river and I will be down to help in a bit.”

Truthes jerked his head and wined, “Mara, this is girly work, can’t I cut fire wood or something?”

Mara stood up, “No, I have done that already and this is what I need help with. I will be there in a moment, you go ahead and get started.”

Muttering under his breath, Truthes ambled out the door and picked up the basket a little rough disturbing the clothes inside and knocking Mara’s socks to the ground. He groaned and picked them up throwing them in with the rest of the clothes and stamped toward the river.

The next day a little before fourth turn Truthes ate a lunch of cold stew from the night before and some bread then packed up his bow and arrow and started for Kelep’s house. Mara was out front tending to the garden, “Where are you going?”

Truthes shifted his bow and said, “Kelep told me to come earlier today and to bring my bow.”

Mara pursed her lips slightly and said stiffly, “Well it is a good thing you hate hunting so much otherwise I would think that you would sneaky off from your counseling. You’re finally going to do something today?”

Truthes shrugged his shoulders, “I am not sure.” and went on his way. He didn’t know weather bringing his bow was an improvement or a digression. In hunting he not only had to sit still, but if he didn’t then he lost his game and had to start all over. And he didn’t think that Kelep would be very forgiving if he kept startling their prey.

He dragged his feet along the forest floor, dreading the rest of his day. Before he even realized it, Truthes was standing before Kelep’s door. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Kelep’s droning voice answered, “Come in.”

Truthes expected Kelep to be at the door with his bow ready to leave, but just as the first day that Truthes was there Kelep was sitting at his kitchen table bent over another large book. Truthes stood at the door for a moment not sure what to do. After another moment of being ignored he dejectedly shuffled over to his chair. After a moment more he took off his bow and slumped into his seat. “It was a trick,” thought Truthes, “he just wanted me to think that we were doing something.”

He went back to his same activity of counting; today he started with Kelep’s feathers

yeah I stopped in the middle of the sentence I know it's wrong and devilish but what can i say?