As they approached the Church, Shim’s dad intercepted them. “I’ve talked to Donaldson and Lexi.” He gestured to the pair of siblings in their early twenties following behind him. “They’ve agreed to take Renalia under their wings if she’s keen to learn. Show her the way of the spear, as it were.”

He turned towards Mama, whose stern expression at being accosted by Malchim softened somewhat. “I’d train your daughter myself, but I’ve been spending most of my time in the workshop these days. Someone’s got to watch over the little ones.” He placed a hand on Sammy’s head, who preened at the attention.

“Is this acceptable?” Malchim asked.

Renalia wasn’t certain she liked this development. On the one hand, she could learn a lot from her seniors and they would protect Boogie and her. On the other, it meant she couldn’t activate her bogling cards, which had her most lethal and most defensive cards.

And what about harvesting cards? She doubted she could create a good explanation for wanting to open up the bellies of their captures. It was hard enough planting this seed in Shim’s mind yesterday, and he’s much easier to distract than adults. Maybe if she’s still involved in unmaking the carcasses, she could sneak the card out then.

It wasn’t like she had to worry about anyone else snatching the cards before she did. Shim had, the day before, laughed when she asked if boglings had cards. And he had called her stupid again, for what seemed like the hundredth time. She had to resist the impulse to hurl some undead hare innards at him.

Ugly thoughts about Shim lead to her drifting her attention towards him. Their eyes met and they both whipped their gaze away, as if something in the distant horizon had suddenly appeared. She caught his expression in the brief second, though, a mirror of her own. He was having ugly thoughts about her, too. She smirked. He totally deserved it, whatever the Renalia in his thoughts did.

In any case, Malchim’s proposal was out of her hands. Even if she knew what she wanted, she doubted she could sway Mama either way. Malchim–it still felt weird thinking of him as anything other than Shim’s dad–had addressed Mama directly. He knew too, that this was Mama’s decision.

Mama eyed the two young hunters closely as if peering into their souls. “Her safety is of the utmost importance. I don’t care if that means you all return without a catch. Just keep her safe.”

The two of them nodded, Donaldson perhaps a little less enthusiastically at Mama’s mention of a catch-less hunt. Seeing this, Mama raised her voice. “She’s my only child. If you two ever return without her, so help me God, I swear I will–”

“Eiry,” Papa interjected, “please, we’re at Church.”

Addressing the youths, Papa said, “Little Renya can be overly enthusiastic sometimes. Please keep in mind that she has only ever lived a peaceful farming life. She has not had any opportunities to develop a more martial attitude–a hunter’s instinct. So please, watch out for her. She may not know how, or even when, to protect herself.”

“Sir,” Lexi said, “and Madam. We will keep her safe until she can do so herself. I believe Malchim asked me to help because my Deck is known to be stacked toward defense and protection. Both my brother and I were raised as hunters, so we know how to train kids, like”–she glanced sideways at Malchim–“not letting them hunt alone.”

“Aye yai yai,” Malchim muttered, loud enough for them to hear, “Women these days. This coddling will be the death of us all.”

“Thank you, Lexi,” Mama said, “Donaldson.” She headed into the Church building, following the rest of the congregation.

“What about me?” Malchim asked as Mama walked past him. “I arranged all this, no?” He raised an eyebrow at Papa, who just ducked his head and followed Mama.

Renalia shrugged, walking at her parents’ heels. She may not have a hunter’s instinct, but she knew enough not to pick fights with her Mama.

Renalia typically enjoyed Father Cornelius’s sermons. But, for the first time in her life, she found something else holding her interest. Sitting between her parents, with her hands tucked beneath her legs, she played with [Bogling Claws].

Tiny bursts against the bench and longer bursts in tandem with [Bogling Skin] against her legs. When the activations timed out, she slipped her hands into her parents’ hands and played with her other cards.

She wondered how many in the silent audience were actually paying attention to the Sermon.

Before long, the sermon ended–something about the village being one big deck of cards–and Father Cornelius called on Chief Cian.

“I’ve received news that the new Baron, Baron Hegelstern, has started preparations for a tour of his domain.” The entire congregation sat up straighter at this news.

“As such, I ask that we hold an impromptu village meeting after lunch today to discuss our own preparations for his arrival.” Not seeing any objections, he continued. “As part of his tour, the Baron will also be overseeing the Deck Day Ceremonies for all Decked kids since the last ceremony.”

As they filed outside for lunch, a group gathered to discuss who among the newly Decked had a card that the Baron might take. Renalia struggled between following her nose to the enticing food or following her heart to join them for the equally enticing discussion. But before she could make up her mind, Marcy grabbed her hand and led her to the lunch line.

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When the grown-ups went back into the building for their village meeting, Alice approached them. “Ullock called a meeting,” she said. Renalia looked around at the remaining kids but didn’t spot the big teen or any of the older kids.

“This way,” Alice said, motioning with her head towards a copse nearby. Seeing the rest of the Ongock kids following, she quickly added, “Decked kids only.”

“Too bad for Ullock then,” Marcy responded. “Reny already promised to go pick flowers with me. Bye-eee.” Marcy grabbed Renalia’s hand and started to walk away.

Alice looked at Shim, her eyes pleading with him to control his sister. He commanded, “Marcy, stay.”

“I’m not a dog. You can’t just order me around.” She snorted and hooked arms with Renalia for emphasis.

“Marcy,” Renalia said, patting the girl’s arm. “You heard Chief Cian. The Baron’s coming soon. The adults have to prepare, and so do us Decked kids.”

Marcy was not easily swayed, though. “Please don’t go,” she whispered forlornly.

The girl’s tone infected Renalia, growing the sense of foreboding that had already nestled within her. But she put on a brave face and, while removing Marcy’s arm, said kindly, “It’s better to have a discussion now, before … before the Baron gets here.”

She turned before Marcy could respond, taking big steps towards the group of trees Alice had pointed out, her skirt flitting around her as if catching her mood.

From behind her, Shim asked, “What’s this meeting about?”

“Ullock called it. That’s all you need to know.” After a brief pause, Alice continued in a softer tone. “You think he tells me?”

Renalia had an inkling, though. While glancing around during the sermon, wondering who among them paid attention, she had caught Ullock staring at her with this look on his face. A look worse than his usual mocking contempt. A look that, theoretically, she knew as ‘hatred’.

They gathered in the grove of trees, the ten of them. A number fitting for their status as newly Decked, no longer children but not yet recognized as full adults.

Ullock walked to one side of the small clearing, facing them all. “As we all just heard, the Baron is coming. While the adults will handle the planning and the festivities, we will assist as needed. And we, as the newly Decked, also have a special responsibility.”

He looked at each of them. “We represent the village in the Deck Day Ceremony. That means we will be on our best behavior.” He smiled. “No spitting. No picking our noses.” Some of the kids chuckled at this.

He continued, more seriously, “No cursing. No using cards. No breaking rules.” He looked at her and she felt her stomach sink. “No fighting.” The other kids shuffled away from her as if her stigma was catching.

“Renalia, you attacked one of our own.”

“Chief already gave his judgment,” Renalia reminded him.

“Yes, he made sure the Ongocks didn’t suffer”. Ullock glanced at Shim. “But Shim stands before us now, arm still broken.”

Shim scrunched as all eyes turned to him. “She did apologize.”

“Yes,” Ullock acknowledged, “But did she learn her lesson? Was she punished?” He let the question hang in the air, knowing no one would agree.

He pointed at her while addressing the crowd. “Look at her. She’s dressed better than she’s ever been, in Shim’s sister’s Sunday finest.”

His voice grew louder, more vehement. “And I hear she's wearing Shim’s old clothes, wielding the Hunter Spear meant for Shim. So I ask again, was she punished?” A chorus of “no’s” answered him.

Noticing her peers becoming incensed, Renalia sought to stop it. As she’s learned from her own experience with despair recently, strong emotions warp the mind. And she did not want to find out what righteous anger would do to a bunch of kids who already do not like her.

“What do you want, Ullock?” she asked with exasperation and disdain.

“I want you”–he spun to face her–“to obey the rules.” On the last word, both of his hands shot out–faster than she could react–and wrapped around her throat.

Shocked gasps sounded around her, sharply contrasting with her inability to draw in a breath. This sudden physical discovery drowned her shock with panic. She quickly suppressed it. Think, think, think.

She grasped his oversized hands as he lifted her into the air, allowing him to meet her eyes at his height. “The rules are there for a reason.”

She raised her feet to kick him, like the hare did to her, but held still as she detected the barely hidden anger and anticipation in his face.

“They protect you.” He wanted me to fight back; she resisted her body’s impulse to thrash.

“They protect us.” He wanted a release for his rage; she suppressed all emotions.

“From something worse. Something awful.” He revealed his real face as his mask cracked with emotion; she recognized it, for it mirrored her own just several days past.

A face full of anger and despair and loneliness and terror and grief. The face of a ten-year-old. She had forgotten how young he was, only seeing his size. She had forgotten how alone he was, only hearing his bullying.

This was not about her. It was never about her.

She had Papa to play with when she was sad. She had Mama to protect her from harm. She had Granny to teach her about regulating emotions.

He had no one, for Leo McGinnis broke a rule last year and played with a flame card he shouldn’t have.

So she looked at him, not with the anger or fear he expected. But with pity. And with compassion.

He squeezed his eyes shut and released her. She dropped to all fours, coughed, and gasped for air. He stood before her, fists squeezed tightly and chest heaving erratically as if her “punishment” took as much out of him as it did her.

Which … it probably did.

“I’m sorry,” she said, slowly getting up and approaching him. “I’m sorry for breaking the rules.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, gently laying a hand on him.

Sensing no reproach, she placed a second hand on his arm. “I’m sorry that something awful happened.”

She held him as he sobbed, perhaps the first time he did this past year. “You’re safe now.”