Role

Chapter 2

______ didn't know much about Conren. The oldest of her four siblings spent
his time looking after the group - making himself into a concerned presence
that none of them had asked for. Acting as a proxy for their overworked
Father, Conren's personality was mercurial at best. His visage shifted in
response to whatever mischief the twins had gotten up to. His countenance
brightened when Asteli followed his lead and asked for help in mastering a
specific weapon technique. Tisus had confided in her that neither of their
eldest siblings was very good with blades at all, but ______ didn't mind.
Conren smiled with he was with Asteli and it wasn't like Tisus didn't have a
chip on his shoulder. Conren was the apple of Father's eye, and instead of
taking over the Inn as was expected of the first-born son, Father had allowed
him to train at the Imperial Security Headquarters. The stipend was minuscule
compared to what the Inn made in a good season, but Conren bought into the
Imperial ideology with a fervor that reminded Father of his youth. Conren
proclaimed: 'The laws just make sense, ______, you'll understand when you're
older.'

Six months after Conren left Hamsah Mu'tazz, ______ was woken up in the dead
of night by a sharp rap on the kitchen door. She skipped down the fourth-floor
stairwell as quietly as possible, knowing that Mother would be furious if she
woke the guests. Tisus and Melirene were already at the doorway, and Tisus
quickly hid a faded book within the pockets of his oversized coat. Melirene
shot him a loot as she opened the door. A freckle-faced boy with dusty blonde
hair held out a letter and a pendant of an owl feather and held out his other
hand expectantly. Tisus chuckled and threw the boy a handful of copper pieces
before pulling the kitchen door shut.

Melirene collapsed to the floor and screamed, causing her twin to jolt.
_____'s eyes scanned the vicinity, wondering if Mel's fingers had gotten
caught in the door frame somehow. Melirene's green eyes filled with tears as
she clutched the letter in her trembling hands. The agonizing keening
continued - waking up all the patrons of the Inn. Mother rushed down the
stairs with her hair still in those heavy steel curlers that made her look
like a demon from a storybook, eyes filled with ire.

The tear-stained letter was terse. Conren had been killed in 'service to the
Empire'. Half of his salary would be provided to the family for a quarter year
to aid in funeral arrangements. That was it. There was no acknowledgment of
the dutiful son that had his lifeblood spilled on the cobblestones. There was
no explanation for the cause of death. They had even spelled his name as
'Conrenn'.