Dinner's Fine And So Are My Trousers...

Chapter One

Deep in the Southwood forest, at the mouth of their riverside cave, Tobias danced around as he prepared dinner over an open fire. As he danced he hummed a rendition of a popular song he’d heard on the radios in the city, his unbroken vocal chords randomly assaulting notes both high and low, with no real loyalty to the original melody.

 Xanti sat propped against the moist cave wall, staring out into the rain. He liked the rain, it was easy. When the rain fell, you take cover. If you didn’t it’s no big deal, but it was better if you did. His job as he saw it was to make sure they always did so, together. He was roused from his musing in the typical way; an idiotic yelp followed by a gentle thud. ‘Toby? Are you alright, mate?’ Xanti turned around just in time to see his younger sibling jump to his feet and for the life of him, actually attempt to act casual.

‘Yeah! Fine...’ Tobias cocked his head quizzically whilst trying subtly to dust himself down. ‘Why?’ Xanti lifted himself from his seat with a groan and then sighed. He shook head, disapprovingly. He inspected Tobias’ freshly grazed knee through the newly torn hole in his trousers. He met his brother’s apologetic, puppy-dog eyes with a frown of unmoved disinterest.

‘Two reasons,’ He said, putting a hand on each of his brother’s shoulders. ‘Firstly, I ask because I am very, very...’ With each ‘very’ he gently shook his brother back and forth. ‘...Cheap. And I would very, very much prefer it,’ he shook him again. ‘...If I didn’t have to waste money; buying new trousers...’ He kissed his brother on the forehead and then checked on the two plastic packets, boiling in the rust flecked fire. ‘...Or, having to cook two dinners because my idiot brother burns, over-boils or otherwise buggers the first one.’ Tobias folded his arms with a scowl.

‘Dinner is fine and so are my trousers... And you’re the idiot!’

‘Secondly...’ Xanti interrupted whilst fishing out the floating packets with a dented old spoon. ‘And most importantly so you’d better listen, and listen well at that...’ Tobias shrugged, uninterested. ‘Unlike me and trousers and boil-in-the-bag dinners...’ Xanti put the packets down on a plate and then hugged his brother, who squirmed under his tight embrace. ‘...You are extremely valuable, okay? You cannot be replaced; not for all the money or clothes or food in the entire Province; in the entire realm even...’ Tobias’ response was muffled by his brother’s armpit. ‘What?’ Xanti loosen his grip a little.

‘Eeeeerrrrr...’ Tobias spat, trying to get the taste out of his mouth. ‘I know, I said.’

‘Good.’ Xanti looked his brother dead in the eye, making sure he knew. ‘I’m glad. So when I leave you here tomorrow, alone, I need you to promise me something. In fact I need you to be able show me something...’

‘You can let go of me now if you like...’ sighed Tobias. ‘You smell like you live in a forest!’

‘I need you...’ Xanti continued. ‘...to show me, that I can trust you to be safe. I need to know I can go out and earn us some real money, do a real day’s work without you getting in trouble or hurt. I need to know that you’ll be here, safe and sound when I return. Otherwise I can’t go and we’ll be stuck in this hellhole...’ He took in the wet tunnel of stone they had made home. It was no place to raise a family, even if that was exactly what it had been these last few months. ‘...forever...’

‘Don’t knock this place!’ It’s ours, innit?’ Xanti shot his brother a look of disbelief. He ruffled his hair and then set about serving up dinner. He pierced each packet, pouring their steaming hot contents into two bowls.

‘Are you serious? We smell like we live in a forest, or a cave or something! The girls in town are starting to...’

‘You look like you live in a forest!’ Quipped Tobias, his words muffled by a mouthful of food. He mimicked Xanti, ‘The girls in town are...’ He laughed. ‘Since when have you cared what other people think?’ Xanti looked surprised.

‘...Since always, brother, since always.’ He looked at Tobias and then winked. ‘It’s only your opinion I couldn’t give a squirrel’s backside about, but then I ask you;’ he wondered out loud with a smile and a shrug. ‘Who would?’

‘Fool’

‘Tramp...’

‘Vagabond...’

‘Village idiot...’

‘Street Rat...’

‘I live in a forest, not the street, you filthy commoner...’

And so it went, long after dinner and late into the night until, as they were both getting off to their custom-made beds, Tobias spoke up;

‘Anty...’

‘Yes, Toby’ Xanti answered with a yawn. He kept his eyes closed as he rolled away from Tobias.

‘I promise you, brother. I forgot to say it before but, I do...’ He got no response. ‘I mean it, Xanti. I...’

‘Thank you, Tobias.’ Xanti kept his voice level, as he had often had to over the years. ‘Now get some sleep.’ Tobias thought for a moment.

 ‘And you’re not cheap either, brother. You’re very expensive.’ This made Xanti laugh.

‘I love you too, brother.’ He sighed. ‘Now sleep’

‘Much more valuable than me, Xanti...’

‘Tobias!’ Xanti’s tone was harsher than he’d intended; he soften it. ‘Please, Tobias. Go to sleep...’ Tobias said nothing.

Xanti closed his eyes and tried to think positive thoughts as his mind raced. He tried to smile but couldn’t, as the vision of his mind’s eye traced a path down his cheek. Tomorrow as a big day; he hoped he was ready.