Chapter 3
His father was covered in sweat, his well-worn body glistening in the lamplight through the gaps in his ragged clothing. His eyes were a deeper shade of gold than Alistar's, or at least they seemed so at first glance. Alistar had been told that it was because of his mother's silver irises that his appeared to have a lighter sheen, for about a third of the colouration in his eyes had been inherited from his mother.
"I'm sorry, Father," he said, knowing that he was beat. He looked down to the ground with a saddened face. He didn't like upsetting his father, but exploring the tunnels was much more fun than watching the grownups work.
His father paused and parted the sweaty hair that clung to the skin around his eyes, his face loosening after staring at Alistar for a moment. If he were to clean it, his father's hair would the same shade as his and Kaila's, a light, honey brown.
"Alistar." His father bent down and rested a big hand on his shoulder. "It isn't safe to go off alone. Mama and Papa get worried when you run off, and so do Uncle Kaisus and Aunty Shail. How are we to apologize to them each day when this restless son of ours drags their daughter off every time they turn their heads?"
He glanced at either side of him, unable to meet his father's gaze. He broke this rule quite often, almost daily, in fact. His mother and uncle hadn't stopped to greet him. If they did then the nearby guards would grow angry. Only with his father would they show some restraint, but depending on the guards, it was often short lived.
"I'm sorry, Father," Alistar repeated. "I wo—"
"End of the line, Sim!"
One of the three nearby guards pointed down the working line.
Although he was short, the man had shoulders as broad as Alistar's uncle's and arms as strong as his father's. A thick beard of orangey-red outlined several scars where patches of his hair were missing. A detestable smile formed on his chewed up lips after he spoke. Not all of the guards liked Alistar's father. Some of them often referred to him as 'Sim,' in a manner that made Alistar feel as if they were bullying him. He didn't like those guards. They were always sending his father as far away from the rest of the family as possible. At least, that's what it seemed like.