Chapter 16
From the moment that Alistar had taken up the dead man's pickaxe, his days had become filled with back-breaking labour. Although he and Kaila still collected the food that Servan left for them in the nearby tunnel, rather than wandering around afterward the two would return to the others immediately after eating. Kaila would keep her grandpa company at his spot halfway down the working line, and Alistar would struggle with his family until the end of the workday.
He knew that Kaila was worried about him and his mother, but there was nothing he could do to ease her apprehension. As things were, they could no longer play together. He simply didn't have the time. Up until recently, the only outlet in his life that brought him solace were the moments he spent with Kaila, but one look at his ever-sickening mother was enough to make him bury his regretful, selfish thoughts and redouble his resolve to lessen the burden on his family.
The revelation about his father's death now haunted his conscience, a guilt that strengthened his conviction every time he fell victim to its gut-wrenching influence. No matter how difficult or unbearable his days became, he would always persevere through the sores, the stiffness, the aches and the pains. He would not lose another person that he held dear.
Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep.
Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep.
This pattern came to define his daily life. He only saw Kaila in the mornings, and was avoided by Servan entirely. The only familiar face that he regularly encountered outside of his family was the one that he hated most, that of the young captain of the guard. The pestilent man often took it upon himself to spend most, if not all of his days watching Alistar's family and interfering with their work. As things were, the flow of each day now depended on the despicable youth's mood. The times when he was of a foul mind were the worst, and such days occurred quite often. Alistar was beaten at least once a week, but each time he would continue with his struggles, at least once he was able to get back up. If he responded in any other way, the beatings would resume.
Months had passed in this fashion and today Alistar was busy mining away just like any other day. His hands had grown rough and callused, and his body had also gained a definitive layer of muscle that was uncommon for his age. Though it was by no means comparable to that of the adults, he still took pride in the lean build that cloaked him. It was representative of all of the hard work he had endured over the past months, the only reward he would ever see for his efforts. He had also grown several inches taller, his growth spurt making it so that he now stood almost a finger above Kaila. Having grown so quickly, his uncle had to rework his clothing so that it fit him properly, using the meager resources that the guards provided to the slaves when their clothes were no longer fit for use.
Today had been a long day, to say the least.
If Alistar were to look over to his right he would see his mother lying feebly against the tunnel wall, her pale face hollow at the eyes, her skin now deeply discoloured. A few days ago she had coughed up blood for the first time. Today was the second day, and as it was, she could no longer work. Even walking was out of the question. In consequence, Alistar and his uncle had to stay back at least two hours longer than the others to make up the difference in their gatherings, and they only barely managed to do so. If one of the guards chose to inspect their boxes before they dumped them into the main crates within in the Long Tunnel, then they would discover that a thick layer of crumbled rocks made up a substantial portion of the collection boxes. This was a very daring method. If even one of the guards noticed, both Alistar and Raidon would be severely punished.