Snippet: Family Fight

Greetings, everyone! Every few weeks, I’ll be posting a snippet from my fantasy WIP. I’ll try not to include anything spoiler-y, and all of the snippets will have a different theme to them. This week’s theme is “anger.” Full disclosure, this is a rough draft, so the finished book might have an edited version of this scene, or it might not include it at all. This scene is from Chapter 1, and I’m notorious for changing my first chapters, so don’t get attached.

That said, enjoy!

Despite the rain, Maywin hesitated to lift the latch and enter the cobblery. Being outside meant freedom–even if it meant getting wet–without his father and older brother breathing down his neck. But the hesitation lasted only a moment. Maywin went inside, shutting the door hastily behind him to keep the rain out.
“Took you long enough,” said Maywin’s brother Gregor. His tone implied that he was only half teasing. He was bent over his workbench, but had looked up to glare at Maywin through shaggy brown hair that was in desperate need of cutting. Their father Nikolai, though, kept his eyes on his work. The dark green sleeves of his loose-fitted shirt made slight swishing noises as they slid across his workstation, his hands masterfully bending leather onto a wooden form.
“We’ll have a late night,” Nikolai said, without looking up from his work.
“Why?” Maywin asked.
“The mayor dropped by,” said Gregor. “We’ve got two weeks to make five pairs of dancing shoes for the Spring Festival. Apparently rats got into the storehouse and ate holes into last year’s. He’s letting Father and I skip Nightwatch until we’re finished.”
“What about Wochek and Lydie’s boots?” asked Maywin.
“I’m finishing Wochek’s boots tonight,” said Nikolai. “I’m thinking Gregor can convince Lydie to wait until after the Spring Festival.”
Maywin fished into his pocket and pulled out the five lekra coins Cory’s father had paid for Cal’s boots, as well as the simple finger-balance measuring scale that he always took to transactions. He put them on his father’s workbench. Then, he turned to go into the back room.
“Where do you think you’re going?” asked Nikolai.
“To get dried off,” said Maywin.
“You can dry as you work,” said Nikolai.
“But–”
“Oh, shut up,” said Gregor. “You got to disappear for two hours and visit your little friends while Father and I did all the work. He even made me go to Old Tanner’s and order the leather.”
“Can I not even change clothes?” Maywin snapped.
Nikolai slammed a fist on his workbench. His voice was rasied. “Stop wasting time and get to work! I swear, Maywin–”
“Boys!”
The door to the back room flung open, and Maywin’s mother Rosyth stood in the doorway. Her hair was somehow flying out of both her braid and her embroidered kerchief, and her cheeks were flushed pink from working near the fireplace. “What’s happening?” Rosyth asked.
“Father won’t let me get dried off,” said Maywin.
“He won’t melt,” said Nikolai.
“He won’t stop complaining, either,” said Gregor.
Rosyth set a hand on her hip. “Did you make a delivery, Maywin?”
Maywin nodded.
“To whom?”
“Cory’s brother Cal.”
“So you walked all the way to Dwarf Hill and back?”
Maywin nodded again, and Rosyth turned her attention to Nikolai as he busied himself in his work. “Oh, don’t you turn away from me!” she snapped. “Your son just walked a three mile round trip, carrying a load both ways, crossed the Nock twice, and he’s dripping wet. You won’t even give him five minutes to catch his breath!”
“I’m trying to make a man out of him, if only you’d stop interfering,” said Nikolai. “He’s got to learn how to work when he’s tired.”
“He’s got to learn how to work in general,” Gregor muttered.
“You stay out of this,” Rosyth demanded. “And you, Nikolai–Maywin will still be tired when he’s dried off. You can spare him for five mintues.” Rosyth turned again to Maywin, and her countenance softened, along with the tone of her voice. “Come on, dove. Let’s change your clothes. Do you want some tea?”
“Yes, please,” said Maywin.
“Can I have some too, love?” Nikolai asked.
“If you want tea, love, you can make it yourself.” And with that, Rosyth shepherded Maywin into the cobblery’s back room.