12 Chapter 11

" Start over?" Cal asked as she patted the kitten's head.

" Restart our relationship."

" Okay, yeah I get that but why?"

Vayle began pacing the small room, before sitting on the bed beside Cal, " Well, because I was pretty mean to you when we first met and id like to change that."

" I mean sure," Cal started as he stole the kitten and placed her in his lap instead," I guess I was mean too." He said as his ears flushed a light dancing pink. Vayle giggled in response but also at his embarrassment. The two kept talking about anything they could think of, arguing if pie or cake was better. Of course its pie, no matter how much Vayle argues it isn't. Smokey moved between the two being greedy as all could be for pats and cuddles.

" Well its getting late so ill be leaving now," Vayle said standing and heading for the door," See you at dinner in a few hours."

" Yeah, but leave the cat at the door Vayle." She grumbled at being caught and slowly placed the tiny kitten on the floor," And yeah, see ya at dinner."

Hours earlier when Tanen ran off, Klaus calmly sat in his room, or office as some called it. He needed to file papers away and think in a calm place. He could hear the frantic light steps of someone outside of his door. Quite distracting but he let it slide, before his door slowly creaked open, Tanen's head poking through the gap.

" Can we hang out?" Tanen practically whispered.

" The couch is free," Klaus said. Tanen slowly walked to the couch and sat down. Hands folded in his lap, eyes on the ground. " Was there anything in specific you wished to talk about?"

Tanen shook his head, indicating no, so the two sat in a semi-comfortable silence. The sound of shifting papers and ink-covered pens filled the room as Klaus worked. He was a hard worker, no word left unchecked and no paper left unseen. He took his job with pride and confidence. Only he could file these papers like a professional. He was born to do this and so he would die filing papers if he so damn pleased.

His mother raised him to be scholarly and professional. She was a lovely lady working as an advisor to the mayor of a small town in the northern mountains. She worked hard and did it well, but was severely underpaid. They could barely afford food for some months due to this but they always pushed through. Her boss was an absolute tyrant, yelling at her for the slightest mistake whether she could help it or not. He treated all the women that way, yet refused to hire a man.

If he ever asked what happened to his father it was always the same. He was on a trip or he's just busy somewhere else. Truly meaning he was dead but you can't really tell that to a child. So his mother and he worked together so make it by every winter. While his mom worked, Klaus would work tables at the local inn. It didn't pay much but it was way better than nothing.

Winters up in the northern mountains were beautiful. High peaks covered in snow ran for miles and glistened the brightest of white it was nearly blinding. The snow was always slowly falling, covering buildings and trees alike in glistening powder. Winters were harsh hitting well below what should be possible therefor plants didn't grow very well unless they were very hardy. Meaning dried meats for months and as the months went by the price would rise as resources dropped. There were many times when they thought it to be their last. But good things only last so long.

It was a stormy morning and young Klaus hadn't seen his mother since the morning before. Naturally being worried he trudged through the snow to the mayor's house hoping to find her there passed out from exhaustion at her desk like usual. How was he supposed to be anyway prepared for what he saw? His mother on her knees in front of her boss he stood over her. Her face was beaten and marred, her orange eyes blown wide in fear. She barely made eye contact with her son before brain matter splattered on the desk and floor behind her. The noise so deafening he doesn't know if he truly heard it, the only evidence being the gun in the mayor's hand and his mother lifeless on the ground. A pool of red grew around her head, the last thing she saw being the scared and confused face of her seven-year old son. Klaus wanted to gag at the sudden smell of thick copper but held back as it could potentially risk his own life. He could feel his body and mind numbing as he stared at his mom's crumpled form on the ground, he was so distracted he didn't snap back till the mayor was standing in front of his view, crouched down to eye level for the tiny child.

" You best run before I put one between your eyes as well, you animal."

He could feel his body shaking from what he didn't know but he could hear a light voice trying to call him back to reality.

" Klaus, hey what's wrong?"

Tanen, the simple human man that took the attention off his work too often to be healthy. Slowly coming back he was met with grey blurry eyes and a curly mop of hair.

" Oh that the heavens," Tanen sighed loosening his grip on Klaus's shoulders." I got worried, you started shaking and crying and I didn't know what to do."

" Just thinking of the past is all, sorry to have frightened you." He replied with a sorry excuse for a reassuring smile.

" Well if you need anyone to talk to come straight to me alright."

" I will Tanen, thank you," He stood moving to the small kitchenette in the room," Now, would you like some tea?"