It was too hard to carry a pail and food while limping.

"I'm not hungry." Yehudit lied.

Sileas knew better. She pulled out the bread, meat and cheese she had chosen and held them out to her cousin. "You need to keep up your strength. Eat."

"Especially since she's ter soft and weak ter cop 'er own food." Questa added.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 57):

Yehudit ignored Questa and tore off a bit of bread. She was starving.

"Shut it Questa," Sileas said angrily. "Go find something to do."

"Like wot, then, eh, mate? Cradle babies and grow fat?" Questa asked.

"I don't care what you go do. But I won't help you get out of trouble again."  Questa's comment stung Sileas and she lowered her head. She couldn't bear to look at Questa right now and she didn't want to Yehudit to see her on the verge of tears.

Questa shrugged and headed back upstairs, presumably to get into trouble.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 62):

Yehudit looked up from the bread. "Are you all right, Sileas?" Yehudit asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Sileas replied, her attention still on Olivia. Her arm had tightened around the babe, but Olivia was too happily eating to care. "I can't be around her. If she is staying in the new village, I have to move on."

"Questa upset you." Yehudit realized.

Sileas shrugged. "Questa refuses to grow as a person and realize there is more to life than being as street rat. I'm so tired of her downing the idea of having a family or someone to love. Someone to love you." Sileas's shoulder's slumped. "And I certainly didn't need the comment about babies. Questa fully believes you get soft if you're not constantly in physical violence. It was never what I wanted. I was with the gang on the streets for companionship and to survive but I never made it any secret that I wanted a family to love me. And the constant comments that Papa isn't my Papa."  Sileas sighed. "You came down ahead of us, you didn't see her take a swing at me while I was holding Olivia."

"She hit you while you were holding the baby?!" Yehudit was shocked and angered. She struggled to her feet. "I'll kill her!"

"I caught her hand before she made contact. That was why I was so furious with her. And it proves how little she thinks of family. She wants to change me back into a person I didn't want to be in the first place."

She reached for Yehudit to pull her back down. "Just stay with me. If she gets herself into trouble, the knights will arrest her. You know she will. And I am not going to help her. The whole reason I helped her last time was so she could grow and change."

Yehudit scowled. "That little bitch needs to be taken down a peg."

"She will be if she manages to stay out of trouble. I don't think she will though." Once the milk was finished, she began spooning some of the stew into her sister.

"How about I hold her and you punch." Yehudit suggested, still angry.

"Maybe. But for now, Olivia is my priority." Sileas was still seething. And hurt. How dare Questa throw things in her face. How dare she?

Yehudit clenched her fists. "She's been nothing but trouble and mean."

Sileas was loathe to admit it, but Yehudit was right. It was understandable at first, Questa had had a hard life. But one would have thought she would have appreciated having a better life and opportunities. Sileas let out a sigh before resting Olivia on her shoulder and patting her back.

Yehudit leaned against the wall to take some weight off her ankle. At least she did not have to worry about Sileas ditching her to hang out with Questa, but Yehudit was just so angry about what Questa had just done.

Sileas shifted Olivia in her arms as the baby yawned loudly. She gave her a reassuring smile before leaning back against the wall.

"I should go check on Pa...." Sileas' voice trailed off as she nodded off.

Difyr went down to the kitchen. She spotted Sileas and Yehudit dozing in the corner with Olivia. She gently nudged Sileas to wake her. "You're going to be very sore if you sleep like that."

Sileas blinked her eyes open. "Hmm? What? Oh. Have any idea where a nice cushiony bed is?" She inquired. She couldn't believe she had fallen asleep. "How's Papa? I should get back to him."