Sumi sat back as she remembered all the scars that bisected Hauk’s flesh. He’d had something similar to what Thia described on the left side of his body. “What about the claw marks on Hauk’s arm? Is that —”

“No. The single claw marks, like he has, are a public chastisement from his mother for Keris’s death… One set of claw marks just means he’s displeased his matriarch. And it was done to eternally embarrass him in front of other Andarions whenever he has to make a formal public appearance, or go to temple on holy days. Should he displease his mother again, the next marks will be those of lost lineage, and he will be cast from his family.” Thia sighed. “The worst part though, is that those scars kept him from his obligatory military service that’s required of all non royal Andarion males and females after graduation. His mother should have just killed him. It would have been far kinder than marking him like that and leaving him for the rest of his breed to sneer at.”

Sumi didn’t know why, but that made her ache for him. Whether he’d been responsible or not, he must have been traumatized by his brother’s death. What kind of mother would further injure him, especially given how young he’d been at the time it’d happened?

“How did Keris die?”

“He fell during their climb. Uncle Hauk tried to save him, and ended up falling himself. He survived his own fall by crashing into a ledge and broke about a dozen bones. Even so, he managed to climb down and make it back to the pickup spot.”

Sumi gaped. “How in the Nine Worlds can they blame him for that?”

Thia rolled her eyes. “I know, right? They claim Uncle Hauk slipped first and slammed into Keris. My father says that had Uncle Hauk not been recovering from his last surgery, he would have probably been able to hold them both. As it was…” She sighed heavily.

None of this made sense. “It was an accident. Why blame him for it?”

“Because Keris’s rope had been cut with a knife. Deliberately.”

“What?” Sumi breathed.

Tears welled in Thia’s eyes. “I’ve heard different things, but from what I understand, the belay and anchors weren’t set properly, and weren’t capable of holding their combined weight. Even so, Uncle Hauk continued to hold on to Keris and was trying to pull or swing him to safety before the anchors gave way. Since it was obvious they would both die if something wasn’t done fast, Keris cut the rope, hoping to save Uncle Hauk. But neither Dariana nor his mother believes it. They think Hauk cut the line to save himself, and let his brother die, then lied about the events to save face.”