I don't know what to say, for once

Why was it so cold down here?  Rudy just needed to flick a glance at where a fire should burn offered an answer.  Later he’d see about fixing it but there were other priorities at the moment.  Rudy offered his mom that confident smug smile of his though as he took in her body it faulted, concern and sadness touching his face.  Rudy had sworn to himself he’d be strong.  Mom wouldn’t want to see them upset and if the only thing he could do now was offer her a bit of cheer he’d damn well do it.  So there was an internal struggle for a moment, different expressions flickering over his face but in the end, a smile pulled back up.  It hurt, but it could be hidden till later.  Mom wouldn’t be around at some point in the later and he could be sad then.  

“It sure is cold in here.” The chipper-sounding boy offered as he came in closer. “Did you hear?  Art’s baron now, and I’m a knight!” The words came out proudly, “Isn’t it funny? He always said he wanted to be a knight and I always labeled the baron spot mine, well, sort of.”  Rudy had said he’d be leading the pack but leader-in-training was the right direction.  “It was always planned to be both of us anyway and he needs to get use to the idea anyway.  Besides, there’s more important work I have to do until its time.  We don’t have a lot of hunters so I’m going to start training some others how to hunt so they can help out.”  Not that he'd asked what he should be doing, Rudy already had decided for himself.  He wasn’t aiming to brag, he was aiming to fill the constant silence she dealt with most of the day, trying to let her know she could count on Art and him to do their job. “After all,” the boy added a bit quieter, “I had the best teacher, so I’m the best for passing it along, right?”  

Rudyard Carpathius