Jules
Jourd'Umbra, 18th Decima
A month of leave passed all too swiftly, Jules reflected as he said his farewells to his family. At least I got to see them again, he thought. His father had aged considerably since Jules' last visit; with all likelihood the man wouldn't live through next winter.
But he's not that old, Jules had protested to Nathaniel one night as the brothers sat by the fire.
Da took mom's death hard. He's been getting weaker each year.
Jules heard the unspoken accusation: if you came home more often, you'da noticed.
He was stung, but there'd been nothing to say. They'd sat, staring at the fire, until late in the night, when Nathaniel retired to his bedroom and Jules curled up on his bed in the common room.
When Tania had died, her wife Eric had sold the family house
