Originally, Old Vine had done everything for the sake of his two granddaughters. At the time, he had only wanted to keep this troublesome kid at a distance and prevent his granddaughters from getting too attached to him. It had seemed like the sensible decision. Now, however, he found himself regretting it more and more.
The situation unfolding in front of him was giving him a headache.
For all the complaints he had about Marcus, Old Vine had slowly come to an uncomfortable realization. The more people he compared him to, the harder it became to find anyone else worthy of standing beside Icefall and Firebrand. Worse still, the more time he spent with the boy, the more he liked him. It was a strange feeling. Very strange.
