Song of Loss and Hope

Chapter Eleven

After healing Mike I also healed some smaller wounds of others. That was also when I noticed just how many actually fell in the fight. It were five, making our group now only seventeen. Together we went back to where we left the horses and bags. It was already becoming brighter, the day arising. I squinted my eyes. 

The plan was that we secured loot and then began our way back. Alad walked next to me on our way back and I asked him how he thought they had made it. He told me: "The gods must have been on our side. All of the sudden a magic wave came and threw them off while it didn't effect us at all. They all just were dead." "Dead?", I asked back. "Yes, no pulse. Nothing. It really was a present."

A present. I wasn't too sure. Why had Draven asked me if he should kill them or not when he in the end did the opposite of what I suggested? I sighed. I would never be able to understand this guy. 

Although they had lost five members of the crew the spirit was joyful. All were happy about their success and didn't really spare too many thoughts on their friends which was rather odd. Two woman were the exception. They were balling their eyes off over their lost girl friend. They all three were in Nadyas team and although I saw her glance at them a couple times she did not approach. Neither did anyone else while they packed away. 

I went straight to Ruri to see that she was fine and handed her an apple after I took it and my own food from one of the bags they took with them. It was a simple bread with some cheese but after this night I was starved because of the outlook on death there was. It made me more hungry than I expected. So I gulped it down and then went a little into the forest till I came to a small stream. I sat down and cleaned my hands, then also bringing some water to my face.

I decided to stay here a little longer as the others would still need quite some time to assemble everything. I leaned by back against one of the stems and closed my eyes. A couple minutes went by before I sensed the presence of Draven near me. When I opened my eyes he was sitting across from me, on the other side of the stream, on a fallen tree stem. 

I made no move to stand up and just looked at him, waiting until he said something. He wore the same clothes as before. His eyes unmovingly hard and dark. His scar over his face was more visible in the brighter light. It wasn't as bulging as many that I saw before. But it was thick none the less. It must have hurt really much when he recieved it. 

Another couple minutes went by when he finally decided to say something. "How many died?", he asked, showing no attitude to what happened at all. I shrugged, remembering that all the Royals had died. "Five of the group. How many Royals I don't know.", he looked surprised that I knew of his doing but not about what I said. "Why did you even ask me when you already decided to kill them?"

He shrugged, his expression and eyes cold again. "If I hadn't killed them, they might have killed somebody else. Families like yours.", he explained himself. On my explicit question he did not try to explain himself so I also let it fall. If he did not want to say something he wouldn't. 

"I questioned Alad.", he then stated. I nodded. "You did not lie.", he further told me. He did not look that happy. But I don't think it was because of the 'I had no idea' part and rather about something else. He clenched his jaw at his thoughts but quickly shifted his expression back to normal when he noticed me looking at him. I sighed. 

A quiet pause took place where we just looked at each other or our surroundings. "Why don't you go to the others?", I asked him, breaking the silent. He remainded quiet. I heard a voice from behind me shout that we were going and turned back to Draven while I got up. I mumbled a "See you." and turned around when he said: "They wouldn't want me there!"

When I turned back, he was gone.

Lost in thought, I grabbed my the rose necklace of my mother. What experiences had he made that made him think so? I would have stayed there even longer hadn't the voice again shouted.