A Most Dangerous Weapon

Chapter 62: What Happened After

I knew I was drunk when I went looking for Evander.

I stumbled through the streets fully exposed to prying eyes, having left my cloak on the fresh grass that had been sprouting atop the mass grave. People began to emerge from their dwellings as the day progressed, but they still refused to interact with me or my companions. At the moment I didn't really care because my vision was so blurry that I wouldn't have been able to distinguish my former neighbours anyways. I swayed down the main road towards Evander's family home. The last time I had been there was when he assisted in treating my injuries after the raid. A smile stretched across my face as I recalled how soft his bed was.

The house was still standing in decent condition. I tripped over the threshold before inspecting my hazy surroundings. It was apparent that people had still been living here, so naturally I assumed his family was still alive. There were freshly picked vegetables on the table, beds unmade in the adjacent room, sandals and clothes in the cupboard, and a pail of cold water in the basin. No one was home though. Evander and his family must have gone out to enjoy the fresh air together as his parents reminisced about the good old days before Evander regaled them with tales of his adventure.

I snatched one of the carrots from the table before leaving, munching down on the still dirt riddled vegetable as I made my way further into town. By the time I'd finished eating, I found myself standing in front of the smelting shop. A large brown sheet had been pinned up where the front wall used to be to allow for the illusion of privacy. The fabric had faded immensely in the sunlight, and holes were burnt at sporadic points where sparks must have hit during the moulding process. It looked as if someone had taken up Evander's post as blacksmith while he was away, probably to make replacement weapons after the Galacians raided their stock.

I could hear a faint, familiar scraping of metal on stone coming from behind the sheet. I pulled back the side of the fabric to step into the dark space. Evander was at his old post sharpening his sword. He was so intense and focused that he hadn't even noticed my entrance. I unsheathed my sword and tossed it across the massive table. It landed with a loud clang in front of him, breaking whatever trance he was under.

"Mind giving my sword a once over?"

He didn't respond, nor did he meet my gaze. He just picked up my blade to carry out my request, scraping the blunt edges against the hard stone to sharpen it.

"Why are you here?" I ask stupidly, slurring my words slightly. "Why aren't you with your parents?"

After a long stretch of silence, he finally grumbles, "They're not here, Candra."

"Well, I can see that! Where did they go? Why are you wasting your time in here instead of-"

He tosses my sword aside aggressively before shouting back at me, "They're dead, Candra! They didn't make it! That's why I'm not out there enjoying their company, and instead I'm wasting my time in here!"

My eyes are wide with shock. I think back to his family home, confused. "But there were things in your house-... people living there..."

He shakes his head, "A family who lost their home during a raid moved into mine. They figured I wasn't coming back alive, and my parents had also perished in the same attack that took their home... so why not, right?!"

I moved closer to my grieving friend carefully. "Oh Evander, I'm so sorry..."

"It's my fault." He declares with such conviction. "I should have been here to protect them."

In my inebriated state, I responded stupidly by saying, "... but instead you foolishly chose to follow me. If you didn't regret that choice before, I bet you do now."