Of Blood and Duty

Chapter Eighteen • Where is She

-Loren-

Tom came a short while after Mae had gone after the deserter and he was not alone. There were about a dozen others right behind him. Weapons drawn and eyes scouring every edge of the woods their eyes could reach. As soon as he came into Tom's line of sight, the group was heading straight toward him. Tom putting in a little bit more speed so he would be the first one to reach Loren. 

Instantly remembering the blood smudged across his lips he was struck with panic. Concerned that someone would see the blood on his lips, he tried as best he could to wipe away the remnants of Mae with the sleeve of his shirt. Putting in what felt like an excessive amount of effort to look as unbothered by them as he possibly could. As he had not just been kissing their chief's daughter right where he stood. 

Stress beaming from his green eyes, Tom asked in the middle of an exhale. "Which way?" Loren pointed in the direction Mae had gone, again. Making sure to hide his bloodied right sleeve and used his left one for the purpose of being rid of the Guild members. "Were you not supposed to go after him?" He asked, coming to a sudden halt before he was able to set off again. Creases of confusion emerged in his forehead, leading down to his reddish eyebrows. Even the freckled nose demonstrated his apparent confusion... border lining on suspicion. 

Now Tom's party had caught up with him, seeming to have heard the question as clearly as Loren. There was now more than a score of eyes fixed on him. All wondering why the stranger was not hunting down the run-away, which seemed to have been the story Tom had given them. All of them waiting, along with Tom, for him to answer.  

"Mae is handling it." He answered calmly after clearing his throat. "She can handle herself." He parroted Tom's own words back to him when some of the spectators found his answer strange. As if he was too laze to help or indifferent to care of what would happen if the prisoner got away.  Your words. He let his eyes speak those last words and kept his mouth shut. 

"Aye..." Tom mumbled cautiously. "She can." He confirmed. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. Suddenly, they dropped to his mouth. 

Shit. Did I not get all of it? Loren thought to himself and felt sweat start to coat the back of his neck. Afraid that what had happened earlier was written on his face in blood. 

"Do you need me to come with you?" He asked when no one was saying anything. A scoff was the initial reaction from someone in the back of the group. It did not bother him as much as Tom's scrutinizing gaze taking in his face. "Tom?" 

"No. Head back to camp. Chief's asking for you." Tom said and walked past him. Not giving him the chance to speak. 

Evor wants to see me? He thought, turning to see the others go after their pack leader. 

"Where?" He called out. 

"The Hall." Was the last he heard from Tom. The tone dismissive and not open to any further interaction between them. 

-

As Loren made it into the Hall, his hands were clammy. However they were perfectly clean, if one did not count the hue of sweat on them. There was no trace of blood on them any longer. Like a blessing from above, he had found a bucket of water on his way which he had quickly washed his hands and face with to still the nervousness raging within him from being seen with Mae's on his face. 

When he noticed Evor waiting by the fireplace, he dried his hands on his shirt to be rid of their clamminess. 

The leader of the Guild stood with his back to the entrance, hands clasped behind it. Staring into the glowing embers before hearing that his solitude had been interrupted. "Loren." He spoke, sounding collected and nearly peaceful.