The Brotherhood

29

The day of the funeral had arrived and Kane wasn't ready for it. He never would be though. Maybe that's how he found the courage to put on the new funeral wear that Natalie had dropped off that morning. She'd worked quickly, staying up all night to make sure that it was done in time. Kane was thankful that she'd been willing to do that for him. He knew he didn't deserve her kindness. He wanted to do right by Abel though. Abel deserved to be laid to rest with the new Supreme looking the part. 

The fabric was so new that it scratched against Kane's skin as he put it on. He looked out the window to see the brothers building the funeral pyre that they would lay Abel's body on. The Mother had allowed for Abel's body to travel back with Kane and Finley that fateful day. Kane guessed it was so that Abel could be given all the burial rights that were due to a Supreme. 

Kane sighed heavily. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to have to be the one to lay Abel to rest. Abel hadn't deserved this. Kane should've thought of a way to save Finley. But he hadn't. He'd been too preoccupied with watching over Finley's sleeping body to do what he should've been doing. He should've been learning from Abel how to be a Supreme. He should've been learning how to lead his brothers. Now that Abel was gone, Kane felt wholly unprepared for the road ahead of him. 

A knock sounded at his door. Kane turned toward the sound, dreading opening the door. When he finally forced himself to, he opened it to find Ray standing in the hallway. Ray looked frazzled. Kane felt his heart stall in his chest. There wasn't much that could shake Ray. 

"What's wrong?" Kane demanded gruffly. 

"It's Ethan," Ray explained softly, "he went down to the village this afternoon. He got drunk. He's so drunk that I honestly don't know how he's still alive. Warren found him and tried to get him to sober up, but he won't leave. He's refusing to go to the funeral." 

"Shit," Kane cursed under his breath. Of course something like this would happen on today of all days. 

Ray looked at Kane with worry clouding his eyes, "He's fucked up Kane. I'm scared for him. I'm worried that-that..." 

Ray's words trailed off as he got choked up. Kane understood what Ray meant though. Kane honestly didn't know if he'd be able to live in a world without Ray. He understood what Ethan was going through. No brother would wish that kind of pain on someone. It didn't matter though. Ethan had to be at the funeral, he would hate himself forever if he wasn't. 

Kane looked back over his shoulder one last time, staring out across the courtyard to where Abel's pyre was still being built. The sun was starting to go down, which meant they only had a little bit of time before the funeral was going to start. Kane looked at that pyre and made a promise, a vow. It was a vow to a dead man, but it was a vow nonetheless. Kane promised himself that he would hold himself to that vow for as long as he lived. 

"Alright," he said to Ray, "Let's go make sure that Ethan doesn't miss his best friend's funeral." 

Thirty minutes later, Ray and Kane were in a worn down tavern on the far side of the village. It stank of piss and booze. Kane refused to let his nose wrinkle in disgust. His brother was here and needed to be brought home. Looking disgusted wasn't going to help him accomplish that goal. 

It didn't take long for them to find Ethan. Part of what helped them was Warren's hulking form that sat beside him at the table. Mostly though it was easy to spot Ethan was the fact that he was shouting curses at the tavern maid who was serving him. Warren looked at a loss. Kane could tell that Warren had been putting up with this bullshit for far too long. Kane inwardly cursed himself for not taking care of Ethan days ago.