One Last Grave

Chapter 2

All good things must come to an end. Dreams included. I was awaken by a very enthusiastic Malko, making me forget the dream I had experienced only moments before. The same dream that comes to me every night of sunny, wide-open fields surrounded by green. The thought made me sad. My own little shred of freedom had slipped through my grasp. Back to reality.

As soon as I had thrown on my boots and  jacket, we marched onward towards the pit which the Fire would be held at. On the very outskirts of our village was the fire pit, a large structure created by the dead trees that had fallen in the forest surrounding us. Even though the wooden structure was large in size, it sat in a deep crevice that made it no taller than the average human, making it easy to talk to everyone around it.

As we walked through the narrow path with only the leaves beneath our feet as company, I thought back to the last fire we had thrown. I remembered the tower of trees and the small stones that were used as seats for everyone. I remember all the stories that were told and all the small smiles that were shared between close friends. What I remembered most about the Fire though, is the carefree aura that always surrounded those who were joined together. How everyone could easily forget all the pain and helplessness that surrounded us. The Fire was the only source of comfort that not even our own homes could bring us.

As we were walking, I would cast glances at Malko during our usual, light-hearted teasing. While his voice carried the same happy tone, his eyes were dark and downcast. Finally, I got the courage to ask as I nudged him with my elbow.

"So, you have to tell me, do the esteemed soldiers or Raia actually wear those ridiculous top hats with their uniform? Because I will be damned if I missed the chance of seeing you in one of those."

He snickered and said, "Sadly, you will not be receiving the luxury of me in that terrible uniform." Again, while his voice made it sound like a joke, his face seem to sneer at the memory.

"Oh, and I was so looking forward to it." I said with a slight pout. He just nudged into me, making me lose my balance. 

"Trust me, all the soldiers lined up in those ridiculous uniforms is...not a sight you'd want to see." He said as he bowed his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"C'mon, it can't actually be that-"

"Trust me Fayle, it is. I've seen a lot of soldiers, dead and alive in that uniform." he snapped at me, making me shut my mouth quickly. He looked over at me, realizing the change in his voice, and sighed. "I'm sorry Fay fay, I just...it's been a lot, having to come back to my normal life. I'm not the same person I was before. It's not easy." he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

I smiled at him. "It's ok, Malko. I know I won't understand how you feel till I'm drafted, but I'm still here as your friend. If you ever need to talk about anything, when you're ready, you know I'll always be here." 

He smiled at me, swinging his arm around my shoulder. "I know I can always count on you Fayle." I smiled back as I wrapped my arm around his waist as we continued to walk down the path. I then used the my foot to swipe his ankle, making him trip forward as I skipped ahead of him.

"Don't think that just because I'm going soft on you in one area, doesn't mean that I won't stop trying to trip you up, Malko." I said with a smirk as I turned around and skipped down the path.

A little behind, Malko stood and watched the silver-haired girl skip through the trees, and smiled softly to himself, his heart filling with a new warmth as he whispered, "I'd expect nothing else."

- ~ -

Soon enough, we could see the orange glow and the familiar smell of burning embers. We broke through the underbrush that revealed the Pit. All huddled around the Fire were the villagers. These consisted of the young and the old, the strong and the weak, and just regular people just trying to survive. Alone we are small, but together we stand together in large numbers.