The King's Weep I

Chapter XIII

The snow blanketed the floor, the trees, and the two brothers who had been riding down to the village. The older, yet wiser one rode in silence, and rummaged through his mind, all his memories.

The younger, yet fiercer one had been silently crying. He had began to remember the night again, and could not stop himself to cry. The snow that blew past his pale face reminded him of that night, everything that had happened that night ten-thousand years ago. He knew his older brother was back, but he did not understand it. He tried to act as casual as he could that the man he cried every night about because he watched his brothers soul drain out with his own eyes, was alive.

   "The people of Elisabeta are giving tonight," the young one said, and glanced out of the corner of his eye at the older one through blurred eyes.

   "Today is the day the Sword of Cartien was buried, correct?" The older one, Dragomir, asked. He had kept his face blank, and had not dared to look the man he had been betraying right now in the eyes.

   "I am surprised you remember, you have not been here for awhile," the young one, Kahl, whispered. Dragomir had thought those last words were reserved for the chilling wind, so he had ignored them and nodded.

   "My memory is not as bad as you suspect, Kahl." Dragomir chuckled, which made the young one smile in bliss. "What is that smile for?"

   Kahl instantly stopped, and had signaled to the white horse to pick the pace. Dragomir rolled his eyes, and stared at the shoulders of his brother. He liked the way the hiked up and down, and curved side to side with every step the horse had taken.

   "Stop staring at my back, pervert."

   "You are the one who went ahead, it is only natural to stare at the back of the person ahead, is it not?"

   The younger one huffed and passed a glare to the older one, who smiled, for real.

   Because, Dragomir knew that, that was the last time Kahl would feel comfortable in the same air as him. The King of Elisabeta has wanted to soak it all in, before it disappeared.

   "What are you staring at now, wise one?" Kahl joked, and Dragomir had noticed he had slowed his pace to match the older brothers pace.

   Dragomir shook his head, and lifted his gloved hand out to catch the falling snow. "Has it always snowed like this?" Dragomir glanced at Kahl, the question ringing in the young ones ears.

   Kahl stared off for a small bit, before he had nodded. "Oh, yes. There has not been a night where snow has not fallen, except the days before you died, that is."

   Dragomir had raised his perfect, and natural eyebrow at him. "Are you suggesting I caused all this bitterness?"

   Kahl shook his head, and looked at his older brother.

   "I am not suggesting, I am stating."