Secrets in the Snow

Chapter 10

Sleep had been near impossible to grasp the previous night. Shaemus had tossed and turned, anxiety tearing away at his innards, all night long. The scattered owls in the forest were the only creatures that had kept him company through the night. Their somber calls echoed through the ebony sky, sounding almost song-like when combined with the whistling of the wind. Perhaps their symphony had been composed just for him, the prelude to his demise. It made sense that Shaemus' song would embody the low, hollow sounds of the owls opposed to the high, cheerful calls of the morning larks. It seemed even nature could sense the ominous dark cloud on the horizon.

Leaving bird choirs behind, breakfast had gone quite well. Shaemus had managed to devour a couple pieces of toast, despite the knotting in his stomach. Sitting around the cracked wooden table, staring at everyone he loved, brought a bile taste to the back of his throat. They had no idea of the events about to unfold. They had no idea of the monster they'd been living with. They had no idea that one of their leaders was to vanish that night, without a trace. But that's the way it had to be. His story might be coming to an end, but that didn't mean theirs had to. Shaemus would not have his burden bestow its curse on anyone else. It would end with him.

After breakfast had passed, Shaemus had asked Gryffell to join him in collecting fire wood. Gryffell had rattled off some snarky remark about how a drunk man needs his sleep, but after some persistent prodding, he reluctantly agreed. And that was where he was now. The two boys, with axes in their hands, stomped through the overgrown brush of the forest, on their way to chop down a suitable tree. The wind had died down from the night before. Gryffell only needed one jacket over a long-sleeved shirt instead of his usual triple layering. His friend also hummed the tune of a song he'd long since forgotten the words to, much to the dismay of Shaemus.

"Is that your mystery song you're humming again?" Shaemus asked with a smirk.

"Hey I know this song," Gryffell remarked as pushed some brittle bush branches out of the way, "It's in my head, I just can't-"

"Remember any of the words," Shaemus finished his sentence without breaking his stride.

Gryffell rolled his eyes as he swung his axe at a low hanging branch, "You think you're so smart, don't you?"

"It's a gift really," Shaemus grinned.

"I know this song, you bloke. I can hum the whole tune all the way through. I just...can't remember where in the world I've heard it. It had words too, not that I can remember those either," Gryffell sighed as he halted to scan the area for proper trees.

Shaemus gave a light chuckle as his friend puzzled over his absent-mind, "Or maybe you just made the song up in a dream. You've got the imagination for it."

Gryffell just shrugged at his friend's suggestion, "Who the Hell knows, but enough of strange songs. I think I may have just spotted our winning tree," He pointed across the way to a slim, but sturdy fir tree. He took a step towards his target, then halted, turning to raise an eyebrow at Shaemus, "But if I did make that song up, I'm one Hell of a songwriter. All of the credit goes to me and me alone."

Shaemus gave an exasperated sigh as he followed his friend through the dormant wild flowers to the fir tree. The tree was tall, but not as thick around the trunk as most of the others. It would take some effort to chop it down, but with both boys doing their equal share, the task would be completed quicker. Gryffell approached the tree's right side, giving it a light kick with his boot. Seeming satisfied with his choice, the curly haired brunette motioned for Shaemus to take to its left side.

"This one seems good enough. Take the left and let's chop this thing down before it starts to snow again, "Gryffell instructed as he gripped his axe in his hand.