The Unending Epic Written to Appease a Friend, Tell a Tale, an...

7

          The man's face turns to shock. The others are similarly taken aback. "Amon dead?" one of them says.

          The leader steps forward. "Boy, what happened?"

          Asher can feel the tears welling up inside him again but he clamps them down. "A snake," he answers. "It bit them while they were in the field."

          "Them?" the leader asks. His eyes widen. "Your mother too?" When Asher nods, he only shakes his head sadly. "When did it happen?"

          "Yesterday."

          "Have they been buried?"

          "Yes."

          The gray-bearded man sighs and runs a hand down his face. "My condolences, lad. Amon was a good man." Asher remains silent. The man with the rope, his expression cross, jerks his head at the leader.

          "Ada, mourning must wait. The girl."

          The gray bearded man, Ada, flashes the speaker a look, but then claps Asher on the shoulder. "Saman is right. We need to find the creature. We'll search farm right quick, and the forest after that. Then you can come with us to town and we'll find Shuil to perform the rites." Then he moves on, the others following, toward Asher's house.

          "Wait!" he calls. The men turn and stare at him. His mind blanks as he realizes he has no idea what to say. "Did... did you say you were looking for a girl?"

          Ada nods. "Aye. A girl with blue skin and blue hair."

          "Why are you looking for her?"

          Ada opens his mouth, but it is the other man, Saman, who responds. "She's a witch!" he says. "Her kind always bring misfortune. If she did pass this way I wouldn't be surprised that she's the reason your parents died."

          Asher reels. Her fault? It was this river-eyed girl who was the reason that he was suddenly alone?

          Ada opens the door to the house. It won't take them long to find the girl. How can he stop them? Should he stop them. If it really was she who had brought misfortune...

          "The sheep were crying just before you came," he says. "She may have gone through the fold."

          Ada steps away from the door. "Come on, men!" They all go toward the pen and the small flock within. As soon as they're gone Asher rushes inside.