Call of the Wandering Soul - Firestarter - Sorrel 17/02
Feb 17, 2022 23:15:20 GMT
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Post by stephena on Feb 17, 2022 23:15:20 GMT
The trek back was long and weary. It felt as if the wounds and exhaustion would never be healed. Hours became days became a week and more. The food ran low. Sorrel and Ivan picked off meagre fare in stumbling hunting expeditions. Meredith’s corpse began to stink, the sweet, filthy smell of a corpse in the heat. Even though the blaze was many miles behind, everything seemed to be covered in soot. Faces, clothes, food… even the water tasted smoky.
The skull… dear god the skull…. It haunted Sorrel’s dreams, when she did manage to snatch a few minutes sleep before the fear of fire jerked her awake again.
She walked and walked, her companions stumbling alongside, words drifting between them in desultory, strangely affectionate conversation. At different times they would support one another, sometimes taking time to rest so that torn flesh or seared mind could stabilise.
At one such break, Bones looked at Sorrel, Dwirhian, and Ivan. Behind them lay Meredith's stiff, pale corpse. "This was an ugly situation and my behaviour, at times, was as ugly," Bones struggled with every word. "I apologise to the group for that. Regardless, only we will ever understand what we went through today. I vow that once we leave this forest, we never speak of it again."
Sorrel gave a grim smile. “No-one need apologise." She turned, placed her hand on her heart and bowed her head. "Ivan, I offer you my profound respect as a warrior for you have fought another legendary battle and, if I could, I would sing a ballad about your deeds. But I agree with Bones. I vow I will never speak of what happened in this forest.”
And she never did.
The skull… dear god the skull…. It haunted Sorrel’s dreams, when she did manage to snatch a few minutes sleep before the fear of fire jerked her awake again.
She walked and walked, her companions stumbling alongside, words drifting between them in desultory, strangely affectionate conversation. At different times they would support one another, sometimes taking time to rest so that torn flesh or seared mind could stabilise.
At one such break, Bones looked at Sorrel, Dwirhian, and Ivan. Behind them lay Meredith's stiff, pale corpse. "This was an ugly situation and my behaviour, at times, was as ugly," Bones struggled with every word. "I apologise to the group for that. Regardless, only we will ever understand what we went through today. I vow that once we leave this forest, we never speak of it again."
Sorrel gave a grim smile. “No-one need apologise." She turned, placed her hand on her heart and bowed her head. "Ivan, I offer you my profound respect as a warrior for you have fought another legendary battle and, if I could, I would sing a ballad about your deeds. But I agree with Bones. I vow I will never speak of what happened in this forest.”
And she never did.