Circle of Fire
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:23 am
Mount Holly Cemetery - Little Rock, Arkansas
It was a grey blustery day, although what day wasn't in these times, the party of five stood in front of the small plot, four of them a respectful distance behind the tall blonde man standing silently before the grave.
They had been standing solemnly for at least half an hour, the blonde man motionless, one of the others an older man in his late forties quietly sighed and looked at the woman in the group, he caught her eye and she nodded a sadness written across her face.
Quietly she approached the big man laying a hand upon his shoulder, waiting a moment to see if he responded he didn't so she moved to beside him noting the wet tears streaking his cheeks.
"Krutz, I am sorry we have to go"
His face tensed, eyes closing and more tears ran silently
The woman was a pretty thing with flowing dark brown hair, the smooth angular features of an Eldren and hard black eyes, she took a deep breath looking down at the simple rough stone headstone.
"We wouldn't have ever come for you had we not heard" she said softly
He took a long faltering breath which caught in his throat and nodded
"A man shouldn't have to bury his wife and child Krutz" his teeth gritted
"There's nothing here for you now, save their resting place, come with us, we need your help"
He looked at the floor and half shook his head, she looked back at the others, the older man just nodded
"Krutz, they'll still be here when you get back, and the things that did this are still out there and worse, the Major's in a mighty pickle and needs our help,......your help" she said then went silent just keeping her hand on his shoulder
They stood for several more minutes, Dotty looked out over the wooded landscape before them, her senses seeing what lay beneath the apparent calm of the lush green woodlands, she saw the spectral flecks of black embers that swirled about the towns boundary markers and guardian totem poles, the twisting of the trees all of which marked the start of the Desolate Lands
'What a mess!" she thought, the big man sniffed, exhaled loudly, put his hat on his head, looked at her and nodded.
With that the assembled tipped their hats to the grave and started to head down the slope towards the town.
It was a grey blustery day, although what day wasn't in these times, the party of five stood in front of the small plot, four of them a respectful distance behind the tall blonde man standing silently before the grave.
They had been standing solemnly for at least half an hour, the blonde man motionless, one of the others an older man in his late forties quietly sighed and looked at the woman in the group, he caught her eye and she nodded a sadness written across her face.
Quietly she approached the big man laying a hand upon his shoulder, waiting a moment to see if he responded he didn't so she moved to beside him noting the wet tears streaking his cheeks.
"Krutz, I am sorry we have to go"
His face tensed, eyes closing and more tears ran silently
The woman was a pretty thing with flowing dark brown hair, the smooth angular features of an Eldren and hard black eyes, she took a deep breath looking down at the simple rough stone headstone.
"We wouldn't have ever come for you had we not heard" she said softly
He took a long faltering breath which caught in his throat and nodded
"A man shouldn't have to bury his wife and child Krutz" his teeth gritted
"There's nothing here for you now, save their resting place, come with us, we need your help"
He looked at the floor and half shook his head, she looked back at the others, the older man just nodded
"Krutz, they'll still be here when you get back, and the things that did this are still out there and worse, the Major's in a mighty pickle and needs our help,......your help" she said then went silent just keeping her hand on his shoulder
They stood for several more minutes, Dotty looked out over the wooded landscape before them, her senses seeing what lay beneath the apparent calm of the lush green woodlands, she saw the spectral flecks of black embers that swirled about the towns boundary markers and guardian totem poles, the twisting of the trees all of which marked the start of the Desolate Lands
'What a mess!" she thought, the big man sniffed, exhaled loudly, put his hat on his head, looked at her and nodded.
With that the assembled tipped their hats to the grave and started to head down the slope towards the town.