"They cut down the tree," the first one said, and dropped his half of their burden into the snow that drifted across the forest floor.
The second one lowered the wrapped bundle a bit more carefully, not that it mattered now. "They? They who? Why would someone just cut down a tree way out here?"
But the first one wasn't lying; the tree they'd used six times before was gone, completely, as if it had never existed. There wasn't even a stump to tie their burden to; the snow lay unbroken where the tree had once stood.
The second glanced around the undisturbed snow. "There are other trees."
"Farther back," the first said sourly. "Closer to the Veil. If we pass through it, he won't burn."
"Do you want to go back and find someone who can see it to make sure he dies, or would you rather leave him here now and be home before dawn? Either way, he won't survive this. The elves won't treat him kindly if they find him before the sun and he's not already dead." The second's mouth twisted. "I'll leave the decision up to you."
Perhaps in better weather, the first would have elected to wait for a wizard or someone who could see the Veil between the Human World and Faerie. But with the night half gone already, and their burden more a millstone around their necks, he lifted his half, waited until the second had picked up the rest, and walked farther into the forest.
There was blood on the snow from where they'd dropped him, but neither the first nor the second cared.
It wasn't difficult to find a suitable tree. Not one with many branches, but large enough so that their burden wouldn't be able to snap the trunk. They had to wrap the chains around his chest, not his arms; their master had been... quite thorough with his fury.
Their burden never opened his eyes, although they seemed to be swollen shut anyway. Never showed any sign of awareness, or knowledge of his fate.
The first avoided looking at their burden's crushed hands. Broken arms. Bones peeked out from his shredded sleeves; the shirt had once been white.
Shockingly, if he'd been given blood, and enough time to heal, he would have healed, even from this. But their orders had been clear.
And they truly had no choice.
So with only a handful of hours to spare, they left him chained, slumped against the tree's trunk to await the dawn.
The second disposed of the sheet they'd used to wrap their burden in the creek where the water would wash it clean. The first disposed of everything else that might identify the corpse. Their burden's earthly possessions had already been destroyed.
Although, the first couldn't quite bring himself to dispose of the guitar pick he'd found clutched in their burden's broken hand. It would have melted, but he knew what that guitar had meant to Jericho Richmond, and he owed him that much, at the very least, since Jericho Richmond would soon be dead.
Jericho Richmond is Cecilia's older brother.
The second one lowered the wrapped bundle a bit more carefully, not that it mattered now. "They? They who? Why would someone just cut down a tree way out here?"
But the first one wasn't lying; the tree they'd used six times before was gone, completely, as if it had never existed. There wasn't even a stump to tie their burden to; the snow lay unbroken where the tree had once stood.
The second glanced around the undisturbed snow. "There are other trees."
"Farther back," the first said sourly. "Closer to the Veil. If we pass through it, he won't burn."
"Do you want to go back and find someone who can see it to make sure he dies, or would you rather leave him here now and be home before dawn? Either way, he won't survive this. The elves won't treat him kindly if they find him before the sun and he's not already dead." The second's mouth twisted. "I'll leave the decision up to you."
Perhaps in better weather, the first would have elected to wait for a wizard or someone who could see the Veil between the Human World and Faerie. But with the night half gone already, and their burden more a millstone around their necks, he lifted his half, waited until the second had picked up the rest, and walked farther into the forest.
There was blood on the snow from where they'd dropped him, but neither the first nor the second cared.
It wasn't difficult to find a suitable tree. Not one with many branches, but large enough so that their burden wouldn't be able to snap the trunk. They had to wrap the chains around his chest, not his arms; their master had been... quite thorough with his fury.
Their burden never opened his eyes, although they seemed to be swollen shut anyway. Never showed any sign of awareness, or knowledge of his fate.
The first avoided looking at their burden's crushed hands. Broken arms. Bones peeked out from his shredded sleeves; the shirt had once been white.
Shockingly, if he'd been given blood, and enough time to heal, he would have healed, even from this. But their orders had been clear.
And they truly had no choice.
So with only a handful of hours to spare, they left him chained, slumped against the tree's trunk to await the dawn.
The second disposed of the sheet they'd used to wrap their burden in the creek where the water would wash it clean. The first disposed of everything else that might identify the corpse. Their burden's earthly possessions had already been destroyed.
Although, the first couldn't quite bring himself to dispose of the guitar pick he'd found clutched in their burden's broken hand. It would have melted, but he knew what that guitar had meant to Jericho Richmond, and he owed him that much, at the very least, since Jericho Richmond would soon be dead.
Jericho Richmond is Cecilia's older brother.
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