Night was merciful. Azeyma hid her face in shame, unable to face the failure of the Twelve. K'ile Tia did not hide. He had not been able to bring home K'thalen and his daughters, and that was something he had to bear. It needed to be acknowledged. He would wait however long it took for K'piru to acknowledge that.
He wilted in the sand and stared at her back. It was as though he was tethered to her, and she had dragged him out here without noticing. There was nothing like sleep to calm his mind, not now. He did not have to sleep to experience nightmares, though, and he had spent the day assailed by phantasmal echoes of the battlefield. K'piru was little comfort to him in her current state, though the presence of her breath helped him to continue breathing himself.
For a long time, he stared at her, and she stared away. Then he was beside her, and his legs were foled at his side, as though he'd fallen in the sand. He touched her numbly. K'ile said, "It was sudden. The fire that took them. It was so fast, and there was nothing I could do. I saw. And after, Yohko and I found them. I don't know about K'airi, but Thalen and K'airos, we found them, and lost them. We know. They aren't coming home."
He felt himself pull at her arm, "K'piru, come back to camp. Come back."
He wilted in the sand and stared at her back. It was as though he was tethered to her, and she had dragged him out here without noticing. There was nothing like sleep to calm his mind, not now. He did not have to sleep to experience nightmares, though, and he had spent the day assailed by phantasmal echoes of the battlefield. K'piru was little comfort to him in her current state, though the presence of her breath helped him to continue breathing himself.
For a long time, he stared at her, and she stared away. Then he was beside her, and his legs were foled at his side, as though he'd fallen in the sand. He touched her numbly. K'ile said, "It was sudden. The fire that took them. It was so fast, and there was nothing I could do. I saw. And after, Yohko and I found them. I don't know about K'airi, but Thalen and K'airos, we found them, and lost them. We know. They aren't coming home."
He felt himself pull at her arm, "K'piru, come back to camp. Come back."
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