~The day after~
"Why! Why did you not listen! I -told- you to send him away! That he was cursed! Wh-" Unable to contain herself any longer, Min'iah breaks off into heart-wrenching sobs. She is held by another of the tribe, a female, and led away from the body of her deceased husband, Ja'teeh. Those left began the arduous process of preparing the body for burning. They did not like burying bodies, what with the possibility of a wild animal eating it as it decomposed, so this tribe burned the deceased and scattered their ashes to the four winds. Allowing the soul of the departed to watch over the land and those living within it.
Red watched the proceedings from afar, and received many angry looks because he would dare to pay his respects to the only adult to give him a moments time - and save his life. The boy's face was wet with tears, and he was sniffling uncontrollably. He had seen everything. How Ja'teeh had jumped infront of the raging wild-cat that had been about to rip Red to shreds. Seen the beasts teeth and claws rip Ja'teeh's face and skin from his body. That sight alone had reduced the boy to a whimpering pile of tears.Â
The images played over and over in his mind - he had SEEN the beast coming long before the others. Had tried to warn them. But the other hunters knew of Red's "strange sight" and believe the boy partially mad - and thus payed no heed to the warning. It was Ja'teeh who had listened, come running when another hunter startled the beast and Ja'teeh who had leaped to save Red when the boy tried to kill the wild-cat, but only succeeded it making it angry as it turned to kill whatever thing had DARED to shoot an arrow at it.
"So..rry. Ja'...teeh." Red whispered between sobs as he watched the body begin to catch fire. He was determined to stay. To watch and remember the one who had taught him so much. Even if the tribe threw rocks at him, or tried to shoot him, he would stay. Stay until the ashes flew away on the wind. He wiped his tears away on his sleeve, and tried to sit tall, like Ja'teeh, when Ja'ren walked over, also in tears, and flopped onto the log, right next to Red. The two boys stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before both started sobbing quietly as they hugged each other.
They sat this way, comforting one another as they watched the body burn, turn to ash, and slowly float away on the wind. The ashes performed spiraling dances in the air before flowing away in four different directions. "I want you to come to my house tonight, Red. You..it's not your fault. No matter what the others say. Dad talked about you all the time, and I -know- you did what you could to save him. We'll have to be quiet so mom doesn't hear us and freak out, so c'mon, we'll sneak in through the back."
Red nodded, and wiped his face on his sleeve again as the two boys stood in unison and snuck away, into the night, towards the house. The two would fall asleep, side by side, the presence of the other a comfort to both.
"Why! Why did you not listen! I -told- you to send him away! That he was cursed! Wh-" Unable to contain herself any longer, Min'iah breaks off into heart-wrenching sobs. She is held by another of the tribe, a female, and led away from the body of her deceased husband, Ja'teeh. Those left began the arduous process of preparing the body for burning. They did not like burying bodies, what with the possibility of a wild animal eating it as it decomposed, so this tribe burned the deceased and scattered their ashes to the four winds. Allowing the soul of the departed to watch over the land and those living within it.
Red watched the proceedings from afar, and received many angry looks because he would dare to pay his respects to the only adult to give him a moments time - and save his life. The boy's face was wet with tears, and he was sniffling uncontrollably. He had seen everything. How Ja'teeh had jumped infront of the raging wild-cat that had been about to rip Red to shreds. Seen the beasts teeth and claws rip Ja'teeh's face and skin from his body. That sight alone had reduced the boy to a whimpering pile of tears.Â
The images played over and over in his mind - he had SEEN the beast coming long before the others. Had tried to warn them. But the other hunters knew of Red's "strange sight" and believe the boy partially mad - and thus payed no heed to the warning. It was Ja'teeh who had listened, come running when another hunter startled the beast and Ja'teeh who had leaped to save Red when the boy tried to kill the wild-cat, but only succeeded it making it angry as it turned to kill whatever thing had DARED to shoot an arrow at it.
"So..rry. Ja'...teeh." Red whispered between sobs as he watched the body begin to catch fire. He was determined to stay. To watch and remember the one who had taught him so much. Even if the tribe threw rocks at him, or tried to shoot him, he would stay. Stay until the ashes flew away on the wind. He wiped his tears away on his sleeve, and tried to sit tall, like Ja'teeh, when Ja'ren walked over, also in tears, and flopped onto the log, right next to Red. The two boys stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before both started sobbing quietly as they hugged each other.
They sat this way, comforting one another as they watched the body burn, turn to ash, and slowly float away on the wind. The ashes performed spiraling dances in the air before flowing away in four different directions. "I want you to come to my house tonight, Red. You..it's not your fault. No matter what the others say. Dad talked about you all the time, and I -know- you did what you could to save him. We'll have to be quiet so mom doesn't hear us and freak out, so c'mon, we'll sneak in through the back."
Red nodded, and wiped his face on his sleeve again as the two boys stood in unison and snuck away, into the night, towards the house. The two would fall asleep, side by side, the presence of the other a comfort to both.
