25 Grieve (1/2)

After waking too early after a fitful night, Yesterday bombards my memories. I sigh, trying to shake off the melancholy and think of ways to help Daric work through his grief. He struggled to survive with them long enough to consider each other family. To lose people you love can destroy the strongest warriors. Daric has yet to grieve, and I don't want it to eat him alive.

Daric wakes with a cloud of gloom hovering over him.

”Morning, how did you sleep?” I ask gently.

He shrugs, interacting about as much as I expected. But I press on asking questions in a vain attempt to keep him from wallowing keeping my tone and topic light.

”We are traveling to Naora the capital of Miota.”

”...”

”It's built on the worlds largest mountain. One so high they say if you go to the top you can talk to the Gods.”

”...”

From there, I keep up a stream of trivial conversation as we get dressed, which is when I decide he can heal once he has closure. If not, the loss will fester until he becomes twisted from sorrow, loss, and hate.

I don't tell Daric my plans; he isn't listening anyway. I take one of Lark's knives and sneak off again.

/As long as I have someone with me, I'm not breaking my promise, right?/

Somehow, I don't think Irvin will see things my way. Besides, I'll go far enough to have privacy.

Once I have a tree picked out, I get to work stripping off a layer of bark. When I have made enough space, I use the tip of the knife to carve words into the tree. I haven't written in Emari recently; the most common language in the four kingdoms, but I make do. When done, I stand back and evaluate my work. It's shaky but legible. Daric stares with incomprehension at the tree. I blink at him.

”You don't know how to read?” I ask.