Forum Thread

*Maddy heard as they went back and forth on Winters loyalties. But then she heard the name "Megumo" and her eyes widened* Wait, Megumo as in- *Winter's interrupted Maddy*

"Yes, miss Calista. You heard me correctly" Winters eyes darken and he pauses for a moment to spit spitefully at the ground. He never liked the man and Megumo's attempts to kill him and the group certainly weren't helping. "Megumo of The Howlers." He clarifies.

*Maddy looked up at Irida and Gwen and spoke. Her words were rushed and her heartbeat increased* We need to get to our destination immediately, we don't know when they'll return!

Maddy's sudden worry seems to be contagious. Both Gwen and Sage exchange anxious glances. Maddy had once been apart of the Cloaks, so she would know who the Howlers were.

"Who are the Howlers?" Sage asks.

"The Howlers are dangerous, especially to a group of this size. You are lucky to have survived this attack. The Howlers are a dangerous division in the Cloaks army. What they lack in numbers, which, are large next to ours, they make up for in their steeds strength. They don't ride horses, they ride a much more dangerous creature: Marchhounds, or as the people of Kestrian calls them- Mountain Beasts." Winters explains. "Calista is right. We need to move, now."

When Luke had cried himself out he became emotionally drained and started nodding off, Blossom hummed softly and carried Luke back to his cart where he could rest somewhat.

Leaf had gently shut Barry's eyes so aside from the wound it looked as it Barry was sleeping. But to Leaf it felt wrong to leave him like that, past harm but seemingly defenseless. Leaf felt herself boiling in her anger as she looked at Barry's small body. Leaf walked over and gathered some flowers and gently placed them around Barry and covered the wound, when she was finished she placed the last of them in Barry's hands in a bouquet. At least it looked a little better.

Star was quietly listening in. "Maddy and I have dealt with them before. Are there any Lemcha trees nearby for us to use against them? IT wont kill them, but the Matchhounds don't like them."

(I can tweak this post for Luke as needed.)

---

The battle was over. And Eric was alive. He hadn't been a soldier for long. The most that he knew about battles like these, ones that left bodies strewn, was rumors and tales from the veteran soldiers, late night stories. He never knew how horryfying it could truly be. He leaned against a tree, eyes wide, shaking his head. He had watched the soldiers he had once trained with die in front of him. And he could do nothing to save them. Nothing. Just like his family. And that was the worst thing of all.

---

*Maddy shook her head* Unless you want to make the 4 day trek back to Telmar with "The Howlers" following close behind you the entire time, we can't get any Lemcha fruit. *Maddy looked up at Sage* We need to get moving immediately- *Tani interrupted them* We need to take them with us, *Everyone looked back to Tani* Our dead, we can't leave them here! *Maddy shook her head* We can't Tani, they'll just slow- *Tani interrupted Maddy* Then we bury them, at least and come back for them later! They all deserve that much! *Maddy yelled towards Tani* There isn't any time, Tani! The dead have died and there is nothing we can do about it! We just have to keep moving forward! *Tani opened her mouth as if to say something, but then stopped. Tani to looked to Sage and spoke* Sage, please!

Sage opens her mouth to respond. Her gaze was hard, it was apparent that she was about to tell Tani that they should keep going. But the crushed look on Tani's face stops her. She sighs and shakes her head, taking her time with giving Tani a response. "We can spare some a few moments to bury the bodies. It wouldn't be right to leave them behind like this."

*Maddy clenched her jaw and spoke* Ya ok, you do that! *Maddy grabbed the wheels of her chair and violently backed up, hitting Sage's legs. She turned her chair around and began to wheel herself over the rought terrain.*

*Tani went to one of their wagonz and grabbed a shovel. She begun to dig a small grave for Barry, as did most others who begun to bury their friends*

"May I help?" Freya asks, "appearing" behind Tani. She had just finished comforting Rose, who had begun to have a bit of a breakdown. She lays her claymore down on the ground and watches Tani work. "I'm truly sorry for your loss." she says. "When this war ends, he will be honored among several nations." she says solemnly, closing her eyes and briefly putting her hand on Tani's shoulder, hoping to comfort her.

---

*Tani looked back at Freya and nodded. She pointed to the wagon where she got her shovel and Freya walked over there. She returned with a shovel in hand and got to work*

The sudden impact of the wheelchair hitting Sage's legs was obviously quite painful, but she does her best to hide the pain that she felt and hold back the urge to snap at Maddy. Her jaw tightens as she watches Maddy wheel herself away from them. She's just stressed, it's not like I can't blame her Sage reminds herself. She decides that she'll return to Maddy after Barry is buried so that she can have the opportunity to say her final goodbyes to him. For now, it seemed that Maddy needed space.
...
Gwen had noticed the outburst and had done nothing about it. At least, not immediately. She had decided to help Irida bury her fallen soldiers. Both Irida and Winters were visibly tense around Gwen, both seemingly wary of her being given a shovel. The two seemed to be sharing the same vision- Gwen suddenly turning on them and attacking them with the shovel.

Gwen doesn't even try to attack them. The need to fight quickly leaves her after she helps dig a third grave and notices that there were still plenty of bodies left to bury. I can't believe we lost so many people, and the fight hasn't even truly started yet she thinks to herself as she tries to blink away a fresh stream of tears.

This lead her to glance towards Maddy. Who she didn't spot until the tears were gone. Her presence reminds her that she hasn't really checked up on Maddy in months. Another jab of guilt hits her. It was another thing she failed on. She failed her kingdom, failed to save Dylan, failed to help Maddy. Now this, did she really do all she could in this fight? Could she have saved Barry? She waves away these toxic thoughts just enough for her to think clearly.

She makes her way over to Maddy, pausing just slightly behind her. "Hey" she says at a near whisper. "We'll be leaving soon, don't worry." She cringes at the sound of her hoarse voice; of all times, now was the most necessary for her to be strong. "I'm sorry it's been so long since I've last checked up on you." Saying it out loud causes Gwen to feel only slightly relieved. The impact, she finds, was much smaller than she expected. What did I expect? This isn't a fairytale. My guilt won't go simply by me apologizing to those I hurt.

*Maddy put her arms onto the wagon and lifted herself up and into it, with her legs following behind. She dragged herself into the wagon and pulled the wheelchair in with her. Upon hearing Gwen, Maddy snarled back towards her* Now what? Did Sage send you over here to-*Maddy lifted up her hands and made air quotes as she spoke* Comfort me?

Leaf was slightly disgruntled as Tani removed Barry from his bed of flowers, but after Tani buried him she replanted the flowers around the dirt mound. However, as she went to gather a few more to finish she noted a body just slightly beyond the treeline, at first she couldn't place it, but then she did. Stumbling back she abandoned her quest for flowers and beelined for Sage. She was reasonably hesitant when she saw Sage and Maddy locked in conversation that didn't sound pleasant, but when Maddy finally addressed her, Leaf spoke in a slightly trembling voice. "Morgan's dead, her body's slightly past the tree line."

Star didn't help bury the dead, she rather kept watching o the treeline with a few others in case things went amiss again.

---

Gwen snorts at Maddy's words and shakes her head. "I think Sage has given up on me" Gwen admits as she catiously steps closer to Maddy and sits down on the end of the wagon. "I wouldn't blame her if she did, afterall, I haven't really been myself since the battle ended" she sneaks a glance at Maddy, trying to read her expression. "Sage didn't send me over here... Is there a reason why she would?" When Maddy didn't immediately answer she turns away to face the road. Tears begin to fill her eyes again, ones that she cannot blink away. "We're worried about you Maddy-" she pauses and shakes her head. "I'm worried" she admits.
...
Sage's eyes widen and she visibly pales. "It can't be!" She shakes her head and takes a step closer to Leaf. She places her hands on Leaf's shoulders. Her eyes were suddenly intense, the older woman had never looked so serious. "Are you certain that it's-" she hesitates. "That's it's Morgan?"

*Maddy's eye's were locked onto Gwen. They were on the verge of turning black but after a moment of silence they began to fade.* No, none whatsoever. *Gwen looked out of the wagon, away from Maddy. Maddy took deep breaths in and out, occasionally hearing the sad cry's of the villagers. She then heard Gwen speak about worrying about her and she snapped back* There's no need to worry about me, Gwendolyn. Just worry about yourself

Leaf nodded and carefully lead the way to the body in the woods. "Sage, I'm sorry." Leaf bowed her head in respect for the fallen, then the tears started falling. "Why is this happening? Cant we catch a break, just once? We've been through so much already." Her heart was aching, they had gone through enough losses and Leaf knew it was only going to get worse. The thought made a chill go down her spine and she hugged herself.

---

"Worry about myself?" Gwen shuts her eyes and lets out a cruel chuckle. "What's there to worry about? It seems like I've been cursed. I can't die!" She slams her fist against the wagon's wall. She curses out loud from the pain that follows. She pulls her hand back and cradles it against her chest. "It should've been me" she whispers. She doesn't say it out loud, but she is referring to Dylan's death.

"Why do I get to live while everyone else dies?" She continues, she turns around to stare back at Maddy. Her gaze was filled with agony, she doesn't even try to hide it now. "There is nothing left of me to worry for. At the very least, if I'm going to be left alive by some sort of cruel fate, I would like to spend that time helping the ones closest to me." She sighs. "Finally helping" she clarifies. "I've been no help until now. It's about time I do my part. So tell me Maddy, what's bothering you. Anyone can see that you are not okay."
...
"It'll all be over soon Leaf" Sage assures her. "It'll either end with the destruction of ourselves or the Cloaks." She lifts her head up and strides towards where Leaf came running from. "I intend for it to be the latter."

Sage lowers her head when she spots Morgan's body. She does her best to make Morgan's grave look as nice as possible. She places flowers on it, like Leaf had done for Barry. "I'm sorry" she whispers to Morgan. "I promise I'll avenge you" she whispers.

*Maddy listened to Gwen's rant. She pitied Gwen. Gwen was still hurting over Dylan's death. Suddenly, Maddy's eyes turned black and she yelled at Gwen upon being asked about what's wrong with her* I said I'm fine so why don't you just go back to running the army and making sure no one else dies!

"Fine" Gwen snaps. Unlike Sage, she doesn't try to hold back on her anger for Maddy's sake. "I'm sorry I even tried" she adds. "Keep pushing away everyone who keeps offering to help you, I don't care" she growls. What a hypocrite a small voice tells Gwen as she storms away from Maddy.