Sokonan wiped a tear from her face. She was alone in Davyn’s apothecary. She had been preparing to wash his body with clean water infused with lavender. He had a nice bundle of dried lavender hanging near the curtain that led to his sleeping quarters. When Sokonan went to get the hanging bundle she could not help but want to go into his room. The room was sparse, a few personal belongings, and his bed on one side of the empty room. Sokonan stood holding the curtain back with one hand, peering into the dimly lit bedroom of the father of her only child. When she did enter his room, the curtain fell back down and cast the room in shadows. Another tear, this time she let it fall from her face on its own. She didn’t expect to find anything when she went in there, Sokonan wanted to lay on his bed one last time. Before she did, she saw something that she had never seen before. A blue stone set and hung on a beautifully beaded necklace, it seemed to glow. She went to it with only one thought

“Indra, good mornin’.” He said with no hint of insincerity, “did you not sleep well?”“No husband, I actually...” she paused to gather her thoughts, “I have been very concerned with the state of The People.”Harden was not in sight yet, so Indra was talking to his voice.“Yes, I am as well. It pains me to see our people suffer. There is talk on the council, well you may have heard already but, it pains me to say we have all stepped off of the path of life. Myself included.” He thought about Davyn going to get him herbs and medicine just to make his cock work. He thought about how he felt when Sokonan touched his cheek, how it made him warm inside and disgusted at the same time because it was not his wife. He came walking around to the hearth.Indra was going to say something when Harden walked into sight, she was floored. He had on trousers and nothing else, Indra blinked to see if she was dreaming, she was awake. Harden was the image of his youth, just the way he looked when the two

“Ouch.” Tombold overreacted, that caused Percy to buck.“Telling stories and going all misty eyed, are we?” Kathryn swatted him again.“Whoa, whoa there Percy,” the horse calmed done enough to look perturbed, “see what you done Kat, now I gotta deal with an angry horse all the way to the forest.”“Serves you right for getting all misty and telling stories.” Kat winked at Kaya, Kaya snickered back, laughing at the way her and her mother were ganging up on dad.“Next time get a nicer horse from Mr. Talbot.” Kaya added.They walked away from the village, west toward the Crazy forest. Some of The People stayed back at the village, they didn’t want to go to this ceremony, they said it was not needed. The People who stayed said the Gods were not angry, it was just the weather, which was always unpredictable. But something touched Kaya during Harden’s speech, and her parents were always up to go somewhere, they were both a little adventurous. Marx’s family, not so much, they were one of the

“Have you spoken with Erek lately?” His voice was unsure now.“No, why?”“Well, he sounded strange at the council meeting. He said, I dunno, he just sounded strange. Like I have never heard him before.”“Did he embarrass you?” Fire again from Lilly, this time it was in her voice.“No, no, he did make a bit of a scene though.” Rog remembered how the whole meeting screeched to a halt after Erek spoke.“I dunno why you don’t let him live on his own, he is twenty-eight winters...”Erek walked in, interrupting Lilly in mid-sentence.“Good evening step-mother, father. I’ll be heading to bed; it has been exhausting the last few days with all of the travel and work.”Erek walked right passed his parents, he went straight to his bed pulling the curtain down for privacy. Lilly put her hand to her mouth, she had goose flesh marching up and down her spine.“You can put your hand down now, that is the same thing he did at the meeting. I have no idea,” Rog said shaking his head, “none, I don’t know

“Watch the late man!” Coach bellowed, no one heard him, “watch the God’s damned trailer...” he screamed.Erek was back on defense in his proper position as left roamer. He heard Coach the second time. Erek saw Vardon running like some unnatural creature, one single thought on his mind, kill. Or rather score. Then the play slowed down, Erek could see the two roamers from Eagle company, one with the ball and the other one causing havoc so the first player could advance the ball. Instantly, Erek knew it was a distraction, Vardon was the intended target all along. So Erek cheated out a little, staying with the play but ready for a back pass to the trailing roamer.Then the ball carrier glanced quickly back to see where his trailer was. Vardon was there and ready to snipe the ball right between the keepers padded legs. The keeper sewed two large and long pillows to cover and protect his legs from considerable damage. Being the main target and all. As Erek watched, the ball carrier, a shift