Chapter 5. Goodbye.

  The pouch looked as if it were filled with metal filaments and shavings, something sparkly and light reflective was in there. There were also some tree barks that had been ground down to a fine powder. He only assumed that because it didn’t feel like dirt. Sid had no idea what it was.

  He could smell it though. Potent stuff. He could practically smell it before he opened it. Whatever it was, it smelled of lemon and sage. But also like the fading days of the hot season. He couldn’t explain that smell. It was a sunset dusty smell with hints of honey and sweet grass—that was the best he could think right now.

  There was warmth to it too. Anytime he would shuffle and squish the stuff it seemed to pulse with a calming heat. When he pressed it to his cheek, he thought he could hear Clayton’s voice.

  The elf pointed at the fires smoldering, that long rootlike finger finding one fire with particularity.

  A smoking ruin where the foundry once was. With one hand, wiggling his fingers up right, and with the other a sprinkling gesture. The elf mimicked an orchestra of bird calls while it made each hand motion.

  Sid had no idea what the elf was saying though. The man was no linguistics expert. He barely spoke as it was.

  Then the elf gently squeezed its straddle, causing the large bird to squawk. It straightened and trotted away from the settlement and into the clear cut. The other two balanced their birds and followed behind.

  Sid found the broad sword and laid it upon his son’s tightly wrapped cocoon. He made his way back to the foundry remains and grabbed one of the many sandbags set aside. Sid kept many bags of sand in case he needed to suffocate the flame.

  After extinguishing the remaining fires, Sid sat with Clayton, while the others wandered back. Most of them mirror each other’s expression of twisted confusion, and terror. Some completely forget all together what had just happened. The growing crowd investigated the beast, and the destructive path that led to its demise. Salvaging what they could from the broken game cart, then from the beast.

  The people of this settlement may have been slow and dull minded but even they knew of salvation. The people came together and slowly pieced the beast apart. While others dropped trees, before rounding out long logs for resting pyres.

  The woodsman chopped and hacked taking large portions of skin to be cleaned, dried, cured and used for tent walls or leather.

  Wiping his brow, he looked at the big blacksmith kneeling with the cocoon. The blacksmith’s sword must be incredibly sharp to have been able to cut through the skin of this beast. Because the woodsman was having difficulty cutting through with his axe.

  The beast smelled foul too, and it was quickly discovered the meat of this monster spoiled near rapidly. Meaning none of it could be used for eating. The creature was very large too, and extremely tough to cut through. Meaning it took the settlement the rest of the sun’s presence to clean the mess and prepare the preparations for the night.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The new moon was high in the night sky, coming together the settlers stacked logs neatly one by one, before placing the carriage driver, Isaac upon a pile. A torch touched the base before fire slowly climbed around the abundance of donations.

  Isaacs’ two daughters and wife quietly sobbed, while Sid and the others gave condolences and time of peace. The pyre sang songs for safe crossing. Burning brightly giving light for his journey in the long dark.

  Many had meandered back to their own fire. Forgetting why they were standing around in the first place. Apathy does that to people.

  Early the next morning, before the sun peeked over the mountains, Sid placed his son atop the next pyre. As he was stepping closer, again he thought he heard his son’s voice, he couldn’t distinguish any words but still the sound hummed in his head as he lay the cocoon over the logs.

  The gardener put together a small cornucopia inside was an apple, a handful of nuts, two white carrots, and a couple other vegetables. She placed the offering of fruits and vegies, bending with a gentle kiss on the cocoon.

  "I know he liked them.” She spoke sympathetically, rubbing Sid’s elbow.

  Approaching next, the woodsman named Roedik, who carried a tooth in his arms. Roedik presented the tooth from the Slack-Jaw.

  Sid placed it alongside the log pyre cradling the cocoon. Roedik pat Sid’s thick shoulder, before he cleared his throat.

  "I uhm, …I didn’t really know him Sid, but if you cared this much, he must have been a good guy." He said, patting Sid on the shoulder once more before heading back for his bedroll.

  Sid slowly turned watching the woodsman while he took a seat along the bedroll.

  Now it wasn’t odd for others around here to forget what was happening, but it was the comment that confused Sid. Of course, Roedik knew Clayton, the man crafted the wooden swords for him and his boy.

  Sid watched Roedik with narrow eyes before the small voice of a child spilled the concentration of his thoughts. Beady eyes looked at the woodsman who was looking back from a laydown. Sid then glanced at the children before him.

  Isaac had ugly daughters, even as children they skipped the cute stages of life. Two little girls with wide spaced eyes. Pale foggy blue eyes with bright pink eyelids and pasty skin. Their hair was faded, translucent and receding. They were scrawny little girls. Sid didn’t like them; they creeped him out.

  The daughters of Isaac had woven a string of flowers. He had helped with the wrapping of the colorful donation. Precisely place it around the pyre. The girls had also collected small branches, clustered with ripe red berries. Others who were attentive enough slowly placed the reflective rocks they found around the base along with bright colored flowers.

  Sid grabbed a torch, touching the hot embers and dancing flame to sections of the pyre. The bright yellows, and dense oranges swirled tauntingly, Sid blinked heavily. Holding a warm memory in that blink. Thinking he could hear his son’s laughter amid the crackling flame. Sid’s jaw clenched and the memory was forgotten as slipped through tight eyes.

  The breaking rays of golden warmth soaked into the settlement. The light radiating a new day, resetting the memories of the dull minded ones. Many of such lost interest and concentration on what they were doing and settled around one of the other many fires. Others strayed from their bedrolls and began their daily tasks. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

  Sid swallowed hard. Then twice before looking at the sun. The light made his eyes ache, but if there was a chance at seeing his boy in the smoke, he wanted to say goodbye properly.

  There was nothing. Only the crackle of snapping embers. The occasional cough in the distance, and the gronk of a bird somewhere out there. All of such seemed to be mocking him.