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The land below his feet kept disappearing as Ta’ruk raced as quickly as he could to escape the horror that was behind him. The battle was still going on but Neud was behind him a short ways now and he hopped that he could escape without getting caught by the Obans. Glancing behind him at a shout Ta’ruk lost his balance over a root and tumbled to the ground. A shadow passed over him and he was petrified to look up. A hand roughly grabbed him and spun him around. Over him was an Oban! On this very day Ta’ruk had watched his sister fall and knew that death was coming to claim him as well. It was only fair after all, he curse bitterly. He had left his family and all those he had known to die barbaric and atrocious deaths. As cold oblivion came for him in the guise of the oban’s short blade Ta’ruk didn’t understand why it never reached him when the man who was going to end his life fell over on top of him.

What go back? Was this crazy leaf tribe insane? Ta’ruk stared at him, no those crystals where the wrong color. Was he a shifter but his eyes were green. Realization dawned on Ta’ruk that this was a halfbreed. He had never seen him in Neud before though given the population size he supposed it was possible. Shaking his head Ta’ruk wobbled to a half sitting position accidently spilling out some of his supplies. He didn’t have a weapon and didn’t want one. Weapons they killed and hurt. There was no way around that. If he had a weapon and was found it was likely he would die though without one maybe just maybe they would let him live? He shivered thinking of his home being destroyed. No maybe not. He should have grabbed a weapon but had nothing in his home when he and his sister where packing. Thoughts of her stayed his hand while reaching for some of his errant supplies. It was hard to breathe now as Ta’ruk’s breathes were short and panicked. Spots began to dance at the edges of his vision. The stranger’s voice helped pull him back.

“NO! It’s here no matter what. This war all this death. It doesn’t matter where you are it will come and find you.” He curled up still on his knees with his face close to the earth around him unable to escape what had happened to his home and those he knew. Pointed to the dead oban beside him he choked out. “It would be the same if they were being attacked and not attacking we would kill them and their families there would be no pity no remorse. It’s the same no matter what. Those who die always leave others behind who will suffer and want revenge then it keep going and going until we’re all burned up. My sister, my parents all of them are gone it doesn’t matter anymore.” He coughed and curled himself up once more not even bothering for the supplies next to him. He could still hear the sound of his home being broken into and when the leaf/shifter spoke it was distant. He didn’t feel well and his hands were shaking. He was going to be sick he knew it. A hand fell forward to the sand and by chance he saw the deceased oban out of the corner of his vision and that did it. Ta’ruk vomited on the sand before him.

Stunned at the scolding Ta’ruk looked up and could only mutely shake his head. He saw the other gesture to get up and follow but he stayed put what was the point? Looking down he thought over his predicament. This stranger who yelled so much was right he was a coward no more than a filthy coward who didn’t deserve to live. Hearing shifting sands as steps get closer he looked up again but didn’t have time to register it before shooting pain exploded in his head and darkness mercifully took him into her embrace. Even the moon god could not reach him here.


A few hours later....

Pain filtered its way into his consciousness making him gasp and try to sit up. His head was spinning making him decided that sitting up was back and curling to his side would be better for a moment or two. There was dried blood on upper lip. Investigating his nose with a hand he thought it wasn’t broken, but it hurt a lot and he couldn’t breathe through it. There were vines draped over him. Freezing for a moment he feared they might be the carnivorous kind but when they showed no signs of moving he relaxed. Why had he be been covered and where was the leaf half-breed? Probably left him to die grown sick of Ta’ruk’s sniveling. That must be it.

Well having been saved and then left to die really was unsettling but it didn’t matter. He had to get up and keep going. A thought struck and Ta’ruk cocked his head looking around before spying a mound of vines that appeared to have his backpack strap coming from it at the very base. Rolling and finally getting up he rubbed his head while he dug out the pack. So the other hadn’t robbed him as an extra punishment. Ta’ruk wouldn’t have blamed him. The supplies might mean more to those, if there were any, still alive and fighting. A noise nearby made Ta’ruk crouch low and his heart pick up its pace by a dozen paces a minute. Shuffling back to the vines he was hidden under before he tried to cover himself back up and hide from whatever was coming. Soft tickles of a breeze touched his skin telling him he hadn’t done a good job. He was scared to move and fix it though as whatever was coming was nearly upon him and movement might attract attention he didn’t need.

So he hadn’t been just left to die? That was a surprise to Ta’ruk. Cocking his head he studied the other. He must not have to give many apologies because he looked like something a spitofrog would throw up. Not only that but Ta’ruk hated the way he was so condicending and didn’t even take the pain and humiliation that Ta’ruk was bearing into account. It seemed like all the other prentice wanted was action and death of the enemy and there was so much more that went along with that that this.. BarAmal didn’t even seem to think was worth glancing at. Yet there was more to it. Perhaps Ta’ruk owed him something since BarAmal had covered him and protected him. There was also the matter of saving his life.. Coming out he grimaced. “Very well. I am Ta’ruk. I…” He was floundering for a thought on how to explain himself yet could come up with noting of any elegance. “Look. I can’t go back. I .. I just can’t there is too much pain and dealing with seeing it.” A shutter wracked his frame and the prentice thought he was going to lose his stomach again.

That was a low blow. Ta’ruk’s family was very devout in their faith to the moon goddess and even though this stranger didn’t know it he had just carved a gash in Ta’ruk’s heart that was deeper than any blade could ever reach. Hands shaking he couldn’t even respond as hot tears began to find paths down his cheeks. “My sister and parents. They likely ..” Swallowing hard it felt like rocks and sand where going down his throat. The what if’s bubbled up in his head making him dizzy. What if they died? Could they ever forgive him? How could he face those lifeless eyes even if he went back? Bile singed the back of his throat and he gagged on it. Shaking his head he mouthed the word no. He couldn’t do it. He doubted he could ever return to Neud whether obans were there or not.

Flinching hard he considered this. He could make the oath and then simply go and never return but to just lie like it was nothing weighed on the heart. The first part was simple enough. Scooping the pack to his chest he considered how to deal with the situation. Someday. Someday. Someday didn’t have to be anytime soon. It only had to be while he was alive. He could be an old decrepit man come back for his last breaths and it would fulfill the oath. Barely nodding his consent he licked his sand crusted lips and began to describe his family to this stranger. He started with his sister as her face was in him mind always just as the sounds of her gurgles played when silence fell. There were times his descriptions had to stop because his voice cracked or tears overwhelmed him. The other prentice came forward and placed a hand on Ta’ruk’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze each time he stopped prompting him to go on or calm down.