Three people walked among the scarce trees on the well-trodden path leading out of the forest. The youngest one dragged the intact carcass of a boar by a rope, while the other two carried on their shoulders a makeshift stretcher made from wood and rope. The stretcher was fully covered, yet the silhouette of a body was evident.
They were Parcey, Ravi, and Louie. They walked with heads hanging down, ashamed and remorseful. Their faces showed deep grief and their eyes were red, cheeks dried with tears. Soft sobs still came from Louie.
The group walked out of the forest and followed the path to the main unpaved road. In silence, they walked for 5 miles until the shape of a small town came into view.
Louie stopped and stared at the town, soulless as a memory came into his mind.
It was just a couple of days ago when they left for his first real hunt. He was both anxious and excited, his palms were shaking. Weller noticed his nervousness and with a warm smile, he grabbed him by the shoulders and told him with a healthy laugh, “Haha! You remind me of myself. As long as you remember everything I taught you, this will be a breeze. In a week you’ll be back with a trophy on your shoulders. But trust me, once you taste life in the forest nothing will stop you from going back. There you forget about all your problems.”
“Then why don’t you stay there, if you have so many problems back at home,” a soft voice came from behind them.
A woman in her mid-twenties dressed in plain clothes walked toward them. She had untied long chestnut brown hair showering over her shoulder, thick eyebrows, dark eyes, and a small nose.
She walked next to Weller and passed him a bag.
“If life at home is so stressful why don’t you live in the forest?” she asked teasingly. “I’m sure you won’t miss anything here.”
Weller took out the back and threw it over his shoulder. “That’s a tempting proposition, but only if you're willing to come with me.”
He wrapped his hands around her waist, while she brought her arms around his neck.
“But you know very well, the forest is just my second love,” he said before landing a soft peak on her lips.
“Oh, and what is your first love?” she asked with playfulness in her eyes. Louie couldn't help but look away, embarrassed.
“Returning to your warm arms.”
Louie burst into tears as the memory ended. He fell down to his knees and wailed uncontrollably, snot and tears running down his face. He had been in shock for the entire time, unable to accept that his mentor had died, unable to comprehend.
Parcey and Ravi also stopped. The view of their town hit them too.
“It’s my fault, it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry boss, I shouldn’t have said anything. You would still be alive. It’s all my fault. I told you to go to the glade, it’s my fault,” Louie cried, repeating himself again and again.
His pain made him forget about the implications of his words. Parcey and Ravi hung their heads. They understood Louie, and although they were glad to be alive, they also understood who was to blame for the result.
“It’s not your fault Louie. You saved us. You and Weller saved us. So stop blaming yourself, you are the least responsible for what happened. Ravi and I are responsible, Weller died because of us,” said Parcey. His head was still down, unable to look anyone in the eye.
“You mean to say, I’m responsible,” said Ravi as he looked towards Parcey, anger spilling out from his words.
“I didn’t say that,” said Parcey, but his voice lacked conviction.
“But you’re thinking it. I know you. You think I’m the reason Weller died. Stop lying, and just say it. That you blame me for it, that it’s my fault,” Ravi said, each word louder than the last, shouting. Yet his voice carried more than just anger.
With the stretcher still on their shoulders, and Louie still crying and blaming himself, Parcey said, “It’s not only your fa—”
“Stop lying,” shouted Ravi, eyes red and teary. “I wanted to go to the Glade, Belly attacked first, then I did. It’s all my fault, just admit it. It’s my fault. It’s all my damn fault.“ Tears were gushing down his face by that point. Had he not held the stretcher, he would have dropped down on his knees like Louie.
With red eyes, Parcey said, “Let’s put the stretcher down for a bit.” Ravi said nothing, he just cried and mechanically followed Parcey’s movements, gently dropping the stretcher down. Once down, Ravi too remained down.
Parcey walked next to his friend and dropped down on his knees and placed a hand over his shoulder, crying he said, “It’s our fault. I’m supposed to be the cautious one, but I did nothing. I could have said no to the Glade, I could have said we should return after the storm, I could have tried and reason with him instead of attacking, I could have done so many things, but I didn’t.”
Ravi looked at Parcey, staring into his eyes, they were the source of a river like his own. There was no falsity in them, no signs of dishonest words.
“But—” Ravi tried to say.
“No but, I made so many mistakes as well. I should have talked to Weller more when I saw him, but I just rushed back into the fight. It’s our fault, we have to live with that. So let’s not burden Louie with this heavy loud.”
They both looked towards the teen who cried incessantly, gasping for breaths. Ravi nodded as he wiped his face with his sleeves.
“What about Salvina? How are we gonna tell her that her husband is dead?” asked Ravi.
“We’ll tell her the truth, he died protecting us and that we’re gonna do our best to repay this debt for as long as we live. We have to try and make sure she suffers as little as possible and that the little one can get an education or apprenticeship as if his Weller was by his side.”
Ravi nodded, with newfound vigor, and said resolutely, “We have to make it right by Weller.”
