Stakes in the Ground

I wiped my brow wearily, looking down at the grave marker I was forced into erecting.

Resting my foot on the top of the Spade's blade, I contemplated the tilled earth thoughtfully.

Angrily. Calmly. Conflicted.

"Just had to go and die again, didn't ya fucker? Couldn't just wait for reinforcements patiently. Had to go charging in like some Leroy Jenkins fuckface, thinking yourself a Billy badass. You didn't need the help, eh?"

"Look where it got ya. Six feet deep in the middle of contested land. Couldn't even give me the convenience of dying in a place I'm allowed to be."

Still speaking aloud, I held my hand out in the universal stop gesture. Stopping my shadow from stepping forward and comforting me just yet. Corporealizing just out of my sight didn't keep me from sensing his intentions.

Few things alluded my notice these days.

"If I get shot doing this, I'm coming back and pissing on the earth I know your head rests under."

Slowly, I withdrew the leather cord my pendant hung from, from around my neck. Hung the cord a seemingly centuries old ring rested on upon the wooden cross.

To my companion, I spoke off to the side. "How far out is the patrol?"

Flipping jet-black hair out of his eyes for the hair to fall into nearly the same placement as before, he replied.

"A few miles out. Closing fast."

After a pause, he spoke again. "We should have left by now."

Turning slightly, I eyed my angelic companion. His feathers faintly dragging the ground, glamoured to appear sightless in accordance with his businesslike demeanor. He so hated to be seen properly. Preferring instead for sight to slide past him without remark. So in discordance to his true demeanor and appearance.

In the crowds we ran in, it was dangerous to be Seen.

I smirked slightly, hefting the tool to rest upon my shoulder like it was any regular day gardening, turning my body to face his to find him but a foot away. Ten feet eaten up in the blink of an eye. One of his trademark latent abilities.

"Do you really think I'm trying to avoid a scuffle right now?"

A shadow of an annoyed smile skirted across Cass's face, to be replaced by bemused boredom.

"No, but being found right now would be difficult to explain at the peace accords next week."

I laughed. "Dead men tell no tales, remember?"

Gesturing towards the earth at my feet, he shook his head. "This is going to be hard enough to disavow knowledge of. Six dead Defenders would be impossible."

He paused. "He wouldn't want you to destroy all the hard work you've put into this. All of it. Not because of some misplaced emotions you can handle once we leave."

"Don't throw it all away now because you blame them for his death. It won't bring him back."

Sighing exasperatedly, I grabbed my pack and started walking in the direction of a river we passed on the way from the Path. "You know this isn't the end. Blood is going to fall for this. He was one of Ours. I'm not going to forget why he passed. Not this time. I can't forgive it this time."

Keeping pace, he slipped back into his other form, the sound of his footfalls being swallowed by mine.

"You won't have to. But now is not the time."

Rolling my eyes, I continued ahead.

Now was not the time, indeed.