Lament

His giant feet stumble over the night-damp grass, hot tears streaming down over his face. He carries him on his arms, so heavy the lifeless body, so strange the unnatural shifting of broken bones under draggling robes and cooling skin. He dares not to look down on that familiar, changed face, but he feels the long white beard brushing over his hands with a horrible, bitter caress.

He hears the howling of Fang from his cabin, locked in and ignorant and yet knowing, knowing…

"Hush…" he murmurs, but deep inside of him the simple tribute echoes and breaks his heart.