Melinda continued to weep over her father's body while Sven looked on helplessly.
This was his fault.
If he had thought things out ahead of time, this wouldn't have happened. He should have attacked the wolves immediately before they had done this much harm.
True, this was a tragic loss, but Sven had hardly known Melinda's father. However, seeing the girl weeping with such sorrow pained him.
Sven sheathed his sword and turned away from the humans. If he had not been here, Melinda would not have lost a loved one. He knew he shouldn't stay around her. He never wanted to bring anyone pain.
The wolves will have gone back to their den. There is no need for me to remain here. He thought.
Sven walked calmly towards the edge of the clearing.
"Wh-where are you going?" asked a very strained voice from behind him.
Sven looked over his shoulder. He wished he hadn't. Melinda's face was tear streaked and her lovely eyes were blood shot. Her hair stuck to her face and she was trembling violently.
"I must take to my rest. Dawn will be here soon." Sven replied. Once he got back to the tunnels, Sven planned to use his magic to assure that Melinda, and every other human, could never make their way into his lair again.
Melinda instinctively knew that if Sven left, she would never see him again. While Sven's face was completely stoic and emotionless, Melinda could just see the guilt swimming beneath the surface of his eyes.
Melinda knew Sven blamed himself for her father's death. But she didn't see it that way. And she had no intention of letting Sven feel that way either.
"Sven… please, help me b-burry…" Melinda's voice cracked at the word so she stopped and tried again. "Help me burry Papa."
Sven paused to consider that for a moment. Didn't he owe her that much, at least?
"Alright." He answered emotionlessly.
Sven turned and walked towards Melinda with extraordinary grace. Even in this situation, she couldn't help but gawk at him.
Sven stopped in front of her, refusing to meet her eyes, and picked up her father's limp and bloody body.
Melinda picked up her crying anew as Sven stood and walked towards the center of the clearing, not bothered at all by the man's weight.
He harnessed his energy and focused it in the ground, where a hole big enough for a man twice the human's size opened up. He lowered the body in his arms slowly into the fissure. Then, Sven closed up the ground again.
Melinda watched all this helplessly and without a word. After all, what could she say? If she hadn't been so stubborn, and had that fight with her father, this wouldn't have happened.
He was gone. Just like that. She cried harder. This was the end.
"Goodbye Papa. I love you." She whispered to the night.
Sven stood there silently, listening to Melinda's sobbing and thinking back to his own parents.
He hadn't seen them in over seven centuries. They were long gone. And he hadn't had time to say goodbye. He could sympathize with the girl's tears. But he hated the way the sobs cut through him like a knife. What in the world was wrong with him?
I shouldn't feel this way for a human. What in all the hells is going on? He thought about it for a while, looking on the mortal man's grave.
He didn't have any idea. He'd never felt this way about anyone before.