Night crept across the forest floor, stalking Kijima. He was twitching as they walked, his head snapping constantly from side to side-an owl, seen flitting through the branches. A deer's track, smattered with scat. A fox with a wounded paw. Kijima caught that one by the tail, holding it up before his face. The fox screamed, an eerie, icy sound, its paws clawing at Kijima's face.
"Stop it," Hikaru said, his voice grim.
Kijima sat the fox down. It scampered off cock-eyed into the trees. "Thought you might want dinner too, bard."
Hikaru's grimace was half-hidden in the streaks of moonlight through the trees. He wrapped his arms around himself. "Dinner would be good, but I don't want it tortured first."
"We were having a chat."
"You are a beast."
Kijima growled, or he laughed. It was difficult to tell the difference anymore. The warmth that had made his cockiness bearable was burning away beneath the branding iron of his new blood. Ren would have no trouble convincing him to leave off being a scribe to start a new mercenary company with him after this.
Kijima stopped suddenly. Hikaru stumbled against his back; Ren caught the bard, holding him up by his collar. He watched Kijima scan the trees. "A scent," Kijima said. "Shouldn't be anyone out here but-"
"Step away from the bard," a voice called from the shadows. "Or my arrow goes through your heart."
Kijima grinned. He crouched, then sprang-a single leap, his cape flying out behind him. The crash of branches beneath his landing drowned out Hikaru's shout. There was a scuffle-Ren could barely see in the dim light-snow spewed from behind a bush. The woods stilled. Kijima stepped out, dragging a man's body. The head hung at an unnatural angle. Kijima dropped it at Ren's feet.
"No," Hikaru gasped, falling to his knees.
Before Ren could ask, Kijima's head snapped to the left. Ren held his hand out; his medallion glowed hot. In one swift movement he unsheathed his sword and threw it. The sword tore the glow from his medallion, arcing over a dense thicket of holly. A strangled scream followed the heavy thunk of its landing.
"Ren!" His name was torn from Hikaru's lips. The bard knelt over their attacker still, the man's wolf mask gripped in trembling hands. His eyes scoured Ren's face, a plea written in them.
Ren frowned. "You… know them?"
"My brothers," Hikaru said. He started to sob, shoving himself up and away from the first fallen. Ren grabbed at his friend's shoulder; the bard pushed him away, stumbling toward the thicket. His scream echoed in the woods. Kijima and Ren looked at each other, jaws tight.
An hour passed. Hikaru sat silently between the two bodies, a living corpse. His fingers were tinged with blue, his lips dark grey.
"We need to move on. The wind is too strong for a fire." Ren said, standing above Hikaru, his cloak pulled tightly around himself. Hikaru shook his head, his first movement since they'd laid his brothers out.
"I'm not leaving."
"Hikaru-" Ren began.
Hikaru looked up at him. His eyes glowed in the moon's light, hollow pits of anger. "I will not travel with murderers."
Kijima spat. "Saviors," he said.
"Bastard." Hikaru forced the word out between trembling teeth.
Reader, we are at a crossroads. If Ren should force the bard to go with them, turn to Chapter 48. If Ren should leave Hikaru behind, turn to Chapter 47.