Chapter 36 – Eyes without pity
It's been awhile since the sun set behind the western mountains that were constantly overseeing the land below. Down the long valley the wind swept. It howled across the halfburied ruins and broken monuments that marked the state of Wyoming. It moaned in the passes, weatherworn cuts between peaks capped with snow that never melted. Thick clouds clung to the mountain tops but were invisible from the ground ever since the nightfall. There was no sound but for a crackling of fire that devoured the valley resort and a crisp rush of wind over snow and stone. The land seemed to be waiting. Waiting for something to burst.
Humming a sad tune softly, Ben peered into the resort that had been lit into a large fire. He could taste the iron as the red liquid mixed with sweat dripped down his nostril onto his lips as he liked it away before wiping it off with a sleeve, leaving an uneven red line along his forearm. The pain was sharp as if his nose was broken, but luckily, that was not the case. The fire burned so bright and hot he felt it on his face, crisping his skin and making it painful to stand so close to the heat, but Ben forced himself to stay in place. It was a simple display of strength and domination, to make him look untouchable. He always preferred cold over warm, and no matter the season, it never changed. The fire took all it could from the resort, the wooden construction had long since turned into ashes, yet the walls of stone and concrete remained still. Flames rose into the night as if they challenged the sky. What was charred would be soothed once the snows fall again, and the black mark that will stain the ground will be covered in white until the Spring comes and melts the snows, revealing the black mark on the ground.
The Gypsies once stationed outside taunted Ben and the others to get out, offering them a chance to live if they were to surrender, claiming the only wanted Ben. All he could do was to use the last Molotov he had left and damp the parquet with it, for the wooden structure was flammable and dry by itself. Come nighttime, Gypsies got tired of waiting and broke in, unaware of places where Ben and others from Jackson hid. One tiny spark was all it took for the resort to burst into flames. Gypsies might've expected an ambush, but not this type. Using the element of surprise to their advantage, Ben and the rest mowed those who didn't burn down with gunfire and escaped the burning structure, trapping the enemy inside to burn to crisp. The plan was very risky and was met with disapproval. Yes, they could've died fiery deaths themselves. Yes, they had to haul Jesse on their backs while being shot at. Yes, it had to be done within minutes because fire was spreading fast. Yes, this. Yes, that. But if Ben had learned something in his life, it was that the higher risk usually provided a better reward. This case proved it. But not all of them died of a fiery horror and a bullet to the head.
A night wind made the flames flicker, and he barely noticed the smell of the people burning inside. The tune he was humming, he heard from a soldier in Seattle. How many days or months ago was that? Were there really so many, or did I imagine it? The soldiers in Seattle, he thought. The Washington Liberation Front. He could never forget.
Ben stared upon a man on his knees. His clothing varied in many bright colors same as of those who died inside the resort, whether by a bullet or flames. A scar stretched along his left cheek, and a nasty wound on the left side of the head painted that part red. With both hands, he pressed the wound on his stomach, a clean cut, Ben's expertise. The blood didn't gush in a constant flow, but he was losing enough to weaken him, but not to dull his senses. A Gypsy, judging by everything in his demeanor, but Ben knew better. Once, it was a face of a simple soldier who was there to obey orders given to him. A man living his life in this world, surviving, providing for his community. He seemed content back then, but now his expression embodied the true meaning of hatred. Last time Ben saw him, he had less grays in his hair.
"Mike." As the humming stopped, Ben spoke at the man who gritted his bloody teeth, spitting red fluid onto the snow below Ben's feet. "You're missing your patch."
Fire from behind him made but a mere shadow out of Mike's face, but Ben didn't back down from those vengeful eyes, intent on Mike seeing his face clearly. He wanted him to imprint his face into his mind. The winds howled in the valley, blowing from several directions, carrying tiny snowflakes all over the place, covering tracks freshly made. For Ben, accompanied with the crackling sound of the resort on fire, the howling of this wind was a comforting sound. Comforting for what he felt inside.
"Killed 'em all, didn't you? My comrades inside, they're dead?" Mike spoke, spitting blood with each word, "I didn't expect less from you, bastard."
Dina and Mark were at their positions behind Ben, holding their guns at the ready. Snow crushed below Dina's feet as she shifted in her place uncomfortably, glancing at Ben with a rifle in her hand, looking at him as if she was looking at a stranger. Mark stood on the other side, read to point the gun at the man's head and pull the trigger at any time.
"Want me to kill him, Ben?" Mark asked, his teeth gritted, "I don't like the sound of his voice." His attitude towards Ben suddenly changed after Ben saved his life not once, but three times during the fight with the Gypsies. He suddenly became so willing to do anything Ben asked of him. A pleasant change, Ben had to admit to himself.
The others, Annabel growled in his head. Where are they?
Ben ignored her. "No, Mark. Lower your gun." There was no heat in Ben's voice, even as his heart raced fast and anger boiled up inside him. Controlling his emotions became something natural. Once Mark tucked the pistol behind his belt, Ben approached the man closer and knelt, getting into his face.
"Ben Walker, huh?" Mike gurgled through a spiteful smirk, blood leaking down his lips, "Couldn't believe the others when they said it was you. Had to see with my own eyes."
"And you did."
"And I did."
Ben tilted his head slightly, engaging in yet another battle of gazes.
"He knows you?" Mark asked behind him, but Ben was focused on the man in the front.
Mike smirked again, wiping the blood off his mouth, "Little Benjamin, caught by me. You were naïve back then." Ben remembered it as if it was yesterday. It was the time before the time he spent with Annabel. The time when he was still helping those people in Seattle that were being hunted down by WLF like dogs. Over time, he did become a thorn in their side and they lured him in a trap. Actually, Mike himself, the man on his knees below Ben right now, lured him into the trap with that woman in distress thingy. And the thingy worked, resulting in Ben's capture that led to… well, everyone knows what it led to. Mike still gazed at him from down below, "But the thing you did for those refugees. I considered you a good man."
"I was."
Smirk faded away from Mark's face, replaced by a solemn acceptance, "She changed you that much, huh?"
"She did."
"Shit, I should've gone with Abby. I knew Isaac was crazy as shit." then he smiled for a moment, before the smile faded away just like the one before, "You're crazy as shit too, Walker. You know that?"
"Where are the others?" Ben had no intentions to toy with the man, so he asked him directly.
"Kill me now, like you killed my friends, wouldn't be the first time. I ain't telling you shit."
For a moment, Ben kept to himself, wanting to explain to the man Abby and her friends started it when they arrived to Jackson what it seemed was an eternity ago. He was looking behind the man at the resort as flames reflected in his blue eyes as a mirror. "Why did you attack people from Jackson? Why raid the dam? Just for one man?"
Then Mike laughed, coughing blood all the way along, "Now that's a stupid question if I've ever heard one!" His grimace was painful as he spoke, his jaw red from blood whole, "Corpses in the snow, dead children, remember? I remember. My son was one of those kids. Figures we might just return a favor."
In a deep part of his head, Annabel laughed. She was delighted to hear the words. Dead children, dead, dead, dead. Dead. Dead. Deeead. He tried to make her voice silent, to push it back, but he couldn't. All he could do was to cope with it. Dina shifted uncomfortably once again.
"We've come for you. We have. And you can't stop what's coming."
Ben stared at his face, inner rage already burnt up, his frustrations and anger fueling his actions that were to come. "Your place is with them," Ben said, pointing to the burning resort behind the man, towards his comrades that burned to death. The buzzing of Annabel swelled, but he refused to listen. Now was no time for insane rages.
Mike tried to draw himself up proudly. Whatever he was, he was certainly no coward. "You forget who we are. You may have-"
"I forget nothing, Wolf." Ben said coldly, watching man's eyelids twitch when he said the name. "I remember everything, and I don't forget."
Cold, serene faces stared at his back. Defiance grew Mike's face. Ben appeared as close to a smile as he ever thought he'd be. From his spot, he dashed forward, a knife flashing in his hand. The tip of the blade easily pierced the throat and carved its way inside the meat until it appeared on the other side of the neck. Mike grabbed Ben's throat, his last attempt at fighting, but his grip was too weak and too short, and he finally let go as his body collapsed into the snow. Dina gasped when Ben stood up and wiped the snow from his knees and cleaned the blood from the knife before putting it back in its place. Mike once showed him mercy in the past, but the time for mercy had long since passed.
Turning around to face his friends, he noticed Dina looking at him with eyes wide, full of caution. She seemed more distant than she was a few moments ago, as if she made a step back. Mark stood in his place, looking at him the way as if asking him what to do next. But there was a spark of caution and worry in his eyes too, and insecurity.
"We could've learned something from him." Mark spoke, albeit silently, "Maybe you shouldn't have-"
"He would've never said anything." Ben interrupted him. "I had no use of him."
Dina grabbed his attention when she cleared her throat, as if hesitant to speak, "What was he talking about, Ben? Who was that man?"
"Yeah, he called you by your full name. How do Gypsies know you?"
Gypsies didn't know him, or at least he thought so. The reason why Wolves posed as Gypsies was unknown to Ben. What does Washington Liberation Front intend to accomplish with this? Did they incorporate themselves into the Gypsies? He sincerely doubted it. But one thing he was sure of. The remnants of the WLF were still after him seeking payback for the damage he caused them in Seattle. They were relentless and restless, and will stop at nothing to get his head.
"Answer me, damn it!" Dina stormed at him, waving her rifle angrily, "Who was this man?"
"A Wolf." Ben simply said, watching her thick eyebrows furrowing with worry. Dina touched her forehead and sighed, crouching down. Mark exchanged worried but at the same time confused glances between Dina and Ben.
"So they're back?" she asked, "The Wolves are back? Why? For you? What did you do to them, Ben? I heard what he said. What did you do? How did you escape Seattle?"
He didn't want to look at her. Instead, his eyes were absorbing the imagery below him. A dead Wolf with his throat pierced. Annabel was crying of joy in his head, delighted for the kill. "I fought, Dina," his voice was raspy as he explained, "I fought and I killed. Just like so many others. It was them or me."
Her mouth opened but remained that way for a few seconds before her jaw closed shut. She had nothing more to say, just as Mark. Ben knew she wanted to say more, to mention the dead children Mike talked about. But she didn't. The wind continued to howl ominously, the night had fallen, yet they had to move. "We're going back to Jackson." Ben said and helped Mark pick up Jesse who was leaned on the tree. The wounded made a painful grimace as the other two picked him up. He was conscious, which was good. "You good to go, man?"
Jesse nodded, glancing at Ben with one eye closed, "I heard him too, you know? Is it true?" His voice was but a whisper when he talked.
"Is what true?" Ben asked him under his breath, hoping that Mark on the other side wouldn't hear.
"What he said… about… the children."
Something stirred up in Ben's chest, something he didn't want to feel, "We'll talk when we get you home. Stay strong, Jesse."
With that, the group of four continued on foot, without the one horse they had, a necessary sacrifice. All they had left was the muscles on their legs to carry them home and the resolve of steel. They still had time to warn the settlement about the attackers. And Ben had another problem on his hands.
x
Tying Scout to a hitchpost near the stable door, Ellie glanced at the thatch roofed structure. She could hear men working in there, mucking out the stalls where horses were kept out for heavy hauling. There were sounds from the other side of the building, the murmur of voices of a group assembled in the now, geese honking, the rumble of a wagon. What was on Scout's saddle, she left; this would be a short stop. She hurried deeper inside the settlement, keeping Joel's revolver close as William kept behind her. The two of them rode around the settlement's perimeter, to check out any holes in the walls, potential defenses.
"Can you believe it?" she asked, frustrated, "She sent another patrol this morning. Outside!"
"Please calm down, Ellie." William tried to keep up with her fast walking pace, which often required him to run, "You know the way she's now. Yelling won't change anything."
The way she's now, Ellie thought and frowned. A drunken idiot, that's what she turned into. She stopped when William pulled her by the elbow and turned her to face him. "Calm down, will you?" he was towering above her in both height and width, his muscular stature making him stand out from the others, huge arms forged from countless days of work in the forge. Half a dozen men and women walked right past them, giving them raised eyebrows and curious looks. They quickly turned their heads away when Ellie gave them the sharpest of her stares.
"Let me go, Will. I'll just talk to her."
He raised an eyebrow, "Just talk? Why am I not convinced?"
"Let. Go."
William released the grip in a second and raised his hands in resignation, "Okay, suit yourself. I just don't want you to do something you'll regret."
"I won't, don't worry about it. I just want to talk to her."
"Okay, let's say I believe you. Anything else you need me for?"
"No, that would be all. Thanks, Will." Ellie responded as she walked away, noticing him still staring at her back. Stopping in her tracks, she glanced at him over her left shoulder, "We'll find her, Will. I promise you we will."
Stocky young man gave her a sad smile, and only now she noticed the beard he has grown out since Emily disappeared. It wasn't grown yet, but he'd more often than not shave his face clean. He was always silent and mostly kept to himself, but after Emily didn't return from patrol, he's been even more isolated from others. He talked to Ellie a bit, telling her he missed Emily terribly. They'll find her, both her and Ben. And everyone else. Maria's house was not far from the stable, and Ellie hurried inside. The kitchen was empty, the one fireplace was cold, though the smell of baking still hung in the air. Bread. Someone other than Maria might be there, so Ellie tiptoed along the short hallway leading from the kitchen towards the room in the back of the house and cracked the door open to peek inside. She had seen that room a couple of times, Maria's bedroom which she once shared with Tommy. The bed had yet to be made, curtains were halfway parted, letting in just enough light to light up half of the room, leaving a distinct line between light and shadow in the middle of the room across the bed. There was a dirty plate with half a loaf of bread on the tabletop, but what worried Ellie the most was the fact that three empty bottles of liquor lied on the floor beside the bed. Well, the two were actually empty while the third still had a few drops of liquid left.
Ellie lifted her head towards the hallway when she heard the crack of the door and two pairs of footsteps walking inside. One peek at the entrance revealed Maria and the Gypsy woman that was with her, Lea.
"Ellie?" Jackson's leader seemed surprised when she noticed Ellie just standing silently in the hallway, "What are you doing here? I.. uh, was taking Lea out for some fresh air. We were talking."
Gypsy woman was looking down, her face still expressionless and grim in contrast to her bright-colored clothes. She was still wearing the same dress she wore a day ago, which reminded her of something. In a few hours, it would be two days since Julia and Ellie came back to the settlement. Two days and no one has come back yet. But she promised herself she wouldn't lose hope.
"How about a cup of tea, Ellie?" Maria asked another question as Ellie wasn't replying to her first one, "To warm us up, it's cold outside."
"Okay." Ellie nodded and followed her to the living room, taking a seat on the sofa opposite to the one where Lea took a seat. She chose that one specifically to be able to observe the Gypsy woman clearly. And from that position, Lea couldn't do anything without Ellie noticing. It was a perfect position for everything. Intimidation, defense and even attack. But she had the intimidation on her mind first, a tactics she'd use in case Maria failed to learn anything. She didn't have time nor patience to talk it up slowly with strangers. Ellie lost her patience a long time ago. About ten minutes later, Maria appeared carrying a tray with three cups with steam rising in various patterns above. Serving the tea, Maria took the last seat on the chair between Lea and Ellie, holding the cup with her both hands. With the corner of her eye, Ellie noticed her slipping some transparent liquid from a small glass bottle into the tea. Does she drink all the time?
"I'm surprised to see you here, Ellie." Maria started. "But I'm glad you came. Care to elaborate why'd you take two horses without my permission?"
Ellie tried to take a sip of her tea, but gave up after the hot liquid burned her upper lip. She decided it was for the best if she waited at least for the steam to disappear. She never liked hot tea anyway, "That's why I'm here. I just wanted to let you know that Will and I scouted the perimeter, checking for any holes in the walls. Will wanted me to ask you," Ellie stopped for a moment to glance at Lea, "but I presumed you were too busy with her."
"Oh, right." Maria said, smiling insecurely as though she remembered something very important, "The defenses are important. You did a good thing, Ellie."
"Right. So far so good." Ellie continued, "Though there are many things that need to be done. We need more sentries, people have gotten lazy. Post them up along the walls. We need watchmen at all times, twenty-four through seven. Those that aren't posted up at the towers should work on reinforcing the walls. I heard old man Ron has those big logs that we could use to support the walls. As for our reserves of ammunition, we're lacking. I'm good with bow tho'," she wanted to say that Ben was good with a bow too but kept it to herself, "I know we don't have much time, but we can use any time we have left to teach our people to use the bow."
When Ellie remembered to stop talking, she saw surprised grimaces on two women's faces. Her face got red when she realized she was laying out a plan to the leader of the settlement acting like she was the leader herself. Ellie's cheeks turned red hot and she quickly took a sip of hot tea, cursing silently when the liquid burned her upper lip once again.
"Wow," Maria said with a smirk, "You must've thought about this a lot, Ellie."
"Someone has to." Before she finished the sentence, Ellie realized she made a mistake by saying that. Maria returned her an offended gaze but kept to herself and Ellie wondered if she should apologize to her. After all, Maria was leader and Ellie was follower. But then, she was also aware of how didn't act like one in the last couple of months. She neglected the settlement affairs almost completely, locking herself in the house and drowning in liquor almost every single day, though Ellie wondered if that nearly every day turned into an every day. "I heard you sent another pair of patrols this morning."
"I did."
"Why? You know the horde's still lurking outside."
"We need to know the exact location of the horde, Ellie."
Ellie angrily leaned towards Maria, trying to contain the anger that threatened to erupt. What was Maria thinking? "Except that we don't. They're coming this way, I saw them. What more info do you need? You're just putting more of us in danger."
Maria slammed her cup against the table, establishing complete silence in the room, "Don't tell me how to lead my settlement."
There was no going back now once she said it. Anger boiled inside of her and she really felt like she wanted to slap some sense in the older woman. "I'll stop once you actually start being a leader."
Maria's eyes dangerously expanded, staring daggers at Ellie, "Oh, don't start about leadership. We all saw how your little clean-out turned out. Viktor's dead, four are still missing. They're probably dead too!"
The words echoed in Ellie's mind. They're probably dead too. Ben, Jesse, Dina and Mark were still missing. No. They can't be dead!
"Fuck you!" Ellie burst out, jumping to her feet, "Don't talk like you're doing a good fucking job! You're drinking every fucking day, Maria! We need you to lead us, and you isolate yourself in your house, drinking and doing whatever. You have a responsibility. To us!"
Maria was on her feet too, standing face to face with Ellie, "And what do you know about responsibility, huh? When Joel was killed, you went straight after the killers on your own when we already lacked manpower in the settlement. Tommy went because of you." Her eyes were teary when she mentioned his name, her voice trembling, "And Tommy…"
"Tommy would hate to see you in this state." Ellie said, "Look at yourself, Maria. You're pathetic. Is this who you are now? Aren't you the one who taught people of Jackson on how to grow strong? And what about this woman? Did you question her at all? Did you learn anything yet? What the fuck are Gypsies doing here during winter?" She had so many other questions. If she wanted to ask them all, she'd need half a day for it.
"No. She didn't say anything." Maria's face was red as a pepper and she sat back into her chair, avoiding looking at Ellie. She truly was pathetic. This wasn't the same woman Ellie met when she came to Jackson for the first time. These years have made her soft.
"Okay. Ellie replied, surprised that she managed to calm down.
"You can ask me directly." Lea spoke suddenly, lifting her head. Her eyes burned with a sudden flame which instantly diminished, replaced by neutrality.
"Okay." Ellie said coldly, approaching the woman, "What do you want with him? What is he to you?"
Lea looked away once again, she was afraid, "I will speak only to Ben Walker."
"I will ask again," Ellie tried another route, "and I won't repeat myself again. You understand? What do you want with Ben?"
"I will only speak to…" the woman was stopped midway through the sentence when Ellie leaned the barrel of Joel's revolver on her forehead. Maria shouted at her from the side, reaching out for her arm.
"Stay back, Maria!" Ellie ordered angrily, wanting to slap the woman for her inability to get the information out of Lea, "I'll handle this on my own, since you couldn't!"
Lea's lips moved rapidly and whispers were coming out of her mouth, words incomprehensible to Ellie. On a first listening, it sounded like a prayer. You better pray, Ellie wished to say out loud, gripping the revolver tightly in her right hand. Lea was shaking, her widened green eyes staring up at the cold barrel of the revolver before she shut them down completely, continuing to pray in the dark. Ellie's finger was gliding along the trigger, applying the pressure, ready to pull. But she was uncertain. Whether she was able to really kill her or not. She wanted to intimidate the woman, but she never expected she'd actually get to this part. Nora flashed in her mind, for it was quite a similar situation. Ellie was interrogating her to find out Abby's location, only this time she was looking for Ben. She was a different person back then. Back then, she'd inflict so much pain and suffering without a second thought. Now…
"Kill me." Lea said something audible at last, her voice shaking and tears rolling down her cheeks, "I will only speak to Ben Walker. If that's not- oh, God! They have his sister! That blonde girl, Emma… Emily, what's her name? They have her!"
Ellie still held the revolver up, but she was frozen. What did this woman say just now? Maria was back on her feet, her expression shocked just as Ellie's.
"What did you just say?" Ellie asked, pressing the revolver harder against her head, "What did you just say?! What the fuck have you done?"
"Lea," Maria said over Ellie's shoulder, "Where are you holding her? Tell us, right now!"
Lea's legs gave out and she glided down the wall on her falling down on her knees. Burying her face in her hands, she started crying loudly, weeping with every next breath, "They came in the night, those people," she said in-between weeps, "They threatened us, killed some for example. Said they wanted to create a diversion at the dam, to hunch you into thinking that we're responsible…"
"What the hell are you talking about, Lea?" Maria knelt next to her, holding her had up by the chin, "You can talk to us."
"T-t-they want Ben Walker, said his past has caught up to him."
"They? Who are they, Lea?"
"Washington Liberation Front." Ellie replied before the Gypsy woman, somehow knowing she was right, "It's them. They came for him." His past caught up to him?, Ellie thought with spite, gritting her teeth. Will he ever get a fucking break? Isn't his past catching up to him all this time? First Tom, then Seattle and now this? They got Emily? Oh, Ben…
"What'd he do to them?" looking upward, Maria asked her. But Ellie was unsure what to say. She didn't know the truth, she could only guess.
She shrugged, "I don't know. I know he did something when he escaped."
"Please," Lea begged, holding her hands together as if she was praying, "You need to get Ben Walker to them, or they will kill us all. They have his sis-"
"I heard it the first time." Ellie cut her off, cursing under her breath. What was she to do to make this right? Freeing Emily seemed a priority for a second, but the horde… She had to think about everyone, not just Emily. This is getting worse by the minute! There had to be something she could do. Prepare the defenses for the horde and send someone to get Emily? Who would even want to do that? Everyone would rather defend their families than go after Emily. William would go, but Ellie needed him at the settlement. He was the town blacksmith and everyone needed him.
"Ellie?"
She twitched back to reality when Maria called her name, "Yeah?"
"You okay?"
Following the question, Ellie suddenly felt as if the walls had shrunk into themselves, depraving her of oxygen. She needed a breath of fresh air or she'd get sick if she stayed one moment longer than necessary. "Tend to her, Maria. I'm going to help others set up the defenses."
"What about Emily? William can't know, Ellie. He'll rush after her."
Ellie nodded, "I know. I'll have to think about it. I'll come back later and you'll tell me everything, Lea. Understand?"
The woman nodded her head absently, sobbing and wiping her nose. With an approving nod, Ellie made her way towards the door but stopped halfway to glance back at Maria, "People are counting on you too, Maria. We need you, remember that."
Maria looked away with a frown. The look in her eyes revealed that she was disturbed and worried, and Ellie could bet a thousand things were rumbling inside her troubled mind.
"Ellie, I'm… fine." said the leader of Jackson with a stern look in her eyes, "I am fine."
She wanted to storm out and slum the doors shut on her way out. But she didn't. It was a battle on many fronts, and she had to win every single one, "I know it hurts, Maria. It does. Like whole hell. It hurt me when Joel died, it still does. When the pain comes my brain makes a million excuses to cave in, and I need only one. One excuse, Maria. One excuse to give up. But I don't, and you wanna know why?" Her eyes watered briefly on the mention of Joel's name and a reminder that he was still gone, "Because I have responsibilities, to this settlement and people that live in it. I'm fighting so hard against everything that's thrown against me. Loss of the people I love, the way I lost sight of myself in Seattle, now this shit too. And not only that, Maria. There's PTSD, depression, nightmares and constant fear that I will lose everyone and really be alone." She wasn't aware of the tears that rolled down her cheeks, "I don't wanna lose you too, Maria. I hate to see you like this, but you have to get a grip of yourself and pick up the slack. You're our leader and we need you." Everyone had trouble of their own, and there was no excuse for neglecting the responsibility, especially the one of being a leader of the whole community. "Just remember that before you drink yourself to death." Ellie didn't know what kind of look Maria gave her when she turned her back to her and walked outside, but she knew for certain that she wasn't in the wrong. The cold wind from the north dried her tears fast and she made her way back towards the walls. The night had long since fallen but there was no time to spare. She had a job to do, and she didn't intend on failing.
x
The northern wind traveled south fast, carrying the chill of the world with all its might. The world covered with a white blanket was now shrouded by darkness of the night and had vastly gone to sleep. But there were those who didn't. A man named Clay, wearing colored clothes lied down on the snow, crawling and leaving red trail of blood behind him. His screams were silent and the chances of escape were non-existent. That slash across his back was painful, he could not walk anymore. Crying bloody tears, Clay stopped and looked around himself, at other people in colored clothes. Some of them were real Gypsies, some were intruders. Yet they still wore same clothes altogether. Not all of them were nailed to the trees, yet some were. What kind of monster could do this? A pair of hands forcefully turned him on his back and a silhouette of a man picked him up, strong arms picking him up effortlessly. A man that held him was more a giant than a man. He could not see his face.
Clay was still crying, trying to gather enough breath to speak, "Please.. I'm.. I'm.. jus- I'm just a Gypsy, we never hurt anyone. Please, mercy.."
He wanted to scream when he realized he was next in the line. Clay glanced at others lined up on the trees for a mere second before he started scratching and punching the giant, but to no avail. "Please! I didn't do anything! I swear I didn't!"
Fifteen others were nailed to the trees. Some were his friends, but most of them were intruders. Arms above their heads, they were nailed to the trees through their palms and left to hang, losing enough blood to die, but not too fast. It was a horrible death. No one deserved such death. Even though the intruders weren't deserving of the attires they wore, attires they took by force, Clay certainly felt pity for them. No one deserved such fate. No one. And now he was going to die too.
"Why?" Clay asked when he was set against the tree, his arms pulled up above his head, feeling the eyes of the others on him. "Why are you doing this?"
He could not see the giant's face, but he could feel the rage and hatred radiating outwards. Suddenly, the giant tossed him aside in the snow, next to two others that were spared. Those two were his childhood friends.
"We're after those that were after us." His voice was canyon, "There are no innocents. Tell that to your people and those you call intruders. Tell them what awaits them."
With that, giant stood up and walked off in silence, followed by his insane followers, disappearing in the darkness. Clay was crying. He was sad, confused, and remorseful. What did they do to deserve such fate?
