Chapter 6

It was sundown when Saul finally got back to the inn where he stayed the night before. Saul walked slowly since his mind was directed at only one thing: Leaving Gravis and Roland to their fates. He tried to warn them about Callisto and her apparent resurrection, but they want to hold on to the belief that the she was dead. He went to the front desk and waited for the innkeeper. Saul put this head in his hands and his elbows on the counter-top.

"Back so soon?" Alanna said as she came down the stairs behind him. "I was thinking I wouldn't see you again for another month."

Saul turned around and looked at Alanna coming towards him. His face was void of any emotion. "I must ask you something important." He replied as he reached out and held Alanna by her shoulders. "If I asked you to do something for me, would you?"

This took Alanna by surprise and she took a long pause. "I . . . Well, I guess . . .But why? What is going on?"

"I am tired, Alanna." Saul said in a low tone. "I have had enough."

"I see." Alanna grinned and spoke in a non-trusting and sarcastic tone. "So, in other words, you and Gravis had another fight and you want spend a few days away from him. Right?"

Saul released Alanna and took a pause. He realized that Alanna knew him very well. Whenever Saul and Gravis would fight, he would talk to Alanna about it, spend a day or two with her and then go back with the group. On any other day, that might have been the case, however, today was different. Callisto killed Darius after being dead for a year, Roland could have been the next target, and Gravis refused to believe him.

"That would have probably been true not too long ago." Saul answered. "But not today."

Alanna was going to rebut and tell him that she was not going with him this time, but she paused after hearing what he said. She looked into his eyes and saw sincerity. Her mouth opened and she stopped breathing. She couldn't even blink because she feared if she did, that he would never come back.

About two miles outside of town, in a small, grassy clearing, there burns a camp fire as Gravis and Roland prepare the burial of Darius. Gravis stands over the open grave with Darius's sword and Roland stands next to Gravis with a jug of ale given to him by the tavern keeper. It was all for a ritual performed only one other time. The burial ritual was performed for Gravis' late brother, Aaron.

"We were once a strong five." spoke Gravis mournfully as he looked at the hole in the ground. He then took the jug of ale and drank from it. He handed it to Roland and he did the same. Gravis then took the sword and looked at it carefully as if it was gold in his hand. "Now we are just two." Gravis turned to Darius's body and placed the sword on top of his body. It seemed to fit perfectly as it sat on top of his body. Gravis then went to the head part of Darius's stretcher and signaled Roland to pick up the foot part. They moved the body into the open hole and laid it in gently as if it were made of glass. The hole was about four feet deep so there was no problem for them to get out. Roland took the jug of ale and poured it into the grave. He then took some oil from another jug given to him by the tavern keeper and poured all of it in. Gravis picked up a piece of wood from the fire and lit the end of it.

"Goodbye, old friend." Gravis spoke. He dropped the torch into the grave and the fire on the piece of wood quickly spread. Gravis and Roland stepped back to avoid the flames. The fire in the grave grew higher than the grave itself. Roland could not speak although he wanted to. His heart was heavy with pain. There was so much he wanted to tell Darius but now he will never get to tell him. Gravis felt the same but he could not show it. He was afraid that it would show weakness. He was, after all, he was the leader of their group. Gravis turned away from the fire and started packing up his supplies.

"Roland, I'm heading back to the inn." Gravis said with authority. "See you there, right?"

"Yeah, I will meet you there later." Roland answered. "After I have finished closing the grave."

Gravis looked back at Roland as he continued to watch the fire rage in the grave they took all day digging and preparing. He knew that it was probably not the best idea to stay out in the forest, but Roland and Darius were close and he wanted to respect Roland's wish.

"Fine." Gravis answered uneasily. Gravis got the last of his things and headed towards the inn. Unknown to any of them, in a tree almost 20 feet away from the grave, the dark and ominous crow sat and watched. If the crow was watching, Callisto was watching. This time, however, Callisto was not in her old hut, she was hiding behind the same tree the crow sat in.

"What's different about today?" Alanna whispered. Alanna and Saul were in the room where he stayed last night. They both sat on the end of the bed facing each other holding hands. Saul grinned because he realized he said the right words. He wanted to prove it in actions but nothing he thought of seemed to be good enough.

"Watch this." Saul said as took Alanna out of the room, down the stairs and back to the counter where he saw Alanna's father waiting for him. His name was Thomas. He was 5' 5", balding, short, gray hair on the sides of his head, plump body and stubby legs. His former life was as bloody as Saul's own, if not bloodier. Former soldier, he left the guard to marry Alanna's mother and run her family's inn. If you didn't know different, you would have said he was not in anyway related to Alanna. Saul removed his weapons placed them on the counter in front of him. He then removed his armor and also placed it in front Thomas.

"Sir, you said that the day I leave that group, you would allow me the honor of your daughter's hand in marriage." Saul spoke with pride. Thomas looked at Saul with confusion. He remembers telling Saul those words, but could not figure out why. "Today, I leave that life behind me and wish to live another life. A life away from the....the battles." Saul wanted to choose his words carefully not wanting to frighten Alanna and discourage her father. "I wish for you to believe me, therefore, I present to you my weapons and armor as proof of my new choice."

Alanna's eyes brightened as she covered her mouth with both hands. Thomas looked down at the offering presented to him and looked pleased as if he were a god himself recieving that offering. This was definitely not like the other times. She could not believe what she heard. Saul stood straight up in front of Thomas who watched the armor and weapons on the counter. He looked up at the confident man before him at shook his head in approval. It seemed like an eternity before Thomas uttered a single word. Alanna and Saul both waited for his response.

"I was going to offer you a room for the night, Saul." Thomas finally spoke. "But instead, you wish to marry my daughter. What will you do for work?"

"I could work for you, sir." Saul answered. "You do need help running the business here and I can do it."

"Indeed." Thomas replied. "Well then, if my daughter will have you..."

"I will! I will!" Alanna interrupted as she gave Saul the largest hug he had ever received.

"Thank you, sir." Saul said as he reached out and shook Thomas' hand with a smile. In Thomas' eyes, it seemed like history repeating itself. He just hoped that Saul's business was truly done and that he did not need the weapons and armor anymore. While the two young ones celebrated, Thomas moved his offering behind the counter. He wanted it nearby just in case his fear that it wasn't all over for Saul came true.

Roland sat on the ground crossing his legs Indian stlye and continued to look into the fire as it burned. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out some beads with a bear claw set as its centerpiece. It was Aaron's choker. A gift from his older brother, Gravis. After they buried Aaron, Gravis wanted to burn it with his body, but Roland took it and kept it as a reminder of the past. Gravis never knew that Roland had it, and Roland never told Gravis. Roland looked down at the claw and began to rub it with his right thumb and index finger. He seemed ready to jump into the flames himself instead of feeling the pain of loss, but the beads reminded him that ending his life in such a manner was not an option. He had to stay with Gravis as Aaron wanted to. To be a brother for him.

Roland to a deep breath and put the beads back around his pocket. As he looked up into the flames, he saw what looked like a figure walking towards the flames. The heat from the flames seemed to bend reality and made it hard to make out the figure. It looked feminine in shape, slim, yellowish hair, leather-ring armor, but the face was very pale. As the figure got closer, the gases from Darius' body caused the flames to blow higher and into the sky. Roland covered his face with his forearm and looked away. When he looked back at the flames, the figure was gone. Was it the fire playing tricks on his eyes? The fumes causing a hallucination? Whatever the case, next feeling was undeniable. Roland felt two hands on his shoulders pressing him down as if to say don't move. Frozen in fear, Roland stopped moving to the point he almost stopped breathing.

"Guess who?" The feminine voice behind him playfully said.

Roland recognized the voice right away but refused to believe it true. He was the one who buried Callisto after the job. He remembers her lifeless eyes looking up at him as he shoveled the dirt onto her corpse. From the contact with him, Callisto saw his part in her death and burial. And the grin on her face got wider and more sadistic.

"You're………you're dead….." Roland uttered in confusion and fear.

"Yes." Callisto said playfully. "Yes, I am. What does that make you?"