One: Let's go home

It snowed the day of Nod's mother's funeral. The flakes fell large and slow, and Nod stood out in it long after the other mourner had left, staring at his parents' graves, side by side in the cold earth.

A part of him had known when his mother had gotten sick that she wouldn't make it through the winter. She had never really recovered from his father's death. Her grief had undone her, and even when she had managed to piece a bit of herself back together, she had been fragile, more a ghost than a person. The queen had tried to heal her, but there was only so much she could do for someone who was mostly gone anyway.

He supposed that should make him sad, but most of him just felt numb. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, the part of him that wasn't numb was relieved. It had been hard living with a ghost, and he hoped it was better for her now.

He didn't know where he would go or what he would do. He had grown up wanting to be a Leafman, but he wasn't old enough to enlist yet, and his nearest relative was a two day journey from Moonhaven. He didn't blame his cousin for not coming to the funeral. Travel was hard in winter, and his twins were too young to travel and his wife too far along with their third to leave alone.

Nod was alone now though, and maybe that was better. No ghosts lurking at his back, and no funerals looming up in front of him. Maybe that would be easier, less painful, safer.

His fingers were numb from the cold, and it had seeped through his coat, sinking gradually through the cotton seed lining to settle in his chest. It was better to be numb than to hurt, wasn't it?

Ronin's arm dropped heavy and warm around his shoulders, and Nod unconsciously turned into him, breathed in the familiar smell of sword polish and steel. It was warm tucked against his side, and Nod started to shiver.

"Come on kiddo," Ronin murmured softly into his hair, arm secure around him, "let's go home."

Author's note: I'm working on the assumption that only queens dissolve into sparkly pixie dust when they die. Everyone else needs a place to be laid to rest.

I have to say that even though this chapter was the shortest, it's also my favorite. It was actually the second or third chapter that I wrote. I hope everyone else likes it as much, and thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this story and to everyone who has reviewed it.