Chapter 44

Sins of the Past

A bleary-eyed pine marten dragged his footpaws through the woods, silently returning to the ship without so much of a sound. Marlus broke down and held Kajiir's body a couple of hours ago, but it only truly set in now what had just happened.

Kajiir was gone. Forever. They would never see them again.

Marlus hugged his arms to his chest and whimpered. Strangely, despite working for a bounty hunter, Marlus never considered the possibility that something could happen to him or his friends. Sure, the work was dangerous, but Tiviko was different. He cared for them and made sure everybeast was safe, so why did Kajiir have to…?

Marlus wiped the tears from his face and whined. His head felt like it was going to explode. So many "what-ifs" and "why-couldn't-I's" flooded his mind as he trodded back to the ship, but the thought that prevailed the most was a simple, yet damning one: "This is all my fault." It was Marlus' decision to break off from what they were told to chase after the prisoners, it was their idea to keep going even after everyone else told him it was a bad one, and Kajiir wouldn't have followed him if he wasn't so adamant about going through with this plan. There were no mincing words. Kajiir died because of him.

Marlus sniffed and grimaced as tears formed in his eyes. He paused, wiping his face when he heard rustling to his left. He turned. Was Miena still nearby? No matter who it was, something spurred him to investigate regardless. He dragged his footpaws along the ground and rounded a corner to find a familiar beast. Marlus' eyes widened. If the fact he was a hare didn't give his identity away, the green vest and hood did.

Durkfor Ventultro turned, ears twitching with confusion as he saw Marlus. The two stared at each other, neither saying a word when Durkfor's eyes widened. "Wait, ya have to-!"

Marlus was tackled to the ground. The pine marten screamed as something heavy pinned him down, pressing its sharp claws against his chest as he struggled to escape. A deep, guttural laugh filled the air as Marlus kicked and clawed whatever was above him. It was futile. Marlus shut his eyes as the monster raised its claws.

"Borsen, stop! Get offa him, please!" Durkfor screamed. The weight was pulled off of Marlus' body as Borsen Stonetail let himself be dragged away by Durkfor. The otter chuckled giddily and eyed the marten like a hawk as Durkfor crouched next to him. "I'm so sorry, if I saw ya sooner, I would've told Borsen to stand down. Are ya alright?"

It took a moment for Marlus to process that he was talking to him, and for some reason, the question stuck out to him like a signal fire. Are you alright? When was the last time someone had asked him that? He stared at Durkfor, unsure how to respond. While Durkfor waited for an answer, Marlus dug deeper into his memories. Who was the last beast to ask? It was Tiviko, right? It had to be… no, the last time he heard that was a few weeks ago when he choked on a piece of tack and Ayers punched his back to get it out. Kajiir asked that question, but in that dry, jokey tone they used whenever they were making fun of Marlus. At the time, the pine marten was pissed, but thinking about it again made his throat tighten. Marlus shuddered and whimpered. Durkfor's eyes widened. "Woah, woah, I didn't mean to make ya cry! What's wrong?"

Marlus hiccuped, glaring at the hare. "Kaj is dead, that's what's wrong!" He spat. "I'm such an idiot, why did I bring 'em out here wit' me? They'd still be alive if it weren't for me, why the hell am I like this? I can't do anythin' right!"

Durkfor frowned gravely and glanced at Borsen. The otter seemed to have gotten bored and sat on the grass. He shook his head dismissively and turned back to the pine marten. Durkfor rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I didn't know, uh, Kaj, but I don't think they would've gone along with ya if they didn't think ya could do somethin'."

Marlus scowled at Durkfor. "Why are you talkin' to me like you care? The only reason you're even alive is 'cause o' that otter who's always chasin' your tail."

Durkfor drew back, flustered. "What the-?! We don't like each other like that!"

Marlus scoffed. "Uh-huh? Why do you even like him, then, huh? Why… why are you stickin' 'round him when he's just a massive pain in the tail?" He prodded the hare's chest. "Don't tell me you care about him and don' wanna see him hurt himself, 'cause I swear to God, I'll crack a hole in your skull," he threatened through angry tears.

"Where did that come from?" Durkfor murmured. "I just wanna help."

"Well, how abou'cha stop, huh?" Marlus spat. "Because there's nothing you can do to help. You're not even supposed to be here. Don'cha realise how screwed up this is? I'm here to kill your friends. You're here 'cause of a fluke. Why is it always you, anyway?! This is like our third meeting! Nothing's real and you shouldn't care 'bout me. All I've ever done was screw things up for other beasts an' th'only one willin' to put up wit' that is Tiv."

Durkfor's ears lowered. "Is that so? Why are you alone?"

"'Cause I'm a dumbass who makes things worse for everyone around me." Marlus threw his paws in the air and snarled. "Why am I even tellin' you this? 'Tis not like you can do anythin' to help. You're just a fat, spineless, moron who was too stupid to realise his lover was screwed up too, what the hell could'ja do for me? You literally haven' done anythin' to help anyone."

"Not lovers." Durkfor cautiously added, "However, if it makes ya feel better, if I'm that much of a coward, ya could tell me anythin' ya want and I'd never tell anyone else. Like ya said, I haven't done anythin'."

Marlus gazed at Durkfor with a shaky scowl. After a moment, he looked left and right before hesitantly continuing. "What about me is worth savin'? I'd just be a loser if it weren' for Tiv. But Kaj… why'd they care so much? I did nothin' but treat 'em like trash but they still wanted to help me like they were gettin' somethin' out of it, but they weren'. They were helpin' me just 'cause they wanted to. I don' get it. Hell, why do I care this much? They didn' even like bein' here anyways. They were always so damn annoyin' treatin' me like a kid, but…"

Durkfor tilted his head. "Did Kaj…?"

Marlus whimpered. "I don' get it. They shouldn't've cared 'bout me. No one ever does. Tiv's the only one stupid enough to do so. But…" The pine marten coughed and glanced at their shivering palms. "Kaj wanted me to stay wit' 'em. I… they used their last words to warn me. No, it couldn't've been that. They uh… they told me to get away from Tiv an' that nothin' good'll come from me stayin' wit' him. I can' leave Tiv. He's all I have. But Kaj looked so… serious. I don' wanna… ignore their last words, but I don' know what I can do."

Durkfor's ears flattened as he watched the pine marten slowly break down, all the confidence and bravado from their previous meetings shattering and revealing what was inside. "Sounds like Kaj really cared about'cha."

"They don'! They couldn'!" Marlus screamed. Durkfor flinched and covered his ears. "Why the hell aren'cha listenin'?! I'm nothin' but a loser an' I wouldn' have a future if it weren' for Tiv. What is there to care about?!"

Durkfor stared grimly at the marten. "There's… always somethin'."

"Right, I'm talkin' to the beast who's in love wit' Borsen."

"No, I mean, there must've been somethin' they saw in ya. But even then, what do ya think 'bout them? Even if Kaj didn't care, didn't the time they spent with ya feel like it meant somethin'?"

Marlus stared at Durkfor with tired eyes. "Aye," he admitted. "I liked bein' 'round 'em. Not more than Tiv, but…" the pine marten trailed off. When he thought about the time spent with Kajiir compared to the time spent with Tiviko, he realised that he didn't know Tiviko that well at all. He knew Kajiir was a contract killer even before Tiviko hired them, they were born in summer, their favourite food was these strawberry pastries they stole once, they liked spending their time alone doing maintenance on their weapons, grew up with two sisters, dated another ferret once until it turned out he only did because they had money, and more. It made Marlus feel prickly thinking about how much Tiviko knew about him when he could barely bring up one interesting fact about the wildcat. Of course, it didn't mean much on its own, but Kajiir knew a lot about him when he thought about it. Even if Marlus didn't believe they were close, it felt important anyway.

Marlus shut his eyes with a sigh. Did Kajiir really believe he could live without Tiviko? If there was one thing Marlus learned during his entire employment for the wildcat, it was that there wasn't much he could do on his own. "I know you barely know me, but from what'cha know, do you think I could survive alone? Without Tiv, I mean?" He kept his eyes shut. He didn't want to know if Durkfor was lying to preserve his feelings or not.

Durkfor hesitated. "From the few meetings we've had, I think ya could. Ya seem scrappy enough to do so."

Marlus opened his eyes. He almost expected to be staring back at Kajiir again, but it was still Durkfor here. The marten twirled his thumbs together before slowly standing up. He eyed Durkfor apologetically and muttered, "Um, you didn' gotta take the time to talk, an' I dunno why you did, but… thanks." Marlus shuffled awkwardly and turned. "I'm gonna think on some stuff for a bit. Bye, hare."

"See ya later." Durkfor waved. Marlus buried his paws in his cloak pockets and walked off. Durkfor watched the marten vanish past the trees and just like that, he was gone as quick as he came. Durkfor sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt off of his pants. "Hope ya find what'cha need," he muttered uncomfortably. Even though he didn't know him, all Durkfor could think about was whether or not Marlus would move forward from this. The entire conversation reminded him of the few he had with Art after Ravi died, and considering what almost happened with Art, well, Durkfor was worried.

I bet there's gonna be a lotta conversations like that when this is all over. I don't want to have to explain to Thaddeus and Farshawn's friends and family what happened to them, not to mention the other prisoners who might not have anybeast to tell their loved ones what happened. For all they know, they just vanished one day and never came back. I wonder if they're going to end up like Art. He just… gave up for a bit. Actually, I think he still has. I know 'tis only been a season, but Art doesn't seem to be gettin' better. Dear Martin. I don't even know what needs to be done anymore.

Durkfor sighed defeatedly and sat in silence. He stared at the lush vegetation swaying around him until he heard a familiar giggling. The hare grimaced as he remembered who he was with. Durkfor looked over to see Borsen sitting on the grass, grinning wolfishly and scratching his bicep with a claw. He giggled to himself, and Durkfor didn't want to know what he was thinking of. Odds are that he'd hate it. Borsen noticed the hare's gaze and turned. "Oh, yer done talkin' to the marten? Nice. Hey, Durk, mind if I ask ye some questions?"

"Aye, sure," Durkfor sighed.

Borsen's grin widened. "Can ye tell me a bit more about the mountain hare, Ahlrath? What's he like?"

Durkfor grimaced. Borsen's tone reminded Durkfor of a child asking about a toy, but he knew what Borsen really wanted here. "Well… he's a bit stern. Pretty nice from what I've seen of him, though."

"Nah, I don't mean that, I mean, what's he look like? How strong is he? I didn't really get to see him that well back on the ship, he sat in the front, far away from the door. Looked like a real powerhouse, though. Big arms and chest," he reminisced.

"Why are ya askin'?" Durkfor whined. "Ya know I don't like this."

"I just wanna know what I'm up against," Borsen smiled. "We met only briefly at the tower, but ooooh boy, did he know how to throw a punch. I know he could've strangled me to death with those big paws of his. I want to see him again so bad, ye don't understand." Durkfor grimaced as he glanced at Borsen's quivering paws. The otter unconsciously buried his claws deep into his arms, shivering as blood trickled down his fur.

Durkfor ignored the blood and shook his head. "I don't wanna tell ya."

"Durk, please?" Borsen plead. "Think of it as bein' prepared, it'll be better fer the both of us if I know who we're fightin'."

"Ya already know, ya've fought him once-"

"And I need more!" Borsen whined, his eye wide with desire. "Do ye know the last time I've met somebeast as strong as him? Never! Fightin' him would be the best thing I'd ever experience! Just one more fight, please, I need to go paw-to-paw with him again. I want to do so many things wit' him I've only ever dreamed about."

Durkfor grimaced and walked closer to Borsen. "Mate, just be careful, I don't want ya to die."

Borsen nodded. "Uh-huh, aye, but imagine if I did-"

"Borsen!"

"I'm sayin' 'if', if I died, I could think of no better way to go out! Somebeast like him would be a dream to fight. Goin' down slowly, beating away each other's strength bit by bit until we can barely stand, either I land one last blow so I can get my teeth on his neck and-"

"Borsen, enough!" Durkfor snarled and gripped Borsen's shoulders. To his surprise, Borsen stopped and looked at him. Durkfor regretted it since he could now clearly see the gleam in Borsen's right eye, the bandage wrapped over the other, how intense the otter's body was shaking, and his heaving chest that was (hopefully) from his multiple injuries. Durkfor shuddered. Borsen looked more alive than he had his entire life, but was he even still a beast by this point? He searched the otter's eyes for any kind of familiarity, but all he found was a monster eagerly searching for its next prey. Durkfor slowly pulled his paws away. Was the Borsen that he had known and taken care of for over ten seasons still in there? Was he even real in the first place, or was that just what Borsen was pretending to be? "I'm already feelin' awful about helpin' ye track down the other prisoners, so can ya stop bein' creepy and talkin' about Ahlrath like you're tryin' to bed him? Dear Martin, you're freakin' me out, please stop," Durkfor whimpered.

"Sorry Durk," Borsen said, his voice still twinged with excitement. "But I can't help-"

"Shut it, no more but's."

"Why? 'Tis not like he's around to hear this."

"Aye? Well, I am," Durkfor said. "Can ya just promise me if… ya do fight him, ya stay safe and try to get it done quickly?"

Borsen giggled, irritating Durkfor further. "Have ya seen his body? Ye want me not to go all out on that?"

"Borsen!"

"Fine, I won't," he answered dismissively. "Besides, if him leavin' me when things got too dire are any indication, he's not interested in fightin', which is a shame wit' a build like that. 'Tis not like anyone can stop him if he decides to run. He's fast and got nice legs-"

"Stop."

"I'm just sayin', if we want him to stay, we need to give him some motivation…" Borsen trailed off as he looked up at Durkfor. The hare's face widened as realisation dawned on him.

"Ya don't mean to…"

Borsen grinned. "Did Ahlrath seem close with anybeast in particular?"

Durkfor's head felt light as he realised what Borsen was implying. "Aye…"

"Who?" Borsen desperately asked.

Durkfor gulped. "T- Toran. The otter kid I told ya about before. Ahlrath really cares about him and said he needs to get off the island no matter what-" Borsen lunged and hugged Durkfor tightly. "Woah, Borsen," he said with a chuckle. Some of his apprehension evaporated into pride as he felt Borsen pull him close. It almost felt as if the otter was back to normal.

And then he felt Borsen's sharp claws tap his back. Durkfor whimpered and felt guilty. Yeah, he was going to Hellgates for sure.

"Durkfor, thank you! I know exactly how we're gonna get Ahlrath to stay and fight!" The otter giggled and lightly dragged a claw across Durkfor's back. "I can feel him already. I'll tell ye the specifics later. Fer now, just help me track down the kid first, and then Ahlrath is mine."

Durkfor's ears drooped with shame. He nodded slowly and forced out a chuckle. "Aye, no problem, Borsen. Just be careful, alright?"

"Sure," Borsen hastily agreed. "Come on, I wanna hurry."

"'Tis not like they're goin' anywhere," Durkfor said bitterly.

Borsen giggled and patted Durkfor on the back. "I know," he practically cooed.

Where did everything go wrong?

Was it when she decided to stick with Art, the very beast who tore a hole in her stomach a few minutes ago? Or was it when she agreed to help Marlus, who was trying to kill every prisoner except for her?

No, what if it was before she even came to the island? Was it when she decided to meet a client, only for it to be Tiviko, who then kidnapped her? Maybe it was even before that when she took the job as Queen Kamirus' tailor? No, that couldn't be it. There was no way she would regret that. Then again, would she even be here if not for that?

Yos Peonymaid's breath hitched as she lay on the ground. It hadn't even been half an hour since Art had slashed her, and she cursed him for not finishing her off. Most of all, she was terrified. Terrified and in pain. So much pain. Art must not have severed anything vital, or else she would certainly be dead by now. Not that she would've recognised this. She was in too much pain to really think about it.

Where did it all go wrong? Had she done something to deserve this? True, she hadn't been the most virtuous person, but it's not like anyone was. Everyone had their vices, and everyone had their sins. She hadn't done anything horribly wrong compared to everyone else around her. All she did was befriend the right beasts, and those beasts happened to come out on top when disaster and infighting inevitably struck. It wasn't her fault that she had talent, though it came to bite her in the end anyway by sending her here. All she did was take advantage of what she was given. What was the crime in that? It was survival of the fittest, and although she wasn't strong, she made up for it in other ways. It applied back home and here as well, so she didn't deserve this in the first place.

As her vision blurred, she faintly saw two shapes approach her. One was large and white while the second was shorter and purple. One of them said something while the other responded in a familiar voice.

Why was she the one lying in the dirt while others looked down on her? How did it all go wrong? Did she even do anything? Or did she just happen to be close to someone important? Her life flashed before her eyes as she searched for an answer, but all it revealed was that she was unlucky. That was it. Sure, she knew that befriending the (then) heir was dangerous, but she never could've guessed it would've led her to this end. In her eyes, through no fault of her own, the past had bound her here for reasons that she could never have predicted. She still did nothing wrong.

One of the voices asked a question. It was a simple one, something many beasts had probably heard in their life. "What happened?" In the fog that began to cloud her mind, she had enough clarity to realise that this was it. In her last moments, she could get revenge. The squirrel that killed her got it, so it wouldn't be wrong for her to take it, too.

Mustering up all her strength, she uttered a single sentence: "It was the squirrel." That was all.

Shortly after that, she fell unconscious and died of blood loss a few minutes after that. In the end, despite the privileges she was granted, Yos Peonymaid ended up like all the other bodies on the island.

Life is unfair, isn't it?

Ahlrath Palaechia and Gurnilal Speareye watched as life seeped away from Yos in grim silence. Gurnilal stepped away in thought while Ahlrath looked on with concern. Gurnilal sighed and muttered, "So, she ended up dyin' after all. I can' say I didn' expect this, but still, how'd this even happen?"

Gurnilal looked at Ahlrath for his input, but all she saw was the mountain hare's troubled face. He shook his head. "She said 'squirrel', aye?"

"Uh-huh. Are we thinkin' o' th'same one?"

Ahlrath nodded. "There ain' nobody else it could be."

Gurnilal didn't know what to think. On one paw, what very little she'd seen of Art didn't paint him in a good light. Not to mention, what could Yos even have done to deserve his wrath? All she could remember about her was that she kept to herself. How did Yos of all beasts manage to anger him enough for him to kill her? Then again, Art was very tetchy when they met.

"We need tae find him," Ahlrath said gravely.

Gurnilal looked up. "Why? What's happenin'?"

The mountain hare glanced at a few drops of blood and wasted no time following it. "Same thing that happened tae me," he said cryptically. "And ah ain't lettin' it happen again. Lord, ah shouldnae've left him alone. Kid's just gonna lash out at everyone, an ah mean everyone, either 'till we're all dead or he is. Let's hurry, if the vole was still alive when we got here, he has tae be nearby."

"Oh," Gurnilal responded. "But what about Crookedfang an' Toran?"

"Whaddya think's gonna happen tae Crookedfang if Art finds 'em?"

"… Fair point."

Ahlrath nodded and hurried off without a word. Gurnilal felt worry creep up her spine as she watched how hastily Ahlrath was moving. She would've understood the urgency if he was alarmed at Yos' body, but he hardly treated the vole with much importance and seemed more concerned with finding Art than what he had done.

Meanwhile, Ahlrath was mortified. Many seasons ago, he made a dangerous mistake. Now, it was happening to someone else, and he didn't notice it sooner. He still wanted to find Toran, but if Art was nearby, he needed to stop him.

Ahlrath looked up at the sky as his determination solidified. Putting aside his confusion of what spurred Art to follow this path since he didn't seem that close with Midwyng, he realised he still had time to change the outcome.

Tiviko had taken somebeast away from Art, just like he had to Ahlrath.

Art was currently driven on a path of bloody, seething revenge, just like Ahlrath.

Art had pushed away everybeast that could have helped him, just like Ahlrath.

For Ahlrath, it all ended in ruin. He had no one left to care for, many beasts roaring for his head, crying for the lives he had ended, and all the anger he had burned him out until all he had left to rely on was his strength.

But now? Things could be different. He could make up for the mistakes he made. He could finally break the cycle. His past taught him a deadly lesson, and he would make sure Art didn't end up the same way he did.