Destroyed

Kris sits at his camp, he watches the fire silently with his sword leaning on his shoulder. He hears movement and stands up immediately, he looks to see a man cloaked in brown, covered in mud and bandages. Kris arches his brow “If you’re going to rob me. Then save yourself the trouble, I don’t have anything of worth.” The man stared at him with a frown “you’re...Kristophor right?” Kris lowered his sword “Yes, I am. Why.” The man falls to his knees “I’m one of Aghirs men..” tears begin to fall from his face. Kris almost drops his sword “Mai. Where is Mai.” The man cried sofltly, Kris threw his sword down and walked over, he sent a slap into the man’s head and lifted him by his cloak “I said where is Mai Dulock!” The man stared helplessly at him “Aghir died in the attack..a lot of us did. We didn’t expect the ambush.” Kris swung him and slammed him back first into a tree “If the next words out of your mouth aren’t about Mai, i’m going to break you!” He yelled. The man cried more “Kristophor, we failed. She was stuck by arrows.” Kris slowly released him, the man fell and cried “Aghir tried to save her, we all did but we couldn’t!” The man stood up and placed his hands on Kris “Please! Forgive me! I failed you, I failed your brother, I failed Aghir and I failed her!” The man was hysterical, Kris stared down at him. Kris’s expression was unreadable, his eyes wide. Kris sent a punch into the man’s gut and when the man doubled over, he kicked the side of his head sending the man falling. The man coughed and cried. Kris walked over and looked down at him “Where.” The man spoke between cries “Near trestlebridge.” Kris reached down and grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted him “You run from here. Don’t you dare come back.” Kris dropper The man and the man got up and limped quickly away. Kris watched as he left. He stood there and stared at where the man left. His gaze was emotionaless and cold as usual until suddenly, he felt weak and fell to his knees. A rush came over him and he pulled his mask down trying to catch his breath. He felt tears begin to fall and he leaned forward and rested his forehead on the dirt. He let out a yell as the tears fell. He slammed his fists into the ground. He cried for the first time in years. He finally relented and looked at the ground. Slowly he stood and grabbed his sword, pulling up his mask. He jumped onto his horse and rode. He rode fiercely and without break until he reached the road into testlbridge. He saw broken and burned wagons, orc arrows littered and the bodies of the slain laid covered in their cloaks and the orcs laid about as well. He looked around and lifted the cloaks, he found Aghir. He rested a hand on the man’s chest, as he looked left he felt his heart stop. He slowly reached to pull the small cloak off the body there laid Mai. He stared at her, how she resembled Caliko. He felt the tears come back and crawled on his knees to her. He held her in his arms and ran a hand through her black hair. “Mai..I know you didn’t love me but I loved you with all my heart. Just like your mother and father. I hope you got all my gifts. Mai I’m so sorry.” He rested his head on her and cried until the sun went down. He then gently rested her body on the ground. He went and dug around the wagons until he found a shovel. He wrapped her body up and put her on his horse. He then began to bury all the man, Aghir at the front “You should rest with your men..but Mai should be with her father.” He finished after some hours and then rode off to the graves of Gwaed and Caliko. He began to dig and after finishing, he took her body gently from the horse. He slowly placed her into the hole, staring one last time before burying her. He patted the dirt down “I’ll make a marker...Mai, I hope you’re with Caliko and your mother. I hope I get to see you with him and her, I hope when I go you forgive me and I can be a better uncle to you. Give you what your parents say you can’t have, buy you gifts and take you to the sea to watch the ships like your father and I did.” He placed a hand on the grave and for the last time he cried. He then wiped his eyes, standing and turning to get on his horse, slowly going into town.