Belonging Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Grix
Day 12
"What do you think?" I asked.
Sera, River and I stood in front of my hut, far enough away to give Seq some privacy. I knew I'd like some solitude if my father was found butchered in the middle of camp. It must have been hard, seeing Aether like that. It was hard on all of us, sure, but I was certain the fox's pain far surpassed whatever pity we felt. I could only hope that Sera was able to tell what had left those wounds on Aether.
"About Aether?" Sera asked.
I nodded silently.
The shepherd took in a deep breath. "I didn't recognize the wounds on his body. So, a bear or some other creature couldn't have killed him. And..." Sera grew quiet.
"And, what?" I pressed her. If anybody had any insight on this damn situation, she did. She was in her hut with the sick and the wounded everyday. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that she had seen more death-inducing ailments than I ever had.
"Well..." Sera scratched behind one of her ears. "They weren't scratches or bite marks. They were more like...holes,"
"Holes?" River repeated.
Sera nodded. "Yeah,"
I now turned my attention to River. "You said that you saw Aether last night?"
The old border collie's ears twitched. "Yeah. We were-" He coughed and continued. "We were sitting around the fire and talked for a while, you know, telling stories. I didn't even realize how late it was until almost moonhigh. I told him that I was going to bed, but he said that he was going to stay up for a little bit longer. He even told me that he'd put out the fire when he turned in,"
"That's all?" I asked. I wanted to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything significant. "He didn't mention going on a walk or seeing something strange?"
River thought for a moment and then shook his head. "No, he said he'd just hang out for little while,"
"Why do you ask?" Sera questioned me.
I crossed my arms and stretched my neck back. "I think it's just strange how Aether died in camp. I mean, if he was being murdered, why didn't he call for help or scream? And if he did, why didn't someone hear it? So, I'm thinking whoever killed him, did it away from camp. Then, they must have brought him back here and covered up whatever trail they left,"
"Why would anyone want to go that far to kill Aether? He was nice to everyone, even Rye," River said.
"That's what doesn't make sense to me. Maybe whoever killed Aether wasn't a Kyan," I suggested.
"You think that the Kreq did this?" Sera whispered, as I saw her tail bristle at the very notion.
"It's possible," River muttered in agreement with me, as he stared at the ground in deep thought.
"But Aether's wounds weren't even close to looking like scratches! They were holes! Since when do the Kreq go around pumping holes into people? They don't use weapons! Even if the Kreq killed Aether, how did they do it without leaving any kind of scent?" Sera demanded.
I shrugged. "I don't know,"
The three of us grew quiet.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the distance. As I turned my head, I could see the faint outlines of Meelo and Seq standing up together now. Then, I was able to make out Seq burying his head into his boyfriend's chest as the two of them hugged.
I didn't know who could have murdered Aether in such cold blood, but whoever did, I promised myself that I would make them pay. I was determined to punish Aether's murderer for whatever tears Seq had shed that day.
"All right. Thanks for the information you two. Sera, tell me if you find anything when you examine Aether's body," I said.
The shepherd nodded. "I'll be quick. We'll be able to start vigil before nightfall,"
"Good. River, help Sera carry Aether back to her hut. I'll look for kindling with you when you're done,"
River didn't argue and walked with Sera over to Aether's body, now that Meelo and Seq had left it.
I let a long strand of cold morning air flow through my nose. It burned my nostrils, as it slithered out and floated away into the air above me.
I always hated vigils. It wasn't staying up all night while being quiet that bothered me. Silence means no talking and no talking means being alone with your thoughts. I never understood why so many people dislike that. When you're with your thoughts, you learn things about yourself that you never knew before. You can do some self-evaluating and make some realizations about the special people in your life. No, my thoughts were the least of my complaints. What I truly despised about vigils was the putrid smell of a burning body.