Playing The Victims [BL]

Chapter One Hundred & Forty-Nine

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All Finch could do was continue to live, until the inevitable day approached where he would take his last breath. But it was the knowledge of death that defined a mortal, and even though Fahren had experienced many life times, every time he reached the stage where yellow eyes was defeated and his lover was by his side, he never wanted it to end. He savoured every moment, even those times when they were less than perfect as a couple.

Even after dealing with the issues of Hawk and the impressionable warriors who blindly followed him, there was always going to be more difficulties thrown their way. It was inevitable, as Finch deemed it, as he hadn't forgotten that one of the main lessons he had learnt from living in such primitive times, was to always be alert and expect the unexpected.

Once they had returned from their extended honeymoon, both thoroughly rested, they got to work doing all that they could to enhance the defences of the thriving village, but also began to largely focus on tradable goods. A concept which Falcon had considered vital back when they were in Viper, but something the late Chief and Hawk had previously shunned. Before Hawk proposed the idea himself, that is.

As more clans began to be established around what was known as their territory, Falcon suggested that as the bigger group, they should be the ones to approach the newcomers. When they did, courtesy of Finch and other fresh-faced young men, they brought gifts.

Specifically food which had been cultivated within the forest. And with it, the shared the knowledge that not all essential nutrients to make strong warriors had to be obtained through meat. Although slow in the beginning, It proved to be an effective means of gaining the young and wary clans' trust.

More people flocked as the word spread of harmonious trade which coincided with a good quality of life. The large village which was tucked within the tree-line, took everyone's safety seriously. But not only that, they didn't keep their healers to themselves. Instead welcoming those who were burdened with injuries or other sicknesses, into the village so the healer could see them.

This responsibilities of healer were of course given to Finch. So when the old man he continued to have a love-hate relationship with passed away, Finch took over as most experienced and was left with a lot of new patients. So inevitably, he took under his wing those who were willing to learn.

His strange methods vastly improved the quality of life of those who had survived the wars. Even warriors who had lost limbs, and hope along with them, were helped out to the best of the young man's ability.

But much like in the modern era, Finch was limited when it came to helping those with mental illnesses. He had to work tentatively, as those who had been trained since birth to defend themselves and their families, were less inclined to talk about their feelings and what they dreamt of.

As it turned out, one of the leading examples of this stubbornness was Falcon. A fearless leader whose every word was trusted by the masses. When he himself was the one with crippling dreams that would make even the most robust and daring of leaders fear the moment they closed their eyes.

Only when they became more vivid, and thus began to take a toll on him physically, did Falcon eventually confess the truth to Finch.

Continuously surrounded by death, Falcon was always choking on blood. There was no rest-bite, and the circles under his eyes gradually began to reveal his reluctance to close them. Finch tried everything he could think of to try and help him, but all the herbal remedies that proved effective, only seemed to do the trick of getting him to sleep. Something he didn't struggle with.