Chapter 61: Death in the Woods
It was a peaceful sleep. It was the most peaceful sleep she ever had that she decided not to wake up. I stared down at the lifeless body in my arms. She looked serene and pure and I didn't want to disturb the peace she had found but I just couldn't stop myself from crying loudly as if doing it would result into her coming back. But she wouldn't. Not anymore. Not in this lifetime.
Aiden was sitting across from us; he looked tired as he leaned on a tree like it was the only thing that was giving him strength at the moment. I wanted to speak with him and I knew that he, too, wanted to say something. But the pain we were feeling could not be expressed in words that we decided to show it through our tears. Unlike my loud crying, Aiden was grieving quietly – too quiet and I knew that the pain he was feeling was too deep that if I touch him, everything would crumble down. He was too fragile and vulnerable; I was afraid that a single snap might break him into pieces.
I didn't know how they started a friendship and how it progressed. But my heart understood him. It remembered the way it felt when the first person I loved when I was young decided to leave everything behind – including me. I thought that we would never meet again after that unsaid farewell, until the stars decided to grant my wishes and shipped me to the pirate world.
However, Aiden and Dorothy's story was different. It was just starting and then it ended too soon – killing all the possibilities for them to meet again; died with the untold wishes they could have made. And that was why I was also crying for him. I was grieving for this young man's heart.
We stayed like that for hours. We didn't even notice the sun setting on the western horizon giving way to the darkness that lacked of the stars. It was getting darker and darker that Aiden and I were starting to have difficulty seeing things around us. It was when the nocturnal animals started making their sounds when we saw a faint light from a distance. Dorothy was getting colder in my arms and even though I knew that she was long gone, I still held her tightly and protectively.
At first, we saw a torch fire breaking through the darkness of the woods and then a loud whistle that tamed all the sound of the crickets on the bush. The horse we stole, forgotten and tied on one of the trunks, neighed loudly as if answering to the call.
"I found the horse!"
A man called to his companions and then I heard steps rushing to our direction. The light was blinding. I stopped crying and shielded my eyes from the torches of the newcomers. There was silence from them as they studied the situation.
"She... She's here! They're h-here!" the man called again as he stuttered.
More footsteps were coming. I should be worried for I was still unable to recognize these men but I also found myself lacking of strength to care at all. They could be another group of assassins to take me down and I could be their easy target. I would be saving the strength left in me to beg them to spare Aiden's life.
Suddenly, the men were brushed aside giving way to the person leading the group. And I sobbed again due to the relief I felt when I saw who it was. The Skull immediately rushed to my side; cradling my tear-stained face in his firm, calloused hands. He was so warm; contrast to the cold body on my lap. And I wanted to lean on him. I wanted to succumb to his warmth. His thumb grazed the cut on my cheek and I saw his eyes darkened as he checked my body for more injuries finding another wound on my shoulder and an arrow on my leg.
"Tell me who fucking did this to you and I'll kill him." He was furious. The woods might be shaking from his sudden bloodlust. But I shook my head at him and looked down at Dorothy with grief in my eyes.
"You don't have to. My assassin is already dead," I answered quietly.
The Skull followed my gaze; his expression softened at the poor girl in my arms. His arm circled around my shaking shoulders and kissed my temple. He didn't say words, but his gesture was assuring enough that it felt like it was all I needed at the moment.
"I killed her." It was Aiden's firm voice that broke our shared silence. We all turned to him as the torch fire finally reached his shadowed spot by the tree. "If I didn't do it, she would kill Primrose. And I had to stop her. I had to save her." He wasn't staring at us. He was like talking to himself, convincing that what he did was right.
The Skull left my side and strode to where Aiden was. "If I was in your situation, I would do the same thing." He offered his hand to him and Aiden, despite of the doubt that was eating him inside, accepted it. The Skull pulled him up and to the young man's surprise, he embraced him firmly.
"You're a brave man, Aiden. And I am deeply indebted to you for saving the woman I love." Those were the words I heard from him and even though my heart was grieving, I could feel it being enveloped in warmth. If only I could stop the time so his words would remain floating steadily on the air waiting to be held by my hand and kept in my heart. If only I could change the situation so that just the two of us would be there standing in the middle of the woods. If only I could be selfish.
As much as I wanted to close my eyes for what he had said was music to my ears, there was a more urgent matter we need to handle. The Skull went back to my side and asked for my permission to carry the dead girl from my lap.
"I know that she's an important person to you. But you have to accept that she's gone. She's not coming back and the last favour we could give her is to ensure her peace. Unfortunately, it would be risky to travel to the Lake of Dreams but there must be a sanctuary near the castle where we could –"
"The woods are the only place she knew so well. She's comfortable here and I know she prefers to stay." I sighed deeply and continued, "She probably doesn't know lots of people in the Lake of Dreams and she just got in the Borgian Castle. She likes it here."
"We'll bury her here." Aiden's statement held finality.
Threy nodded in understanding and started throwing orders to his men. "Send someone to Owain's group and inform them that we've already found Lady Primrose. Three men will scout the area and alert us if there's any danger. The rest of you will help in digging the girl's grave."
His men moved as if they all had a mental conversation about who would take each order that were instructed to them. Threy laid Dorothy near the tree that had beautiful wildflowers on its trunks. That was where we decided to place her. After all, she's a wild little girl.
"We should treat your wounds," Threy said when he helped me to my feet. His arm was circled firmly around my waist to hold me up.
"I won't leave until I give her a proper goodbye," I answered.
He didn't make a protest. He just stayed with me until Dorothy was buried properly. I laid the bloodied flower from my hand at the top her grave; praying that she had found the peace she was looking for. Aiden picked out a flower from the vine and did the same. His hand was trembling as it wrapped on the soil they dug. It was clear that his heart was broken, buried alive with the girl he learned to care about. I remembered Dorothy's fear and I knew by then that it would never happen. As long as we're alive, she would never be forgotten. We would always remember her.
When the time came for us to bid our farewell, I was enveloped by both sadness and relief. Sadness for I knew that I would never see her face in this lifetime again, and relief for she would never feel pain anymore. At that same moment, I accepted her death. The little wild flower died and was buried deep in the ground; cleansed by the Earth, but its memories would bloom and scatter through the cold wind of the woods. And she would sing in the middle of the night for she had finally found her home. The little wildflower died but her memories remain. And it would bloom as long as we're breathing for she would never be forgotten.
My wounds were immediately attended when we get back to the castle. They weren't deep enough to cause a fatal damage to my body. It was as if my assassin didn't have any intention of making me suffer before giving the final shot. After all, she promised me that time that it would only be a quick death. Pain and exhaustion brought me to sleep that night and Threy remained on my side holding my hand. He was like a thick blanket protecting me from the biting cold.
The morning came and it took me a moment to realize where I was and what happened that night. It all felt like a bad dream. But as I touched the bandages on my shoulder and leg, and the healing cut on my cheek, I knew that it wasn't. I just lost a friend and a sister.
The King's chamber felt colder when I realized that I woke up without Threy on my side. But then, a war could erupt at any moment and I needed to understand that he wouldn't be with me at all times. He was the king of the rising Borgian kingdom – an empire that would rule the whole land.
I sighed deeply as I tried to ignore the physical pain that was weighing me down. There was another person who was sharing the same suffering with me and even though he wouldn't admit it, I knew that he needed someone to be on his side. I found myself a comfortable dress from the huge closet which to my surprise was filled with clothes that would fit my body. I guessed this was castle's way of officially assigning me to this room. After managing to change into new clothes despite of the difficulty, I limped to the hallways of the castle and after a time, I was able to reach the castle ground. Luckily, Erasmus found me and brought me to where Aiden was.
The young man was sitting silently on the grass under a huge tree. He was blankly staring at the distance while holding a blood-stained arrow in his hand. He only noticed our presence when Erasmus cleared his throat.
"Oh, Primrose!" He seemed to be startled to see me. He stood up and helped me lay on the grass beside him. It was supposed to be one of those bright, calm mornings.
"Well, I still have errands to do. I'll be seeing you two at lunch time," Erasmus said understanding our need to talk privately.
I smiled at the young pirate of the Obsidian. I knew by then that Aiden would not be alone for he had a good friend like Erasmus. Having friends was quite a good thing. Too bad my childhood friend was too far for me to reach at the moment.
"I miss her, too. I imagine her being with Roger this morning judging everyone who passes their way," I started.
Aiden remained silent. He just closed his eyes and clenched his fist as if my words had created a picture in his head and it was cutting him to the bones. Well, how was I going to comfort him when I was having a hard time myself coping with the reality? Maybe, approaching him was a bad decision after all. He probably didn't want to see me for a long time because I would just remind him of what happened at the woods.
"I'm sorry, Aiden. I can go if you want me to. I just thought that you might need someone to listen to you –"
"I don't regret what I did in the woods." His words cut all of my explanations and I was left staring at him with my mouth gaped open. When I didn't answer, he turned to me and smiled sadly. "I don't regret saving you, Primrose," he continued.
"Aiden, you don't have to appear strong right now. I know that you're grieving just like me. You don't have to hold it all in. You don't have to be careful at what you're going to say to me."
He laughed humourlessly and stared at the distance once again. "But I'm being honest, Primrose. If there's a repeat on that situation, I would still do it again."
I frowned at him, trying to control the anger that was threatening to taint my voice. "But, why?" I asked.
He stared down at the bow in his hand. It was the bow that took Dorothy's life. It was the one that pierced her heart and saved my life.
"For it was what she wanted me to do. She wanted me to stop her and save you." And that was when I saw the tears that dropped from his eyes. He tried to wipe them away with his hands but he seemed to not be able to control them anymore. He was probably trying to hold them back since last night and now, they had finally found their escape. I held his hand gently, letting him know that it was alright to cry in front of me.
"Yesterday, she told me to follow the both of you in the woods and made me promise that whatever happens, I have to choose you. I didn't understand that time. I thought she was just playing games and that we're going there to hunt. But when I found the two of you, she was pointing an arrow at your direction."
I didn't realize that I was holding my breath for too long until I had a hard time gasping for air. Tears welled in my eyes as my hands grabbed his tightly, encouraging him to speak more.
"She knew I was there but she still pointed her arrow at you. And when she didn't stop, I had to do it. I knew she wanted me to. She wanted me to be the one to kill her."
And that was when I grasped his shoulders and crushed him in my embrace. I knew he needed it. We both needed it. His pain was too huge that it was impossible for me to measure it. How could a young man like him carry it all inside him? How could it not mess him up?
"She didn't die because of your arrow. She died because this society is too rotten that it poisoned her heart. It was probably too late that time to cure her and what you did was the only way to save her," I whispered softly as I held him.
I didn't know if I had managed to convince him and ease his regret. But as he cried harder on my shoulders, I knew that somehow I was helping him deal with all these pain. We were helping each other in coping with the death of a person who was dear to us. We stayed like that for a long time and we didn't mind it all.
When his cries subsided, he looked up to me and sighed deeply. "If there's one thing I regret about Dorothy's death, it was not showing her enough how much I cared for her. We were only fooling around and playing games as if eternity was ahead of us. That was until destiny took her away from me, stealing all the chances we could have had."
His words struck me like a lightning and the realization of what he had said was like a loud thunder in my head. He just showed me how time would never be enough for any of us and with the brewing war at the distance, who knew what else destiny could take away from us.
I tried desperately to stand but seeing the difficulty I was having, Aiden helped me up.
"Bury all your regrets with that bow and looked ahead of you with optimism, Aiden. You're not dead. Not yet. And thus, there're so many things we could do while we're still alive. Let's do it while we're still breathing."
And with that, I left him under the tree that witnessed our pain and realization. It was probably cheering for me as I limped my way back to the castle. At first, Aiden was confused with the sudden urgency of my move. But then, he called after me and said, "For the coming days without regrets, Primrose. No regrets."
Armoured with great determination, I looked straight ahead and whispered to the wind, "I'll have no regrets."