The Mourning After !Next light, though the disc of the new Sun was way past Mount Sacrum, it was Nathan who found him, the Crow’s showed him the way.
“Have to say you’ve looked better”, was the best he could manage, hoisting levity into the hollow of hopelessness he felt upon first seeing him. It did not looked good, his right arm bloody and raw, the sleeve of his tunic and cape, ripped and charred and bloody, his eyes closed and sunken in a face pale as death. They had bought a make-shift litter, which they used to get Carolynn back to Bronze-Hearth and it was then into the hands of the Apothecary !
Of the Assassin, if indeed that’s what they were, there was not a great deal to go on, save an incinerated mess of cloth and a few pieces of what looked like human remains. The intensity of the strike had melted much of it together, so Nate buried what he could find in a shallow scrape, certain the Lope Cats would dispose of it that dark !
“Kell !”wasn’t like they owed the thing any favours now did they ! He still felt shitty about it though, such was the curse of being “Nate” !
All that really mattered now was time, and Nathan still hated waiting. As far as the “Accident” went, Ben, Alice and himself had begun the disinformation process already, with a tale of Jed, Carolynn and a run-in with a stray young Morac ! The young males in particular were apt to wander at a certain age, becoming increasingly independent minded and could get pretty “feisty” when you tried to bring them back in to the herd. It was such a common occurrence no-one gave it a second thought. Fortunately, the Apothecary had known Nathan since he had first come to administer services to the Lead Lands Herders, and over that time, Nate had helped him “fit-in” with a naturally very insular people where folk largely kept themselves to themselves, so there were no questions like what part of an angry Morac causes burns !
The Apothecary emerged from Ben and Alice’s Pod after quite some time with a tired, weary look. All looked at him expectantly, Nathan handing him a warm glass of Sallowclh, hanging on to the strange little triangular bottle.
“That arm will need a fresh dressing every 2 lights, keep him on fluids and off his feet and don’t use any potions, creams or oils on the…“ he faltered a little but recovered well, “…on the graze on his right arm ! I‘ve put some coolant‘s on and a local anaesthetic, I’ll make up the necessary preparations and bring them here when I come 1st light. Time is what he needs, but if there’s any worry, call, otherwise see you all then.”, and with that, he was gone.
“Time !” said Alice quizzically.
“You pay him ?” Ben asked Nathan almost abstractedly.
“Wouldn’t take anything and that’s twice he’s said if there’s any worries we’re to call him straight back”, replied Nathan, “not sure if that’s good or bad ?“ - at which they all looked a bit puzzled.
“Alright if he stays here Alice, Ben, I’ll sit up with him this dark, appreciates a bit late to be asking, s’only moving him would be…. “
“Out of the question Nate” said Alice, “You can’t move him now, Ben and I‘ll take turns too, here I‘ll fetch us all some more to drink too,” noticing the empty bottle in Nathan’s hands.
Then they went in to see him.
Carolynn looked comfortable now he was warm, dry and his wounds dressed and clean. With his eyes closed, he rested, breathing shallow but regular. “The Apothecary said he‘s fit and healthy, and that all works in his favour”, explained Nathan, noticing Alice’s worried look “if anyone can ride this out it’s Carolynn, he’ll be giving us grief for going out looking for his sorry arse next, you’ll see !” and pulling out a chair, he flopped down next to the bed.
“See you later Nate, I’ll bring you that drink, maybe get something on to cook yeah ?”
“Here”, said Nathan, handing Alice a roll of bills, “this is for our bed and board, please take it, he’ll never recover if he thinks he’s freeloading, you know that”. Nathan pressed the roll into her hand “Diner you say, sounds good, I’ll see you
then, and thanks to the pair of you !”.
It was just getting light when Nathan woke. He did so with a start in a flurry of “What time, when …. How long have I ….is, Carolynn, is he...”
“I‘m fine Nate, its nearly light , Ben‘s here, Alice and Jed are still sleeping, so all’s fine with us my friend” said a low but familiar voice, “How are you keeping ?”
It was not for another 5 cycles that they went back to the field, and as Nathan had predicted, the Lope Cats had been busy. There was not a clue as to who it had been and there was no-one reported missing from Bronze-Hearth, nor by any of the Trains. Carolynn’s memory of the that dark was a little patchy from the moment of the strike, but nothing he could remember was of any consequence, apart Carolynn remembered, “Apart from the Blade, where is the blade I saw, with a natural shine, about 2 - 2 ½ foot ! It cant have vanished, it was just too large for the strike to have melted it away, there would be something left Nate, some trace substance !”
“Well we’re looking , we’re looking alright !“
Carolynn stopped and walked over to Nathan, “Nate, I’m concerned because if that blade isn’t here, then there are two options as I see it, one, that crispy critter is still alive after an un-survivable dose of electricity ! Or two, there is more than one, and I don’t know which idea I like least !”
“Yeah, alright, I get your point, and your right of course, neither of those is a pleasant thought !”
“Guy’s, guy’s, over here !” It was Alice just a bit further towards the band of scrub that ran along this fields Southern edge.
”What you got ?” asked Nathan when they’d reached her.
“This !” she said triumphantly, gesturing to an object protruding from a tuft of Sedge in the Ice Grass.
“Carolynn reached down and retrieved a long, thin bladed knife.
“Does that tell us a good deal more about our friend “ Asked Alice, handing it hastily to Nathan ?
“Like he, or she doesn’t buy their kit locally !” said Nathan, “You know more about this Blade Carolynn ?” and passed it on to him.
“It’s a Monomolecular Blade, probably of Dark Eldar construction and this innocent looking gadget could slice through something like your Pods with ease !”
“How come ?” asked Jed
“Because the Pods are made of Ceramite, same stuff as a Space Marine’s Power Armour, and that’s one of the things it’s intended to do ! “
“Kell !“
“You think it was an Imperial Assassin after all then Carolynn ?” asked Ben.
“Can’t say if I’m honest, and that dark things happened too fast and what was left after was so little I just have no idea. This is one of the Assassins favoured weapons, but it doesn’t feel like that’s what it is, and what or who ever used it that dark missed, they don’t miss. None of this adds up, but I know one thing for sure, if it were an Assassin, chances are we’ll find out soon.“
“They’ll send another one ?“ asked Jed, open mouthed.
“Certainly, doesn’t look good on their CV to get Birthday Cards from Contracts ! Better get you that Shotgun sooner than later, in fact I could save a fortune and leave you mine in my will.”
No-one laughed.
Later, back at his Pod, Carolynn popped the low wall panel, reaching in, he removed a long tin box. Un-snapping the lid, he dropped the Blade inside before popping it back, putting everything back as it had been. And he hoped it would all stay that way for some time to come !
Mk
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