[Nogrod]

Comforted by Dorran, Sythric fell in deep sleep. Towards the morning, his dreams got lighter, and eventually he was aware of people getting into that so familiar morning-hassle of a riding-camp. Then he heard Raedwald being mentioned.

He is dead! ... He is dead! Sythric managed to open his eyes, and saw a pyre being readied, Raedwald’s body was being hoisted on the top of it. Not the lance!, he yelled inside his mind, noting Raedwald’s lance beside the man at the pyre, as Brand was just about to lit the whole thing.

Sythric struggled himself up. The pain was there, yes it was, but Leod’s potions seemed to work. Half of his body was downright numb. It was a weird sensation to walk without feeling the left side of his body at all. And it was hard indeed, just keeping the balance that way. He has stuffed my side with some magic, I say..., he thought, as he pulled along with the others, surrounding the pyre.

He took his place in the ring around the fire beside Meghan and watched the flames consume the body of Raedwald. “Goodbye, dear friend”, he whispered in a low voice. He felt, that Meghan had heard him. Then he gazed the people around the pyre. It was a solemn moment, and everyone seemed to have gone deep inside themselves. Vaenosa was tightly bandaged and looked pale, Brand seemed to stay firm with pure willpower. There is a sturdy man! He could have made a rider indeed!, Sythric thought to himself, simultaneously eying the rest of the company.

Then his eyes settled back to the pyre. Raedwald’s body was already being eaten by the flames, turning black and charred. I will miss you, my friend. And curse it, I couldn’t be there to help you yesterday! But I had to take on those ones coming downhill – as they were the worst threat to us all, and I was there – and you were not... And I took Brand with me – and look at him now! We took the bruises, and you took to the eternity! You really had safeguarded those others, I just know it. It’s the way you did your part. Oh, how I miss you! Raedwald! He threw his gaze around the ring around the pyre once more with wetted eyes. These are just amazing people, the power of Rohan is in these young people, I have known it all the time! You were not alone, Raedwald! We are not alone, anyone of us! You helped to save them once, I have to be ready to do that again! He catched Vaenosa’s eyes and tried to smile comfortingly – probably failing altogether. She’s a spirited young lady. How good, I was there in time! But could have been earlier..., he thought, and continued by himself: I would surely prefer ten riders as a company, but as the things are, she is a real fighter – and these others too. I believe it now!

The movement he sensed from the corner of his eye brought him back to the present. Meghan had picked up her flute, and was staring at it intensely. Then she threw it to the flames. Sythric felt the tears bursting from his eyes, but fought back this time. He saw Meghan pulling her cloak around her, shivering, but not crying.

Sythric took the two steps needed to come by Meghan’s side and wrapped his right arm around her, pressing her tenderly against him. Meghan glanced at his eyes for a moment, full of sorrow, and then turned her gaze to the pyre again. Then they just stood there, in silence.

Eventually the people started to disperse from the pyre, but Sythric and Meghan remained still. They just stood there, Sythric having his arm around Meghan, and Meghan just gently leaning to him. They didn’t need any words, as they felt the sharing of the same anguish, together.

“We’ll make you a new one”, Sythric whispered to Meghan’s ear, “He would have appreciated it.” He squeezed her shoulder lightly: “You know he would have. You’ll just have to play once more to his memory, one day.” With that he let go his hold and turned to face her. “Be brave my girl. We both have suffered a great loss, but for his sake, we will have to continue.” He tried a smile again, and felt again having missed the intended effect. He slowly turned away to go back to his bedroll.

The pain was back, as he kneeled to collect his things from the ground. He grasped them anyway, biting his lip not to yell from the pain. He walked to Thydrë and started to pack her up. Suddenly he turned around, facing most of the others, and declared in all the voice he had. “I’m going to ride with you today, but if I’m dropping behind you during the ride, just keep going, don’t hesitate to continue. I can take care of myself, if needs be. And if someone else is falling behind, we might make it together. The mission is now the first thing we have, the thing that counts. We wounded can be left behind in a need.” With that he turned back to continue with his packing, finding out, that certain movements just burst his side with a pain too strong to deal with – and so he had to make pauses as he packed Thydrë, trying to hoist and tie things on her without his left hand. I could do with some of that medicine of Leod’s. If for nothing else, then just to ease the pain, he thought to himself. Suddenly he turned again towards the others. “Oh, and collect every useful item those dead easterlings bore with them. I’m sorry, but I can’t be of help with that now.”