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He lay on the muddy ground, blood congealing and mixing with the brown earth under him, rainwater seemingly refusing to mix with it. I stood, breathless, a few feet away - soaked to the bone and reeling.

"You _killed_him!" I exclaimed, after a few moments of mental numbness. "A King's Ranger, Liliam! You-"

"I defended myself!" She panted, hands on her knees and looking up at me. A human girl, the both of us only barely sixteen summers. Her long black hair stuck to her shoulders and neck, plastered there by the rainfall. Above our heads, thunder rolled. "He came at me, Ausk, he wasn't human!"

I couldn't believe it. Even to this day I have issues believing what I saw. He lay face-down where Liliam had struck him over the head with a heavy branch. My throat still burned, the sensation of his grip still very fresh against it. His eyes, his eyes! Filled with fury and rage the likes of which I have never seen before!

"W-We have to do something. Hide him, bury him, something!" I stepped forward, one hand at my throat to rub the pain away and the other attempting to pull him towards the woods. "In here, at least, out of the field - " Almost as if summoned, the sounds of a shouting call drifted up from the woods, barely audible over the sound of the rain.

"Oh shit, of course he'd be with a group!" Liliam said, gritting her teeth and slowly backing away from the woods. "Leave him, Ausk! We can get back to the village, claim we were playing in another part of the forest when the storm came." I couldn't form words, nothing aside from a few stammerings. She stepped over him, pulling me up by the shoulder of my tunic and shaking me as there came another call. It didn't sound like they suspected anything - they sounded like they were drunk, more than anything. With a nod I followed after her, running across the sodden field with the rain stinging our cheeks. The village wasn't even that far away - we'd been returning from wandering around in the woods when the storm hit, and the Ranger had ambushed us shortly thereafer. It wasn't unusual for the two of us to spend a fair amount of time there, Liliam collected flowers and leaves and I just liked being away from home, poking at fish in streams and finding pretty rocks.

His eyes were burned into my mind, flashing back to the forefront every time I blinked or closed my eyes to wipe away water. Red-rimmed, as if he'd been crying, but with something beyond them I can't even begin to explain. As if he was possessed. As if he hated me, an orcish boy he'd never even met. Liliam saved my life, though, battering him down with a branch as his hands tried desperately to crush my throat. It hurt still, a deep throbbing pain and shortness of breath that was unlike anything else I'd ever experienced. As the lights of the village shone through the gloom I began to relax a little, just a little though - the Rangers of the Crown had the utmost authority in these lands, on the border of the Regyn Forest. We were only a day and half journey from the capitol of the the Freelands, and as such the Rangers had more frequent patrols out here. And the thing is that we just killed one - possibly possessed or no. What in the seven hells would we tell them! 'Yes, your trusted comrade was suddenly possessed by something and tried to kill me.' Like they'd take the word of some kid.

"Ausk?" Liliam's voice. I jumped, looking up at her. "You okay? Can you breathe?"

"I'm fine." I answered, nodding. I didn't feel fine, though.

"Wasn't your father coming back today?" Liliam glanced down the muddy road, barely illuminated by lanterns inside wooden homes. Looking back towards her own house - I could imagine the thought proccess in her mind.

"Sometime in the next fortnight." He was off on deployment. A military archer, he'd been called to relieve a month's shift on the Iron Wall in the northern mountains.

"Are you gonna be okay on your own?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I will be." I nodded, holding myself. The cold was beginning to set in. Liliam gave me a quick hug before running off, holding herself as well.

My father's house was a small one near the town center. Three rooms, one bedroom his and the other mine. Ever since mother left with Kaasa it was less cramped, but much more lonely. Father had taken to drink, too, something I tried to think as little about as possible. I shut the wooden door behind me, holding myself and trying to catch my breath in the darkness. It was drier inside, at least, and the sound of the rain on the tile roof made things a bit more relaxing. Quickly changing out of my sodden clothing and hanging them on a rack near the fireplace, I dug some kindling and cut wood from the bin and started a fire, kneeling before it and shivering still.

I don't have words to describe the terror I felt. It was compounded by the rumors, the whisperings at the tavern and the markets. A killer, a crazed human armed with a knife and rope, kidnapping and torturing orcish children out of some sick fantasy. I shook my head, standing and searching out a towel to dry myself. It was the only thing I could think of aside from my impending doom. Could the Ranger have been the killer? I felt ill, and I spent a long few moments lingering near the shuttered window, ready to fling it open and get rid of my illness.

"Shush, Asuk." I said to myself, setting the towel aside and pulling a dry tunic on. I didn't bother dressing more - I slept in the nude anyway and nobody was coming in anyway. My body was too flooded with adrenaline, my mind too panicked and scared to sleep. I settled in front of the fire, my knees pulled up to my chin as I glanced at the door.

I didn't sleep at all that night.

--<>--

The rain carried through into the morning, where it slowly tapered off and gave rise to the sound of birds. A heavy clattering passing the door marked the passage of the morning merchants hauling their wares to the market. The fire had long since been on the downslope, and with the sun beginning to warm the roof it was hardly needed. I stood, a bit shakily, dressing properly and centering myself. Forget last night, it doesn't matter. Couldn't be traced back, anyway - plus, who would suspect us? Nobody saw Liliam and I return from the forest. No, not possible.

Besides, I had work to do, sleep or no sleep. I'd hit that point where I felt awake anyway. Right. Dressed okay, pants and boots on. Key to the house, aye. Shutters locked and bolted - definitely since last night. I touched my throat, pulling my hand away quickly. Probably had a terrible bruise. Couldn't really check since father had smashed all the mirrors in his last drunken fit, convinced they were windows evil wizards could peep through. He was immensely distrustful of magic, always paranoid and worried of spellcasters and their threats. And me, too, I suppose. My Gift had hardly manifested and he could feel it, I'm sure. I hid it, though - not like it was particularly strong.

The housing affairs sorted I pulled open the door, the scent of post-rain morning filling my nose. A swift brush at my hair confirmed it was at least acceptable as I headed towards the Golden Boar. Liliam's uncle owned it - a bear of a human with a massive beard and a constant glimmer to his eyes as if he was privy to some secret joke. A sympathetic man, as well, offered me a job hauling mead around to tables for as long as I needed work. The work was okay, especially for someone as young as I was.

I paused suddenly, stopping at the corner and reflexively backpedaling to peer around the corner. Three guards, surcoats emblazoned with the crest of House Amvayen - the ruling family in this area. They had someone else with them and, Orcmother be gentle, he looked like a Ranger.