Behlsh stands, Kallon, Dantel, and Jona reunion, Pogenhyuns
Kallon and Teigan had arrived without Sray noticing. She wasn’t sure how long they had been there. She spared them a small smile before refocusing on the scene in the stall.
Zhyelmay sniffed the foal from head to tail and then proceeded to lick it clean, ruffling the damp fur. As she started along its back it bucked its hind end again, finally getting it's spindly, disobedient legs under its body, but the forelegs still sprawled out in front, leaving it butt-high and wobbly. It's first attempt to move forward resulted in a graceless flop into the straw. Zhyelmay nickered to it and the foal finally seemed to gain some control of its ears and turned its focus towards its mother, small, bright eyes starting to show some recognition. The mare started grooming it again, licking and rubbing it with her stiff, muscular upper lip before giving a soft nip along the top of its hip to encourage another effort.
The foal flailed shakily to its feet, looking slightly bewildered at its new position and unsure what to do next. Zhyelmay nickered encouragement and sniffed around the base of the foal's ears. Its coordination failed it and it tumbled down again with a grunt and a disapproving snort.
They overnighted in Jon, picking up Teigan on their way. The carriage stopped in front of the house. They would have left either the week before or a few days after everyone else at Engama.
Dantel and Jona nearly knocked Kallon over in their enthusiasm.
"Thank God you're alive!" Dantel exclaimed.
They were completely oblivious to the activity around them. The animals were unhooked and the restof the vehicle's occupants unloaded. Sray and the rest took care of the animals. Teigan, Kayrin and Janef lingered for a moment before drifting into the house, leaving the young men some sort of privacy in their reunion.
"You're back now, right?" Jona asked eagerly.
Kallon scowled. "No."
"What?" Dantel exclaimed loudly.
"We're just stopping for the night. We have to go somewhere else."
"Why?"
"Didn't Sray tell you already? There's a trial. They say if Idonät go the responsible might not get everything they deserve."
The young men's enthusiasm deflated. "You'll be back, though, right?" Jona asked hopefully, but a hint of trepidation underlying the words.
"I dunno." Kallon shrugged, feeling guilty for the answer, but he didn't know how to tell them how he felt about everything.
"How can you not know?" Dantel asked as if the answer should have been a clear, resounding "yes" without question.
"Because I don't!" Kallon snapped and immediately regretted it. "Dantel-I" He shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, Kahl." Dantel clapped him on the back. "Hey, I have something for you. He rushed back to the house and grabbed a parcel from inside the door before jogging back.
"You didn't have-" Kallon protested as Dantel shoved it into his hands.
"This kept me sane while we didn't know, alright? They're yours and it looks like I was right in thinking you might need a new pair anyway."
Kallon self-consciously looked down at his own feet, clad in simple shoes that had been made at Engama. He kind of hated them. The weight of the package felt monumental in his arms. Slowly, he peeled back the rough paper wrapping, knowing what it was already, but taking his time to reveal the new pair of boots, just like the ones Dantel had made him before. Kallon sniffed and struggled for what he wanted to say. It was just a stupid pair of boots, he shouldn't be feeling so overwhelmed with whatever this was, but there he stood, throat tightening, sinuses burning and his eyes threatening to overflow. He had been buried in rage and fear so long that he was lost in what to do with this.
"Hey, Kahl." It was Dantel. Kallon stared at the boots, speechless because he could feel that any words he tried to say would be choked out by all the things that couldn't be expressed in words. Suddenly he felt arms around him, both Dantel and Jona stood there as Kallon's shoulders began to shudder under the weight of it all.
"Tos and I, we went back to Dendrin and tried to find you. They covered their tracks, though. We found the old man, but no sign of the others and he claimed to know nothing."
"Do you want to go get a drink?" Jona asked.
"I'm not allowed to forget until after the trial." Kallon's lip curled as he said it. "I haven't had a drink since that night."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, Sray would kill me if I did."
Kallon sat on the bottom step and pulled off the shoes. The boots smelled of fresh leather. The uppers were soft and pliable and he eagerly pulled the first one on. Perfect. He spread his toes inside and laced them up, pulling tight against his ankle and securing them before pulling on the next one. He stood, rocking from heels to toes as he felt the space within them and beamed back at Dantel. "They're perfect. Thank you."
"I made them just as before. I'm sorry the others are lost."
"Thanks Dantel. The stole them right off my feet while I was knocked out. They took everything," he scowled.
"I need to see Pogenhyuns and I need to do it alone."
"You can't do it completely alone. We can't risk-"
He scowl stopped the words in Sherodd's throat.
Pogenhyuns knew better than to ask what had happened. His father and grandfather had both been in war. You don't ask people about the worst things that happened to them. He could see it in Kallon's eyes. The haunted look of someone who has seen and experienced the worst that Man had to offer.