Losses.

In the aftermath of the fire, there was confusion, but it was to be expected. My duty was to make some sort of order from the chaos. People still looked for family members, living on the hope that they were safe, but carrying around the knowledge in their hearts, that they weren't.


Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, br0thers and sisters, all searching for someone that was lost to them. At one point I saw a woman, grabbing onto every child of a certain size that she came across, turning them around to see if they were who she sought. It was gut wrenching, because often the child held hope in their eyes, this this person was the one they were looking for. I can't help it, inside I cry for them, all of them, because every loss, is my loss.


We are gathering the remains of any that we find, putting them all together in on place, to make it easier eventually, when people give up hope for finding family alive, they can come and maybe find them among the dead and have at least a bit of closure. It was later in the day, when I was helping to carry three bodies in, that had actually been burned to the point, that skin, tissue and bone had melded together. A gristly sight, when I saw the woman again. She sat by one of the pyre wagons, holding a small boy of about the age of Also in her arms, rocking him back and forth, completely unaware of the flesh that was sloughing off of that poor little body, singing to him. I crouched down beside her and began to talk to her, and eventually the story unfolded.


Her name is Alma and mate has been dead for many years, her eldest son she lost to the larl attack last season, and all she had left was her youngest son, his mate and the small boy she cradled in her arms. The son and his mate had been found early in the day, both dead, and she had been looking for the grandson all day. I will admit it, it touched me. Here she was, alone on the world, having nothing. Her family all gone, her wagons lost, all the tools of her trade gone. I was finally able to get her to relinquish the body of the child, and to follow me.


Honestly, I was not entirely sure of the reception that I was going to get from Oren, but at the moment, I needed her. Alma needed her. It did not surprise me to see that there were other refugees there, that is just how Oren is. For all of her quirks, she is the most generous woman that I know. And I did not give a thought as to whether she was angry with me about the situation with Mezoo. All I knew is that Alma needed someone closer to her own age, that had suffered loss, and that would be Oren.


I settled Alma by the fire, then went in search of the woman. I guess it surprised me, when I did not get a crack to the shins from that staff, but instead she lifted her gnarled hand, lay it on my cheek and told me that I needed to wash my face, and get something to eat. At that moment, I wanted to kiss her, but I was not going to press my luck. I told her about Alma, how lost she was, and how she needed someone right now, and that I had more work to do. I promised that once we were settled, I would take the woman into my circle of wagons and be responsible for her, but that right now, I needed for someone to watch over her for me.


Well, the old harridan asked me if I was going to mate the woman. After that initial shock, and I realized this was Oren teasing, I just grinned and told her that the only woman for me would be Oren herself. I swear, she blushed. Patting me on the arm, she told me to go do tend to my duties, and she would keep the woman safe for me. At this point, I did lean and place a kiss to her temple, thanked her, and walked away.


Knowing, that there were people like Oren and Astar among the tribe, uplifted me somewhat. We would survive, because of people like them. Little did I know, that I was soon to meet others, that would restore my faith.