Alone
#2 of Choices
Celena silently watched the young fox mourning over his lost family. She had been his friend and neighbor since he was a kit, and the sight of him so broken made her want to cry as well. The pantheress had practically raised Garen, and had always been there when he wanted to get away from his family.
She knew he never liked his parents. His mother was stern, insisting on living life "as Arwen decreed". Her religion controlled every aspect of her children's lives. His father wasn't any better. Once proud, the drink and a lifestyle of laziness had transformed him.
But Garen felt different about Kiri. The fox would frequently berate his little brother, as brothers often do, but he was always kind to him. Though he acted bitter, Celena knew he dearly loved the little kit. She had been shocked when the stumbled onto Garen, unconscious, with his brother held tightly in his arms. She couldn't understand how someone could hurt him.
Celeny stood still, staring at Garen, when she felt a paw slip around her waist. Turning, she looked at her husband.
"What are we going to do? He's lost everything now..."
Tyre looked past her at the still-sobbing fox, sadness in his eyes.
"I don't know. We're all that he has left." He sighed, rubbing his face with a paw. "I suppose we should head to Everen. My brother-"
Celena cut him off.
"Unless Everen has been destroyed as well. Would they attack a city?"
"I doubt it. Everen has defenses, while we just have ourselves. We need to at least try and find somewhere safe, and warn them if they don't already know."
Celena realized that the continual sounds of the fox's sobbing had ceased. Turning, she saw he was gone. She called for him, but heard no reply.
"Where is he Tyre? Did you see him leave? We should find him."
The panther shook his head, looking around the clearing.
"Wherever he is, I think he needs to be alone."
***
Garen ran as fast as he could, barreling through the forest with tears still streaming down his face. He burst through a wall of green and out of the woods before stopping to catch his breath, getting his bearings. He recognized where he was, on the other side of his family's fields. The crops were twisted and burnt, a grisly reminder of the previous night.
He walked toward his former home slowly, choosing to go around the scorched and blackened ground rather than straight across. The sight of the ruined farmhouse barely affected him; he was simply too hurt already. He approached the building, seeing nothing left of it but a twisted black shell. The fox found no trace of his parents, and simply walked away from the still smoldering ruins.
Garen paused briefly at a small patch of crushed grass, staring at the spot where his brother had been slain and he himself had fallen. He moved on after a short time, not wanting to be anywhere near the farm ever again. He walked to the place where he had thrown his supplies down and gathered them back up, after ensuring his tent wasn't damaged, and put them in his pack.
Garen walked a ways into the woods and stopped, putting everything away but the bow and his quiver. With care not to damage the arrows, and patience through trial and error, he learned how to better aim and fire the bow. He still wasn't very good, but he was confident he could get close enough to his mark to do enough damage.
It was night by the time he finished practicing, and he readied his tent to sleep in. He had heard Celena and Tyre talking, and knew where they were going. He would catch up to them later, if he felt like it. Slowly, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
***
Garen awoke screaming, fighting off the vision of his murdered brother yet again. He sat up, panting and shaking violently. Even though the dream was exactly the same, it was still just as bad. Slowly Garen calmed down, closing his eyes to steady himself. He crawled out of his tent, seeing that dawn was just breaking to the east through the trees.
He packed up his tent and put everything into his pack, slowly making his way through the familiar forest to the clearing Celena had been in. Upon arriving, he found it deserted. He assumed the panthers had gone to Everen, as they had planned. He walked toward Kiri's grave, kneeling down next to it as he had done the previous day.
"I promise Kiri, I'll find who hurt you... and I will make them pay."
Once more he stood, turning toward the north and walking out of the clearing without a second glance. He was going to Everen.
***
Celena and Tyre stood on the main road to Everen, staring ahead at the bustling city off in the distance.
"Do you think they know?"
Tyre nodded, pointing at several small shapes moving around the perimeter of the city.
"Yes, look at the guards. They're preparing."
Celena nodded, biting her lip. She had hoped that the attack had been isolated. It was obvious they would find no peace at Everen. She sighed and started walking again, her paws sore and aching.
"Let's continue. I want to be there before nightfall... I do hope Gari is okay."
Tyre nodded and moved next to her, putting his arm over her shoulder comfortingly as they made their way to the city.
"Don't worry, he's a strong boy. He'll make it. He just needs time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 3 will contain a surprise for both the panthers and Garen as they discover what happened, in two different ways. :3