I was maybe too hard on Lin.

She was boasting about how men just weren’t her type and they were such brutes and all that. It pissed me off. To the point where I lashed out at her. I told her, she would never get a man in the first place because of that attitude. Or at least I tried to.

But I didn’t believe that. Heck, if anything that attitude was cute in a way. I expected her to lash out at me as usual. We always made fun of each other, always dishing out insults. Always together. And I expected us to be together in the future too.

However- Lin cried.

For the second time in my life, I saw her tears.

I saw her… crying.

Lin ran off, and I couldn’t go after her. My friends were awfully quiet today and although they tried to console me in their own ways, it wasn’t working. Yet, I couldn’t just stay put either. ‘I’ve to apologize.’

So, with a deep breath, I trailed her. Lin was mad. But eventually she’ll come around. When her anger calmed enough, I could just apologize and-

And… Lin found a baby.

“Get away from that thing!” I screamed.

No, not because I believed it to a possessed of a monster. I didn’t feel anything of that sort from that baby. I just… I just didn’t want it to be near her. I was afraid. Afraid it would take her away.

I was afraid.

But Lin didn’t listen. She took the baby in and stopped seeing us, and even told us to not get near her.

And I couldn’t do or say anything….

“You know, you’re a wuss,” Zena said one day.

We were out hunting. Like we usually did. Just without Lin. She wasn’t an integral part of the hunt but she had the skills to basically replace any one of us if she wanted. She was far too versatile… and she was one of us.

Yet- she was gone. All because of me.

“I know,” I said.

“Since you know, you should go apologize, yeah?” Xerec yelled, slicing off the deer’s leg.

“I did but… she just won’t listen.”

Zena whined. “Idiot.”

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

The others sneered, almost like they understood something I didn’t. Maybe they did. And maybe I didn’t. But, it was too late. The baby was growing up, and Lin was too occupied with that.

And as I was afraid, things just… remained stagnated.

Until, one day, out of nowhere, Lin showed up on my door.

“I need you with me,” she said. “We’re storming the church.”

“You… what?” First of all, I was confused. Lin never liked the church. But even she wasn’t stupid enough to storm the place.

And second, seriously, she wanted to storm a church?

“You coming or what?” She walked away.

I grabbed my quiver and my bow. “I’m coming, I’m coming!”

Apparently, Lin wanted to threaten the priests so they didn’t report anything back to the headquarters in the west.

And although she was a distinguished warrior herself, she needed some leverage to her words. And that’s where I came in. I was her bargaining chip. If they told the head church about her boy, I’d go and murder their families…. Obviously, I wasn’t stupid enough to actually murder priest families and spend the rest of my days in isolation, but Lin was. Which was why, I played along. And luckily the priests were westerners who were somewhat afraid of us. They were far from home, far from their families, and far from the protection of the head bishop.

However, I knew for a fact, things wouldn’t last. Our threats were only as strong as we. And eventually, we’ll grow old. Eventually, we’ll be unable to protect the boy. He’ll be on his own.

Which only meant the boy would have to grow up strong.

So, I showed up at their place, I spoke with the boy, and surprisingly, the little thing was quite mature for its age. But it was still a baby and demanded attention. While tending to the thing, I weirdly made up with Lin. And we were friends again.

We even went out hunting and… honestly things were good for once.

I was friends with her, and if things worked out… maybe I could even be more. Maybe.

“Hey, did you hear? That brat, stood up to a Dual Head tiger,” Serec said one day, out of literally nowhere.

We often hung out, went drinking, partying and stuff. He was married but he loved fun, and I loved hanging out. This was one of those times. We’d hardly even started drinking.

“Huh? Dual head? You’re joking.” I shrugged. Surely that kid wasn’t stupid enough to.

I mean, for his age he was mature, and he was quite sensible. He wasn’t possessed but I had a feeling he might have carried some memories from his last life. Which did bring the question, why he was so damn weak. But life was hardly fair. So, it was understandable. However, that boy wasn’t conceited enough to challenge a monster of that caliber.

“Oh, he did. He stood up to the tiger to protect Lina. Or was it Lima? What was Lyra’s third brat called again?”

“Lia…” I mumbled, stared out the window. Already evening, “When was this again? And how’s he?”

“I heard this morning. He was dead, I heard.”

“Fuck…” the words leaked out.

I didn’t like the boy. I didn’t hate him either. But, but we had an understanding amongst us. And… Lin loved the boy. If he was truly gone… ‘I need to be by her side. I need to-’

Breath erratic, I ran, I climbed, and I jumped around, till I reached her house.

I ran in, found Lin, and hugged her tight. “I heard. I’m so sorry,” I said.

She didn’t shove me away. She just… embraced me back. Not a word.

But it was then I realized, the kid wasn’t really dead. He was in a bed, bandaged, herbs slathered all over him; definitely not dead. Serec lied? Or maybe he didn’t know. ‘Act quick man, act quick…!’

“Can I-” I said, gulping. “Teach him some things? He eventually needs to learn how to defend himself so this doesn’t happen.”

“Hmm…” She nodded or at least I felt she did. She moved back, wiped some tears. “Yeah,” she said.

She was crying. For the boy.

And she needed someone by her side. And I was going to be that someone. Maybe not a special someone. But as her friend.

For now at least.