She sat there as she had for time unknown. Her gaze never blinking, never ceasing in its vigil. Her long neck pointed her face towards the unknown horizon as birds perched and laid a nest in her throat and body on occasion. Her skin, once unblemished was now scared red, orange, and yellow by times decay. Flora took root around her feet, feasting off her slowly dying essence, but she did not care. She continued to sit upon this hill for she could not move if she so desired. She listened to the ambient noise, the rustle of leaves, the snapping of twigs, and the voices of the hills, whether beast or something else.

She did not judge those upon her hill, she did not chastise or chase them off. She greeted each one equally, with silence. For it was the sole thing she could say. A noise rose slowly above the others, one she recognized well. Small feet padding up the trail to her, growing closer. Water splashed lightly as those small feet stepped into a small branch of the creeks feed. She could see the source of those small feet of her frequent visitor of her hill. She saw those small hands and ragged clothing, and those soft blue eyes like a summer sky. They reminded her of him. She hadn't seen him in a long time. She would wait for him for eternity if need be. Waiting for the day she would be brought home from here. She remembers when she was left. The noise, the shouting. It wasn't like it was now, the chorus is made of toads now.

How long had it been since she had last felt his touch? She didn't know, she held no sense of time, nor a way to track it. Her devices that were capable of such feats had long died out leaving an empty shell of uselessness. The small creature climbed up upon her body and played on her head. It swung like a monkey on her neck, and like a spider on her feet. The small visitor explored her inner crevice and played with stick and rocks that had found their way as time passed. She didn't mind her guest doing it though. She missed having such company, and this guest was reminiscent of him. She smiled inwardly to herself as the visitor laughed and played like one their age should, even in this world after the before. She knew, of course, they had talked about it before they vanished. Their fears, their prayers to God for salvation. She heard the voices that came from elsewhere as they moved through fields and mountains. She remembered the travels they undertook. She would always remember even as the sickness spread and turned her into dust.

For now, however, she was content. As the sunset overtook the blue skies into its fiery orange, her visitor took their leave. She was saddened by this but knew they would come again soon, they always did. As they left, they brushed their small hand against the ragged words written on her neck by him, 'Crow' he often referred to her as the black angel to the others and she relished it. That word was the sole thing she had left behind. At first, she feared the guest would wipe it away and write a new word, but they never did. The birds cawed as the guest padded back down the trail, she watched as they went. Once more she was left alone as night fell on the world, she would continue to do her duty as she was told. She would hold this hill until there was nothing left of her. So sat this decayed M1A2 SEP Main Battle Tank of a time long passed upon a hill. Though in truth she was not truly alone, as there were others like her too doing their duty wherever they were. Even if they could only watch and wait now. In her case, however, this hill had eyes and she was them. Ever vigil, and ever silent.

The guest walked down from the hill with eyes to the small shack of wood and twigs at its base. Orange light glowed in the dark from cracks in its walls as crickets and other night critters roamed and made themselves heard. Fireflies blinked a path into existence, almost beckoning this child onto a safe path home. The wooden door was opened slowly to a woman humped over a cracked iron pot over a blazing fire. Sweat dotted her face from the heat, yet she seemed content on her facial features. Her eyes turned to gaze at the entrant into her home and smiled as warm as the fire itself.

"Welcome home." The child smiled cheerily but offered no greeting in return. The mother's eyes glanced momentarily to a scar on her child's neck that only recently started showing signs of finally healing. She walked over from her pot to rustle the child's hair gently lovingly. "Go ahead to your room, I'll call you when I've finished." The child nodded and silently padded off to one of the only other rooms of the small three room cabin under the mother's gaze.

The room was bare save a straw mattress and toys made by the mother. A lantern made with the knowledge of the before sat upon a simple wooden table, dimly basking the room in a light that enabled one to just see their surroundings. The child climbed onto the straw mattress with one of the wooden toys in hand, jostling with its few moving parts, enthralling the child as it memorized every way they could move.

Minutes passed till a knock came on the door, the mother stepped in with a light smile "I was calling you know."

The child looked up with shock, having gotten too involved with the toy, and attempted to apologize. The mother simply kept her smile as she gazed at her child. Thin and wirey yet overall healthy would be what came to mind when looking at the boy on the bed. His light blue eyes held innocence one might expect of a boy who had only seen his seventh winter. Brown messy hair clung to his childish features and freckles dotted the face showing how often he played under the rays of the sun. "Well come on now, come eat." The boy nodded and set the toy onto the bed as he placed himself on the floor. "And Lavin." The boy looked up at his mother expectantly. "Make sure not to stay up too late tonight alright?" The boy smiled, his face not showing his excitement he felt inside. The Plrois would be passing in the area soon, visiting the guardians one by one, and trying to locate more if they could. He was excited to hear the stories they had to offer him this time and the wonders they had found. He looked over to a corner of the room as his mother turned and left back to her pot, pouring soup into bowls. He left to the simple table and took a seat, thinking of those items he had to trade, and curious of the wonders tomorrow had in store.

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"Well come on now, come eat." The boy nodded and set the toy onto the bed as he placed himself on the floor. "And Lavin." The boy looked up at his mother expectantly. "Make sure not to stay up too late tonight alright?" The boy smiled, his face not showing his excitement he felt inside. The Plrois would be passing in the area soon, visiting the guardians one by one, and trying to locate more if they could. He was excited to hear the stories they had to offer him this time and the wonders they had found. He looked over to a corner of the room as his mother turned and left back to her pot, pouring soup into bowls. He left to the simple table and took a seat, thinking of those items he had to trade, and curious of the wonders tomorrow had in store.

Dinner was a simple soup of chicken, greens from the garden, and broth made of Feldew leaves. It was simple, but beyond delicious in young Lavin's mind. Seconds were had by both as having food on the table was no issue for the two in the rather rich spot they lived in.

Lavin sighed contently at his full stomach, he patted his belly and tried to talk, only to once again recall he no longer could. He put his left hand to his throat and rubbed at the scar absentmindedly, his mother watching with a loosely veiled sad expression, wishing there was something she could do.

Dinner passed quickly as the two set about cleaning up the place before it got too much later. They finished quick enough, as there was little to truly due since the duo of mother and son keep up the housework rather well. Thus it became time to snuggle into bed. The boy laid on his mattress of straw covered by a wolfskin blanket as the mother sat at the edge of the bed ready to tell him a good night story.

"Tonight I think will be the story of the lonely mountain. What do you think?" Lavin vigorously shook his head, as it was his favorite one.

With a smile, the mother began. "There once was a very lonely mountain whose peaks were tall and strong, who was teaming with life and things to explore and held many wonders to behold. However, this lonely mountain had no one to share its wonders with. Thus it sent out its beasts. It told them 'bring me someone to enjoy my company. Carry them on your backs so I may be lonely no more.' So the beasts left the lonely mountain to find him company. Months passed and beasts did not return so it spoke to its wonders. 'Go out and entice someone to come enjoy my company with your awe so I may be lonely no more.' So too the wonders left the lonely mountain to find him some company. More months passed and the lonely mountain spoke to its storms, the proof of its might of nature. It told them 'push out someone towards me who would enjoy my company with your wrath and might so I may be lonely no more.' So too the storms left the lonely mountain to find him some company. More months passed and increasingly did the lonely mountain grew worried. Thus it spoke to the trees and plants that took root. It said to them 'go forth and open paths to guide someone who would enjoy my company so I may be lonely no more.' So too did the trees and plants leave the lonely mountain to find him some company. Months passed and it was then the lonely mountain began to weep, for no longer did it hold anything for anyone to enjoy its company with. 'I sent out my beasts, wonders, storms, and trees. Now I am nothing more than rocks who are so bleak, who ever would enjoy my company?' It was then the beasts returned, with things on their back, it was then the wonders returned with praising things in their wake. It was then the storms returned having pushed things to its slopes. It was then the trees and plants returned having been the shepherd to things on their path. Thus the lonely mountain now had someone, or rather many to enjoy its company, thus it became content in being lonely no more."

The mother smiled and kissed the forehead of her son who had seemingly passed out from fatigue halfway through. Silently she rose and waved her hand in front of the lamp shutting it off and leaving the room in the dark. As she left the room, she turned and gazed upon her child and slowly shut the wooden door behind her.

Almost immediately as it shut, two blue eyes opened, holding nearly bursting excitement for the coming day. Sleep was the last thing on Lavin's mind indeed.

Birds chirped signaling dawns arrival. Lavin leaped from his straw mattress in excitement knowing they would be here today. Already his mother was in over the fire cooking food for breakfast as streams of light peeked in through the cracks as he walked into the room.

"Morning sunshine, you sleep well?" She glanced at her son, seeing the bags under his eyes, and the clear excitement his eyes held. "Well, at least eat something before you start running off, mh?" Lavin nodded as he sat at the table, his mother placing a plate of cooked meat and greens from the garden in front of him. He ate quickly with wolfish fervor, all so he could rush out the door, to which he did. His mother smiled as he left, and sat down and ate her own breakfast.

Lavin burst up the path towards the shrine of the before. He memorized the path long ago and laughed as he went, only realizing he forgot his sack of trade goods halfway there. He immediately turned back, flying into his home, to his room and right back out, eliciting a laugh from his none too surprised mother as he bounded right back. He reached the shrine and ran up to it, climbing on top to get the best look possible for the soon arriving Plrois. His eyes fixated on the valley they came through for the past three summers anticipating the moment their small black dots would appear in the distance with almost religious fascination. He bounced up and down lightly upon the shrine in excitement, while she too watched on waiting for her yearly guests to arrive so she would have more company while she watched on her hill.

As noon rolled around, he saw them. They were small black dots on the horizon coming around a bend. He remembered the black cloth they covered themselves in and the massive packs of stone on their backs. Already he could hear the bells that rang on their travel sticks, ringing to an unheard rhythm. They took slow precise steps with no wasted motion. It took them half an hour to reach the base of the hill, Lavin already ready to burst with excitement as he bounded down the path to greet them once more.