Walking slowly next to Sillti, I studied the field of scraggly and thorny looking bushes. They were in neat rows, and not very tall, but dense enough that I couldn’t tell what they were. I saw no signs of anything growing on them, but they did kind of remind me certain vegetable patches.

“To be honest I had simply thought I could change him. I thought he was just… young. That I could teach him to not be violent. To not hit me… or others. I’m… not sure why I thought so,” Sillti said softly.

I studied the woman as she stared down, as if at our feet. She looked lost in thought, but I’ve come to realize she was just… well… depressed.

We’d been walking and talking for a while now. We hadn’t sat very long on the bench, since she supposedly needed to return home to prepare dinner. Strangely most of our conversation had just been… simple stuff. What we liked to eat. How long I’ve known Vim, and such… but…

Well…

“You… must have had your reason. Sometimes the hope of something is enough to risk things you wouldn’t consider, usually,” I said carefully.

Sillti scoffed. “I married an abuser. The sad part is if he had kept his abuse to just me, he’d still be alive and I would still be content to be with him… It’s horrible to say, but in a way Rollo’s stupidity has freed me from such a life. I suppose I should be thanking him, in a way,” Sillti said.

Frowning, I wondered if that was a better way of looking at the outcome than being depressed or sad over it. It felt kind of… gross, but…

Glancing behind us, at Oplar who was following behind, I smiled at her to tell her all was well.

She was very worried. And since she kept a far enough distance as to not intrude in our talk, she likely couldn’t hear what we were saying. She didn’t realize that Sillti was not a threat to me… and hadn’t been from the beginning.

The poor woman was just heartbroken. Not because her husband was being executed, but because of what he had done… and who he had done it to.

Looking forward again, I gestured lightly ahead of us… at nothing in particular. “Were you there…? When it happened?” I asked.

“No. Thank goodness… I couldn’t even bring myself to go to Ivan’s funeral…” Sillti shivered at the mere thought of it.

Hm…

It was rather remarkable.

Her situation was very peculiar. Full of drama and lifelong issues, ranging from youthful indiscretions and even abuse. But what was most startling about her… was the man who had been murdered.

Sillti had been Ivan’s friend. They had been close since their early years… and to a certain point… It almost seemed like…

“You loved him, didn’t you?” I asked as I realized it.

Sillti came to a stop, so I did too. She blinked a few times, while staring down at her feet… and then looked up at me.

With one of the saddest smiles I’ve ever seen on a person, Sillti nodded.

I gulped, and did my best to not squirm. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

She smiled at me in a kind way, and nodded again. “It’s okay, Renn. I have only myself to blame. I couldn’t get Ivan to look at me, really look at me… and then I went and settled for a bastard. I’m… well…” Sillti hesitated, and I felt horrible.

This poor girl was a victim… yet she blamed herself. For all of it. Ivan’s death. Rollo’s brutality and abuse…

“What… what does your god say? About something like this…?” I asked carefully.

“Vita… didn’t lay rules down for marriage, as far as I’m aware. We are simply to never harm one another. So in that sense… I guess Rollo broke Vita’s rules long before murdering poor Ivan,” Sillti said as she thought about it.

Great. So no way to free this poor girl of the chains currently burdening her heart through scripture or faith… Or… was there?

“Do you feel like you’ve harmed anyone?” I asked.

“A better question is who haven’t I harmed?” Sillti said with a sigh.

Well… “Did you kill Ivan?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. And no… I didn’t abuse Rollo either. You’re a kind woman, Renn, to suggest such a thing,” Sillti said with a smile.

Ah. “Caught on fast. Was I not the first to suggest it?” I asked, amused she had seen through it already.

Sillti smiled and nodded. “Ollie said something similar. She was a little more frank about it, but it was the same. That’s interesting that you so quickly attempted what she did though… the two of you must be similar, or maybe as old as one another. Or maybe the common factor is Vim?” Silltie wondered.

“Vim…?” I asked. Why would Vim be the common factor between the two of us…? I had not yet met this Ollie, but as far as I had figured other than Thrain and Ash no one really ever even acknowledged his existence here… so…

“What would he say, you think?” Sillti asked, ignoring my concerns.

Putting them aside, I smiled as I returned to walking. Sillti followed. “He’d tell you that no one is responsible for another’s actions.”

She nodded. “I suppose he would. I’ve heard he’s actually very patient with us.”

Patient…? Not exactly the word I’d use, but… well… she wasn’t wrong I guess.

Sillti sighed as she glanced up at the sky. The blue sky was starting to darken, the sun about to set. “The worst part of it all is I now question everything. I had been so foolish, so inept at seeing what was happening… that now I wonder just how badly I mistake everything else. What if I’m an idiot? What if all this time I’ve not understood certain things, or misunderstood others?” Sillti wondered.

I smiled a little. “I know that feeling. It gets worse when you start realizing more and more mistakes,” I said, remembering my early years with witch.

Sillti looked down and gave me a weird grin. “How’d you get over it?” she asked.

“Honestly…? I’m not sure I ever did. I think I just accepted the fact I might be odd, or something. So I stopped trying to comprehend it and simply live the only way I know how… as myself,” I told her.

“Huh… that’s… probably very wise of you,” she said.

I’d have thought she was making fun of me if not for how seriously she had said such a thing, and how focused she was on me.

Shrugging lightly, I let out a tiny sigh. I was hungry… and I was starting to like her. I wanted to help her, to save her, so I really needed to run away. Vim would not be happy with me if I tried anything funny here, I think.

“I’m sorry I don’t have more to say, Sillti. I wish I had the right words to give you… but…” I said softly.

She shook her head. “No… Thank you Renn… for talking with me. I know it seems weird… but I wanted to meet the wife of the man who would kill my own… who killed the only man I truly loved.”

Sheesh. “That’s… a complex weave of emotions,” I admitted.

Siltti laughed. “You have no idea.”

“Still… thank you for talking with me, as well. I’m glad you called out to me… and… well…” I hesitated, as I realized I wasn’t really sure what to say. I didn’t feel like I had helped her at all. I had offered no closure. No wise words. No help. The few insights and opinions I had given had already been given by others, it had seemed… “If you’d like… you could talk to Vim too, if you want,” I suggested.

Sillti paused a moment, and then shook her head. “I couldn’t dare bother him.”

“Hm…?” I frowned, but then realized what might be the problem. “Oh… you can hate him if you want, Sillti. He’s very understanding… you would be right to, and…” I started to say, assuming that was the problem.

She laughed for a tiny moment, and then quickly shook her head. “No…! No… That’s not it. Hating a god makes no sense. I just… think I’m okay. It’s fine. Ivan is gone. Shortly so too will be Rollo. I’ll just… need to move on… and hopefully not make any more mistakes for the rest of my life,” Sillti said.

Feeling awkward, mostly because she had just claimed Vim was a god without any sarcasm, I slowly nodded as Sillti sighed in relief… as if saying it aloud had helped her somehow.

“Can I hug you?” Sillti then asked.

Oh? “Sure…” I nodded.

She smiled, hesitated a moment, and then stepped towards me. For a brief moment I felt oddly stiff and unsure of myself as the two of us hugged each other.

She was taller than me. And felt strangely dainty. I felt like she was… strangely thin, or weak, in my arms. It worried me, but I wasn’t sure what to say about it. She felt as if she’d snap from a light breeze.

“Thanks, Renn… Really…” she whispered.

“Mhm…” I didn’t know what else to say or do.

Sillti took a deep breath as we held one another, and then she released me. She sniffed just once and nodded at me… and then we stepped back from one another and she turned away.

Watching her go, I realized she had just… closed the book on this chapter of her life. On me. On Rollo, and Ivan. On all of it.

“Stand tall, Sillti,” I whispered softly as she stepped away. Heading for the village in the distance.

It was awkward, since she was walking slowly. If I too wanted to return, to go back to the house we were staying at, I’d likely keep up with her or even pass her at her pace. Since she had just basically said goodbye… well…

I’ll need to linger a bit. To make sure I didn’t make it awkward for either of us.

As Sillti left us behind, Oplar stepped up over to me. She had started to approach, slowly, the moment Sillti had wrapped me in a hug.

“You just hugged the wife of a man Vim is about to kill,” Oplar whispered in awe.

“Hm… she wasn’t sure what she wanted from me. She’s just… lost. Confused. Hurt. I sadly don’t think I really did much to help her,” I told her.

“Help…?” Oplar mumbled, as if unsure of why I’d even say such a thing in the first place.

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I sighed as I glanced at her. The tall woman had a strange look of unease on her face as she studied Sillti. After a moment Oplar glanced at me, and gently smiled. “You okay, Renn?” she asked.

I nodded. “I’m… just sad, Oplar. Far too many of us suffer. For such horrible reasons and in even worse ways. I wish I could somehow stop it all, and keep everyone safe from it all,” I said.

Oplar shifted next to me, and gave Sillti an odd look. “So…”

“She had been abused. By this Rollo. She didn’t tell me… how badly, but… does it matter? Abuse is abuse,” I said.

“Well… that is true, I suppose,” Oplar mumbled.

“The worst part is, Oplar, I’m starting to realize how common it is. Sillti, Frett, Landi… my own family…” I said softly.

“It only feels common because of how disastrous it is, Renn. Many in the Society live happy, if simple lives,” Oplar said.

Glancing at the bear, I hoped and prayed she was right. “You’re saying my view is tarnished because, by being with Vim, I get to more-so see the bad things than the good?” I asked her.

“Well… I guess…? Frett for instance was… bad. But the Crypt has been there for hundreds of years. Almost since the creation of the Society. As far as I’m aware that was the first time anyone’s been banished from there. Or here…? Vim’s had to kill a few of those here over the years, but you’re talking a handful over a thousand years Renn. We have problems, sure, but we’re not as bad that I think,” Oplar reasoned.

Hm…

I wanted, wished to agree with her… but…

How could I? So many of us had horrible pasts and turmoil scarring us. So many have had horrible losses, or pain, or…

“Renn…?” Oplar worriedly tilted her head at me, and I did my best to smile at her.

“I’m okay. Thank you Oplar… for worrying about me. And keeping an eye on me,” I said to her.

She squirmed as she shifted, and shrugged a little sheepishly. “You’d do the same for me, so…” she said a little shyly.

I smiled and nodded. Yes. I would have.

“She thinks Vim’s a god,” I told her.

“Ah… yes. A lotta’ them here do. What with him slaying theirs and all,” she said as she nodded.

Right… “That does make it a little more believable in that context, doesn’t it?” I reasoned.

Oplar hummed as she nodded. “Honestly I never thought much about it. There are many places, or people, in the Society like those here. People who had been slaves or children of great beings. Monarchs. Saints… gods, even. Vim’s the one who ends them all. Makes me wonder if we’re all just easily swayed and tricked, or if something else really is at play. What if all these gods were just people like Vim? Stronger than us, but no more special really,” Oplar wondered.

Oh…? An interesting outlook. Oplar didn’t believe in deities so… That perspective made a lot of sense. “What do you think they are…? Monarchs and stuff?” I asked her. She obviously knew, and had seen, monarchs before. I had heard not too long ago Oplar had been with Vim when he had slain one of them. In fact they had done so not too long before I had met him, in Ruvindale.

“Not sure. My parents had believed another race of beings existed before us. Just as we were numerous before the humans came into existence, another type of peoples were around before us. And that Vim is likely one of them, as are all the supposed gods and monarchs too. It makes sense if you think about it, Vim being so old and hunting them all down… as if he was making sure their time was over,” Oplar said.

My tail wrapped around my leg as I pondered her words. “My grandparents had said we used to serve our ancestors. Our gods. I now know the being we had served was a monarch. The way they had explained it was very common, and there had been many more of us back then. I find it hard to imagine a world full of those powerful and dangerous creatures, but stranger things have happened,” I said.

“Hm… Then why are all the monarchs so mindless…? How could we serve creatures that eat and destroy us on sight? It makes no sense,” Oplar said.

Frowning, I wondered if Oplar had never met a monarch capable of reasoning. But… she had to have, right? She knew of Tor, after all… and…

“Shall we return home, Renn? It’s about to be dark, and honestly other than fields and buildings there’s not much else to see here,” Oplar asked before I could say anything more on the matter.

Nodding slowly, I glanced down the path to find Sillti. She was far enough away I felt it was fine we started walking. Though we’d need to do so slowly.

Stepping forward, I joined Oplar as we headed back to the center of the village.

“She said the execution is to happen in three days,” I said.

“Oh? Good. I don’t mind it here, and I’m glad to visit my friend, but I’d really like to get back to my stomping grounds. I have a lot of ground to cover,” Oplar said.

Ah. Right. The vote. “You’ll be going everywhere, right?” I asked.

“Pretty much. I’ll be on the road for a year or so at this rate,” she said, but didn’t seem to sad over the idea.

“How’d you know Vim would be at the Crypt anyway?” I asked her.

Oplar grinned and waved her hand. “That’s easy. He always heads that way on his path up north. It’s one of the few places that he always passed through no matter his route. Basically I knew if I beat you guys there I’d just need to wait, and if I missed you I’d be able to then figure out where to go next,” she said.

Oh. Right. That made a lot of sense.

“Really, once we get back to Telmik I’ll likely just go the opposite direction you guys head towards. Vim and you can let everyone know about the vote as you do your thing, so no point me wasting my time going that way,” Oplar said.

“Hm… it’s interesting that no one finds it strange to trust Vim on informing everyone about the vote of his own possible banishment,” I said.

Oplar paused a moment, and my tail twitched and uncoiled itself from around my leg as she laughed heartily and reached over to pat me on the shoulder. “Isn’t that a very true statement! I never even thought of that!” Oplar happily bellowed as she laughed.

Smiling at her, I kept myself from telling her I had not meant to make her laugh… but instead point out the ridiculousness of the situation.

They didn’t trust Vim anymore. Yet trusted him to share the news all the same.

Though… maybe their true issues with Vim weren’t a matter of trust. Maybe it was something simpler. Something more…

Oplar giggled for a short while as we rounded a small bend along the strange bushes. Ollie was now far enough away that I bet she hadn’t even heard Oplar’s boisterous laughing.

The field really was big. As were most of them. Right now I didn’t see anyone out working on them, likely since the sun was starting to set, but earlier in the day it had been common to see one or two people per field toiling.

“So uh… what did she really want then? Just to talk to you?” Oplar asked after a few moments.

“I think so, yes. She basically feels like she’s made horrible mistakes, and now the world is suffering because of it. She’s lost. But I think she’ll be okay. She’ll just need time,” I said. In fact she was rather like how I had been a long time ago. After the kids died. I had just kind of… wandered around, with no real goal in mind. Though she might not wander much, and just stay here.

“Strange. I’m not sure I’d be able to talk so comfortably with someone who killed my husband,” Oplar wondered.

I frowned at her. “Vim’s doing it, not me,” I said.

“Well… yeah? But you’re his wife, right? Basically the same thing. It’d be like me talking to the Chronicler… and that would just be…” Oplar shook violently as if suddenly disgusted, and made an odd groan of a noise.

Raising an eyebrow, I was a little startled to learn something like this. Though it was likely something everyone knew about her, and I was just hearing of it for the first time. “So… how do you deal with that though? Don’t you basically live at the Cathedral?” I asked.

“Well… yeah, but it’s fine. It’s big enough and our offices are far enough away we basically never meet. Plus it’s not like I can’t… well… be around her. I just don’t want to associate with her. We can pass each other in the hallway fine, just don’t ever expect me to break bread with her,” Oplar said simply, as if talking about the weather.

Huh… Though…

Gulping softly I wondered if that meant the Chronicler’s sisters, the ones Vim had spoken of before, were the cause of Oplar’s parents deaths. If so that really was… well…

That would explain her distaste for their faith, at least. To a point. I didn’t think it was wise to despise a whole faith based off the actions of a few of its believers, but… well…

“Could you do it Renn?” Oplar then asked.

“Hm… Yes. My friend, the witch, killed a member of my family. She and I had been very close,” I said.

“Yeah but… you killed the rest of your family, right? That means they weren’t that good of people, doesn’t it? What if someone killed Vim? Would you be able to hug them?” she asked.

I paused a moment to ponder her words. She had a point. Maybe the reason I found there to be nothing too drastic and wrong about it simply because of my own experiences.

In fact I had proof of this. I did not mind my family dying much at all. Even if it had hurt and made me sad, I hadn’t faulted the witch at all. That snake arriving and throwing everything into chaos had been because she had been hunting it. It had come to my family as to hunt and eat, in an effort to become strong enough to flee or kill her. So their deaths were not just indirectly but directly caused by her… yet…

Yet I didn’t mind.

The moment I considered others though, like Fly or Brom for instance, it became a different story. If one of those sewer dwelling bastards had showed up again right here and now, I’d not only disregard everything they said and did I’d likely try to end their lives… or at least, go get Vim so he could do so. Like that man with fins on his arms. If he showed up again, somehow…

“I suppose you’re right, Oplar. If someone hurt or killed someone I loved and cherished… someone I genuinely liked, I’d not be able to talk patiently with them or hug them either,” I said as I concluded.

“Right…? Yet she had. I know this Rollo had committed a crime, and all, but still…” Oplar said.

Right indeed…

I sighed at the strange thoughts and emotions they brought, and returned to walking. “I bet Vim could, though,” I said.

“You think so? He seems to kill his enemies rather quickly in my experience,” Oplar wondered.

Yes. He did. But…

He also didn’t see certain people and things as enemies, either. How many in the Society were those he genuinely didn’t like or care for, yet didn’t hesitate to visit and help if needed?

Though she was right in the end. Like Tim. Vim had ended his life the moment he even hinted at the fact he had murdered Frett’s baby.

But… Vim had also told me he had acted hastily. That he had allowed his anger, his emotions, to act. He had been in the right, as the Societies Protector, to take Tim’s life… but he had seemed to think he had chosen wrongly.

“Are there… actual rules, Oplar? About when and if Vim is allowed to take someone’s life?” I asked her.

“Hm…? Well… yes and no. Vim has the right to defend himself, us, and to of course protect any and all information of the Society… but at the same time he’s supposed to get authorization before doing anything drastic. It’s why there are votes,” Oplar said.

“So… he broke the rules by killing Tim?” I asked.

“No? At least I’m not sure why you’d think so. Tim had both been banished, and had not only killed a fellow member but had threatened to kill others as well. If Vim hadn’t dealt with him, that would have been more of a rule breaking incident in my perspective,” Oplar said.

Seemed like a very convenient way to look at it… but who was I to say differently? I personally believed such a cruel man deserved death without question, so…

“Are you worried about the Society judging Vim for this execution Renn? If so there’s no need to. It’s sanctioned by the people here,” Oplar asked, telling me she had slightly misunderstood me.

“No… I figured this was fine, since you weren’t too bothered with it. Plus it’s not like I think there shouldn’t be rules and laws. Even the humans have them… I was just wondering about how Vim’s sometimes spontaneous and brutal actions are taken, I suppose,” I said.

Oplar hummed as she crossed her arms. “I mean… that’s part of the reason the vote’s been called, I’m sure. Most complaints about Vim are either his lack of doing something, or him doing too much. Take Ruvindale for example, since you’re related to it. Crane and the others on her side think that Vim had not done enough. That he had neglected to properly foresee and stop the damage and deaths from happening,” Oplar explained.

If I hadn’t known Oplar better I would have thought her picking the Sleepy Artist of all things as an example to be her way as to insult me. But I knew she meant nothing by it. “But what could he have actually done, Oplar…? The nobles who had done what they did and the knights who obeyed their will… it’s not like Vim could have done anything to prevent that. Short of living there constantly and keeping an eye on them, I suppose,” I said.

Oplar nodded. “I agree fully Renn, but they’re not really acting on reason I don’t think. Plus you got several of them trying to claim he’s some kind of god or something… so maybe that’s what their trying to imply? If he’s some omnipotent being, why isn’t he more efficient at protecting us?” Oplar tried to reason.

“What are you going to do if they actually do remove Vim from his position?” I asked her.

She chuckled. “It won’t come to that Renn. Odds are they’ll just vote to impose some kind of new rule, or something. I’d not really worry about it Renn,” Oplar said.

Wait… I slowed to a stop again. “You had warned Vim not to take it lightly earlier. Why the sudden change in heart?” I asked.

The taller woman also stopped, and gave me a strange smile. “To be honest…? You. Seeing the two of you together told me all I needed to know. Part of their argument, other than him being some weird god or something, is you. That he didn’t properly assess how dangerous you were and whatnot… I think they’ve recklessly accused you of being a danger without hearing the whole story. They’re going to be quite shocked at how badly that accusation will fall apart. You’re not a threat to any of us… if anything I think you’ll do us good. Not just you yourself, I mean, but Vim. I think you’re changing him, but for the better and…” Oplar started to blush a little as she spoke, telling me her thought process and reasoning… and…

Stepping forward, I wrapped the taller woman in a deep hug. Far deeper than the one I had just given to Sillti. More so because I knew Oplar was strong enough to not be bothered by it. I still wasn’t sure yet what a guinea pig was, so I didn’t know if the people here were strong or feeble.

“Huh…?” Oplar went quiet upon being embraced by me, and then she chuckled softly as she returned the favor.

For a long moment the two of us just stood there. Hugging. And I gave her a tiny squeeze and promised to myself to once again help her find someone. Whoever, wherever, whatever they were. I’d help her… somehow.

It was the least I could do for such a sweet person.