Caden swung out of the saddle and sprinted down the path towards the crowd of people. Men and their eldest sons were getting ready for the funeral; digging a grave, building a coffin, and carving Caden's father's name into stone were some of the tasks they busied themselves with.

Spotting Quinn rubbing the back of his neck and leaning on a shovel, Caden slipped unnoticed around this brother and pushed past the crowd to the middle. In a pile lay cotton white bones, some covered with hard, leathery skin. Flies buzzed past the corpse, some landing on the body and crawling inside. Caden tried his best to keep his lunch down. This gnarled mass of bones resembled nothing of his father. It appeared to look like a coyote's meal. The stench was unbearable; it curled around his nose and stained his clothing. Caden had to get out. He felt his stomach churn once more. Shoving townspeople out of his way, Caden fought his way out of the crowd. Holding his stomach with one hand and his mouth closed with the other, the young man barreled his way blindly down the path until he felt a familiar hand grip his arm.

"What are you doing here so early? We weren't expecting you until it started." Quinn held on tighter as his little brother still tried to run.

"Let go!" Caden growled through clenched teeth.

"Caden, you smell awful. What'd you do before you got here? Roll in the horse pasture?" Whipping around so he faced his brother, Caden raised his free hand and bunched it into a tight ball.

"I said, let go!" Forcing his elbow into his brother's stomach, Caden knocked the wind of out Quinn and darted from the scene. He could feel his heart jumping from the rush of adrenaline, his own breath strangely being caught in his throat. Suddenly he realized he wasn't even moving at all; a giant arm was wrapped around his waste.

"Caden you are redolent with the sweet smell of rotting flesh, no?" Maefik's face was streaked with dirt and sweat. "Well, can you answer why you came here early to take a look at your half-eaten father only to get you upset physically and mentally?" The man loomed over Caden more than before, a great shadow being cast upon him.

"I…uh…" The young man couldn't answer. Oddly enough, he didn't know why he did it. He felt himself being to tremble in Maefik's presence. Dark lines creased across his forehead and his eyes burned with unrelenting anger. His cropped fingernails were beginning to dig deeper into Caden's arm.

Tossing the blonde haired boy from his grip, Maefik grumbled, "Ah, never mind that! I just need you to stop slinking around and getting into things you shouldn't be. You know what your limits are; be wise and listen to them! Now go get the flowers you were supposed to be gathering." Flashing the man a fiery glare, Caden hopped down the path to his horse.

The black and white stallion was contently grazing on the dandelions and velvety grasses, his leather reins trailing. Letting out a prolonged sigh, the boy trudged over to the horse, letting his arms swing freely, his back bent and tired. Ripping the flowers from their buckets, Caden handed them off to Maefik, then decided to take a nap before the funeral started.

A shady tree located near Maefik's horse met Caden's standards, and so he gently shut his eyes and drifted off into a light, dreamy sleep.

"Deron Nurzahan was not only a caring father, but a compassionate friend also. I never found him to be greedy; altruistic in every way he could be. Whenever Caden or I would find ourselves in a large amount of trouble, he always found that forgiving piece of his heart to show.

I remember once when I forgot to shelter the firewood from the rain, and when it was time to throw logs on the fire in the middle of a thunder storm, I had to tell him my mistake. Instead of punishing me, he took the logical way out. He asked me what I would think was fair. I told him that I should replace every log that was soggy.

Now I wrote a piece that was rather poetic, although I am no writer that is for sure.

Remembering you makes my heart ache,

I could not get myself to forgive your fate.

Forgive and forget is what you always said,

But repeating those words makes me yearn for you once more.

I have been there and back; returning to the scene of crime,

So has Caden, but that has been a different story."

Quinn paused, sucking in a deep breath of cold air. Making eye contact with his little brother, Quinn felt the need to cry at the moment. The look of Caden's crystal eyes was so somber, yet furious. Once he noticed his brother's stare, Caden's eyes darted downward. The audience had similar expressions, their sympathetic faces heeding his every word, beat, and stanza. Once he regained his courage again, Quinn continued.

"I realize now that death is apart of the plan,

It was your time to go, as you are not immortal.

When the skies are as clear as glass,

I'll glance up at the stars and think of all that you have taught me.

I love you, Deron Nurzahan." Sparkling tears rolled down Quinn's pale cheeks as he choked on the last line. Stepping away from the tombstone, he slid into the crowd beside Caden. His brother's blond hair had swept in front of his eyes now, hiding all the young man's emotions. Quinn nudged Caden with his elbow, signaling for him to go forward.

Placing himself parallel with the headstone, Caden separated his flowers into groups. Then with gentle care, he placed them on the soft grass whispering heartfelt tales and memories of his father.

When it got closer to dinner, they started to set up giant tables in the meadow for a feast. Neither of the Nurzahan brothers were hungry, their hearts still recovering from the tragedy. Just yesterday they thought he was coming back…now they know they'll never see him again.

Caden just about choked on his strip of beef as Maefik took a seat next to him with a glass of wine. The boy just smiled, then swallowed the meat. Still he didn't feel any better fighting the urge to not eat.

"Caden, are you all right?" he asked, taking a sip from the goblet. "I know you were awfully upset today." Caden lifted his blue eyes, searching the man's face. His mahogany hair fell in strips, hiding the freckles dotting his cheeks. He still had a few scars in wounds, but they would go away with time.

He grunted in reply, "Sure."

"How's Quinn dealing with this?"

"I don't know! Ask him yourself." Turning his body so his shoulders blocked out the view of Maefik, Caden poked at a piece of bread with his fork.

Raising his eyebrows, Maefik glanced over his shoulder muttering, "Well, you sure are feeling snappy."

Caden's dismal eyes gazed out across the meadow, taking in the bright colors of the flowers. A couple of horses drank contently from the stream, swishing their tails to keep the flies away. He shifted across the table, settling on the image of his brother. Tearing a roll into little pieces, Quinn looked distant and thoughtful. His hair was blown away from a blast of wind, reviling a set of inquisitive eyes.

Caden sighed, rising from his seat.

"I think I am going to go home now. Quinn?" Caden beckoned to his brother. "Are you coming?" Nodding, Quinn stretched from his chair, questioning Maefik with his eyes once the man didn't move.

"I think I am going to stay here I while longer. I'll meet up with you two later. "

The two brothers bid their good-byes, then rode up the hill to their house. Maefik watched them leave until they were tiny dots blending in with the night sky littered with stars.

Caden worked a bristle brush in circles on a dapple mare's coat. Holding her tail high, the mare snorted, eyes wide and embracing the day. He and his brother had been working all morning, letting Maefik sleep, for he came back late in the night. Pulling the lead rope down, Caden crooned to the mare until she relaxed enough for him to brush her neck. He tried to fight back the tears in his eyes as he watched the young mare nibble the dew-covered grass beneath them. He was hoping to train this filly later this summer. Now since they were leaving, he had to sell all their horses.

"There you go girl, you look stunning." Patting the silver dapples on the mare's neck, Caden led her to a tree and tied her to a branch by the other horses.

"Who's next?" Caden threw over his shoulder at his brother.

"We have two more left. I'll take the colt and you can take the blue roan." Shouted Quinn over the pounding of the horse's hooves on the grass.

Caden slipped a rope halter over the blue gelding's head and lead him outside. Memories of his first ride on the roan made his heart heavy with feeling. It was like they were flying across the logs and streams of the forest, Caden's hands tangled in the gelding's mane, nothing in contact with the roan except for his legs.

Caden traced a river along the gelding's hindquarters with his finger, the blue hairs giving the illusion of water. Picking up the brush and beginning to comb through the fine hairs, Caden let himself sob. The same thing had happened when his mother died; they had to sell a majority of their horses. Now all of them had to go.

After he tied the roan to the tree, the two waited for the people to come and buy a horse. Caden could hardly watch without crying. A few times he had to ride a horse, showing the new owner how they moved under saddle or pulling a load. His last rides on the horses his father worked so hard to raise.

Maefik passed in and out of the house all afternoon, bringing the brothers food and water. When needed, he'd help water the horses, filling wooden buckets to the rim. The three never conversed with one another, each busying themselves with their own tasks, masking their pain. Caden wasn't sure if Maefik had a sorrow, but his face was desolate of expression.

The afternoon passed like a dream, the people that seemed like ghosts lead their new companions down the road until they were invisible to men's eyes. A few horses were left behind, and Maefik lead them down to the meadow to set them loose, keeping only three. It was dark by the time he came back, his bony structure bent and broken.

"Make sure you are well rested tonight. We leave yearly morning so no one will see us." Grunted the man as he threw himself into a chair beside the two brothers.

"Caden and I already packed. I filled the water skins and wrapped the food. I think we have enough to last for a few days." Fingering the edge of his bowl, Quinn peered into the tan mush he had for dinner not wanting to make eye contact with Maefik. "Are you hungry? We still have some left." He made a vague gesture towards the middle of the table. Picking up the large wooden spoon in the bowl, Maefik studied the mush until he finally decided to plop it into his bowl and force it down.

Caden, on the other hand, was too sick to eat. He knew he needed to, to keep up his strength on the journey, but the past few days had made him debilitated. The images of his deceased father wouldn't stop haunting him. Somehow he felt like this should be his fault, his conscience begging him to confess and talk about it. Yet he knew he did nothing wrong. That was why he felt empty inside, like he could do nothing about his father. He wished that somehow he could bring his father back to life.

Dead is dead, Caden forced himself to think the hard truth.

Caden stabbed his spoon into the goo, watching the tan meal consume his utensil. Scooping up a large amount, Caden flipped the spoon over and watched his dinner plop back into the bowl, producing a loud smack. It was like he just hit reality. They were leaving tomorrow to a far off place. What would life hold for him? What would life do to him?

Caden remembered tales when he was young about men who traveled the lands, only to come back a completely changed man. They did better things like give to the poor and help out their neighbors. Some were placed in tough situations. He recalled one story where a man had to wrestle two grizzlies, an unnamed monster, and five thieves. Caden knew if that happened to him, he'd be shaking his father's hand in a minute.

The thought made him shutter. Trying to take his mind off of death, Caden turned his attention to dinner. Sticking the spoon in his mouth, Caden forced his supper down with a gulp then took a few more bites.

After cleaning his dishes and saying goodnight to his brother and Maefik, Caden returned to his room. Sleep seemed to want to take him away the moment he reached the cold, dark, bedroom, but he fought it to change into his nightclothes. Laying his head gently on his pillow, Caden felt darkness sweep over him as he took one last sleep in his bed.