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Chapter 9 - The Mourning

Light penetrated the clouds just enough for the two to stare each other in the eye without any obstructions. No night, no darkness, no Rachel.

"What's your real name Black-cloth?" said the old man.

"Didn't I tell you," said the young man, "It's E--"

The old man cut him off, "Don't tell me your lies! Now out with it! What is your name!?"

The young man hung his head and shook it slowly.

The old man took a smoke of his pipe and squatted down with his back to the young man and his face towards the dead woman.

"Her name's not Rachel," the old man said, "It's Hannah."

The young man didn't raise his head.

"She lied to you.... You both lied... but for different reasons..."

The young man didn't respond.

"I don't think I need to explain it to you, but if this were a different life and you two were dating, you wouldn't be fit to lick her boots."

The young man looked up in anger.

"Now... Tell me your name. Your Black-cloth name."

"Fetch..." the young man said, "It's Fetch."

The young man was angry. He gripped his sword hilt tight, unsure of what he was going to do next.

"Well, son. What name did your mother give you? I can't very well call my new assistant Fetch, now can I?"

The young man was dazed.

"Can I!?"

"No sir," said the young man with pride and a grin on his face, "No sir indeed.... My mother named me Leo. She fancied me her little lion."

"Good. Now help me bury Hannah with her two children. They don't deserve to lay there for the world to see."

"Next to her husband?" asked Leo.

"Not next to that bastard," said the old man, "Let's bury her next to the hut."

"Yes, sir." said Leo with a smile.

So, the old man and Leo dug her grave. They carved into a stone these words and used it as her tombstone: "Here lies Rachel, the finest, kindest woman you'll ever meet and her twins, a boy and a girl."

As the pair left Little Vicious Village on the carriage. Leo sat next to the old man and asked, "What's your real name, Sir. Not that I'm going to call you that, but just for future reference."

"Solomon," said the old man, "I'm the wisest man you'll ever meet!"

The clouds rolled, while the light pierced through just enough to illuminate the beginning of Leo's journey as "The Humble Noble Wanderer."