The next morning came, Gash and Nova where doing there daily routine. Then once Nova finished he trained with Gash, Nova chopped logs and pulled sleds of huge rocks. He swam upstream with a waterfall behind him, and continued to hunt bear handed. This continued for three days, and Novas improvements where clearly seen. He might only be a boy of 13, but he had a physique of a gladiator. He was chiseled like if he was made out of stone, his muscles where as hard as diamonds, which made him completely resistant to the silver striped mountain lions claws. Threw the days spent with gash, they formed a tight bond, like grandfather and grandson. As they where laughing outside, Gash presented a black cloak with silver stripes to Nova, and said.
"This is the skin of the first Silver Striped Mountain Lion you faced, it'll keep you warm in winter and ward off predators, that fear the lions."
"Here it is your."
Novas eyes had a happy, sad expression, as he spoke.
"Thank you, I shall treasure it always."
At that moment Nova felt something off. His sense where picking up a heartbreaking emotion, and tears fell down his face. He stood up quick and looked at his house. Gash asked.
"What is the matter Nova?"
Nova turned to Gash with a straight face, as tears rolled down his cheeks, and said.
"Something's wrong!"
Nova darted to his house and bursted threw the front door. He flew threw the house and opened the door to his father a room, and fell to his knees. He looked upon his fathers lifeless dead body and wailed.
"Why!!! Why!!! Father, you where supposed to get better why..."
Nova slammed his fists to the hard cold floor, and wept a slow, low, painful sorrow. Gash stood outside the door, he new that he shouldn't interfere in this. As Nova cried for hours, he realized he could not bring back the departed. So he stood up still weeping in tears, and grabbed a white sheet. He placed it over his fathers cold body, and lifted him up. He walk out the front door past Gash, with tears rolling from his face and his nose was runny. He spoke to gash in a pained voice.
"P-Please bring me a shovel."
Gash understood, and quickly moved to a shed outside the house, and found an old rusty shovel. He carried if for Nova as they walked to an old willow tree, that sat alone on the mountain side in a field of flowers. He laid down his deceased father, and took the old shovel from Gash. He dug a deep grave so nothing would disturb his fathers spirit, and filled it in. He wept threw the whole thing, painfully stopping, and grabbing his chest every once in a while. He placed a large stone on top of his fathers grave, and chiseled into it.
'Here lay a great man, and even better father, he lived a honorable and selfless life, My his spirit find peace.'
As Nova was about to walk back still tearful as Gash began to sing.
"O'Mighty throne, bless this land, call it home, for this man, he was brave, and lived no lie, he spoke his last, fair goodbye,
O'Mighty throne, guide his soul, until he is, renewed a whole, watch his son, from high above, give him peace, and forever love..."
The hymn he sung was a Forgers hymn, for lost comrades on the battlefield, with a few alterations. However Nova couldn't bear it any longer, and fell to the ground with bursting tears, and thought.
'Father, I love you father, stay safe... and thank you Gash for singing.'
Gashes old voice echoed threw the mountains and trees. Fully enveloping Nova in a wave of heartfelt emotions. Even Gash was tearing up, for he new the life of anyone's father, was very precious. Gash walked over to Nova and helped him up and spoke.
"Nova your father rests peacefully now, we shouldn't disturb him anymore, come let's go back now."
Novas expression was painful, as the tears rolled down his face, he could feel a pain in his heart as if he was stabbed by a dagger.
Nova stumbled back to the house and went inside, however Gash stayed outside. Gash was fighting his own inner battles right now, he new this would happen but he kept quite. This tore is soul into, after awhile Nova came back outside. He looked right at Gash an spoke.
"You knew this would happen, it's ok I'm not mad you did the right thing, thank you for not telling me."
Novas eyes where bloodshot from all the tears, and he couldn't cry anymore. Gash however was appalled by Novas reaction, Gash thought Nova would resent him, yet he actually thanked him. Gash was shocked, but felt relieved, and spoke back to Nova.
"I should've told you sooner, I apologize, will you forgive me."
Nova spoke once again in a sad painful manner.
"Yes, I've already forgiven you."
Gash let out a shallow sigh of relief and began to light the fire. He pulled out a slab of meat from the Barbed Tailed Berserker Boar, and began to cook dinner. Later that night, as Gash and Nova ate there dinner, Gash asked.
"Would you be willing to become my disciple, not just my trainee, the work would be tougher, but it'll help you with your pain."
"If you accept however we will be traveling a lot, if that's ok with you."
Nova looked up and responded.
"Is it ok if I sleep on it, and give you an answer in the morning."
Gash responded.
"Yes that is fine."
As the night came to an end, and they went to bed Nova pondered very hard at Gashes request. Finally he decided and went to sleep. As the next morning came, they woke up and ate breakfast, which consisted of boar and vegetables. Nova looked up from his bowl and spoke.
"I accept!"
Gash choked a little on his food, and looked up Nova. He responded.
"Great we leave tomorrow!"
Nova was shocked, where were they gonna go, they had no money just animal skins and meat. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him and asked
"Where are we gonna go, we have no money?"
Gash laughed and pointed to the animal furs, and said.
"Money doesn't matter, will figure it out, oh and we're gonna go to the capital of Vallahiem!"