Page 15 of Sins of the Stone

Ramuz threaded his bulky hand through her hair, murmuring hushed comforts in a feeble attempt to console her. His embrace would’ve been lovely had it not been for the circumstances. She feared she would never getthat image out of her head.

With her fists balled, she hoped the pain of her nails biting into her flesh would diminish her emotion, but there was no solace. Not when an innocent mother and child lay at her feet. Not when she froze and ended up unconscious. Not when she could still live a full life, and they could not.

The guilt only aggravated her fit, causing her to cry harder. She wasn’t sure how long they stood there. It could’ve been hours. Ramuz’s head was tilted, stroking her hair even after her sobs turned to tiny whimpers and eventually dried up.

She could feel his warmth pressed against her. Even though his skin was coarse, she never realized how smooth it was. Flattening her palms against him, she sucked in a breath, finally returning to equilibrium. After gulping down the rest of her emotions, she spoke.

“Sorry,” she said, wiping away the last remaining tear from her cheek. Ramuz released her, his touch lingering just a moment longer. She couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with him. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see his brow furrow.

“There is no need for you to be sorry,” he said. Ursulette sunk her head into her neck. All of her emotions had been drained dry, and now she felt like a hollow shell. She welcomed the numbness. The pressure in her sinuses was indescribable.

Ramuz strolled over to where she dropped the books, picking up the few that weren’t dangerously close to the travesty. She noticed his eye catch on one—the one with the monster and human on the front—but he didn’t comment. She thanked the gods for not adding to her distress, even if it was a small blessing.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, aiming to look in any other direction. She didn’t want him to witness what had caused her such distress. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw him shrug, heading back with the tomes.

“I do not mind,” he said. “I have seen a fair share of misery in my day.” A slight pang of guilt took hold. He probably had seen more destruction than she had. Ursulette ground the tip of her toe into the dirt beneath her feet. Of course, he was used to it. He had lived her life many times over. Surely,he had seen much worse than this. She feared what sights could top this experience.

Ramuz handed her the books, his hand lingering on the top one for a moment too long. Her mouth dried up, almost forgetting what she had just witnessed. He gave her a melancholic smile, then motioned across the path to exit the village. She gave him a nod. Even though she felt shame for not burying them, she knew she couldn’t handle it. The little peek she got was enough.

They headed away from the scene. Ursulette’s gaze stuck to the ground. She only knew where she was going by following his shadow, watching every twist and turn until they were again on the outskirts of the village. Once she knew she wouldn’t be seeing any more death, she raised her head, noticing an abundance of items piled up on the ground ahead of them. As if reading her mind, Ramuz spoke.

“I found some things you might want.” He crouched down, picked up a stack of papers and a pouch, and handed them to her. She was unsure how to process such a kind gesture. Setting the books down, he took the paper and pouch, pulling it open, revealing a handful of quills and a font of ink. Their eyes met, hers shining with another round of tears.

“I figured you could leave a note for anyone still around. Then we can come back and see if we can meet with any survivors,” he said. “Well, you can. I will be hiding.” Ursulette’s bottom lip trembled again. It would be nice to be with the others again, but would they be so accepting if she brought along Ramuz eventually?

The thought conflicted with her emotions. On one hand, the citizens and she needed to stick together so they could rebuild. On the other, it could put them both in danger. Would they show the same kindness she would if the role were reversed? Not to mention that she wanted to see Giles again if he was alright.

“I would hate for you not to have anyone like you in your life,” he said. Her chest felt like it caved in, feeling as if the statement was more morose than it should’ve been. Taking a shuddering breath, she brought herself back to balance.

“Thank you,” she said. “That’s a good idea.” Ramuz gave her a bright grin, making her heart skip.

He’s so sweet.

She felt her throat tighten again as tears formed along her eyelids. Her breath felt heavy once more as her shoulders began to tremble.

“Oh, please do not cry again. It breaks my heart,” he said. Ursulette returned his pleased gesture, hoping to assure him everything was okay. Perhaps it was the first time she smiled genuinely since the massacre.

“Sorry,” she said bashfully. Ramuz shook his head, a playful expression on his face.

“And no more apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry for,” he added. Wiping away a stray tear, she kneeled and grabbed a book—notthatone—and pressed the paper to it. Pulling the ink from the pouch, she dipped the tip into the viscous liquid and began to pen a note while Ramuz watched.

“I also found some things I thought you may want,” he said. “Some from your house, too.” Immediately, her cheeks flushed, pondering what exactly he had found and how he figured out which was her house. Shaking the thought away and hopefully the blush as well, she continued to write, knowing fully well the color was far from gone.

“Oh really? Like what?” She struggled to hide the nervousness in her voice. Ramuz didn’t indicate that he had seen thatspecificshameful act, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Ursulette had mixed feelings about the chance he viewed something he shouldn’t have, but she swept that idea out of her head before panicking about it. She already suffered enough today. She crossed her fingers mentally, hoping he wouldn’t say something likeI found this weird thing,orI do not know what this is for, but I thought you would like it.

“Some fabric, a notebook, a sewing kit, and a few other things,” he said. “I know you like to sew.” Her blush deepened as the end of the quill nib carved gouges into the paper with the trembling in her hand. Shaking off the pressure, she finished her note and handed it to Ramuz. He gave a bashful grin as if pretending to study it.

“Though I am sure it is beautiful, unfortunately, I cannot interpret yourwork,” he said with a smile. “Maybe you can teach me sometime.” He returned the paper to her, and she took it with a content expression.

“I’ll read it to you,” she said. “It saysI have survived the siege and would like to meet with any remaining survivors. I will return two weeks from what I believe is the fourth day of October. Please meet me here if you see this. Ursulette.”Ramuz nodded, bending down and grabbing a hearty stone.

“It is lovely,” he said. “I will go place it at the town square. Hopefully, someone will find it. Then we can go home.” Ursulette returned him a gentle smile.

“That sounds good.”

Chapter 13

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