Cursed Forest [Ongoing]

Chapter 14

Aspen and Sekafi walked through the darkening streets, kicking up dust with each stride. Sekafi heard him first. A faint sniffle ahead, a ragged breath. She looked up. Outside the potter's store sat a man, hunched forward with his arms around his pulled up legs. She tapped Aspen on his shoulder and he looked up.

'Gaen?' he asked. 'Gaen! What's happened?' He rushed forward, and Sekafi hurried after him.

What did Gaen do outside this late? They stopped before the man. He sobbed into his knees, not acknowledging them. Sekafi smelled his stress like a tangible cloud in the air.

'Aspen, something's wrong.'

'Gaen!' Aaspaelwin crouched by the potter and shook his shoulder. The man jumped, and looked up, his dark eyes wild. 'Gaen, what's wrong?'

'Aspen,' he whispered and sniffled. 'She... she...'

'Who?' Sekafi and Aspen asked at the same time.

'Malwi.' He sobbed again.

'Your wife? What about her?' Aspen asked, glancing at Sekafi. She shrugged, having no idea. She didn't talk with them as often as him.

'She... she died,' he sobbed, and looked up, tears running freely from his eyes.

They both gasped. They'd seen her only the day before, and she'd seemed fine. 'What happened?' Sekafi asked. It must have been an accident or something.

He looked up at her. 'I'm not sure. She went to work, and when she came home last evening she seemed sick. She struggled all night, and then...' He wiped at his eyes and drew a shuddering breath.

Sekafi's heart ached just from looking at him. He seemed so frail and broken. He always wore a cheerful smile and greeted them like family.

'Malwi, died this morning, shortly after you left.'

'Sick?' Aspen asked. 'But... she was fine! How could –'

'I don't know,' he interrupted, his eyes hardening. 'But it wasn't natural. Sickness doesn't attack people like that. It was something else. She...'

'There's something going around,' Sekafi muttered. 'We saw a woman die in the streets earlier today. Maybe she caught it?'

He clambered up to his feet and stared at her. 'She didn't die from a common sickness, Sekafi. She was attacked! She said a man in a brown robe had thrown something at her. I'm sure he poisoned her.' He glared at Sekafi as if daring her to protest.

Aspen patted his shoulder and gently steered him towards the shop. 'Let's go inside. We can talk more there. Without risking anyone overhearing. Right?' He gave her a concerned look over his shoulder as they went inside.

'Why would anyone poison your wife?' Aspen asked in a hushed tone. 'She's not that important, is she?' He raised his hands and added, 'No offence,' as Gaen's mouth opened to protest.

He slumped down on his working bench. 'I don't know. I mean, she is friends with a woman in the Council. Maybe she saw or heard something? Can you do something?' He eyed them hopefully. 'Maybe you can find out what happened? Please?'

'We can try,' Sekafi said. 'But where do we start?'

'I knew it,' Aspen mouthed at her.

'Perhaps you can talk to her friend?'

'Why don't you?' Sekafi asked. Surely they'd rather speak to him, her husband, than strangers.

'You work for the Council, don't you? I'm just a potter. I've never met her. Please.'