Richie and Eddie spent the morning walking through the woods where they were told they'd be safe from the arriving Lucantians. They picked the prettiest flowers, each making a bouquet for their lost relatives.
It was astonishing how different the groups of flowers looked.
Eddie had gone for bright yellows and whites, while Richie had selected darker purples and an array of green ferns. Neither said a word as they picked their plants, both stuck in their heads thinking of their parents.
The service would be long, with Eddie and Bill going third to last and Richie would be going second to last with Avi to speak about Wentworth and Maggie. Cassie would be the last, speaking about the king that had died at the start of the battle.
"H-hey!" Bill called, catching Eddie and Richie's attention.
They turned and saw him jogging to where Bill was, hand in hand with Edwin. Mike and Stan were following closely, all four of them looking calm but somber.
"Hey, Bill," Eddie said, grabbing his flowers and holding them in his arms. "It's not sunset yet."
"We know," Edwin said, Rowan sitting beside Bill and nuzzling into his leg. Edwin looked at his wolf and Bill, pleased they were getting along. "Cassie sent us to get you two. Lunch is being served and the portions are smaller because there's not a lot of people gathering right now."
Eddie grabbed Richie's hand. "Okay," he said, walking through the trees. "I'll skip eating if someone needs my portion."
"Don't be so modest," Mike said with a laugh. "We just need to preserve until we get people out gathering. We're not without food by any means. Besides, I think Cassie sent a few people toward Konilla with a ship to offer unity here, as well as gathering resources."
"Will Avi be going?" Richie asked, not wanting to give his speech alone.
"No, Katie will be catching up by dragon after the ceremony," Stan said, helping a Richie to grab more flowers and delicately put them on his bouquet. "We all leave for Divisus in a few days, though. After we abandon Klais on an island thousands of miles away."
Eddie scoffed. "Why don't we just kill him? He's a murderer."
"He's got no survival instinct, so he'll die anyway," Richie responded. "I don't want to be seen as a killer, especially with this war already over."
Eddie reluctantly agreed. They all walked back to the main hall where the council meetings took place and found food laid out. To the Tenebrians, the small portions felt big.
Eddie gave his up to a young Tenebrian named Georgie, who had been following Bill in time, after Bill saved him during the battle. He was the youngest in the room, which shocked Eddie that a child would be allowed to fight.
"Thank you!" Georgie said excitably when Eddie handed him his plate.
"No problem," Eddie said, walking back over to Richie and sitting beside him. He noticed that Richie hadn't touched his food and was picking at it. "What's on your mind?"
Richie seemed to blink out of a daze. "I'm just thinking about my speech. Like, what the hell would Maggie want me to say?" he asked, leaning his head on Eddie's shoulder.
Eddie smiled. "She's going to be proud either way, Richie. Whatever you come up with will be beautiful."
Groaning, Richie stood up and brought his place to a Tenebrian woman who was clearly famished. Then, he sat back down and began to scribble on some notecards.
"What're you saying?" Richie asked, trying to get his thoughts in order.
Eddie shrugged. "I'll improvise. That's what I did in the arena," he said.
