It had to be a gloomy, wet, Afternoon, thought Laide, slowly putting the frail Hand of her Cousin on his Chest to have her Hands free to exchange the soggy warm cloth on his forehead for one that was at least not sticky from sweat.

Taking up his Hand again, softly and slowly caressing the Back of it with her Thumb to let him know she was still there when so many had already gone away.

Even on his best days, her Cousin had fairer skin than her deep bronze color but right now, his illness made him almost as pale as ash.

"The Fever isn't getting any better," he coughed, only to be hushed by a motherly sh-sound. "Spare your breath. We will get you through this." Laide said, putting on her best fake smile and turning her head for emphasis. She leaned forward to reach for the cloth again, she couldn't believe it had already become uncomfortable hot in this short time.

This is what her days had turned into, caring for an old broken man with fever hot enough to cook on, stranded inside a lost village surrounded by dead land. Not alone, but still lonely. The Drought had come and had taken away how much and whatever it pleased, without consideration or thought. Everyone, who had been able to, had long left for the East.

She remembered going against the Stream of refugees, not one but many asking and sometimes begging her to not take the Path that lead her here. But she had to see, for herself, that there was nothing left.

This Day had been the first with rain since months, it should've been a Day of Celebration and good Mood but as the Time passed, she knew that she would be soon alone in this World, but this time, not by her volition.

Reaching for the cloth once more, she stopped to find it almost unchanged in temperature. "This is my End, dear Adelaide." her Cousin said as if he had read her mind.

She wanted to dismiss him, but before she could, he grabbed her shoulders and rightened himself to better look into her eyes. His lips, spotted with dark red streaks where the thirst had made the skin break, trembled with emotion: "Please listen to me, Adelaide. Promise me to Never Let Go. Never Let Go as so many have. Never Let Go of your Dreams, Never Let Go of whom you Love. Promise me this."

His eyes screamed at her, begging for an answer, and she nodded slowly: "I will Never Let Go."

Using the cloth of her shirt to wipe away the mud that stuck to her tears and face, a loud sigh of pain escaped her mouth. All that was left where memories now.

She let go of the Shovel she had used to complete the Grave of her Cousin, who had now found his last Rest. Her Head swiveled through the Rows of too fresh Graves, most of them without Names or Markers, but not on this One.

She had spent the Night of his Passing carving "Never Let Go" into his old Shield to use it as a Grave Stone. But now that it was the Time to place it down and to secure it with stones, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

It clung to her Arm like held on by a Ghost, the crude cut Words on the Inside speaking to her like a Spell, reverberating through her Mind as if thousands of her Ancestors were screaming to keep it.

Dizzied, she let herself sink on her knees. She felt as if a big burden was lifted from her shoulders and her Mind free once again to think beyond the mundane. Looking up and seeing beyond the dried Fields and dead Woods, she saw a fine silvery glimmer: Iverbent, the Northern Capital.

It would be a painful Journey to go North when the Way towards the East was so much friendlier, but all that was there were displaced people. Adelaide would start anew.

"But this time" she said as she stood up, invigorated by the decision, "this time I keep alone. No leaden anchor will strand my ship ever again." and this she vowed by the soil on which she stood and the sky under which she had wept.