Written by Khairra
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Khairra ran as fast as her legs would carry her, from one siabra town to the next following the path Sadoma had taken. Each time she stopped, she was met with the aftermath of destruction Sadoma and his allies had caused. The shock of the scope of what had been done was bad enough. She had been called weak more than once for her distaste for bloodshed.
But what had shaken her to the very core was the slaughter of the innocents who could not even defend themselves.. the children.. She had not seen this in any of the camps, though there seemed to be evidence that more than warriors resided within. But perhaps she had not been looking hard enough, perhaps it had somehow eluded her. But to see it once was plenty.
As she traveled away from the particular siabra settlement, a good distance off, she heard a sound that tugged at her in a strange way, making her alert, tense, almost wanting to behave in some instinctive manner which she didn't understand. Moving towards the sound, she soon discovered a small siabra child, badly wounded, seeming to use what little strength he had left in crying. Khairra's heart broke. He must have somehow escaped, only to be stranded out here alone.
Scooping up the child, she cradled him gently, staring wide-eyed through the tears at the disturbing amount of blood.
How could Sadoma have done this, she wondered? How?! He was no monster.. He was hate- and rage-filled, but she was almost certain he would not murder a child. They had spoken of this long ago..and she had watched how his demeanor changed, how his hesitation grew, how his conscience (yes, indeed he had one) got the better of him. So what had changed? Could it have been the doing of an ally and not Sadoma himself? But still, that would make him guilty of standing by and allowing it to happen..
The crying of the child had turned to whimpering, and when even that subsided, Khairra started from her thoughts in fear. The child grew still - deathly still. Time seemed to stop for Khairra as she stared, realizing for the second time in her life, someone had died in her embrace. Sobs wrenched themselves free from her throat as she fell to her knees, still clutching the lifeless body close. So unfair.. So unfair..
But now she knew what she must do.. Sadoma had to be stopped..
Yet there would be one more loss before this night was through.