Baggage

Wednesday has come around again and I’m happy to present this week’s flash fiction.

Lanad lay on the cot, to weary to move his arm from where it flopped over his chest or care for the moans of those moving about him. His pain was within. The Wall had fallen. The Mahar had invaded Galocia. And it was all Lanad’s fault.

Closing his eyes, he wished he’d been taken by darkness with his troop, that his lungs ceased rattling.

A towel draped across his forehead. Opening his eyes, Lanad saw her sitting beside him. Golden hair held in a nurse’s snood and pale blue eyes staring intently at him. “Go,” he wheezed. “I don’t deserve your pity.”

“Poor soul.” Her silken voice seeping into his mind. Lanad breathed a shuddered breath in response., tension draining away. “I do not offer pity. Only the desire to help with your baggage.”

“I have none. I’ve nothing” He raised his hand to tousle his hair, letting his hand brush against hers, and froze. Her skin was frigid, dry. Yet bursts of warmth streaked toward her hand.

She pressed her fingers over his mouth. “You’ve the most exquisite pain. I’ll feast on it.” Her smiled deepened. Her eyes narrowed resembling a preditor. “Neither death nor your god will free you. I marked you at the wall little man,” she whispered in his ear.

Lanad tried to move, his muscles refused to look at him. He wanted to glower but couldn’t manage even that much. The golden queen of the Mahar grinned at him.

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Be sure to check out the other Wednesday Words authors’ take on the prompt.