The stiff body didn’t move as he stepped over its legs. He continued on his way. There was no time to make sure that these bodies were not any of his friends. He had to get to the meeting, and quickly too. Who knew what horrors could be found, now that it was all over. With a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that nobody was watching, he pulled out a small scrap of parchment.
We will be meeting under the remains of the Eeylop’s, forty minutes after it ends.
--Melinda
He read the note a few times as he walked. He didn’t even notice a small speck of red in the corner of the note, until he stood right in front of the crumbling building, only recognizable by the half destroyed sign that read “Eyelop’s Ow” hanging over an open doorway.
The small red speck bothered him. It could just as easily be a drop of ink, but if it was, why didn’t Melinda include a post-script explaining it? Trying to push the frightening possibility out of his mind, he stepped through the doorway and pulled out his wand. With a quick swish, a small door in the corner swung open. He ran down the stairs and stopped to find a two person meeting in progress.
“Sorry,” he breathed, waving his wand one more time. There was a slam of the door above them. “Melinda’s owl didn’t get to me.”
“It’s okay, Fornax,” a rather tall woman replied. She conjured a stiff, wooden chair. He didn’t sit. “You--You might want to sit,” she said in a hushed voice.
Quickly exchanging glances with the other sitting man, he said, “Ryan, what happened?”
Ryan didn’t respond, but let his head droop to his lap.
“Naesa?”
The woman called Naesa bounced up and down on the balls of her heels. “Yes,” she said, pulling her light brown hair out of its high ponytail, and putting it back again. “It’s about Melinda.” She twisted one of the large, gold rings around her finger.
Fornax stood up. “No,” he hissed. That dot of red. Of course. It made so much sense now. “Who was it?”
“Greyback.” Naesa couldn’t make eye contact. Although she couldn’t name it, she knew, as did Ryan, that something had been going on between Fornax and Melinda.
Fornax stood up. His wand quivered in his hand. “I’ll kill him.”
“Don’t bother,” grunted Ryan. “Already dead.”
Fornax sat back down and rested his elbows heavily on the table, as though he needed it for the stability. “Who killed him?”
“Grawp, I believe.” Ryan was trying to act like his usual self, but it was evident, from his slow rocking back and forth that he was still shaken.
They had been a foursome, always. They had been making plans for their celebration if they won, and for their revolt if they didn’t. None of them could believe that they were now focusing on the latter, one member short.
“That giant is completely irrational. He wouldn’t know if he was killing somebody from our side or theirs.” It was hard not to notice Fornax’s bitterness.
Naesa pursed her lips. “I believe he had a good reason this time,” she said.
“And what would that be?” Fornax rose and hit his fist against the table.
Naesa didn’t give way under his sharp glare. “Revenge,” she said. “Greyback had just killed his brother.”
Fornax sat back down, not offering any sort of apology.
“So,” Naesa said after a few minute’s silence. “Are we going to do this?”
“We’re one short,” Fornax said softly.
Naesa sighed and knelt next to her friend. “We all miss her, Fornax,” she whispered to him. “But we’re always going to be one member short, if you think about it that way. It’s what she would have wanted.” Fornax didn’t look at her. “You know that.” She stood up again, and pulled out a scroll of yellowing parchment. She unrolled it busily. “So all we need to do now is sign it, right?” She conjured a quill and an ink pot and signed, making sure each letter was perfectly proportional to the entire word.
Naesa Palmyitor
She handed the parchment and the quill to Ryan. Not focusing on the aesthetics as much as Naesa, he signed.
Ryan Clynalmoy
Ryan passed the quill to Fornax. As his hand arced over the page, he wasn't signing for himself alone. He was signing for Naesa and Ryan, and their fourth who would never sign for herself.
Fornax Maelioric
Halfway to Infinity by Eponine
Chapter Notes: Thanks a million to Kitteh/Sasha for helping me hatch this plot bunny. Also bunches of thanks to "The Bird" and Deanine for helping me with well just about everything.