Marcus fought to keep his breath steady. He did not dare let these three see him. It could not possibly be the men who threw rocks at him, he told himself, but -- how many villages had sold the necromancers food? They had to be close for it to be fresh. His heart hammered in his chest. They had sold food, even if they were not the ones who threw the stones. They had known what the necromancers were. Then he realized that these men, too, had come to bathe, and hung their clothes on bushes to keep them from the mud. Their clothes were not rags. Slowly, slowly, he stole around through brush and trees before reaching for their clothes. Too large for him, but not vastly. He could pass as a boy in his father's hand-me-downs. He inched away from the pool. The men were loud enough to cover some noise, but he risked as little as he could, and in a grove of white birches, change into new clothes. For a moment, he thought of going back and leaving his rags, but the men could kill him if they caught him. He took up his sack and went into the forest. The sound died down behind. A bird trilled in the peaceful air. He picked his way to the road, and walked on in the sunlight. Eating up the sack would make him look far closer to human, and not like a necromancer at all. Except the hair.
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Date: 2023-04-24 02:50 am (UTC)It could not possibly be the men who threw rocks at him, he told himself, but -- how many villages had sold the necromancers food? They had to be close for it to be fresh.
His heart hammered in his chest. They had sold food, even if they were not the ones who threw the stones. They had known what the necromancers were. Then he realized that these men, too, had come to bathe, and hung their clothes on bushes to keep them from the mud. Their clothes were not rags. Slowly, slowly, he stole around through brush and trees before reaching for their clothes. Too large for him, but not vastly. He could pass as a boy in his father's hand-me-downs.
He inched away from the pool. The men were loud enough to cover some noise, but he risked as little as he could, and in a grove of white birches, change into new clothes.
For a moment, he thought of going back and leaving his rags, but the men could kill him if they caught him. He took up his sack and went into the forest.
The sound died down behind. A bird trilled in the peaceful air. He picked his way to the road, and walked on in the sunlight. Eating up the sack would make him look far closer to human, and not like a necromancer at all. Except the hair.