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", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Character death. ", "writing": "Slash’s father hit him so hard that his vision went black. Blood filled his mouth as the room seemed to spin. When he realized that he was on the ground Slash struggled to pull himself up only to have his father kick him back to the ground. \n\n“We lost fifteen slaves because of your stupidity.”\n\nSlash covered his head with his arms in an attempt to keep his father from doing any more damage to it. “I’m sorry father,” he whimpered. \n\n“It is a good thing that I have another son,” the chief sneered as he kicked Slash once again. “You are too stupid to be chief.”\n\nSlash labored to breathe. His father’s last kick left a stabbing sensation that only worsened every time his lungs expanded. He didn’t know what to say to quell his father’s anger. All he knew was that the tribe was angry and it was his fault so he would be the one to be punished. \n\n“Take him,” his father said, snapping his fingers.\n\nSeveral large snapper warriors surrounded Slash and lifted him from the ground. They took him from the chief’s tent and across the village.\n\nSlash knew better than to struggle, it would only make things worse. He wondered what his father had decided would be his punishment. Part of him hoped for a quick death but that was rare. He was going to be made to suffer before he died. \n\nHe was dropped on the ground outside the medicine man’s tent. He glared down at Slash then signaled to the warriors. “I need for him to be on his back. Hold him down so he doesn’t kick me. But stay out of the way. You don’t want what I’m about to give him.”\n\nThe wounds inflicted by his father pulled as Slash was rolled to his carapace and held down. The medicine man knelt down next to slash and held up a small blade. “The chief has decided that you will be killed by the parasitic rock. I have several to place inside of you so if you would be kind enough to hold still we can get through this quickly.”\n\nSlash’s eyes went wide as his heart sank. The parasitic rock was a green crystal like stone that, once implanted in the body, would take root and spread. It consumed the bone of a creature, protruding from the flesh until either infection set in or it pierced inward to damage the internal organs. \n\nThe longest someone had survived with the infection was ten years. It crippled them as their bones were coated with the crystals. But it started in his foot. Slash wasn’t going to be so lucky. Lesser beasts have been found infected in the surrounding forests, the crystals growing out from their bodies. \n\nThe medicine man worked meticulously, cutting in to Slash’s flesh and planting the crystals bone deep. He even cut along Slash’s head and broke in through his plastron to implant some. The pain was unbearable and had Slash crying out.\n\n“Now so long as you don’t succumb to infection, these will start to grow from you soon.” The medicine man seemed to enjoy his work. “I made sure to plant some near your heart. If you’re lucky, it will grow more inward than out and end it quickly. But they tend to like the light more.”\n\nThe medicine man made quick work of patching the incisions. It wasn’t like he cared whether or not Slash ended up with an infection. The result would be the same; pain and a slow agonizing death. “I’m done with him,” he said as he stood. \n\nThe warriors picked Slash up and carried him a short way to place him in a box that was barely big enough to contain him. As Slash looked up his father appeared over the edge of the box to glare down at him. “You have been exiled. We will not support you while you succumb to the stones. If the river doesn’t kill you, the infection eventually will or maybe starvation. I don’t care. Now I will show you how to properly lock a box.”\n\nWith that the chief shut the lid and secured into place. The box was lifted and Slash felt himself thrown into the river. \n\nWater started filling the box as it swayed back and forth and Slash both feared and hoped that it would sink to the bottom. But it stayed afloat, bobbing up and down with the slow current. He lied in shock and disbelief as the current carried him further away from his home. In one night his whole life had changed all because of that slave. He should have tied him to the bed.\n\nIn time the shock faded and all of his wounds made their presences known. They burned in the water that had Slash shivering from the cold. He just wanted it to end. Eventually his mind slipped into a state of numb depression. \n\n**\n\nLeonardo followed Hob down to the river. They were both covered in sweat and were in need of a drink. Running from the law was an exhausting life to lead. \n\nIn the two years since he had left his home with Hob the pair had managed to anger a few local sheriffs. They never did anything so bad as to get themselves on the most wanted lists but they have spent a few nights in a jail cell. It was something that they would rather not do so they cut out of town to avoid capture. \n\nThey did what they had to in order to survive. It wasn’t the best of reasons to do what they did but it was the easiest solution. They would have been fine with hard work and an honest living but people didn’t tend to treat them all that well. \n\nLeonardo learned early on, the prejudices that his kind had to face. The settlers looked down on the turtles and when they did speak to Leo they talked slowly, like he was slow witted. \n\nThe lack of people willing to hire a mangy old cat and a turtle led the two to become petty thieves. They took a few crops, and an occasional sheep or goat, just enough to be able to eat. Leo had honed his skills at preserving the food they stole or found, reusing the same jars over and over. \n\nThe river would most likely have some fish that they would be able to smoke that would last them a while. At least they wouldn’t have to take any food for a while. \n\n“I saw some berry bushes a little ways back,” Leo said as they made their way to the water’s edge. “I have an empty jar and some honey, I can cook them up tonight.”\n\n“That sounds good,” Hob agreed, leaning over to get a drink of water. \n\nLeo knelt down next to Hob and scooped up some water in his hands for a drink before dipping his canteen in to fill it. He looked back over his shoulder to where they left the horse tied. “Do you think we should bring him down for a drink?”\n\n“Too slippery for him.” Hob patted the pot next to him. “This is why I brought this.”\n\nLeo nodded his understanding. They had lost a horse once to a broken leg. Not wanting to waste anything, they skinned it and smoked the meat. It wasn’t the best tasting meat he had ever had but it lasted a while and it filled the stomach. \n\nOf course they had stolen the horse. It wasn’t like they were able to buy one. But out of all the crimes they had committed, Leo refused to commit murder. Murderers were hanged and he didn’t want to go out that way, at least not for some random stranger. \n\nIf he was going to be hanged for murder, it would be for Oroku Saki’s murder and no one else’s. \n\nThe river’s current was gentle enough that they would be able to wade in without the fear of being pulled away. So, after removing his boots, belt, and hat, Leo stepped into the river and let the clear water wash the grime away. \n\nHe kept his clothes on to reduce the risk of losing something to the river as he washed them. He scrubbed at his clothes, opening his shirt so that the water could get at his chest. He then dropped his pants to clean his tail. The underpart of his tail was long overdue for a cleaning and the cool water against the sensitive skin felt nice. \n\nAfter he was clean, he pulled his pants back up and made his way to the river’s edge the moved along to the soft grass. Only then did he remove his clothes and laid them out to dry before he settled down to bask in the sun. \n\nWith Leo done, it was Hob’s turn to wash. At some point while Leo was bathing, Hob had taken the pot of water up to the horse and brought down their fishing rods. Leo wasn’t too fond of the taste of fish but like horse meat, it was better than an empty stomach. \n\nLeo glanced over as Hob walked from the river and removed his clothes. The old cat’s orange-brown fur clung to his sleek body, showing the scars that were usually hidden underneath. Hob sat in the grass next to Leo then something down river caught his eye. “What’s that?” his eyes narrowed.\n\nLeo sat up and followed Hob’s line of sight. He was expecting something small but instead saw a large box floating down the river. Leo shrugged, “Wanna find out?”\n\n“You go fetch it, boy,” Hob pointed at the box. “You’re young and strong. I’ll probably pull something if I try and get it.”\n\n“Alright,” Leo stood and waded out into the river again. \n\nThe floating box was easy enough to push to shore but there was no way he was going to be able to push it up the bank. “Whatever’s in here is heavy, Hob.”\n\nHob walked over to his pile of clothes and pulled a long knife from his belt then headed over to the box. “Let’s get it open and see what’s making it so heavy.”\n\nHe spun the knife in his fingers, ready to pry the box open but Leo stopped him by raising his hand. “I think we can open it without the use of a knife. No need to ruin it.”\n\nHob sniffed then sucked on his teeth, “Alright then. Open it up.”\n\nWith a slight nod, Leo turned his attention back to the box and removed the long stakes of wood that were holding it closed. Lifting the lid he took a look inside. His eyes went wide as he took in the large turtle inside. “There’s a turtle in here.”\n\nHob looked in then pulled Leo back. “That ain’t no turtle, boy. That’s a snapper.”\n\n“He looks hurt,” Leo said, pulling from Hob’s grasp. \n\n“Snappers ain’t nice,” Hob said, taking a step back. “They’d kill you as soon as they look at you.”\n\nLeo sighed and then reached into the box to touch the snapper’s shoulder. The snapper’s eyes opened and looked up at Leo, causing the young turtle to pull back. The snapper spoke in his thick language and all Leo could do in response was shrug and shake his head. \n\nThe snapper sighed and sat up. His movements were stiff and it was plain to see that he had been in the box for a while. Leo moved to help but the snapper pushed him away, mumbling something. \n\nLeo looked over at Hob and received a look that said, ‘I told you so.’ Not yet willing to admit defeat, Leo ran up the bank to where the horse and supplies were. He grabbed a jar of vegetables and some dried meat then headed back to the river. \n\n“What are you doing, boy?” Hob snapped at Leo when he saw what he had in his hands. “Our rations are low enough as it is.”\n\n“I’m not as heartless, Hob,” Leo shot back. “He’s in need. The least we can do is help him regain his strength before sending him on his way.”\n\nHob scoffed then turned to pick up his fishing poll, “Just this once. We don’t need to support someone like that. From the size of him, I’m sure he’ll eat a lot.”\n\nLeo opened the jar and handed it to the snapper then gestured for him to eat what was inside. The snapper lifted the jar to his nose and sniffed at the contents then skewed his face. “It’s food,” Leo said, gesturing again for him to eat. “You need your strength.” He then handed the snapper the dried meat. \n\nThe snapper took the meat and shoved it all in his mouth. When he had finished with that he started cramming the pickled vegetables in his mouth. He said something through a mouth full of food then finished the contents of the jar. Something told Leo that the snapper liked it.\n\nThe snapper was about to drop the jar on the ground but Leo was there to stop him and save the precious commodity. Leo walked over to the river and started rinsing the jar as Hob caught his fist fish. \n\n“Try not to disturb them too much,” Hob said, tossing the fish into a pot before casting his line back into the river. \n\nWith a grin on his face, Leo placed the jar in the clear water and scooped up a fish that was fighting th current to get away. He held it up for Hob to see. \n\n“What?” Hob lifted an eyebrow. “Are you catching bate?”\n\nLeo let out a sarcastic laugh then dumped the fish in with the other one. In all honesty, Leo’s wasn’t much smaller than Hob’s. They were going to need a lot.\n\nSeeing what the others were doing the snapper waded into the river, dipped his hands into the water then held still. Leo stood watching the large creature, wondering if he had lost his mind. But then the snapper moved and brought a large fish up out of the water. \n\n“He can stay,” Hob said over his shoulder at Leo. \n\nBetween the three of them they caught twenty fish and put them over a fire to smoke. In the meantime Leo headed back into the cluster of trees to find the berries. He filled several baskets full of the plump red fruit before heading back to the others. \n\nIt took them a while but they managed to understand that the large snapper’s name was Slash. When Leo introduced himself Slash seemed a little confused by his name but they lacked the ability to find out why. \n\nWhile the fish smoked Leo set the berries to cook with some honey. He had found some mint in the foliage and added it to the pot as well. By the time they were done the sun was starting to set. \n\n“Might as well make camp,” Hob said as they started cleaning up. “This is as good a place as any. We can catch some fish for breakfast in the morning before we head out.” Leo nodded his agreement as he killed the fire. Hob started back up the bank, towards their supplies but stopped and hissed out a curse. “That’s not good.”\n\n“Hob?” Leo stood and started to walk over. Hob swayed on his feet and Leo rushed to him, reaching Hob in time to catch him as he fell. “What happened?”\n\n“Snake bite,” Hob answered, placing his hand on his head. “Got a look at it and I know that I ain’t got long. The shock of it all is what made me woozy. Other than a burn near they bite, the poison hasn’t started to take effect yet.”\n\n“I’ll suck the poison out,” Leo offered and leaned over to look for the bite. \n\nHob moved his leg. “Don’t be stupid, boy. It don’t take much of its venom to kill you. You get its venom in your mouth and you’ll be dead too.”\n\n“Then I’ll get you on the cart and take you to the nearest town,” Leo said as he lifted Hob. “The doctor there will fix you up.”\n\n“I ain’t got time,” Hob protested as Leo carried him. “The town’s too far. I’ll die before we get there.”\n\n“Then what?” Leo pleaded, placing Hob in the cart. “I can’t lose you.” It wasn’t an emotional attachment to Hob it was one of necessity and familiarity. The world was a hard place, especially for a native outlaw. Without Hob to protect him, Leo would be killed and no one would care. \n\nHob grabbed hold of Leo’s arm. “I’m sorry. I’ve done wrong by you but I was trying to make it better.” He took a deep breath then shifted his position so that he could find his satchel. “Part of the job Oroku Saki haired me for was to test the land and try to get your parents to sell to him. The other part was for me to take your pa’s will and deed.”\n\nHob reached into the pack and pulled out two sealed envelopes. “Due to the lack of your remains, they’re bound to know that you are still alive by now and you have claim to the land. With these you can claim it but if Saki gets his hands on them, the land is his. ‘Til then it will just sit unused.”\n\nLeo took the two envelopes from Hob. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”\n\n“’Cause I know you would want to go after Saki right away. If you were to try to claim your land now, Saki would have you killed. Or worse, say it was you who killed your parents for the land. He probably has men looking for us now.” Hob answered, placing his hand on Leo’s arm, preventing him from opening them. “Keep those sealed or they’re worthless.\n\n“Then what were you planning on doing, Hob,” Leo asked. He couldn’t help but feel emotional. Hob had promised no more lies but he kept on doing it. “Why did you keep these?”\n\n“At first, I was just keeping it from Saki,” Hob admitted. “I knew he wanted that land but that he couldn’t have it without those. I don’t know why I kept them. But over the years, I knew that there would come a time where you could get your land back. That you would be able to stand up to Saki.”\n\n“Why does Saki want the land so much?”\n\n“Mining.”\n\n“Mining?”\n\nHob nodded, “Coal and possibly diamonds. It’s how he made his fortune.” \n\n“It’s not fair.” Leo didn’t know what else to say or do. He placed the two documents back in the satchel then grabbed hold of Hob’s hand. No matter how long it took, Leo was not going to leave his side. \n\nHob shifted on the hard wood then grunted. “Get me off this thing. I don’t want to spend my last moments on this and you don’t want the mess that my death will leave in it. Put me back down on the grass.”\n\n“Alright,” Leo mumbled and did as he was requested. \n\nSlash seemed to understand what was going on and sat off to the side, giving them their privacy. The sun set over the horizon and Leo sat there, holding Hobs hand as he watched the moon rise. \n\nHob’s steady breathing became raspy, and then labored. The pain and discomfort was splayed across Hob’s face and in the way he squirmed. This was the first time Leo watched someone die. He had seen dead bodies before and he had suffered loss but he wasn’t there for the final moments. \n\nIt was terrifying, watching someone struggle to breathe with panic in their eyes. The fear as they faced their own mortality and the unknown of the afterlife. Leo didn’t even know what Hob believed. \n\nBy midnight, Hob breathed his last breath. \n\n**\n\nSlash watched as the turtle comforted the cat in his final moments. It was cruel how quickly a life could end. In one moment he was carrying on with his life and in the next…. Slash could only hope that in his final moments he could face them with the same amount of courage as Hob. The turtle seemed to be living up to his name. Slash wondered if he even knew what it meant.\n\nLeonardo left the body and walked over to pull the box further up the bank. Though it was a tight fit for Slash it was large compared to the turtle. When he got it far enough up the bank, Leonardo lifted Hob and placed him in the box. \n\nHe then set about collecting branches and twigs. It didn’t take long for Slash to realize what he was doing. The turtle planned on burning the body. Slash couldn’t blame him. It was better than leaving it to rot by the river and get eaten by the lesser beasts. \n\nThe foul smell of burning fur filled the night, followed by the scent of cooking meat. By the time the fire burned itself out, it was dawn. \n\nSlash woke from his doze to see the dying embers and the turtle sleeping a safe distance from it. For a moment Slash considered leaving but something in him had him stay. There was something about knowing that he was going to die that made him fear being alone. \n\nSlash went to scratch at the wounds on his arm only to discover that the crystals had already started to emerge. He wondered how much time he had left and if the turtle would make sure his body wasn’t left out in disgrace. \n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Slash’s father hit him so hard that his vision went black. Blood filled his mouth as the room seemed to spin. When he realized that he was on the ground Slash struggled to pull himself up only to have his father kick him back to the ground.

“We lost fifteen slaves because of your stupidity.”

Slash covered his head with his arms in an attempt to keep his father from doing any more damage to it. “I’m sorry father,” he whimpered.

“It is a good thing that I have another son,” the chief sneered as he kicked Slash once again. “You are too stupid to be chief.”

Slash labored to breathe. His father’s last kick left a stabbing sensation that only worsened every time his lungs expanded. He didn’t know what to say to quell his father’s anger. All he knew was that the tribe was angry and it was his fault so he would be the one to be punished.

“Take him,” his father said, snapping his fingers.

Several large snapper warriors surrounded Slash and lifted him from the ground. They took him from the chief’s tent and across the village.

Slash knew better than to struggle, it would only make things worse. He wondered what his father had decided would be his punishment. Part of him hoped for a quick death but that was rare. He was going to be made to suffer before he died.

He was dropped on the ground outside the medicine man’s tent. He glared down at Slash then signaled to the warriors. “I need for him to be on his back. Hold him down so he doesn’t kick me. But stay out of the way. You don’t want what I’m about to give him.”

The wounds inflicted by his father pulled as Slash was rolled to his carapace and held down. The medicine man knelt down next to slash and held up a small blade. “The chief has decided that you will be killed by the parasitic rock. I have several to place inside of you so if you would be kind enough to hold still we can get through this quickly.”

Slash’s eyes went wide as his heart sank. The parasitic rock was a green crystal like stone that, once implanted in the body, would take root and spread. It consumed the bone of a creature, protruding from the flesh until either infection set in or it pierced inward to damage the internal organs.

The longest someone had survived with the infection was ten years. It crippled them as their bones were coated with the crystals. But it started in his foot. Slash wasn’t going to be so lucky. Lesser beasts have been found infected in the surrounding forests, the crystals growing out from their bodies.

The medicine man worked meticulously, cutting in to Slash’s flesh and planting the crystals bone deep. He even cut along Slash’s head and broke in through his plastron to implant some. The pain was unbearable and had Slash crying out.

“Now so long as you don’t succumb to infection, these will start to grow from you soon.” The medicine man seemed to enjoy his work. “I made sure to plant some near your heart. If you’re lucky, it will grow more inward than out and end it quickly. But they tend to like the light more.”

The medicine man made quick work of patching the incisions. It wasn’t like he cared whether or not Slash ended up with an infection. The result would be the same; pain and a slow agonizing death. “I’m done with him,” he said as he stood.

The warriors picked Slash up and carried him a short way to place him in a box that was barely big enough to contain him. As Slash looked up his father appeared over the edge of the box to glare down at him. “You have been exiled. We will not support you while you succumb to the stones. If the river doesn’t kill you, the infection eventually will or maybe starvation. I don’t care. Now I will show you how to properly lock a box.”

With that the chief shut the lid and secured into place. The box was lifted and Slash felt himself thrown into the river.

Water started filling the box as it swayed back and forth and Slash both feared and hoped that it would sink to the bottom. But it stayed afloat, bobbing up and down with the slow current. He lied in shock and disbelief as the current carried him further away from his home. In one night his whole life had changed all because of that slave. He should have tied him to the bed.

In time the shock faded and all of his wounds made their presences known. They burned in the water that had Slash shivering from the cold. He just wanted it to end. Eventually his mind slipped into a state of numb depression.

**

Leonardo followed Hob down to the river. They were both covered in sweat and were in need of a drink. Running from the law was an exhausting life to lead.

In the two years since he had left his home with Hob the pair had managed to anger a few local sheriffs. They never did anything so bad as to get themselves on the most wanted lists but they have spent a few nights in a jail cell. It was something that they would rather not do so they cut out of town to avoid capture.

They did what they had to in order to survive. It wasn’t the best of reasons to do what they did but it was the easiest solution. They would have been fine with hard work and an honest living but people didn’t tend to treat them all that well.  

Leonardo learned early on, the prejudices that his kind had to face. The settlers looked down on the turtles and when they did speak to Leo they talked slowly, like he was slow witted.  

The lack of people willing to hire a mangy old cat and a turtle led the two to become petty thieves. They took a few crops, and an occasional sheep or goat, just enough to be able to eat. Leo had honed his skills at preserving the food they stole or found, reusing the same jars over and over.

The river would most likely have some fish that they would be able to smoke that would last them a while. At least they wouldn’t have to take any food for a while.  

“I saw some berry bushes a little ways back,” Leo said as they made their way to the water’s edge. “I have an empty jar and some honey, I can cook them up tonight.”

“That sounds good,” Hob agreed, leaning over to get a drink of water.

Leo knelt down next to Hob and scooped up some water in his hands for a drink before dipping his canteen in to fill it. He looked back over his shoulder to where they left the horse tied. “Do you think we should bring him down for a drink?”

“Too slippery for him.” Hob patted the pot next to him. “This is why I brought this.”

Leo nodded his understanding. They had lost a horse once to a broken leg. Not wanting to waste anything, they skinned it and smoked the meat. It wasn’t the best tasting meat he had ever had but it lasted a while and it filled the stomach.

Of course they had stolen the horse. It wasn’t like they were able to buy one. But out of all the crimes they had committed, Leo refused to commit murder. Murderers were hanged and he didn’t want to go out that way, at least not for some random stranger.

If he was going to be hanged for murder, it would be for Oroku Saki’s murder and no one else’s.

The river’s current was gentle enough that they would be able to wade in without the fear of being pulled away. So, after removing his boots, belt, and hat, Leo stepped into the river and let the clear water wash the grime away.

He kept his clothes on to reduce the risk of losing something to the river as he washed them. He scrubbed at his clothes, opening his shirt so that the water could get at his chest. He then dropped his pants to clean his tail. The underpart of his tail was long overdue for a cleaning and the cool water against the sensitive skin felt nice.

After he was clean, he pulled his pants back up and made his way to the river’s edge the moved along to the soft grass. Only then did he remove his clothes and laid them out to dry before he settled down to bask in the sun.

With Leo done, it was Hob’s turn to wash. At some point while Leo was bathing, Hob had taken the pot of water up to the horse and brought down their fishing rods. Leo wasn’t too fond of the taste of fish but like horse meat, it was better than an empty stomach.

Leo glanced over as Hob walked from the river and removed his clothes. The old cat’s orange-brown fur clung to his sleek body, showing the scars that were usually hidden underneath. Hob sat in the grass next to Leo then something down river caught his eye. “What’s that?” his eyes narrowed.

Leo sat up and followed Hob’s line of sight. He was expecting something small but instead saw a large box floating down the river. Leo shrugged, “Wanna find out?”

“You go fetch it, boy,” Hob pointed at the box. “You’re young and strong. I’ll probably pull something if I try and get it.”

“Alright,” Leo stood and waded out into the river again.

The floating box was easy enough to push to shore but there was no way he was going to be able to push it up the bank. “Whatever’s in here is heavy, Hob.”

Hob walked over to his pile of clothes and pulled a long knife from his belt then headed over to the box. “Let’s get it open and see what’s making it so heavy.”

He spun the knife in his fingers, ready to pry the box open but Leo stopped him by raising his hand. “I think we can open it without the use of a knife. No need to ruin it.”

Hob sniffed then sucked on his teeth, “Alright then. Open it up.”

With a slight nod, Leo turned his attention back to the box and removed the long stakes of wood that were holding it closed. Lifting the lid he took a look inside. His eyes went wide as he took in the large turtle inside. “There’s a turtle in here.”

Hob looked in then pulled Leo back. “That ain’t no turtle, boy. That’s a snapper.”

“He looks hurt,” Leo said, pulling from Hob’s grasp.

“Snappers ain’t nice,” Hob said, taking a step back. “They’d kill you as soon as they look at you.”

Leo sighed and then reached into the box to touch the snapper’s shoulder. The snapper’s eyes opened and looked up at Leo, causing the young turtle to pull back. The snapper spoke in his thick language and all Leo could do in response was shrug and shake his head.

The snapper sighed and sat up. His movements were stiff and it was plain to see that he had been in the box for a while. Leo moved to help but the snapper pushed him away, mumbling something.

Leo looked over at Hob and received a look that said, ‘I told you so.’ Not yet willing to admit defeat, Leo ran up the bank to where the horse and supplies were. He grabbed a jar of vegetables and some dried meat then headed back to the river.

“What are you doing, boy?” Hob snapped at Leo when he saw what he had in his hands. “Our rations are low enough as it is.”

“I’m not as heartless, Hob,” Leo shot back. “He’s in need. The least we can do is help him regain his strength before sending him on his way.”

Hob scoffed then turned to pick up his fishing poll, “Just this once. We don’t need to support someone like that. From the size of him, I’m sure he’ll eat a lot.”

Leo opened the jar and handed it to the snapper then gestured for him to eat what was inside. The snapper lifted the jar to his nose and sniffed at the contents then skewed his face. “It’s food,” Leo said, gesturing again for him to eat. “You need your strength.” He then handed the snapper the dried meat.

The snapper took the meat and shoved it all in his mouth. When he had finished with that he started cramming the pickled vegetables in his mouth. He said something through a mouth full of food then finished the contents of the jar. Something told Leo that the snapper liked it.

The snapper was about to drop the jar on the ground but Leo was there to stop him and save the precious commodity. Leo walked over to the river and started rinsing the jar as Hob caught his fist fish.

“Try not to disturb them too much,” Hob said, tossing the fish into a pot before casting his line back into the river.

With a grin on his face, Leo placed the jar in the clear water and scooped up a fish that was fighting th current to get away. He held it up for Hob to see.

“What?” Hob lifted an eyebrow. “Are you catching bate?”

Leo let out a sarcastic laugh then dumped the fish in with the other one. In all honesty, Leo’s wasn’t much smaller than Hob’s. They were going to need a lot.

Seeing what the others were doing the snapper waded into the river, dipped his hands into the water then held still. Leo stood watching the large creature, wondering if he had lost his mind. But then the snapper moved and brought a large fish up out of the water.

“He can stay,” Hob said over his shoulder at Leo.

Between the three of them they caught twenty fish and put them over a fire to smoke. In the meantime Leo headed back into the cluster of trees to find the berries. He filled several baskets full of the plump red fruit before heading back to the others.

It took them a while but they managed to understand that the large snapper’s name was Slash. When Leo introduced himself Slash seemed a little confused by his name but they lacked the ability to find out why.

While the fish smoked Leo set the berries to cook with some honey. He had found some mint in the foliage and added it to the pot as well. By the time they were done the sun was starting to set.

“Might as well make camp,” Hob said as they started cleaning up. “This is as good a place as any. We can catch some fish for breakfast in the morning before we head out.” Leo nodded his agreement as he killed the fire. Hob started back up the bank, towards their supplies but stopped and hissed out a curse. “That’s not good.”

“Hob?” Leo stood and started to walk over. Hob swayed on his feet and Leo rushed to him, reaching Hob in time to catch him as he fell. “What happened?”

“Snake bite,” Hob answered, placing his hand on his head. “Got a look at it and I know that I ain’t got long. The shock of it all is what made me woozy. Other than a burn near they bite, the poison hasn’t started to take effect yet.”

“I’ll suck the poison out,” Leo offered and leaned over to look for the bite.

Hob moved his leg. “Don’t be stupid, boy. It don’t take much of its venom to kill you. You get its venom in your mouth and you’ll be dead too.”

“Then I’ll get you on the cart and take you to the nearest town,” Leo said as he lifted Hob. “The doctor there will fix you up.”

“I ain’t got time,” Hob protested as Leo carried him. “The town’s too far. I’ll die before we get there.”

“Then what?” Leo pleaded, placing Hob in the cart. “I can’t lose you.” It wasn’t an emotional attachment to Hob it was one of necessity and familiarity. The world was a hard place, especially for a native outlaw. Without Hob to protect him, Leo would be killed and no one would care.

Hob grabbed hold of Leo’s arm. “I’m sorry. I’ve done wrong by you but I was trying to make it better.” He took a deep breath then shifted his position so that he could find his satchel. “Part of the job Oroku Saki haired me for was to test the land and try to get your parents to sell to him. The other part was for me to take your pa’s will and deed.”

Hob reached into the pack and pulled out two sealed envelopes. “Due to the lack of your remains, they’re bound to know that you are still alive by now and you have claim to the land. With these you can claim it but if Saki gets his hands on them, the land is his. ‘Til then it will just sit unused.”

Leo took the two envelopes from Hob. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“’Cause I know you would want to go after Saki right away. If you were to try to claim your land now, Saki would have you killed. Or worse, say it was you who killed your parents for the land. He probably has men looking for us now.” Hob answered, placing his hand on Leo’s arm, preventing him from opening them. “Keep those sealed or they’re worthless.

“Then what were you planning on doing, Hob,” Leo asked. He couldn’t help but feel emotional. Hob had promised no more lies but he kept on doing it. “Why did you keep these?”

“At first, I was just keeping it from Saki,” Hob admitted. “I knew he wanted that land but that he couldn’t have it without those. I don’t know why I kept them. But over the years, I knew that there would come a time where you could get your land back. That you would be able to stand up to Saki.”

“Why does Saki want the land so much?”

“Mining.”

“Mining?”

Hob nodded, “Coal and possibly diamonds. It’s how he made his fortune.”

“It’s not fair.” Leo didn’t know what else to say or do. He placed the two documents back in the satchel then grabbed hold of Hob’s hand. No matter how long it took, Leo was not going to leave his side.

Hob shifted on the hard wood then grunted. “Get me off this thing. I don’t want to spend my last moments on this and you don’t want the mess that my death will leave in it. Put me back down on the grass.”

“Alright,” Leo mumbled and did as he was requested.

Slash seemed to understand what was going on and sat off to the side, giving them their privacy. The sun set over the horizon and Leo sat there, holding Hobs hand as he watched the moon rise.

Hob’s steady breathing became raspy, and then labored. The pain and discomfort was splayed across Hob’s face and in the way he squirmed. This was the first time Leo watched someone die. He had seen dead bodies before and he had suffered loss but he wasn’t there for the final moments.

It was terrifying, watching someone struggle to breathe with panic in their eyes. The fear as they faced their own mortality and the unknown of the afterlife. Leo didn’t even know what Hob believed.

By midnight, Hob breathed his last breath.

**

Slash watched as the turtle comforted the cat in his final moments. It was cruel how quickly a life could end. In one moment he was carrying on with his life and in the next…. Slash could only hope that in his final moments he could face them with the same amount of courage as Hob. The turtle seemed to be living up to his name. Slash wondered if he even knew what it meant.

Leonardo left the body and walked over to pull the box further up the bank. Though it was a tight fit for Slash it was large compared to the turtle. When he got it far enough up the bank, Leonardo lifted Hob and placed him in the box.

He then set about collecting branches and twigs. It didn’t take long for Slash to realize what he was doing. The turtle planned on burning the body. Slash couldn’t blame him. It was better than leaving it to rot by the river and get eaten by the lesser beasts.

The foul smell of burning fur filled the night, followed by the scent of cooking meat. By the time the fire burned itself out, it was dawn.

Slash woke from his doze to see the dying embers and the turtle sleeping a safe distance from it. For a moment Slash considered leaving but something in him had him stay. There was something about knowing that he was going to die that made him fear being alone.

Slash went to scratch at the wounds on his arm only to discover that the crystals had already started to emerge. He wondered how much time he had left and if the turtle would make sure his body wasn’t left out in disgrace.
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