Mourning Ceremony

[Thia’s POV]

I stared straight ahead as Antoine and Ashton helped their packmates send off the deceased. Beside me, Haidan remained stoic as silent tears made their way down her cheeks and dripped onto her brown hair that hung over her shoulders.

My heart broke for all of them. Whereas I didn’t grow up in this pack and therefore didn’t have that connection, they were all connected. Maybe in the past that would have bothered me, but now I was happy that they all at least had one another still.

Reaching out, I wrapped an arm around Haidan’s shoulder and pulled her closer.

"Thanks," her shaky voice sighed, as she relaxed into my side.

Nodding, I kept my gaze on the lake ahead and the rafts that were slowly drifting towards the middle, where the warriors that gave their lives would soon leave this earthly plain. Once all were set asail, Ashton and the others lifted bows and arrows from the ground as Antoine went around lighting the tips.

"Ready!" Ashton called, lifting his blazing arrow t