Serpent Lake I don't need the world to see

The idea that the dead would always follow you felt so strange, yet the lingering presence of his wife was something Kemal was forced to acknowledge often. His mourning had been long and constant; he missed her dearly.

Sun setting over the horizon, Kemal had made the choice to opt out of his usual patrol of the pass for a walk to the nearby lake. He was so unsure of himself these days; life was passing him by in a flash and yet he felt that he was moving nowhere. It wouldn't have bothered him once, but once you have a taste of more it's impossible not to want it again.

He couldn't know if he would ever have another mate or another chance at children, but even the idea drowned him in such immense guilt that he couldn't be bothered to consider it further. Laying next to the water with an audible 'thump' Kemal questioned why he had come here. Another chance to look at the stars, another night hoping to see her? He believed that his love kept Narin present in a way, but he certainly did not believe in ghosts. If closure was what he wanted, it wouldn't come tonight.