The spot was defined by roses meticulously maintained on a daily basis by the hooded lady. The lively roses that bloomed were a stark contrast to its dead surroundings.
When she reached the spot, she bowed her head for a long time and whispered a prayer to the Mages. Then, she knelt in front of the stone where the following words were written:
~<$>~ "Zechin" ~<$>~
"A Loyal brother, friend and lover."
"May you follow the Wild Hunt into the afterlife.."
Grazilda removed the hood of her cloak and let out a long sigh. She took out a wine bottle and removed the cork. "Cheers, Zechi!" She raised the bottle and took a long sip. "It was more convenient to drink with you in the tavern. Truth be told, the grass can sometimes be itchy," she remarked and wiped her lips with a handkerchief."A Loyal brother, friend and lover."
"May you follow the Wild Hunt into the afterlife.."
Her fingers traced the etched words on the stone. "You were very good in hunting, I'll admit that. But it's so unfair that you left without finishing our hunting contest. And you also left with my 200-something freznics from your last trade run to Widu with my items. I almost believed that your death was prefabricated so that you can run away with my money. You know that I'll hunt you to the end of the world and break your neck because you took my money." She took another sip of her drink. And again, she wiped her lips with a handkerchief. "And as my business partner, you knew how much I hate losing money!" She took another sip then wiped again her lips with a handkerchief. "And you owed me a huge banquet!"
She let out a long sigh. "It took a while for me to promote you from a business partner to becoming a friend. And you very well know that I have trust issues." She squinted at the tombstone with contempt. "Unlike you, I don't socialize easily with people." She bit her lower lip, and held back her tears. "I loved you, Zechi, but why did you leave me? Why didn't you even say good-bye?" She clenched her fists in an effort to hold back the tears yet she failed.
"I refused to believe that you're gone, Zechi. However, it's high time that I accept that fact," she said in between tears. "You were the only one who brought back the old me that took a whole tribe to eradicate for decades. You were the only one who saw the real me beyond the wall that I've built around myself. You were the only one who saw that I'm really..." Her voice trailed off. Her face became very gentle and kind. Her eyes were filled with love and understanding.
Suddenly, she became aware of her surroundings. She wiped the tears from her face and covered her face with her hood.
The soft countenance was suddenly replaced with a cold and deadly expression. And the hooded creature stood up and left the graveyard with her handkerchief and empty wine bottle.