Rezo woke up before dawn and walked outside to where Dathan was buried. The tall man stood over the grave and silently offered a prayer to the heavens. Rezo pulled a letter out from his robes and read it.
"I swear to you, I will watch out for Shona and Sieran." Rezo stuffed the letter back into his robes and pulled a thin chain from around his neck. "You see, I made it Dathan, I am thankful to you for pushing me in this direction. Rezo knelt down and and laid his pendant that showed his rank as a master sorcerer at the base of Dathan's grave marker. "Good by to you my friend." Rezo wearily climbed to his feet and blinked his eyes rapidly, he refused to cry for a dead man, even if it had been his fault. Rezo walked back to the house but stopped at the stable first to visit with Shab.

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Rezo softly opened the backdoor and tiptoed into the kitchen
"And just where have you been young man?" a arch voice inquired. Rezo froze and looked over at Shona. She was standing in front of the sink with her back turne dto him.
"I was out in the stable." Rezo said softly, which was mostly true. He had spent the last fifteen minutes feeding and grooming his stallion. He just didn't mention his visit to Dathan's grave. Shona turned and looked at him with piercing eyes.
"Tell the truth." she said softly.
"I was visiting Dathan." Rezo turned his head and 'looked' out of the kitchen window.Shona set down her bowl and walked over to Rezo, and grabbed his hand. Shona lead the unresisting Rezo over to the stool that he had sat on the night before. Rezo sat down and Shona was at his eye level.
"When I found out that I couldn't have any children after I had Sieran, I was crushed." Rezo looked up at her and tried to at least crack open his eyes. "I wanted so much to give Dathan a son. Don't get me wrong, Sieran is the most precious gift the Gods ever gave me, but I think that deep down he wanted a son." Shona smiled sadly. "And then you came to us, and you know what Rezo, you became the son we never had." Rezo squeezed his eyes shut and Shona laid her hand agaisnt to his cheek. "I know that I am not your maternal mother Rezo, but I do love you like a son, and I can't stand to seeyou in pain. And niether would Dathan." Rezo chocked back and sob and Shona hugged him fiercely. "I know you blame yourself for his death Rezo, but the truth of the matter is that Dathan starte ddown that path long ago, and there was noting either you or I could do to stop him." Rezo begain to tremble with surpressed sobs "Shhhh, let it out Rezo, don't bottle it up, shhh." Shona whispered and Rezo buried his head in her shoulder. Shona stroked Reze longish silky hair. "There, there, you're home now." Rezo sobbed and shivers wraked his slender frame. Unnoticed, a single silver tear ran down Shona's cheek. From the doorway, Sieran looked on in shock as her mother held the softly sobbing Rezo. She had never seen him cry. She wondered what could hurt him so much and Sieran felt her heart go out the the priest. Will the Gods ever stop tortureing him? Sieran thought silently as inexpleicably tears filled her eyes.