[Nell]: 226.Stories.Shorts.Future Tellings

Rattling, the delicately carved bones fell to the table, rolling between goblets, silverware, platters and candles, coming to test in a helter-skelter of meaning.

Dar-quet rubbed his seeing pendant fretfully, realizing that the outcome of his brother's life, and that of his other travelling companions, depended on what the stones said would happen in the rescue tomorrow.

Bringing the clear seeing pendant to his eye, he began to read the hazy green lines that spiralled and zig-zagged across the table, connecting the bones into an intricate pattern of Future Tellings.

After a few minutes, Dar-quet let the pendant fall to his lap. His wrinkled hands slowly began to gather up the bones and place them in their pouch. The few remaining members of the expedition stared at him in hope and fear.

"We will fail," he told them flatly, tying the strings of the pouch together and attaching it to his belt.

"Preposterous!" roared Thenden jovially, slapping a large hand heavily on the table, that made the platters and silverware clatter about. "If the bones won't give us a decent future, then we will make one ourselves!" It sounded like a line he'd rehearsed to himself, in case of just such a prediction.

"Please don't, Thenden," soft-spoken Kaset-lah murmured. Her eye-lids fluttered, but no other emotion was betrayed across her pales features. "Whatever doubts we harboured about Dar-quet's bones before, we have all come to trust them completely. Time and time again, they have proven themselves. We must find a way to grieve our fallen comrades and move on, or else die in the attempt ourselves."

"I can't believe we must give up on them like this. Dar-quet, toss the stones again, perhaps this time…maybe you missed…," Joneva buried his face in his hands. Merdeva patted his brother's back.

"It is so harsh to loose them in this way. Especially your wife, Jon-vy," Merdeva said as comfortingly as he could. "But we must make a decision about what to do next."

Thenden hollered loudly. "It is clear that we must leave soon, and we must forget about saving our compatriots! We might travel across the bridge while the…the…"

"While the executions are taking place," finished Kaset'lah. "There will be few guards around during then. It will be necessary to steal some horses, or else we will never outrun our followers. That shouldn't be too hard."

"Then by the Four Masts of Yongsu's Ship, it has been decided! Find your ways of grievance tonight. Tomorrow we leave, without many of our beloved ones! So be it!"

"So be it," spoke the crest-fallen members of the expedition, and they drank their goblets dry.

"So be it," said Dar-quet, lowering his face to hide a smile.

Sometimes the whole Future did not need to be shared.