"Here are the things."
Holy fuck! Why did she always appear from behind?!
I nodded and took the bag from Lydia.
"Good job," I said, checking the contents, the rods were all there.
I walked to the center where Serena stood. She looked completely drained, blood streaking down her face, mixing with ash and sweat. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.
"...I'll hold on to the baby for now..." I said gently.
She smiled, just a little. "Thank you." Her voice was hoarse as she wiped the blood off her face with her forearm, smearing it across her skin.
I turned away and upended the bag. The contents tumbled out, rolling across the ground toward the crowd.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The crowd instinctively stepped back, gasps and sharp intakes of breath rippling through them.
Heads. Three severed heads, their faces frozen in death.
Serena's eyes went wide, her hand flying to her mouth. "Are they..." Her voice trembled. "The heads of Tormund, Fiona, and Oken?"
