Hawke got carried away by the moment. He crouched down and pressed both hands into the still-warm coals; not hot enough to burn, just enough to remind her that it had been fire a short time ago. Her palms were completely black, the fine dust clinging to her skin and seeping into the lines of her hands.
He stood up, walked to the wall, chose an empty space between Kaira and Tairo's marks, and pressed down. Firmly. Holding it for about three seconds before pulling away.
The mark remained there, dark and light at the same time, a little larger than the others, her hands were larger than the girls', about the same size as Tairo's. She observed it for a few seconds, processing it. This was more than just dirt on the stone. It was... permanence. Proof that people lived there, it could perhaps serve for a new group.
When she turned to return to the group, she noticed that someone was missing.
The old woman.
She hadn't left any mark.
Hawke frowned, his eyes scanning the cave until he found her sitting on a rock further away, near the entrance where the sunlight from outside partially touched her wrinkled face. She was completely still, staring at the ground as if she were listening to something that no one else could hear; voices of old memories, perhaps, or just the heavy silence of farewells.
Hawke approached slowly, his bare feet making no sound on the stone.
"Aren't you going to leave your mark, old woman?"
She didn't answer. She didn't even move.
"Everyone else has already left theirs marks, look over there." He pointed to the wall covered in black hands and crooked drawings.
She remained silent.
She didn't even raise her gaze, continuing to stare at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. The wind coming from outside made her gray hair sway slightly around her face. There was something different about her now, she seemed sad, a deep and ancient sadness that Hawke couldn't identify where it came from or what it meant.
He stood there for a few seconds, waiting for some reaction, some word. Nothing came.
Then the old woman slowly raised her arm and pointed a trembling finger at an object lying nearby, a leather vest shirt.
"This is yours."
Her voice came out low, tired.
Then she returned to silence, her hand falling back into her lap.
Hawke didn't insist. He picked up the leather loincloth, feeling the thick, resistant material between his fingers, definitely a considerable improvement. He looked at the old woman once more, but she remained in that motionless position, lost in thoughts he couldn't reach.
'Maybe she needs a moment alone. Silence. She must have lived here for a long time... it's not easy to simply abandon.'
He returned to the group while Tairo called everyone's attention.
"The only weapons we can improvise are clubs." He raised the rough piece of wood he was holding. "The spears and axes remained with the other group... and they are probably dead now."
No one answered. The statement hung heavy in the air like a storm cloud, but it was true and everyone knew it; six people had left yesterday and hadn't returned, the chances of them being alive were minimal.
Tairo left the cave for a few minutes and returned carrying three thick pieces of wood with ends slightly thicker than the tip, which looked more like a baseball bat, blackened and hardened so they wouldn't splinter easily. He kept one for himself, giving the other two to Kuggi and Duggi, who took them without complaint.
Hawke already had his, the black club he had taken from the brute, much better made than these improvised ones, with a solid and less fragile appearance, as if whoever had made it knew what they were doing.
While the others organized improvised backpacks made of animal skin and tied fiber ropes around their waists, Hawke took the opportunity to exchange his leaf loincloth for a leather one. First, he put the leather one over the leaf one, because he wasn't going to just stand there naked in front of everyone, and then, with some uncomfortable adjustments and strange maneuvers, he managed to remove the leaf one from underneath and throw it away, leaving only the leather covering. It was firmer, more resistant, more... civilized, in a way.
He was adjusting the straps when he saw the old woman approach Tairo with slow, heavy steps.
She handed him a small bundle of leaves tied with fiber, carefully prepared.
Herbs. Medicinal plants. The same remedies she had used on Tairo's arm before.
"You're the new leader now," she said in a low but firm voice, forcing the bundle into his hands. "Make sure everyone is safe. No more losses, understand?"
It made sense when Hawke thought about it; Tairo was indeed the most qualified for the position. Duggi and Kuggi would probably fight over leadership if it were between them, Kaira was too rebellious to accept orders from others and to lead others well, Yuka wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility, and the newcomer Hawke... well, even though the old woman thought he'd been part of the group for a long time, she clearly didn't remember him very well. Tairo had the knowledge of the rules, the responsibility, the respect of the others.
Tairo stood motionless for a moment, the weight of those words falling on his young shoulders. Then he nodded, too serious for someone who probably wasn't even twenty years old.
Some approached the old woman then, touching her shoulders, murmuring short words of farewell. The girls received kisses on the forehead, affectionate touches on their hair. It was... it was like a farewell. But to what? Where was the old woman going that needed this whole ritual?
Hawke didn't realize the real meaning of that moment. For him it was just organization before departure, everyone getting ready, saying things to the old woman who would have one more moment to say goodbye to the cave.