A meeting in the forest

It had been two years.

Hope was slipping from him, faster than he wanted it to. It was hard enough to keep going after Hinawa died, but it was the tiny sliver of hope that he could find Claus and keep what remained of his family together that helped him put one foot in front of the other.

Two years.

He didn't spend much time in the village anymore, but when he did, he heard the talk. They thought he was crazy. The house was falling into disrepair while the rest of the town grew. Lucas was getting older, and he wasn't there for him. But if he gave up now... he hated to admit it, even to just himself, but he was afraid. There was a hole in his life and he didn't know how to fill it, or if he could.

The sun had disappeared behind the clouds and Flint realized that he was more tired than he previously thought. He felt heavy. He removed his had to wipe the sweat from his brow, then slowly sank to the ground at the base of a tree. Maybe he just needed a rest.