His lesson had ended at three, and, lost for more useful ways of spending his time, Hakkai had headed back for Yuri's temple. He tried, occasionally, to clear out the nooses dangling from her trees, even if they always reappeared. They'd grown particularly thick lately.
It was an uncomfortable reminder of the forest yesterday, he admitted to himself.
Besides, Ayumu had said she might be interested in macrame. He could bring her a double armful of free rope.
All of which was to say that, when he spotted a familiar lean redheaded figure approaching the temple forest, Hakkai was balancing fifteen feet off the ground on the limb of an old chestnut with a folding knife in hand, sawing through the mossy knot on an empty, dangling noose.
He jolted backwards, and only a desperate last-minute scramble kept him on the branch. Leaves, twigs, and his dropped knife all plummeted to the ground.
June 29
It was an uncomfortable reminder of the forest yesterday, he admitted to himself.
Besides, Ayumu had said she might be interested in macrame. He could bring her a double armful of free rope.
All of which was to say that, when he spotted a familiar lean redheaded figure approaching the temple forest, Hakkai was balancing fifteen feet off the ground on the limb of an old chestnut with a folding knife in hand, sawing through the mossy knot on an empty, dangling noose.
He jolted backwards, and only a desperate last-minute scramble kept him on the branch. Leaves, twigs, and his dropped knife all plummeted to the ground.