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Léof had been quite content to follow Thornden’s orders in dealing with the ruffian; he himself would not have had any clear idea of what to do with the fellow, nor was he sure that he would be able to kill the man if it came to that. Thankfully it had not, yet, and as Thornden had gone over to check on Rilef, Léof had been left guarding the tied up man. Léof had pulled out his newly-acquired knife, although he hoped he would not have to use it, with the man being bound and Thornden only a few feet away.
Soon the small party with Eodwine leading them arrived in the clearing, and Eodwine knelt down to take Rilef’s pulse. Although his words were quiet, they were easily audible in the still clearing: "They have passed beyond the walls of Arda.”
Léof bowed his head in respect, but in truth he did not feel particularly moved by the statement. He felt some vague sense of sorrow at the horrible way they had died, but no personal grief. The one conversation he had carried out in their presence had been one of the most uncomfortable in his life, and although he realized intellectually that they had very human thoughts and emotions, he had not really reached the level of considering them, well, human.
The thought made him feel guilty, but did not change fact. Léof knew that his life would not change significantly because Rilef was dead, nor would he feel any particular emptiness in his life. Their life had simply not impacted his enough for their death to affect him.
Not that he would say so, of course. Others here would probably mourn, and he would let them decide the next steps.
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