The Loop [324 words]

The battle ended in the afternoon.

The remnants of both armies withdrew, taking the lightly wounded away. Some time elapsed before the groans of more heavily injured soldiers subsided. At last silence fell, broken only by the cawing of crows.

After dusk, seven wagons emerged one by one from the nearby forest. The first wagon was piled high with barrels and the six others with firewood. All seven were pulled by large, strong horses and equipped with seven lanterns that cast an eerie bluish glow. All the drivers were sullen-looking bulky men in black clothing. Not one of them spoke.

The wagons stopped at the edge of the battlefield. For the next six hours or so, the seven drivers worked furiously in complete silence, gathering corpses, weapons and banners. They piled everything into seven huge pyres, then stacked the firewood all around and doused it liberally with oil from the first wagon. One of the men produced a tinderbox and struck a light. Afterwards, still without exchanging a word, they sat down at a safe distance and stared at the roaring flames.

The fire burned itself out surprisingly fast, and when dawn was breaking, only ashes and some charred debris remained. The seven drivers returned to their now-empty wagons and drove away. The plodding of hooves and the creaking of wheels were soon swallowed by the morning fog.

Time passed.

The sky grew lighter and lighter. Birds began to sing. The sun rose above the trees, and the mists dissipated.

An hour or so later, two armies appeared at the edge of the forest, marching from opposite sides. Trumpets and drums gave the signal to fight.

The battle ended in the afternoon.

The remnants of both armies withdrew, taking the lightly wounded away. Some time elapsed before the groans of more heavily injured soldiers subsided. At last silence fell, broken only by the cawing of crows.

After dusk, seven wagons emerged one by one from the nearby forest.