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 Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 3:56 pm
First turning to Nometal, Sue shook her head. "Our battle is over, but I'm sure ours is not the last." She noticed Amelia stumbling through while carrying the Druid friend of hers. "Amelia..." she whispered.
She hadn't much to say now. Of course, she kept the grin in front of Amara.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:02 pm
"I see...well at least you all came back safe and not in bad shape."
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:06 pm
"I could only say that's true of myself..." Sue muttered. "Everyone else has been injured. I even had to break Andre, my steed away from the ice of Nils's frosttongue. It was a struggle." the nomad reflected upon the battles past, wondering when the chaos of spring would end.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:12 pm
Listening to the relapse, Nometal just nodded his head. "Dang that is a lot, though it is good that you all managed to beat both Rei and Nils...with Nils being a Forst dragon as well."
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:18 pm
Amelia found the room where Amara, Sue, and Aran were speaking, vaguely wondering how she hadn't noticed them before if they had been standing in the main room. Hm. "Hey, you guys," Amelia spoke quietly as she crossed through the room and approached them, a sheepish smile on her face. She looked over to Amara and knelt in front of her, the smile softening a little.
"Hey. How're you doing, kiddo?" she asked. "You keep everyone else in line all right while we were gone?" Amelia reached out and ruffled Amara's thick red hair with one hand, glad her gloves had been strong enough to keep the ice from snagging through and cutting her fingers. "I see Vah's coming along okay, but... what about the others?" Amelia glanced up, noticing Lyre, and her expression brightened.
[[If I got somethin' wrong, tell me. D:"]]
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:19 pm
Amara tilted her head. "A friend?" A friend... she overheard many stories that her mommy told her uncle when she was supposed to sleep (how could she sleep knowing that her mommy was telling an amazing tale right outside your door?); stories about Alihi's various experiences, the good, the bad, and the just plain strange, plus the people that she met. Amara remembered a couple of names, but that was it.
"Mommy..." She murmured softly, letting go of Sue's arm and wrapping the cloak tighter around herself. The young girl wasn't really listening or paying attention anymore, consumed by her fear. She didn't even look at Amelia, and instead stared at her feet. If this person, her mommy's "friend", was doing bad things... would he hurt mommy? Would her mommy be taken away from her? She fought back her tears.
... Would her mommy disappear, just like her daddy?
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:26 pm
The wolf's head was hung, ears folded, tail tucked as she dragged herself in behind Amelia. Regret was weighing in her heart and felt as though it was taking on more weight, yanking down on her entrails with guilt. Ed didn't know how the others were feeling and didn't want to think about it. She felt bad enough already, imagining Rei's lifeless body and remembering the face that used to laugh and the bouncy ball of robe that used to dance around with vigor. He was their friend. How could they have hurt him so?
Ed's ear twitched at a click and she looked up. She realized that she had followed Amelia to Rei's room, blinking her sorrows away momentarily to register her surroundings. When she managed to recognize the area she ducked her head and crept into the room.
The wolf tilted her head back to glance at Amelia, then glanced over to Rei. She wanted to know if he was okay. Rising onto her hind legs, the wolf put her paws on the bed, looking sadly at Rei's face. She still had not understood that he would survive. But she soon noticed the rising and falling chest, and her spirits lifted. Ed's ears rose with her mood and she started to wag her tail.
Ed didn't want to go. She was still worried for the young druid, and so the wolf sat there, watching diligently as Amelia shut the door.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:31 pm
Sue noticed right away when Amara seemed to withdraw from the rest of the group. She used to do that back when she was small.
Those memories were painful for a young girl. Back then, Sue didn't quite understand the meaning of "the wyverns are advancing", "Mad King Zephiel", or even "Power of Dragons." None of it made sense, because other lands got conquered, other people suffered, other things were in another world.
Not hers.
That's how she always thought. Other kingdoms fell, but not the Sacae plains, the proud plains, with its warrior chiefs, the Troopers, and also, the chief's elite guard: The Strikers (3rd tier promotion after Trooper).
But when Dayan fought hard for hers and Shin's escape... when she herself fired arrows into many soldiers who wished to harm her friend and savior, General Roy...
Sue realized it was real.
Maybe Amara was realizing it too... that all of it was real. It was happening.
Understanding how the child felt, Sue put a calm hand on her shoulder. "Your mother is strong. She also has a brilliant mind, Amara. She'll make her way back to us." Those weren't the words trying to separate Amara from the truth either... like what the Elders said to her in the days of Sacae's crushing defeat.
They were the words of an honest person to another, both whom had to face the same worries and losses.
{I know that Sue lost her mother, and Amara lost her father... but they both lost a parent and only have one left.}
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:37 pm
Amelia frowned as Amara seemed to completely ignore her. Something did seem wrong, though, as she wrapped herself tightly in Alihi's cloak (That was her cloak, wasn't it?) and drew away, staring at her feet intensely. Amelia shifted back, folding her arms loosely over her knees as Sue spoke reassuring words to the tearful child.
Amelia felt a pang in her chest as she realized Amara's worries. She thinks Alihi won't come back.
She moved closer to Amara again, brushing her hair gently off of her forehead. "Amara, trust me... families do everything they can to stay together." Amelia smiled weakly, her thoughts again drifting to a mother dragged away and a father bleeding on the grass, opening a door to find that mother and finding instead a rolling, grassy plain and bright sunlight. "Your mommy's a very strong woman. Don't worry about a thing; she'll make it back." Amelia hesitated, unsure if she would want it, then pulled Amara into a gentle hug, patting her back. "Your mommy will come back. I promise."
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:51 pm
Amara only nodded half-heartedly as Sue and Amelia tried to comfort her; she heard their words, yes, but they didn't really sink in. "Mommy..." She murmured again, trembling slightly. Her eyes closed and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
No matter what anyone said, she wouldn't believe their comforting words until she saw her mommy with her own eyes.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:55 pm
Rhys had returned before Amelia had. By that time, however, he'd immediately traipsed up to his room and tucked himself under the covers, shivering uncontrollably. No more worrying about who was tainted and who wasn't--he wouldn't be of use to anyone now. He'd helped successfully retrieve Nils and Rei, and although his mind couldn't believe it was enough, his body would force him to except it. He kept tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable, trying to rest. But he just felt horrible.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 5:06 pm
"Maybe we should go.." Sue wanted to say more, but she felt a strange wave travel through her. The nomad's knees buckled, and she was sent down onto them courtesy of the harsh force of gravity.
She wasn't hurt, not even from the fall, but she knew exactly why it happened.
The nomad was exhausted, just like everyone else. Oh, what she wouldn't give for a good night's rest! "I can't fight like this... I guess I can't go to bring her back. Sorry, Amara. I'll only be asleep for a second. Then I'll go find her and... Abel."
Resting against the wall, Sue stared forward at the others around her. Slowly but surely, her eyes were half open, and then all the way closed, letting the sweet, merciful darkness of sleep finally take her over.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 5:11 pm
Amelia frowned as she pulled away from Amara, ruffling her hair. "Get some rest, kid... and please, don't worry. Your mommy will be just fine." Amelia smiled a little, then turned to Sue. She really did look tired, eyes heavy as she sank against the wall, then fell into a deep slumber. Amelia rustled up a blanket and covered the nomad up, not having the heart to wake her up and move her.
Amelia turned back to Amara, cleaning away the tear with a soft swipe of her finger. "Keep your chin up." Amelia stood and left quietly, leaving the girl with Lyre, Aran, and the sleeping Sue.
Amelia shivered instinctively, wrapping her arms around her middle. She didn't want to rest, all of a sudden; she felt inexplicably lonely, despite the presence of so many people around her. Rhys was sick, bound to be sleeping, if not in his quarters, then somewhere else, or he hadn't arrived yet, and she hadn't a clue of where the others were... with another shudder, she headed for the kitchen, not knowing where else to go.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 5:18 pm
Courtesy of Tibarn as a mount, Victoria hand arrived at the manor with much haste. She got off the majestic hawk king, while still carrying an unconscious Arashe, slung over her shoulder like a sack of goods.
The bishop blessed the moment she was able to step back into the door, and lay the weight of the archer onto a nearby chair. Exhausted, she was huffing, but not quite ready to sleep. She knew with all the injured, there would be work to do.
"Who needs the saving grace of a staff?" asked Victoria. "I'm ready and willing to heal right now."
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 5:38 pm
Amara frowned. "Sue..." She didn't know what to say to Sue but just watched as the nomad's eyes closed and sleep claimed her. She did gain some new information, though; a name. When did I hear that name before...? Shrugging off the thoughts for now, her attention focused back on Amelia when the general ruffled her hair. Why did people like to do that? "But I--" Amara sighed lightly. She didn't really feel like protesting. She wasn't tired, she couldn't stop worrying, and gosh darn it, her chin was up! It wasn't like her head was tucked in or anything!
She sighed lightly and plopped down on the ground, bundling herself up in the cloak. The young girl didn't feel like moving anywhere anytime soon.
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