She didn't see anything; her back was turned. She sliced her way through the enemy without a second thought. She could already see the battlefield as it would look in a few minutes, the imposters dead on the ground, the two of them scanning to ensure they had them all. She wasn't expecting any pain but this hit her hard. It wasn't a blow from her opponents, this came from within. Her heart, soul, and spirit broke all at once. She knew only one thing could have caused this but the denial was still there-it was all that was left inside of her. Their connection was almost gone and it was drowning her, pulling her into an abyss she refused to accept. She blasted through the remaining soldiers in front of her and spun around the now empty field. Her gaze came to rest on the one person who should not be lying on the ground, the one who was supposed to be standing with her, always with her. His bow was still in his hand and his chest barely rising. Their eyes met as her entire world came crashing down around her and with his last breath he said,
"I missed."
An empty shell sat on the wall, looking remarkably like a woman. There was a glass bottle next to her. Her face was hardened, stoic, and to all but one it would seem that she was angry or determined. Only one would see that she was dying inside and could barely hold it together. He would be the only one to approach her, to try to help. But he never would again. He would never watch her steeling herself to do what she always did-to go on. This time there was no reason for her to go on. On her lap was a black recurve bow and a small black book. On a few of the edges of paper were drips of red that had bled through from the writing. She was staring at the book when there was a shimmer behind her and a silver sleigh with an apparently young girl at the reigns appeared.
"I did warn you." The woman turned to look at the girl, but this was not the look you give a girl. The woman's emerald eyes were filled with fire, flames of fury that would never die, a fire that would burn as the only life in her anymore. The girl's eyes burned with an equal power. The passion and purpose in them lent her a control that would never settle in the woman's eyes.
"Have you reconsidered?" The girl's eyes sought the fire in the woman's and they simply stared until the girl nodded. The woman picked up the bow and slung it over her back. She weighed the black book in her hand for a few seconds, then tossed it in one of the fires left burning in the wake of their battle. She stood in front of the girl, but did not kneel. She turned her back on her entire life and unmade herself.