Why
"She can be avenged, Anomen. You must kill Saerk and his son. It is the only way that Moira's spirit can be at rest."
"Why?" The clear voice of the speaker carried like a breath of fresh air through the murky kitchen, and the single word disrupted Lord Cor's concentration.
Forgetting what he had intended to say, he scanned Anomen's companions with bleary eyes.
He had never known the boy was this fond of mages. Lord Cor's eyes crossed as his glance passed over a frail-looking youngster with red hair and green mage robes, a tall, haughty-looking elf with golden skin, black hair and black robes, a muscular looking fellow wearing a hood, black leather gloves and blue robes, and finally a scowling man with a nosering and blood red robes. But behind them...
Lord Cor sobered instantly at the sight.
Eyes like large opals. A wavy cascade of thick hair the color of a good burgundy wine. A single gem decorating her alabaster brow, a holy symbol of Lathander pinned to her chest. Her petite body protected by chain mail of elven design; bright green, with an intricate pattern and decorated with pink filigree roses. A sword in her delicate hand, its grip hidden by metal roses and its blade glowing warmly like the sky at dawn. Gently pointed ears and a slender build which betrayed her mixed heritage; a proud bearing which spoke of noble blood. Probably the love child of some elven lady, Lord Cor suspected. Barely more than a child, her eyes had look about them; a sadness deep within, revealing knowledge beyond her years.
And right now, those eyes were boring into his, searching his face.
"Wh-who are you?" he stammered.
"I am Lady Rhodelia Hyacinth Moonchild Talassime, but you may call me Delia. All my friends do."
She strode forward, her movements as smooth and graceful as a cat's.
"Why does Anomen have to murder Saerk and his son?" she asked in a soft, low voice.
"Were you not listening? They killed Moira..." Lord Cor looked away from the girl, away from her eyes which seemed to mirror his soul.
"My lord, are you certain?"
He maintained his gaze at the wall.
"It was not Saerk, was it? You are merely trying to drive Anomen further away from you with this task. Do you not care that all he wants is your approval? Your love?"
Silence.
"Is it so he will not find out?"
A frantic glance in her direction. Somehow, she knew.
"My lady?" Anomen asked nervously.
"I see the pain in your eyes, Cor," Rhodelia continued. "Will you not speak of it? I am sure you would feel better if you did."
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. A fat fly buzzing through his kitchen, the mages murmuring as they cast admiring glances at their lady, the trickle of water from the fountain; all seemed to echo in Lord Cor's head. Anomen's eyes burned upon him, but not as much as Rhodelia's shimmering gaze, which was now shining with tears.
"You... you are right," Lord Cor gasped. "It was not Saerk. It was I. Anger took me.. and she and her maid lay dead on the floor."
He heard Anomen gasp with shock, and saw her slender hand upon his son's shoulder.
"Relax, Anomen. Anger will not help matters now." Releasing his shoulder, she walked towards Lord Cor and gently put her arms around him.
"It is out in the open, now. Do you not feel better?"
Slowly, awkwardly, Lord Cor put one arm around the girl.
"Why do you think you got so angry with Moira?" she asked quietly, stroking his hair as a mother would a suffering child's.
"Because... because..." he sobbed.
"Why?" she whispered.
"Because I couldn't take one more moment of her sickeningly sweet attitude!" Lord Cor bellowed.
His eyes flaring with rage, Lord Cor grabbed a cruel looking dagger from the rack above the stove and embedded it deep into Rhodelia's back, putting enough force behind the blow to easily pierce the delicate filigree of her armor, then her soft flesh, then her heart.
As one, the four mages screamed and fainted.
Rhodelia stared blankly at Lord Cor as he stepped away from her. With a delicate whimper, she collapsed to the ground, her flowing locks darkening with blood. Her moonlight complexion paled even further, and she gazed beseechingly at Anomen. Surely her brave knight would make the excruciating pain go away!
Then, a myriad of stars filled the Delryn kitchen as her body gave way to a cloud of minute specks of shimmering dust. The specks seemed to waver indecisively in the room for a moment, then they dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a trace of her sweet perfume.
"I always did say she reminded me of Moira," Anomen said.