"Rebecca, honey, go to bed. I'm going to get you up at the normal time for lessons tomorrow. You're going to be tired."
Rebecca, a small brown-haired girl in a nightgown, stuck out her tongue at her mother, pausing in her sewing. Despite the late hour, they were both up, working on a small baby-sized quilt. It was a cozy scene. The main room of their small cottage was lit up by a cheerful fire in the fireplace, and with that and the quilt, they were very warm despite the thick blanket of snow outside. The light danced over the cupboards full of food for the long winter, the stove - which was equally warm – the Pelor medallion on the wall, and the half dozen instruments scattered about the room, each placed lovingly in their own rack or case. A plate of cookies sat next to them, and Rebecca picked one up, taking a large bite of it. No, this was definitely not a moment she wanted to let go of.
"Daddy isn't home yet," she pointed out, swallowing. "You said I could stay up until he got home."
"He might not even get home tonight, Becky. Just because he says he's going to aim for a particular day to come home doesn't mean he'll make it right then. You know that." Rebecca's mother Maureen continued to sew, her calm voice masking her worry. Her husband was more than proficient with his sword, and if anyone knew how to heal themselves it was him, but that didn't really make her feel better. There was a whisper in the back of her mind that told her it was her fault, that if Brandon hadn't married her he would've stayed safely inside the church…but that was no way to think.
Maureen looked up as a knock sounded on the door, and smiled as Rebecca jumped up to answer it. She was calmer, folding up the sewing before heading to the door and helping Rebecca undo the lock. When they finally opened the door, though, she was surprised to see not Brandon, but his good friend Barrek. Over the dwarf's head, she could see a few other figures standing in the night. Although she couldn't tell who they were, she had a good idea, and felt her heart pound its way into her throat.
"Good Evening, Barrek. Please, come in, won't you? It's cold out." She smiled warmly at him, then looked over her shoulder at her daughter, who was frowning. "Becky, time for bed."
"But where's-"
"Rebecca Anne Nordwind, do not make me repeat myself." The girl went off to her bedroom, grumbling to herself. Barrek stepped inside and stood in front of the fire while his companions filed in – a simply dressed elven monk, a human woman in partial scale mail, and finally a large, strong hound archon, who stepped in sideways, carefully protecting something he was carrying. Maureen inhaled sharply as she recognized her husband, who was almost completely covered in bandages and wrapped in a rough blanket. She rushed to take everything off the table, and watched, dazed, as Brandon was set down upon it.
"What happened?" She asked quietly, her eyes fixed on her husband.
"It's my fault," whispered the woman, who was standing in a corner, staring at the floor. Maureen shook her head.
"Ellena, I'm sure that's not true."
"It is, though." The young paladin looked up, tears in her eyes. "We had just finished off a squad of barbed devils guarding Rixis' castle, seven of them, and none of us were in good condition after that. We decided to rest for a while before entering the stronghold. Barrek, Felosial, and Aust started a campfire and some food, but I…I wanted to explore the grounds surrounding the castle, and Brandon knew I was inexperienced, and injured, and he volunteered to come with me, just in case…" She broke down, sliding down the wall she was leaning against and sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, shaking. Maureen glanced at her for a moment, then looked to Barrek to finish the story.
"I saw them go around to the other side of the castle," he said gruffly. "Everything was fine for a few moments, then all of a sudden all the gargoyles on the castle jumped up from their pedestals, started flying to where Brandon and Ellena had gone. We had all thought they were statues, but there must have been two full wings...at least thirty of the beasts. We ran as fast as we could to Brandon and Ellena, knowing how weak they were after the fight, but by the time we got there…"
"He healed Ellena," growled Aust. "He healed her right off, as soon as he saw them take to the air, and told her to run…I heard it. She did, she's a smart girl. But he'd cast so many spells that day, and he was badly wounded – we saw him fall, Felosial and I." The elf, sitting on the sofa and watching the fire solemnly, nodded. "Brandon was fighting right to the end," Aust continued. "Took two of the gargoyles with him, no idea how he managed that. We grabbed him and Ellena and got the hell out of there. And here we are."
"I'm so sorry, Maureen," sobbed Ellena, looking up. "It's entirely my fault. I shouldn't have brought him out there. He shouldn't have felt like he needed to heal me, he needed to heal himself, he had you and Becky to think about, and the babe…" Maureen rubbed her large stomach, sighing.
"It's not your fault, darling. Brandon made his choice. He obviously thought it was his time."
Barrek looked up sharply. "His time? Maureen, it's not his time. He's a devout and well respected cleric of Pelor, all the high priests will be falling all over each other to resurrect him."
"No," she answered, sadly but decisively. "They may want to, but he wouldn't stand for it. We discussed it. Brandon thought it was unnatural and selfish, bringing someone back from the dead. He said that when Pelor claimed him, we shouldn't let our desire to have him with us take him away from his Lord."
For a few minutes the room was silent except for the crackling of the fire, as everyone contemplated what this meant for them. Finally Felosial stood up and walked over to Maureen, untying a pouch from her belt, and handed it to Maureen, who didn't seem to know exactly what to do with it.
"Our gains from the adventure. It's not much; a few gems, some gold. But I believe you will need it more than we will, with your child – children, I mean. And there will be more," she said firmly, placing a hand on Maureen's shoulder. "It's the least we can do. Your husband was an inspiration to all of us." She kissed Maureen on the forehead, then nodded to her companions. "I must be going, unfortunately. I'll come by tomorrow."
"Wait a moment, I'll take you. You may live closer than the rest of us, but it's still a long way to the monastery." Aust paused, looking at Maureen, ears drooping slightly. The adventurers had been together for so long that all were very close-knit and looked out for each other's families – they had even moved to be so close to each other that it would be possible to walk – yet he had always felt closer to the Nordwinds than the rest of the group. Seeing Maureen in pain was horrible for him, and he hoped he wouldn't be there when little Becky found out. "I'm going to stop at the church afterwards and bring a priest, Maureen. Brandon needs his rites." She nodded at him dazedly, and then smiled weakly, seeming to come back to reality.
"Thank you, Aust," she said. Aust and Felosial stepped outside, and soon the sound of powerful wings was heard as they rode away on Aust's bronze dragon.
"I'll stay tonight," said Ellena from the corner, and Barrek nodded, agreeing.
"Thank you both," Maureen said, picking up a pillow from the sofa and putting it gently under Brandon's head. Pausing, she smoothed his hair back from his temples, and kissed him softly. Then she sighed, stood up, and headed for the stairs. "I need some sleep, badly. There are blankets and pillows in the closet – one of you take the sofa, and the other the guest room." She smiled again, and walked up to her room.
Barrek and Ellena looked at each other for a moment, then Barrek headed for the closet, his armor clanking slightly. "You take the guest room, Ellena. I'm going to stay up and wait for the preist."
"…fine. Get me up when he's here."
She walked off, leaving Barrek to his own devices. He got out some blankets, put them on the couch, then pulled a stool up to the table where his fallen comrade lay.
"I guess that's all there is, my friend. You'll be missed."