Obernewtyn Fanfiction: Dameon and Elspeth

Unrequited

Dameon stood in his tower room facing the window. If one didn't know you wouldn't realise that the kind Empath Master was not in fact looking out the window, because the empath was in fact blind. He sighed and turned around, walking gracefully to his bed, his hand feeling across the fabric for a piece of parchment. Running his soft hands over the little bumps in the parchment that formed words in his mind, he let the flow of emotions wash over him. Dameon could feel her presence there in the paper, feel her touch, where her hands had touched the paper and sealed it with wax.

A breeze picked up and the scent of fresh grass blew through the open window. Sudden Dameon felt transported back to the early days of Obernewtyn in the throes of Madam Vega with Rushton only an overseer. Despite the risk and fear of those times Dameon longed for them as some of the most precious days of his life, just Matthew, Elspeth and him. He sighed and put the parchment on the table beside him bed. The thought of Matthew broke his heart, stirring other memories of raging emotions emanating from Dragon about Matthew, and his own conflicted feelings of anger and guilt. Dameon reached a hand to his forehead as if to rub away the worry lines furrowing his brow. Drawing back the blankets Dameon lay in bed, his sightless eyes glaring at the ceiling wide open.

Elspeth had once asked him how with all the emotions swirling around did he discern his own from others. It was like a song or dance really, it was no coincidence that empaths typically were musically talented. It was like a tapestry woven of many threads and you learned to feel the different people's threads, some thin and fine others harsh and strong. Elspeth's felt hard and wiry; strong, but prickly. She trusted him and felt so open, in one so often guarded she allowed herself to let her shield down sometimes around him. He had once welcomed this mental embrace, hopeful, but now, after all these years it really was just painful. It had become a habit for Dameon to bring up a strong shield when he was around her, but even so he could feel the hum of her emotions, as if he was in tune with her.

It had hurt seeing Rushton and Elspeth regain their love in Sador, leaving a bittersweet taste in Dameon's mouth. He felt at the same time the joy of love that Rushton felt to hear his love reciprocated, but something in Dameon broke apart to feel the love emanating from Elspeth like a shimmer. He was careful to shield himself completely and it was hardest at their parting. In truth it was mainly because of their union that he had chosen to remain in Sador. In a way it had been hardest to part with Rushton, feeling the look in his oldest friends eyes, knowing he knew what it meant to him, to see her with him. Pity, he did not like the taste of pity, but he didn't resent them, truly. Dameon was happy for Rushton and Elspeth. One of the problems with being a Misfit and particularly an empath was the inescapable ability of seeing things from the other person's perspective. How could he resent their love, when he felt it. It pained him to feel it.

Dameon tossed in his bed, his dark brown locks of hair knotting.