Chapter Four
Who will love a little Sparrow?
Will no one write her eulogy?
"I will," said the Earth,
"For all I've created returns unto me,
From dust were ye made and dust ye shall be."
– Simon & Garfunkel
Hammer
Hammer nearly kicked down the door to Sparrow's chambers. She had rushed from the monastery as quickly as she could when she received the letter of Sparrow's condition. Luckily she hadn't run into any bandits, she hadn't used her hammer in years and she knew that she had lost most of her skill. Hammer had been living a peaceful existence with the monks and had no desire to ever fight again. She had been training new monks in meditation, a thing that she had never expected to like. The only times she left the monastery were when Sparrow had given birth and gotten married again.
Hammer entered the candlelit room to find Sparrow in bed. Her long white nightgown was drenched in sweat, her hair was matted, and her eyes were half closed. This was not good. Hammer walked closer to Sparrow. Death, radiated off of her, it was apparent that Sparrow was having trouble breathing.
"Sparrow?" Hammer asked quietly, the fear in her voice made Sparrow attempt to sit up, but fail.
"Hammer?" She managed to croak out. "It's you! You came!"
Tears started to pour from Hammer's eyes as she ran over to Sparrow and grabbed her hand. "I'm here Sparrow. You'd think I'd abandon my best friend?"
"I… Sent… Invitations… To… The… Others," Sparrow said. "I doubt Garth will show up, we weren't really friends."
"Reaver?"
"How could he miss out on this?" Sparrow said trying to chuckle, but instead she started to cough violently.
"Easy, Sparrow, easy."
"Hammer?"
"Yes?"
"I want you to know I'm glad you came… I wanted to say goodbye."
The knot that formed in Hammer's throat was too much to bear. She started to cry, she had not cried since her father died in her arms. She remembered a conversation Sparrow and her had so many years ago. It was before Sparrow had set out to confront Reaver about betraying her to The Shadow Court. It was as if Sparrow knew she wasn't going to see Hammer again for a very long time.
"Hammer?"
"Yes?"
"Before I go I have to ask you something. Do you blame me for your father's death?" Hammer remembered Sparrow saying.
"What?! Why would say that?"
"When I was in Wraithmarsh. I-I encountered a Banshee and it said… It said some of the most horrible things." Sparrow said, her voice cracking a bit.
Hammer had never seen Sparrow so broken before. Sparrow was always ready with an optimistic comment or quip, but this was something else. Hammer had heard about Banshees, that they crawl inside your mind and plant things. Sparrow looked as if she had not slept in days.
"I don't blame you. I blame that bastard Lucien and he is going to die Sparrow." Hammer remembered saying her voice filled with anger.
"I know, I just wish… No one had to die… When I was in The Spire…"
Sparrow never spoke of her ten years in The Spire; whenever Hammer asked of it Sparrow would cut her off. Hammer remembered that she had put a hand on Sparrow's shoulder when she started to tremble.
"There was a man named Bob, he had a wife and he was my only friend for ten years… The Spire drained him of his mind and the Commandant wanted me to kill him… I couldn't, I was stupid and tried to kill the Commandant, I was severely punished for that. I watched while that damned collar held me down as the Commandant killed Bob… My friend was gone, all because of Lucien." Sparrow was on the verge of tears, but did not cry.
"I'm sorry," Hammer had said. This was a shock; Sparrow had only mentioned the collar and the Commandant, but never this Bob.
"I want Lucien dead, more than anything in the world… For Rose, for Bob, for all those people who died." Sparrow's Will lines were starting to flare with her anger.
Hammer had then pulled Sparrow into a friendly hug. "He will die Sparrow. He will have justice."
Hammer was pulled back into reality by Sparrow's violent cough. She remembered that Sparrow had wanted to say goodbye. "Don't be stupid Sparrow. You're not going to die."
"Please… Don't…" Sparrow said. The sheer sadness in her voice caused Hammer to close her mouth. "Everyone has been saying that, but I'm already dead Hammer. My Will is almost gone. I can feel it draining from me. My legs don't work anymore. I've been killed two times and have always come back, this time I want to let go. I'm so tired Hammer and I know it's selfish to leave my children without a mother, but I can't raise them like this…"
Hammer could have sworn she saw tears streak down Sparrow's cheeks, but she was too shrouded in darkness for Hammer to be sure. Sparrow's Will lines were dull in the darkness, they didn't glow like they did in the old days. Hammer remembered the final confrontation in The Spire. After Rusty had been killed, Sparrow didn't even hesitate to kill Lucien, the poor bastard couldn't get one word out. Hammer had always been so proud of Sparrow. She had been presented with a choice to bring back Rose, her husband, her child, and Rusty, but chose to save all who had died in The Spire instead. That was truly selfless no matter how much Sparrow played it down.
"I can't lose you Sparrow, none of us can," Hammer said, now she was really crying.
"I know, but life will go on as it always does… Promise me something Hammer," Sparrow said.
"Anything."
"Stay strong for me. For everyone else."
"I promise."
Sparrow's grip relaxed on Hammer's hand. "You sound like you've been planning this," Hammer said.
"I've been practicing this for a few days," Sparrow said trying her hardest to be lighthearted.
It came off more as depressing, but Hammer laughed and then Sparrow started to laugh. It was just Hammer and Sparrow sharing a laugh like they would have back in the old days.
"You're my best friend," Hammer said.
"And you are mine."
"Thank you."
"For what?" Sparrow asked.
"For coming into my life all those years ago, I've had quite the adventure."
"Me to, but it is time for that adventure to end." Sparrow said mournfully.
Author's Note: Wow was this chapter hard to write! Sorry these are so short, but it helps me update quicker so the next chapter will be here very soon. But Dragon Age is starting to take over my life again :P, but I will finish this before I move on to Dragon Age. You have my word! :D
