Final Author's Note: First and foremost, thank you to all the readers who have stuck out this story with me. This took me so long to complete due to laziness, school, etc. But here we are at the end. So as I wrap up both of these things, I just want to say thank you all and I'm glad you're here to see it!
Special thanks to Sorceress Nadira for being my lovely (albeit sometimes too damn knowledgeable) beta!
Also on a side note, if you haven't seen it already, I made a fictional trailer for this story, which is available on youtube. I've also made a very short playlist available of the music that inspired certain scenes of the story, particularly the last few chapters. See the link to my youtube account in my profile.
Thank you all again. Onto the ending!
Sacrifice
Chapter XII
A heavy, solemn air followed Rush, David and Torgal their entire journey back to Athlum.
Upon returning to the road, David was able to find their traveling pack still under the bush where Lenne had left it. After treating Torgal's leg with the limited medicines in it, they fled from the city as fast as they could, racing the sun that was creeping over the horizon. David could not stop himself from looking back towards the city as they went, hoping to see that a smoke trail had appeared in the sky. But as Elysion disappeared behind the crest of a hill, he began to lose hope for seeing one, and physical and emotional exhaustion began to set in.
As the sun began to rise in the sky, they agreed without speaking to diverge away from the road, subconsciously following each other into a wooded area. Upon finding a clearing they laid down on the ground, and were asleep in seconds, making no effort to make themselves comfortable.
When David woke a few hours later, the sun was still up but lower on the horizon, and rays of light were streaming eerily through the trees above him. He blinked several times, the events of the past day slowly reentering his mind. He felt his chest tighten as he remembered that Lenne was not returning with them, and that he would never see her again.
He looked around and found Rush sitting near Torgal, the two talking quietly while Rush carefully measured a second dose of pain medicine for the General. As David raised his head from the ground Rush caught his eye. The younger mitra's eyes were dark and sad, a feeling that David was sure was mirrored on his own face.
"We should probably stay here a little while longer," Rush said quietly, turning back to the medicine bottle in his hands. "Torgal hasn't slept much."
"No," Torgal stated quickly. "I'll be fine, we should continue-"
"No," both David and Rush cut him off simultaneously, and Torgal's ears twitched backwards before the sovani sighed in annoyance.
"Very well, but only an hour or two," he said, taking the medicine which Rush was holding out to him.
"I'll gather wood for a fire," David said, pulling himself off the hard ground and rubbing his sore neck from sleeping in such an uncomfortable environment. He turned away from them and set off into the woods. Rush's eyes followed him as he left, worry crossing his face.
David wondered aimlessly through the woods, gathering few pieces of dry wood although he passed many. His steps became uneven and his feet dragged as he began to feel the full ramifications of what had occurred. The world was now surely scrambling to understand what had happened that had lit up the sky, turning night into day for a moment, and had changed the sky overhead forever.
As they had fled Elysion, he had noticed ribbons of color flowing over the sky that had been consistently present yet always changing in color. Their behavior had held his interest for hours of their journey as he watched them float in and out of clouds, sometimes coloring them and sometimes hiding behind them.
Now as he looked up, he could barely see them through the trees. He searched for the one that was the color of Lenne's eyes. His eyes darted between leaves, seeking any sign of indigo. There was none.
Before David had realized it, he felt a tear escape down his cheek. He felt the familiar feeling of loss swell in his chest, and his breath hitched in his throat. He slowly came to accept the reality that she was gone. Another person had come and gone from his life, leaving in her wake memories that David knew would never fade.
He thought back to only a few days ago, when they had stood at the window of her room. He remembered how soft her hair had been between his fingers. He closed his eyes tightly, releasing more tears down his cheeks as he leaned against a tree. He wished he had kissed her. He wished things had been different.
Rush watched his friend lean against a tree from a distance, his shoulders sagging in a way that Rush recognized immediately. Grief. He watched Dave, thankful that he was far enough away to not hear the quiet sobs he knew were there. Rush was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt, realizing that Lenne and Dave had had some kind of closeness that he was not aware of, and that it was gone now. After a few moments he turned and walked back to Torgal, giving him a brief nod to signal that Dave was okay, before sitting and leaning against a tree. David did not reenter the clearing for nearly half an hour, and when he did they built a fire without a word.
A short time later, as Torgal slept against a tree, Rush and David sat down on the opposite side of the fire, trying not to wake him.
"How are you feeling?" David asked Rush, who gave him an awkward look. "I mean, from being stabbed, there's no residual pain?" David explained quickly.
"No," Rush replied, instinctively reaching down towards where he'd been impaled with the Valeria Heart. "Nothing at all."
They sank into an uncomfortable silence, not sure of what to say to each other. David's eyes wondered to the fire, looking at it without seeing it. It wasn't until Rush let out a trembling breath that David looked back at him. The younger man's hands were pressed to his face, and David reached out to him automatically.
"Hey," David said, squeezing Rush's shoulder. "What is it?"
"I just-" Rush choked out, his throat tight. "It felt like I was there for so long, I thought sometimes that my parents could be gone. That I'd missed Irina growing up," Rush rambled breathlessly, trying to keep his composure.
"It's like you've lived another lifetime," David said, trying to calm his friend's anxiety. "But it's only been two years here. They're all alive and together, and Irina hasn't turned seventeen yet."
At David's words Rush began to take deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. He lowered his hands to reveal that his eyes were red and his cheeks were wet with tears. "You're sure?" Rush asked, looking to David with an expression that made him seem like a young, worried child.
"Yes," David replied, a small smile crossing his face. "They moved to Eulam to be with Irina after the Academy was shut down." David made a point to not tell Rush about the rocky state of John and Marina's relationship when they had left for their small island home. Although that tension in their relationship had been later resolved, he did not feel it necessary to convey how Rush's disappearance had further affected his parents beyond the pain of already losing their son.
"As soon as we reach Athlum, we'll arrange a trip to Eulam immediately. I promise," David added, squeezing Rush's shoulder a final time before releasing his grip. Rush sniffled and nodded, and began to roughly wipe the moisture away from his cheeks. When he finally raised his eyes to meet Dave's again, a new seriousness had flooded across his features.
"Thanks for coming for me. Thank you so much, Dave."
David nodded, wondering how Rush could expect him to not seize such an opportunity. He did not say anything though, pressing his lips together into a thin line. Looking for a distraction, David leaned forward and stoked the fire needlessly. An odd feeling of discomfort fell over the clearing as Rush and David sat in silence, watching the flames without seeing them, lost in their own thoughts.
After over half an hour of silence, Rush finally voiced the question that was swarming mercilessly through David's mind.
"Why do you think she did it?"
David's chin sank almost onto his chest as he released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"I don't know, and I'm afraid we'll never know."
Although Torgal's pain was managed as best they could, it still took the trio three days to return to Athlum. Once there they worked their way through the city, which involved a doubled dose of medicine so the sovani could feign an uninjured appearance. When they reached the castle side entrance, they found it devoid of guards, and only Blocter in their place.
"Thank da' God Emperor," the yama sighed in relief when he saw them approaching. "Emmy 'n I's been waitin' here two days-" His words failed him at the sight of Rush. "Rush? Is dat really you?"
"Sure is," Rush replied, reaching out to try and hug the towering yama. "Good to see you again." Blocter stood in stunned silence a moment before squeezing the air out of Rush.
"You too buddy. You too. Oh, Lord David," Blocter continued, releasing Rush who quietly gasped for air. "Emmy's got somethin' you needa see."
They headed for the general's quarters and found Emmy dozing in a chair in her office.
"Emmy," David whispered after stopping short in the doorway. He took a few silent steps forward, closing the distance between himself and Emmy, and lightly shook her elbow. "Emmy, wake up."
Emmy's eyes snapped open, reaching out for her sword with one hand as her other flew to David's collar. David gasped in surprise, taking an unsure step backwards away from her. Torgal flew between them, catching Emmy's flailing blade in one hand as his other arms grabbed at her shoulders and the hand gripping David's clothes.
"Emmy!" he hissed at her, his eyes finding hers as the cloudiness and confusion of sleep faded from them. He watched as her pupils slowly shrunk while she looked up at him, comprehension slowly covering her face.
"Torgal," she sighed, and instantly her sword fell from her hand as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. To David's mild surprise, Torgal's face softened and he briefly raised his arms to embrace her in return.
"So no welcome home hug for me?" Rush spoke up, leaning against the doorway as he watched the exchange between Torgal and Emmy.
From beneath Torgal's embrace, a muffled obscenity was heard as Emmy turned her gaze and caught sight of Rush. She drew away from Torgal and moved towards the young mitra, opening her arms to embrace him. David could not stop himself from smiling as he watched Rush be welcomed home by his one of his oldest friends.
"I can't believe it!" Emmy exclaimed as she gripped Rush tightly, bouncing slightly in his arms. A smile broke out across Rush's face as he hugged her back.
"But where's Lenne?" Emmy finally asked, pulling back from Rush. The momentary elation faded instantly, and she looked around at their faces as a silence fell over the room.
"She uh..." Rush started, but his voice died in his throat. David looked away from Emmy's eyes, casting his gaze downward. He felt a tightening in his chest that he had tried to block out as they had travelled home return in full force.
"She didn't make it," Torgal told her quietly. She looked back to him, surprise crossing her face. They all stood in silence for a short time before Emmy's eyes darted down and finally noticed Torgal's leg. Although they had hidden the bandage as best they could, a small blood-soaked corner had escaped.
"You're hurt," she said, reaching towards the bandage.
"It was broken, but we've been mending it during our travel back. It will be almost fully healed with a visit to a proper physician," Torgal reassured her, his voice quiet and soft.
Their attention was drawn to the doorway to Emmy's quarters in the back of her office as Jager entered the room. Rush took a step back, every muscle in his body tensing up.
"It's okay," David said to him quietly, reaching out and placing his hand on Rush's forearm. "He's okay. They're actually engaged," David added, a light chuckle sneaking into his voice. Rush's eyebrows raised in surprise as he looked between David, Emmy, and Jager.
"Oh, well…'grats then, man!" Rush said quickly, trying to keep from offending either Jager or Emmy. They both smiled, understandingly, before Emmy's face fell again.
"Oh! Lord David, this as delivered while you were gone," she said, reaching into her wristguard where she had tucked Marina Sykes' letter for safe keeping. David opened it quickly, and Rush and Torgal moved to look over his shoulder as he read.
Lord David,
Your letter was a pleasant surprise to us in Eulam. I am glad to hear that you and Athlum are doing well. John, Irina and I are doing as well as can be expected.
In regards to your question, there was no researcher at the Academy that I was aware of by the name of Lenne, but I am left to wonder if you mean a younger woman there whose name was Lenadora. I never worked with her myself, as she was assigned to a different project, but I did know of her.
From what I heard from my collegues, she was married and had two young children, and a girl and a younger boy. Her husband had taken the children to visit Lenadora's parents in Nagapur to go fishing on that day Gwayn was awakened. Her husband, children, and parents all perished in the attack.
When I heard the story of what had happened to her family, my heart went out to her completely. Losing Rush was devastating enough; I can't imagine what losing one's entire family would do to a person.
I don't know what happened to her after that time; we were all so caught up in the Last Remnant War. I hope this is of some help to you.
Best Wishes,
Marina Sykes
"You wrote my mom?" Rush asked, reaching out and touching the page where Marina's signature was inscribed.
"It was a last resort to try to find information about Lenne…" David explained. "She had no idea it had anything to do with you," he added quickly. Relief swept through Rush instantly; he would have been upset to hear his mother's hopes were raised of his returning when he was so close to truly never seeing her again.
"We found this one in Lenne's room after you left as well," Emmy said, reaching out to hand David a letter with Athlum's seal in wax upon it. Turning it over, David read the name on the front aloud.
"Logahn?" he asked, lifting his eyes to the others. "Who's that?" He watched as they all shook their heads.
"Should we open it?" Asked Emmy.
"No," David replied quickly, and in his mind he was unsure if it was out of respect for Lenne's privacy, or that if it was going to be opened, he wanted to open it alone.
"We'll track him down as soon as we can," he added, slipping the letter into his coat pocket.
"There's something else, Lord David," Emmy interrupted his thoughts, her voice taking on a sad tone.
David and Rush looked up at her at the same time. The look on her face caught Rush off guard, she suddenly seemed so overwhelmed with sadness. Out of the corner of his eye he saw David's shoulders slump ever so slightly.
"When?"
"Two mornings ago. Right after that crazy light in the sky. He saw it and told me that you had remembered. Then he lost consciousness and never woke up."
David's head fell. "I'd like to go see him. Torgal, go get yourself taken care of. I'll be in my quarters the rest of the day." Torgal nodded and Emmy reached out to him. He accepted her shoulder to steady himself as they turned down the hall towards the physicians wing. Blocter followed them, opening doors for them as needed.
"Rush, if you don't mind, would you come with me?" David asked, and without waiting for an answer turned down the hall in the opposite direction of Blocter, Torgal and Emmy. Rush followed him without a word until they stepped outside to the small castle graveyard.
"Dave….who?" Rush finally asked Dave when he saw where they were.
"Pagus."
Rush's steps faltered at his answer. He starred after David, who was weaving through the graveyard to the back. A little further off, Rush could see a fresh grave.
He joined David at the foot of it a moment later. They stood in silence for a long time before David spoke.
"It's Athlum tradition to bury the dead within a day," he said quietly. Rush turned to the side to look at his friend. A slight breeze blew David's hair into his eyes, keeping Rush from making eye contact.
"It was said that it helped them move onto the next life quicker, so they wouldn't become anchored in this world," David continued. "But really that story was only started during the Second Great Sickness a few hundred years ago, to prevent the spread of the disease. Pagus taught me that when I was a child."
Rush was quiet a moment before responding. "I think maybe they're both true."
The corners of David's mouth tugged downward in sadness. "I don't."
They both fell quiet again, each lost in thought.
"The last time I saw him, he gave me a bit of a scolding," David finally said. Rush turned towards him, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"What for?"
A sad smile tugged at David's lips. "I had told him that I wanted to return the remnants to the planet. I wanted to stop the collapses and the Rebellion…but really I became no better than them. He told me to remember the lessons of the past. I was so focused on bringing them back when they almost killed us all last time. And they took you away…" his voice trailed off. "I feel ashamed."
"Don't," Rush said immediately, reaching out to place a hand on David's shoulder. "Emmy said that Pagus said you remembered. He knew you had done the right thing."
David looked up at Rush, moisture that he couldn't stop pricking his eyes. "Only because you and Lenne made me."
Rush remained quiet, unsure of how to respond aside from giving David's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"I wish we could have at least buried her somehow."
Rush turned back to look at David. "So you do believe both stories." He said to David, more as a statement than a question.
A small smile played on David's face. "Maybe I do."
Rush's highly anticipated trip to Eulam Island turned out to be unnecessary. As hard as David tried, it was not until a few days after their return before he could clear his schedule for the journey. Although Rush wanted to return home more than anything, he wanted David to come with him, and was barely able to contain his impatience as he waited. He had even taken to trying to help David with his various duties and paperwork, offering to run documents on foot around the castle in hopes of speeding things up. And even though Rush tried to hide his anxiety over making the trip, David began to feel guilty for keeping his friend from reuniting with his family, although Rush did not want to leave without him. David also knew they were racing against the speed at which gossip would inevitably Eulam, as their re-entry into Athlum had not gone completely unnoticed.
The day before they were to depart, David was in his audience chamber, speaking with Torgal as he perused documents awaiting his approval. Rush had just left for the antechamber of the hall to get tea for himself and David.
"This is to renew the Balterossa merchants' license for the trading fare next month," Torgal said as he slid a piece of paper in front of David. As he raised his quill to dip it in the inkpot on his table, David heard a commotion at the entrance of the hall.
"Let me go! I need to get in!" He heard a female voice scream from the far end of the hall, followed by the clatter of metal hitting the ground. Looking up at the door, David could only see the silhouette of a woman against the sunlight, struggling against the guards. David felt his heart begin to race as he saw the sun glinting off her long, dark hair.
"Let her through," David called, standing and taking a few steps forward. "Let her through!"
The guards instantly released her and she stumbled forward towards David. As he squinted against the sunlight, her features began to take shape to him. He felt his heart sink slightly at the recognition of her face.
"Mister David," she said breathlessly, coming to a stop a few feet from him. Irina Sykes stared up at him, her hair tossed messily over her face as she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes were wide open and wild.
"Irina…What's wrong?" He asked.
"It's gone," she said, still gasping for air. "Since that light in the sky, it's gone!" She exclaimed as she raised her hands up in front of her. David recognized the movement from when she had used Marion's blessing in the past. Now as she stood in front of him, nothing happened.
"Irina!" he heard another voice call from the entrance, and they both looked up and saw Marina Sykes in the doorway.
"I'm so sorry, Lord David," she said as she approached he and Irina. "I told her there was no reason to be in such a hurry, that you wouldn't know why it was gone. But she insisted."
"It's quite alright," he said, his eyes moving between mother and daughter. As he looked at Marina he remembered Lenne's letter that Rush had discovered, and was desperate to ask her who Logahn was.
But first things first.
"I actually may have someone who could help explain what's going on here," he started, barely hiding a smirk that begged to break out across his face. "But first, allow me to get us some tea."
Turning his head over his shoulder, David called out in an uncharacteristically harsh voice. "Hey! Where's that tea?"
For a split second, David felt the atmosphere in the room become tense and uncomfortable. Those who knew him knew he wasn't one to yell at anyone. He turned back to Irina and her mother, his face remaining blank and emotionless as he waited. Irina starred back at him, bewildered shock on her face.
"Holy smokes Dave, I'm coming!" A voice replied from beyond the door behind David's throne. "Geez you try to do something nice for someone and- " Rush's voice died in his throat as he emerged from the antechamber, holding two cups of tea, and caught sight of his mother and sister. Rush stood frozen, his mouth hanging slightly open, and David turned to look at Irina. Her eyes were wide and turned to meet his. A soft smile spread across his lips before he gave her the slightest nod.
"Rush?" Marina gasped, her voice cracking in emotion, and her voice broke the spell over the room. David heard the teacups shatter on the floor behind him and saw all three Sykes come together, colliding in a tangle of embraces and tears. Marina burst into tears as she held her son against her tightly, and Irina turned to look towards David.
"I knew it," she said quietly, leaning her head onto her brother's shoulder. David was about to ask her how, although he suspected Irina could have been able to sense such a thing, when suddenly Marina turned to him.
"Oh you dear boy," she said, throwing her arms around David and beginning to cry in earnest again. "Thank you."
That evening, Marina, Rush, David and Irina gathered around a fireplace in the castle, drinking tea as Rush and David explained what had happened over the past few months.
"She had to have known that returning you to the planet would have saved you," Irina mused aloud as they reached the end of their story.
"It must have been from when I met her – the Conqueror beat her up pretty bad and almost killed her up there," Rush replied, remembering running at the Conqueror in desperation when he had seen him strangling Lenne in the sand.
"How did you both survive so long?" Marina asked, drawing his attention back to the conversation. David turned towards Rush, as he too was very interested in his answer.
"Well, when we got there we weren't together, the Conqueror and I. And we did fight each other as soon as we ran into each other, which took a few weeks. But neither of us could win and we just stopped eventually. We split up after that and just avoided each other, until Lenne showed up that time. I think when she would use that thing to come to the graveyard it would somehow call to him, because I hadn't seen him in a long time before that."
They all fell into silence a moment, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Doctor Sykes," David finally spoke up, turning towards Marina. "When we left her…I asked her why she did all of this and she said to ask you. Do you know why she would say that?"
Marina considered him for a moment before responding. "No…no I can't think of why she'd say that." David's heart sank with her answer.
"She left a letter behind for someone named Logahn, does that sound familiar at all?" Rush asked. David looked at the older woman hopefully. But to his dismay, she slowly shook her head side to side.
"I'm sorry, but no." She said quietly, watching as both boys' faces fell in disappointment.
"Maybe she meant I'd understand as a mother," she said tentatively, reaching out for Rush's hand. "I knew after we lost Rush, I hated everything to do with the remnants. I would have destroyed them myself if I could have. For her…to lose her entire family to them…I can't imagine what that must have done to her."
A quiet sob drew everyone's attention as Marina stopped speaking. On the other side of her, Irina had begun to cry, her face in her hands.
"Irina, what is it?" Rush asked, concerned.
"I-" Irina muttered between sobs. "I killed her family."
"Oh honey," Marina said soothingly, pulling her daughter into her arms. "Don't think like that."
Rush stood and moved to Irina's side, rubbing her shoulder. "Yeah sis, it was an accident. Don't cry."
David looked away from the family, feeling out of place as they tried to comfort Irina. Logahn's identity still nagged at him. He needed to know who he was.
"David," Marina said quietly, drawing his attention from his thoughts. "I have a few friends from the academy I still keep in touch with. In the morning I'll see if they know of any surviving family members of hers."
"Thank you," he said quietly. They fell into silence again, and David watched Rush out of the corner of his eye. Irina was leaning on his shoulder, wiping away stray tears, and he kept an arm wrapped around her. For the first time, David began to wonder what would happen next. Rush was planning to return to Eulam with his mother and sister to see his father, who had decided not to come with the two women to Athlum. And of course he was going to come back to Athlum for Emmy's wedding, but what about after that? David's heart began to feel heavy again, a feeling becoming all too familiar to him recently.
David decided to retire for the night and stood, bidding goodnight to the Sykes. Rush looked up at him with a sad smile as David turned towards the door.
"Oh," David said, stopping to turn back to the family one last time. "I'm sure you're excited to return to Eulam, but know that you're welcome here," he told them, and his eyes met Rush's. "For as long as you like."
Veyriel was known for its humid climate, but as David, Rush, Emmy and Torgal worked their way across the landscape, David thought to himself that it should only be known for its abnormally large insects. For miles around them was only murky swamp lands with no relief in sight from the thick, dank air.
"It shouldn't be much further," said Torgal as he watched Emmy swat a bug away from her face. Marina Sykes had been able to track down Lenne's only known surviving relative – her mother-in-law. They had set out immediately, at David's insistence, to speak with her at her home in Veyriel.
They arrived at the house half an hour later. It was a shabby, run down home set on stilts to keep it out of the swamp beneath it. There was a small porch area surrounded by netting, and David and the others could see many different species of bugs stuck in its webbing. They dismounted quickly, and Emmy and Torgal took hold of the others' reins as Rush and David climbed the porch steps up to the door. David raised his fist and knocked briskly before his hands met behind his back, a habit that Rush was beginning to notice that David did when he was nervous.
After a moment the doorknob squeaked as it was turned, and the door opened to reveal an older woman. Her hair was tied up loosely on her head, and grey tendrils hung loosely around her face. Her eyes were bright and alert while the rest of her face seemed tired.
"Yes?" she asked hesitantly, glancing between David and Rush quickly. "Can I help you?"
"Yes," David began. "I am Duke David Nassau of Athlum. I am here concerning your daughter-in-law, Lenadora." Her full name felt foreign to his tongue as he spoke.
They both watched the woman as she glanced out at her porch over their shoulders, and just beyond the edge saw both Torgal and Emmy tending to their horses. As she glanced back at David and Rush, she scoffed harshly.
"Well she's not here… wretched girl. Haven't seen her in over six bloody months-"
"I will not have you speak of her in such a manner in front of us, Madam," David interrupted her harshly, reaching out to place his hand on the door to prevent her from slamming it in their faces. She looked startled for a brief flash before her face grew suspicious.
"Why, what's she done now?" she asked.
"It'd be better if you invite us inside if you want the whole story. It's gonna take a while, " Rush replied, crossing his arms over his chest. The woman seemed to consider this for a moment before she opened the door fully and moved inside, and the two men followed her inside.
They entered the dimly lit house, their eyes taking in as many details as they could. The rooms were small and sparsely furnished, with very few personal items present. They followed her into a small room with a couch and two chairs around a table, and she took one chair while Rush and David sat next to each other on the couch.
"Now, what is it that my godforsaken daughter-in-law had gotten herself into this time?"
Almost an hour later, David watched as Rush produced a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it across the sitting area to the woman. They had told her everything about how Lenne had become involved in the Rebellion and had turned to help David and eventually stopped a Remnant invasion. The woman had sat in silence for a long time before tears began to stream down her face and she started to hiccup quietly.
"I can't imagine," she finally said after a long, reverent silence. "Finding out that the Remnants weren't really gone after all. We lost so much the first time." She clutched the handkerchief tightly to her face as she continued to quietly sob. "And I thought she was being selfish and abandoning her family."
At the mention of her family, David's heart began to race. The name Logahn had haunted his mind for weeks and he desperately wanted to know who he was. He felt his stomach churn with an animosity that he couldn't justify…only that he was jealous of any man that she had left a letter for while leaving David with nothing but questions.
As David sat, his mind trying to arrange the question properly in his head, he and Rush suddenly heard a noise from behind them.
"Granma?"
Everything instantly came together in David's mind, and his face crumpled in despair at the sound of that small voice. He and Rush turned around instantly, and David's breath froze in his chest. His eyes fell upon a small boy, maybe only three or four years old. He had dark hair and eyes that were a color he would never forget for the rest of his life. They were her eyes.
David heard a small hiccup from Lenne's mother-in-law behind him as he stood, facing the small boy. David took a step around the couch toward him, and the boy looked up at him, wide eyed with curiosity. David stopped a step away from the boy and lowered himself onto his knees in front of him. Behind him and unseen by David, Rush's face fell into his hands.
"Logahn?" David asked quietly, now kneeled down to the boy's eye level. The boy looked at him questioningly with wide eyes.
David smiled sadly. "I was a friend of your mother. My name is David," he replied. Logahn's eyes widened at his words.
"Where's mommy?" he asked, his voice rising in excitement. David felt his heart break within his chest at the question. Behind him, he heard Rush muffle a quiet sob.
"She's gone away," David replied, and his voice shook as he spoke. He reached inside his pocket and withdrew her letter with trembling fingers. The wax seal on the back was still intact. "But she gave me this to give to you."
David held it out to him, and Logahn looked at it with curious eyes. A second later the boy snatched it out of David's hand, and David felt as if his last lingering piece of Lenne had left him. He bit his lip to try and maintain his composure as he watched the boy clutch the letter to his chest tightly.
"Logahn," David said quietly, his voice cracking. "I just want to tell you that your mother was amazing. And if you ever need anything," he said, pausing to look over his shoulder at Logahn's grandmother before turning back to the boy. "You come find me in Athlum, and I'll do everything I can to take care of you. Okay?" He asked, the question coming out almost sounding like a plea. Logahn looked at him for a second, still clutching the letter, before nodding.
David looked down at the floor as he slowly stood. "Rush…its time to go home."
