Lacrimosa

Leaving Meridian was not something Holly had ever intended to do. Having spent the last several years with success and nobility, the idea to abandon her new home would have seemed out of the question. But much had changed in such little time, and she discovered that escaping Meridian would be much harder than she would have expected. The Sarafan knights patrolling the gates of Meridian and the surrounding lands only permitted merchants and traders to pass into and out of the city. There would be no way for her to exit the city as she was, or at least not without suspicion and interrogation.

But she had no other option in these matters. There was only one place in Nosgoth where she knew she would be safe: the home of her eldest daughter.

Magdalena...

Magdalena lived in a small home in the mountain village of Provance with her husband and two children. Holly's youngest daughter, Lilianna, lived in an obscure village near the Canyons outside of Meridian. Normally Holly would have went to that home, for it was closer than Magdalena's home in the mountains, but the canyons were patrolled constantly by the Sarafan Knights. Paranoia and pessimism seemed to walk hand in hand with Holly these days: suppose a knight recognized her, and saw her visiting her daughter? Holly want through enough trouble to keep the location of her children safe from the vampires who clearly despised her. Destroying documents was not an easy or safe endeavor, and getting away with such a task was just as big of a risk as standing on trial for treason and conspiracy. To be seen, and then to reveal the location of her child, would only raise suspicion, and it wouldn't do to give the knights any reason to suspect Lilianna.

Few traders were taking the roads that led towards the mountains, but Holly was fortunate enough to find a cargo transport that did. At first she contemplated hiding away in the cargo, but decided against it. Being a stowaway would be far too risky. She didn't know how long the journey would be, and spending it in hiding and constantly sneaking away to steal the traders' food could delay the journey, or prompt an investigation.

Instead, when the cost was clear and the time was right, she approached the trader leading his team into the mountains. He was an older man, perhaps around Holly's age or older, and was certainly caught off guard by Holly's request to travel with him.

"Well there is more than enough room for you, Madam..." he said, "...But why do you need to leave Meridian?"

This prompted a very long, drawn out story about how her daughter was having a baby soon, and she had no other way to get into the mountains to see her grandchild. In the end, Holly wasn't entire sure what persuaded the man to allow her to come with him: was it her story or her still battered face and broken nose that appealed to his sympathy? Either way, he invited her aboard, and was kind enough to provide her with a very long hooded shawl that succeeded in hiding a good portion of her face. This worked very well in Holly's favor: her self-consciousness towards her injuries was temporarily appeased, and her identity remained unrecognizable. Getting pass the guards came with very little trouble.

It was a three day journey to reach the mountains, and another two days to reach Provance. Holly's experience as a mechanic made her stay all the more convinient when the cargo transport broke down along the journey. Though the tools she took with her from the Industrial Quarter were not as wide of a variety as her original tool kit, they did the job successfully and quickly. Her work earned her food and warm drinks when the traders stopped to rest, and the wit and charming personalities of the traders themselves kept Holly entertained.

In a time of great mistrust and betrayal, it was heartening to discover that Nosgoth still had good people.

By the time they reached the mountain post, Holly's face had recovered. There were still some pale welts and some discoloration on her cheeks and chin, but overall everything on her face had healed fine. Unfortunately the rest of her body was taking its precious time getting back to a complete recovery. She didn't heal as quickly as she used to when she was younger.

"One of the downsides of getting older..." she muttered to herself, then shook her head. You complain so much about getting older. It's never going to get you any younger...

And with that thought, she snorted and took a long drink of hot cider. "That may be so but it still doesn't change the fact that I bloody hate getting old..."

"Pardon me?" one of the female traders, a behemoth of a woman who weilded a very large weapon and worked as a protector of the cargo transport, looked Holly's way with a confused expression. "Did you say something, Madam?"

Holly shook her head. "Nothing to you, darling. Just thinking outloud..."

...On the contrary, you have been talking to yourself a bit more than you probably should be. And I believe the other traders are starting to notice it.

Shortly after the thought entered her head, Holly shrugged it off and took another drink. ...Surviving imprisonment and torture certainly takes it's toll on one's psyche, I suppose... but I suppose it would be wise to keep these inner debates and conversations with myself on a more silent level.

Thankfully in the mountains, Holly discovered that she could be more open with her appearance. Few of the Sarafan in Provance recognized her, though she doubted that they would not know her name if she were to say it aloud. But in the town, she was able to walk around freely without her hooded shawl. This allowed her to buy food and clothes without feeling suspicious or attracting too much attention. Fully confident that she would be safe in this new town, she gave her thanks and eternal gratitude to the traders, and then continued on her way.

Snow fell from the dark clouds above, covering the dead trees and winding trails that led throughout the mountain village. Like so many places in Nosgoth, Provance was every bit as lifeless and as Meridian. It became all the more clear to her as she followed the snowy trail to the home of Magdalena. Legends spoke of a time when Nosgoth was overflowing with life and beauty, and how that all changed with the corruption and fall of the Pillars. Whatever beauty or life Nosgoth may have once had, Holly had never known it. Wild animals grew more endangered with every passing day, and the vegetation that grew in these lands did not last long. Despite this, Holly could not help but feel some level of surprise when the mountains were as lifeless as the lands surrounding Meridian.

Perhaps it was only further proof that all of Nosgoth was dying away...

These dark thoughts faded away as she approached a small cabin near the dying forest. Collapsed snow forts were found here and there, and freshly made snow angels were being refilled with falling snow. Smoke rose from the chimney, and eminating from the cabin was the smell of cooking meat. The sight itself looked like something from a storybook, and it's beauty caused Holly to smile.

She knew this home. It was everything Magdalena and Lilianna had described in their letters to her. Holly approached the door and after knocking the snow from her boots, knocked on the door. There was no response just yet, so Holly knocked again. Still no response. When she knocked a third time, that was when she finally heard a response, though not in the way she would have expected.

"Mircea! Get your pants on! Someone is here!"

At that, Holly made a very awkward expression. ...She is seven months pregnant and he still can't keep her off of him... where on earth did she get such a behavior from? Certainly not her mother....

Then she thought about it for a moment.

"...Definately her father..."

No sooner did the words leave her lips, the door swung open. A very beautiful young woman stood before Holly, who took the time to observe her in the few seconds of silence she had. The lady's size and facial structure were not entirely identicle to Holly, but she had her very wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her stomach was very large and it looked like Magdalena gained more weight than she would have wanted. Holly mentally noted that her daughter was not going to enjoy the stretch marks that came with eating for two.

"Two more months to go, my dear." Holly said before her daughter released a very loud, happy squeal.

"Mama!" she laughed, then threw her arms around her. "Oh my God, what are you doing here?!" she cried in her excitement. "I wish we would have known you were coming! I would've cleaned up the place better! It's so good to see you.... Mama...?"

The moment Magdalena embraced her, Holly felt many thoughts rush through her mind. She was very stiff, not returning the embrace right away, and only doing so when her daughter realized that something was wrong. Magdalena was warm, lively, and still the same happy creature that Holly remembered. She closed her eyes and held her daughter closer, fully realizing just how badly she had missed her. So many years had passed... letters of love and affection were simply not enough for a lonely mother. And her choice to end this only form of communication in order to protect her, to isolate herself from her children so a monster could not track them down, was suddenly all the more painful. But most importantly, the idea of just how horrifying it could have been if Sebastian had finished her in that room...

She would've never had been able to see her daughter again. Magdalena would have never known what happened to her...

...Oh God...

"Mama... what's wrong? Are you crying?"

To Holly's great misfortune, Magdalena had pulled away to observe her mother's face. It was then, under close examination, that Holly saw the transition from concern to horror cross her daughter's face. Magdalena's hands moved to her mother's cheeks and chins, moving over the fading welts and bruises. Her thumb brushed against Holly's broken nose, and all the while Magdalena looked as though she could not comprehend what could have possibly happened. To make matters worse, Holly had a general idea that her tearstreaked face only made her appearance look worse.

"...Who did this to you?" Magdalena asked, her voice combining sorrow and fury with every word she spoke. When Holly didn't reply right away, her daughter turned to look back into the house. "Mircea! Quickly!"

"What's the matter?"

Holly wiped away her tears just as her son-in-law came into view. He was very tall and muscular with long, thick hair and a small moustache. Despite his strong build, Mircea was not a Sarafan soldier. Instead, he found work as a bodyguard for traveling merchants. When Magdalena was pregnant for a third time, he took a leave of absence in order to care for her. Upon seeing Holly, he immediately looked surprised but then looked just as concerned as his wife.

"Holly?" he moved in close to observe her face, the concern in his eyes growing increasing. "What happened to you?"

Holly moved her hands onto his chest and gently pushed him away from her. Mircea obliged, giving her the space she required. "...I am fine." she cleared her throat, and took a deep breath. "...It is over now, and it has been dealt with."

Neither her daughter nor her son-in-law understood that statement. Unsure of how to respond to this matter, they ushed her into their home and closed the door behind her. The house was small, but very active. Holly could hear children playing in the other room, squealing and laughing with joy, completely oblivious to the trouble at hand. It reminded Holly of the past: the sounds of little feet running through the house, of laughter in the other rooms, of the total innocence of her children before the death of their father. She remembered how much she could envy a child during times of hardship: there could be talk of another battle, or of a vampire sighting, and yet children still found means to smile through it all without a care in the world. While the adults worried themselves with ideas of relocating and making emergency escape plans, children just smiled and played unknowingly. Perhaps ignorance is bliss after all...

Mircea took it upon himself to go to his children once Holly found a seat in the kitchen. If he kept them distracted long enough, there would be enough time for Magdalena to get her mother settled in. It wouldn't help matters if Holly's grandchildren saw their grandmother in such a state. Magdalena put on the tea kettle, and after a few moments, poured her mother a cup of tea. Then she took her seat across from Holly, looking over her with large, frightened eyes.

"...Mother..." her voice was shaking, but she fought to keep control. "...Mother... did something... happen?"

Holly took a sip of her tea and rose her eyebrows at her daughter's question. That is quite possibly the dumbest thing you could have asked me, my dear.

Despite her personal opinion, she nodded. "Yes, dear..." she said, lowering the cup. "...Something happened." she brushed her hair out of her face and her eyes lowered onto the table. "...And these bruises are really the least of my troubles... I am going to be needing your help..."

"What is it?" Magdalena asked, her voice very low and very soft. One of her hands moved across the table to hold onto her mother's. "I'll help you in anyway I can..."

It took Holly some time and several cups of tea to explain her current situation. Yet all the while she was mindful enough to avoid using too many details. There were things her daughter did not need to know as far as the physical damage done unto her. However, she spoke of the conflict with Marcus and her decision to stop writing. She talked of destroying documents that led to the homes of her children, and then spoke of her trial. After that, she explained only a portion of the events that took place in the Industrial Quarter, then spoke of her escape.

"You believe the Sarafan have turned against you?" Magdalena asked, before shaking her head. "But that can't be right. They know about all that Father has done for Nosgoth, they couldn't possibly think that you deserved to die."

Holly glanced down at the bandages on her fingertips and shook her head. "...I believe that loyalty towards your father's service would not be in the best interest of soldiers who serve a cruel lord..."

Magdalena glared and leaned closer. "Then we should tell the soldiers! We'll tell them what the Sarafan Lord let that monster do to you! And then they'll see just how horrible he is, and..."

"...and then they will rebel against their lord, all for the sake of one woman's word? And not just one woman, but one who was put on trial for treason and conspiracy?" Holly shook her head. "It would not work. And I am not stupid enough to try it."

"But there must be something we can do! I can't sit by and do nothing after he allowed this to happen to you!" Magdalena protested, only to be hushed by her mother.

"Keep your voice down, you don't want the children to hear this..." Holly whispered, then groaned in slight discomfort. God I could use a cigarette. After taking another long drink of tea, she spoke again. "...I came here because I knew this was the only place where I could be safe. It's also far away, and the soldiers here do not know my face. But, there is something else... when your father died, he left his personal belongings to you and Lilianna. One of the items left to you was a document, or some kind of record of the history of the Sarafan. As if wife, he saw little need for the document to go to me, for I seem to have a good understanding of what all the soldiers stand for. He wanted the documents to go to his daughter, so you would understand his sacrifices." after a moment of silence, Holly looked her daughter directly into her eyes. "...Do you still have this document?"

Without a word, Magdalena left the kitchen. She disappeared into a hallway and was gone for ten minutes. When she returned, she carried with her a very large book. Holly rose to her feet as Magdalena reentered the room, and her daughter offered the book to her.

"...Father left it to me, yes... but raising children prevented me from reading most of it. Maybe you'll have better use for it then I did... but Mama... how is this going to help you?"

Holly took the offered book and looked down upon it. Because... she thought to herself, I think I have seen the stone from somewhere before. Her eyes slipped away from the book to glance at her chest. Beneath her shawl, the cool metal of the stolen treasure rested against her final layer of clothing. It is clearly something of great importance for the Sarafan... otherwise, why would they guard it so heavily?

She looked up at Magdalena. "...I believe I will find some solution in here..."

Magdalena nodded slowly, noticing her mother's evasiveness, but knowing better than to question her further. She gestured out of the kitchen. "You can use Mircea's study. Take as long as you need. I'll call you when dinner is ready..."

Holly nodded once. She kissed her daughter on the cheek, and then moved pass her. But as soon as she neared the hall, her feet stopped moving. She paused for a long moment before speaking again. "...I was very scared..." she whispered, causing Magdalena to turn around and face her. "....I was so afraid, in that room... it's a horrible feeling to realize you may never get the chance to see your loved ones again."

She could hear the sniffling from behind her. Magdalena's sorrow had truly surfaced. Holly lowered her head. "...I thought I would never see you again... or your sister... or your babies..."

At that, her voice cracked. Fresh tears had formed in her eyes. When she felt Magdalena rushing to her and wrapping her arms around her, tears poured from the both of them.

"I was so afraid..."