hey... it will get happier, im not that morbid this time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the end of the first week, all the bodies had been excavated and buried at sea. Thayet sobbed as Jonathan's face slid under the stormy blue waves. Roald only watched with a pale, set face as his siblings were also released.
Messengers were sent out on a few precious horses for news of other Holdings. How they fared through this disasterous time was beyond even Thayet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a year and a half since Chaos decended on Tortall. Though the surviors had struggled hard for months to rebuild, ravaged forests and cities remained unfixed. The messengers were just reaching the last Holds, though the news was bleak.
15 year old Kelandry of Mindelan, the last of her line, patted her mud-brick wall. Corus was a mess, barely a village of straw huts to house workers. They even slept on straw. Staring at the glorious sunset, she sighed and left her work. Saluting Neal comically, she gathered her shovel and cloths.
"Before we rebuild the city, we must find food sources and designate a way of life." Thayet was a master at tragic stoicism, yet her eyes were still shadowed with sorrow.
But the Chaos colors still painted the sky, a cruel reminder of the Queen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kel threw down the parchment. Bursting into hot tears, she threw the scrap into the fire. Her family, all gone.
Carried on, building and rebuilding for a year. Living, being alive, while they were dead.
All gone.
Stumbling into the small wooden shack that housed her, Neal, Cleon, and young Solane the harper girl. Throwing herself into the straw pile, she cried until the sky darkened and the stars came out.
Even they were as colorful as Chaos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neal, returning from the campfire dinner, heard small sounds in their hut. Timidly sticking his head in the cloth covered doorway, he saw Kel collapsed on the floor.
"Kel!" he exclaimed, worriedly. "Kel?" He rushed to her side.
Kel's head lolled in the straw. "Neal, they're dead." She hit the ground with her fists, straw and grass in her longish brown hair. He cradled her head in his lap.
Sobbing inconsolably, she clung to his arms. Neal winced as he caught her flailing hands in his and saw the blood she had drawn from angry pounding. Calling forth his healing, he tended her cuts gently.
Her eyes closed, she slept from pure exhaustion. Curling around her, Neal felt his tears trickle into her hair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the end of the first week, all the bodies had been excavated and buried at sea. Thayet sobbed as Jonathan's face slid under the stormy blue waves. Roald only watched with a pale, set face as his siblings were also released.
Messengers were sent out on a few precious horses for news of other Holdings. How they fared through this disasterous time was beyond even Thayet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a year and a half since Chaos decended on Tortall. Though the surviors had struggled hard for months to rebuild, ravaged forests and cities remained unfixed. The messengers were just reaching the last Holds, though the news was bleak.
15 year old Kelandry of Mindelan, the last of her line, patted her mud-brick wall. Corus was a mess, barely a village of straw huts to house workers. They even slept on straw. Staring at the glorious sunset, she sighed and left her work. Saluting Neal comically, she gathered her shovel and cloths.
"Before we rebuild the city, we must find food sources and designate a way of life." Thayet was a master at tragic stoicism, yet her eyes were still shadowed with sorrow.
But the Chaos colors still painted the sky, a cruel reminder of the Queen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kel threw down the parchment. Bursting into hot tears, she threw the scrap into the fire. Her family, all gone.
Carried on, building and rebuilding for a year. Living, being alive, while they were dead.
All gone.
Stumbling into the small wooden shack that housed her, Neal, Cleon, and young Solane the harper girl. Throwing herself into the straw pile, she cried until the sky darkened and the stars came out.
Even they were as colorful as Chaos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neal, returning from the campfire dinner, heard small sounds in their hut. Timidly sticking his head in the cloth covered doorway, he saw Kel collapsed on the floor.
"Kel!" he exclaimed, worriedly. "Kel?" He rushed to her side.
Kel's head lolled in the straw. "Neal, they're dead." She hit the ground with her fists, straw and grass in her longish brown hair. He cradled her head in his lap.
Sobbing inconsolably, she clung to his arms. Neal winced as he caught her flailing hands in his and saw the blood she had drawn from angry pounding. Calling forth his healing, he tended her cuts gently.
Her eyes closed, she slept from pure exhaustion. Curling around her, Neal felt his tears trickle into her hair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~