..::.. Sunlit Topaz ..::..
..::.. Chapter One ..::.. ..::.. A dream of the past..::..
I gasped audibly as I sat up in my bed; it happened again. I felt my hair clinging to me by sweat; I swung my feet over the side of my bed and looked around the dark, dampened room. I rustled my way pass the bookshelf and vanity, and suddenly picked up a silver dagger and pushed it into the depths of my dress while brushing my golden tresses; wandering the stone cold halls at night can be dangerous, when Grima Wormtounge resides in the same building as you do.
I stepped out into the shivering hallways; I found more comfort there than I did in my room, for it was full of lies, betrayal, and tears. I stood at the lone balcony, gazing at the soft rays emitted by the silver moon. And at once, I vaguely remembered what caused me to awake, my dream.
It had been of my mother once again. I remember it quite clearly, for I had seen it before, it plagues me always, just as evil and greed plagues men.
I had been dressed in white, no more than seven winters at least; back at our old manor, standing upon the welcoming landing. Something was amiss; I felt it in the humid air. Everyone was scurrying about, nervous and anxious about something. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, I turned around to find Eomer's trembling dark eyes staring into mine; he was not much older than I, eleven at most.
"Mother wishes to speak with you," My gallant brother's voice slightly cracked, though he did not cry, I saw the tears well up within the rims of his eyelids, making his storm gray eyes more clouded than usual.
Suddenly, I saw myself in third person, like I was away from my tiny seven year old body, yet, attached at the same time. I felt the polished marble stairs beneath my bare feet, yet, I heard the light padded sound ascend away from me.
I don't think I had quite understood what was happening at the time, for I had shed no tears whilst everyone was uptight and tense, some crying. I watched myself step pass the closed wooden doors, one after another. And at the very end of the hall, my fingers lightly touched the golden handle, and I pressed my ear onto the door and listened, someone was sobbing.
The mahogany door flew open, and I silently watched my beloved auntie dabbing at the corners of her brilliant green eyes with a white handkerchief. Followed by my uncle, who was quietly soothing his wife; my aunt suddenly bent down and gave me a bear hug. I felt myself tremble, for somewhere in my heart, I knew exactly what was going on, I knew.
Mother was dying. She looked so pale and fragile laying atop her soft bed beneath her down comforter and among her many pillows propping her upright. Her soft voice beckoned me, "Eowyn, come here, Mother has important things to tell you," She talked slowly, but the words still flew like it used to. I felt fear in my heart although she was my mother; my steps were small and slow, almost as if I was afraid she would disappear if I made a sudden move.
I was still pretty far from her bed when she opened her arms, welcoming me with a small smile. I ran to her and buried myself in her arms, and I sobbed and sobbed; my mommie was dying. It seemed like I had been crying forever, I finally lifted my head, and saw that, she too, had silent tears coursing down her porcelain cheeks. She put an ice cold finger under my chin, and brought my eyes to her gaze. I inwardly shook at the beauty of the gem blue eyes in which my mother possessed.
"Now, Eowyn, you listen to me." I nodded as she paused to take a breath, "I want you to know, that I love you always, even after I die, I will watch over you with my presence. And maybe sometimes, you'll feel that you're in deep despair, but do not cry, be strong my daughter, your people dwell upon it." Her voice dwindled down into a whisper, as more tears bruised my cheek further. She was trying to squeeze all the important life lessons she wanted me to know in two sentences. I felt as if I were in third person again, watching the mother-daughter pair from the other side of the room; from there, I did not cry.
"You're going to be something great when you grow up, I do not know what yet, but someone of importance, of grandness, someone to be proud of. Do not forget that." Her hands cupped my face, and she smiled, and I had to smile too, for her smile could light a thousand hearts. She reached for the drawer beside her, and pulled out a necklace, bearing a radiant golden jewel within a glass ball.
"I hope that it will bring you good luck, as it has brought me." Her smile and expression soft, her eyes dreamy.
"But Mother, you don't seem to have a lot of luck right now," I timidly said, fingering the gem lying beneath my collar bone.
She laughed lightly at what I said, "Silly girl, it was that sunlit topaz which led me to you." Her eyes dancing, lightly like the wind. "Now go on, go get your father for me."
It was then in which I woke up from my dream, my memories. I look out at the moon again as I leaned against the railing, I absentmindedly traced that sunlit topaz, which reminded me so much of my mother, Thedowyn. She was the light and hope to these people, her people, my people. They said she was like an icon, legendary in all the tales. Everything she did, every move she made, it was graceful, light, and elegant. Some say she could have been an elf, but she proved them wrong when she fell sick that faithful year in which I was seven. When she died, I had thrown upon her grave, a single edelweiss, the flower that grew on the graves of our ancestors. There went that edelweiss, meaningfully laid upon that mound of earth, and there went my innocence, forever lost among the golden sea of wheat.
~But do not cry, be strong my daughter, your people dwell upon it~ A single tear fell down my face, it was neither burning nor freezing, there was no difference; I had cried.
The world had made me cold, with all of its insecurities and whispers of deceit. My eyes grew tired at the shadows that lurked in the corners; I had built a wall around myself, a wall of ice. They said I was like the moon, peaceful, beautiful, and distant. They're wrong. Inside, my blood ran through my veins like liquid gold, hot and fiery, like me, like the sunlit topaz.
..::.. Chapter One ..::.. ..::.. A dream of the past..::..
I gasped audibly as I sat up in my bed; it happened again. I felt my hair clinging to me by sweat; I swung my feet over the side of my bed and looked around the dark, dampened room. I rustled my way pass the bookshelf and vanity, and suddenly picked up a silver dagger and pushed it into the depths of my dress while brushing my golden tresses; wandering the stone cold halls at night can be dangerous, when Grima Wormtounge resides in the same building as you do.
I stepped out into the shivering hallways; I found more comfort there than I did in my room, for it was full of lies, betrayal, and tears. I stood at the lone balcony, gazing at the soft rays emitted by the silver moon. And at once, I vaguely remembered what caused me to awake, my dream.
It had been of my mother once again. I remember it quite clearly, for I had seen it before, it plagues me always, just as evil and greed plagues men.
I had been dressed in white, no more than seven winters at least; back at our old manor, standing upon the welcoming landing. Something was amiss; I felt it in the humid air. Everyone was scurrying about, nervous and anxious about something. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, I turned around to find Eomer's trembling dark eyes staring into mine; he was not much older than I, eleven at most.
"Mother wishes to speak with you," My gallant brother's voice slightly cracked, though he did not cry, I saw the tears well up within the rims of his eyelids, making his storm gray eyes more clouded than usual.
Suddenly, I saw myself in third person, like I was away from my tiny seven year old body, yet, attached at the same time. I felt the polished marble stairs beneath my bare feet, yet, I heard the light padded sound ascend away from me.
I don't think I had quite understood what was happening at the time, for I had shed no tears whilst everyone was uptight and tense, some crying. I watched myself step pass the closed wooden doors, one after another. And at the very end of the hall, my fingers lightly touched the golden handle, and I pressed my ear onto the door and listened, someone was sobbing.
The mahogany door flew open, and I silently watched my beloved auntie dabbing at the corners of her brilliant green eyes with a white handkerchief. Followed by my uncle, who was quietly soothing his wife; my aunt suddenly bent down and gave me a bear hug. I felt myself tremble, for somewhere in my heart, I knew exactly what was going on, I knew.
Mother was dying. She looked so pale and fragile laying atop her soft bed beneath her down comforter and among her many pillows propping her upright. Her soft voice beckoned me, "Eowyn, come here, Mother has important things to tell you," She talked slowly, but the words still flew like it used to. I felt fear in my heart although she was my mother; my steps were small and slow, almost as if I was afraid she would disappear if I made a sudden move.
I was still pretty far from her bed when she opened her arms, welcoming me with a small smile. I ran to her and buried myself in her arms, and I sobbed and sobbed; my mommie was dying. It seemed like I had been crying forever, I finally lifted my head, and saw that, she too, had silent tears coursing down her porcelain cheeks. She put an ice cold finger under my chin, and brought my eyes to her gaze. I inwardly shook at the beauty of the gem blue eyes in which my mother possessed.
"Now, Eowyn, you listen to me." I nodded as she paused to take a breath, "I want you to know, that I love you always, even after I die, I will watch over you with my presence. And maybe sometimes, you'll feel that you're in deep despair, but do not cry, be strong my daughter, your people dwell upon it." Her voice dwindled down into a whisper, as more tears bruised my cheek further. She was trying to squeeze all the important life lessons she wanted me to know in two sentences. I felt as if I were in third person again, watching the mother-daughter pair from the other side of the room; from there, I did not cry.
"You're going to be something great when you grow up, I do not know what yet, but someone of importance, of grandness, someone to be proud of. Do not forget that." Her hands cupped my face, and she smiled, and I had to smile too, for her smile could light a thousand hearts. She reached for the drawer beside her, and pulled out a necklace, bearing a radiant golden jewel within a glass ball.
"I hope that it will bring you good luck, as it has brought me." Her smile and expression soft, her eyes dreamy.
"But Mother, you don't seem to have a lot of luck right now," I timidly said, fingering the gem lying beneath my collar bone.
She laughed lightly at what I said, "Silly girl, it was that sunlit topaz which led me to you." Her eyes dancing, lightly like the wind. "Now go on, go get your father for me."
It was then in which I woke up from my dream, my memories. I look out at the moon again as I leaned against the railing, I absentmindedly traced that sunlit topaz, which reminded me so much of my mother, Thedowyn. She was the light and hope to these people, her people, my people. They said she was like an icon, legendary in all the tales. Everything she did, every move she made, it was graceful, light, and elegant. Some say she could have been an elf, but she proved them wrong when she fell sick that faithful year in which I was seven. When she died, I had thrown upon her grave, a single edelweiss, the flower that grew on the graves of our ancestors. There went that edelweiss, meaningfully laid upon that mound of earth, and there went my innocence, forever lost among the golden sea of wheat.
~But do not cry, be strong my daughter, your people dwell upon it~ A single tear fell down my face, it was neither burning nor freezing, there was no difference; I had cried.
The world had made me cold, with all of its insecurities and whispers of deceit. My eyes grew tired at the shadows that lurked in the corners; I had built a wall around myself, a wall of ice. They said I was like the moon, peaceful, beautiful, and distant. They're wrong. Inside, my blood ran through my veins like liquid gold, hot and fiery, like me, like the sunlit topaz.