Chapter Ten: The Funeral
As soon as the confrontation was over and most of the assembled people had dispersed, Reanna felt the ice coming back to trap her in its frozen depths. It was just as well, she thought bleakly. She would have to sing her father into the sea, and it wouldn't do for her voice to be occluded by tears. At least the ice wasn't so thick this time that she couldn't feel anything.
Although she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to feel what she felt at the moment, anyway. She was exhausted and she felt heavy, as though she carried a great weight upon her shoulders.
Pur'a'ti was cleaning up Jack's wound and doing his best to preserve Jack's body and prevent it from beginning to decay too much in the vastly oppressive heat. One relief, at least, was that the heat seemed to be lifting. This night was much cooler than past nights had been and carried a hint of moisture in the air. It actually felt like a normal late summer night.
In a way, she was insulted that the weather was so calm in the wake of her father's death. It should be raining, at the least. Why did things work out that way? In stories it was always told that when people died they died on "a stormy night," or some such nonsense. Further proof that the weather cared not for the fate of mortals.
She ran a hand over her face, trying hard to keep her eyes open as she stood on the dock. She was bone-tired, but she felt that if she were to go to sleep that she would somehow dishonor her father.
His funeral would be in the morning, and as of yet she hadn't quite decided what song she would sing to him. Perhaps "A Pirate's Life for Me," as it had been his favorite song in life. She knew that her mother would be very insulted that she would sing such a spirited song on her father's final journey, but there was nothing that seemed so fitting as that song.
Besides, she cared little for her mother's opinion anymore after what had happened earlier. Of course Reanna knew that her mother was stressed, that her life was falling apart around her and that there was absolutely nothing that she could do about it, but in Reanna's opinion that was no excuse to do the things she had done. She had abandoned Jack in the time when he had needed most to speak with her. She had called her daughter--who Arianne had once loved so dearly--a "wretched creature," and she undoubtedly thought that Reanna deserved to be marooned on a deserted island somewhere.
Reanna sighed deeply, feeling as though the entire weight of the world was on her shoulders. So this was what it felt like to have a broken heart, she thought to herself. But it felt more like her heart and soul had both been dashed to the ground and then tromped on until they were quite flattened. Life had been so good until her father had been struck down by that damned poison.
Before she knew what was happening she was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, tears streaming down her face. The grief had built up over the past week so much that even the ice that kept creeping up on her and immobilizing every emotion could not stand against it. She cried through the rest of the night.
When morning came, Reanna was found still sitting on the dock, but she had fallen asleep. Everyone thought it too unkind to wake her before everything was ready, as most of them had seen her crying as though she would break in two the night before.
The ship was bedecked with black ribbons, and a black flag was hoisted. The crew all wore as much black as they owned--which wasn't much, but their tribute to their well-loved captain was touching--and the elves wore their mourning grey.
A puffy-eyed and bleary Reanna was finally wakened by Y'lorani and Dharketh, and they both helped her back to her room so that she could get dressed. They passed Arianne's room along the way, and Y'lorani and Dharketh shared a sorrowful glance with each other at the disgrace their goddess had come to. Reanna didn't look up but trudged past the door wearily.
Reanna herself picked out a pair of grey pants and a white shirt before she plunged her body in a tub full of tepid water. The water seemed to revive her somewhat, and she dressed with more energy than she had showed all morning, though more tears threatened to spill over her cheeks more than once.
She knew she had to compose herself if she was going to sing her father's favorite song in a tempo and with an enthusiasm--albeit feigned-- that would do it justice.
As Reanna left the house, Arianne stumbled out of her room, haphazardly dressed and obviously in the middle of a roaring hangover. Little was going through the woman's mind besides the fact that she needed more whiskey to make this dreadful headache go away, and somehow she managed to find some and drink it without breaking the bottle in her fumbling attempts to get it open.
Not even bothering to change out of the clothes that reeked of liquor, Arianne staggered her way down to the ship, which was preparing to make way with the guest of honor already on board.
She made it up the gangplank--barely, and that with help--and went over to Jack's body. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes and she kissed his cold, pale forehead. "Goo' bye, love," she slurred, "I' 'ever ferget ye."
When the boat was far enough at sea that the island could barely be seen on the horizon, Reanna stood by the railing at the fore of the ship and began to sing: Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,
Drink up, me hearties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho...
She sang the song in its entirety, and with as much exuberance as could be expected at the funeral of her beloved father. Towards the end, the song sounded more like a dirge--which it was--and the last chorus was sung so softly that the assembly of elves and crew could barely hear it, though they all felt that it was very appropriate for the good old Captain Jack.
His body was commended to the sea, and all shed tears of grief. All except Reanna. She simply stood on the deck and watched as the sea swallowed her father, unable to cry any more. At least for now. For now, she wished her father's soul farewell and hoped that he would be happy in his afterlife.
She said goodbye.
************************************************************************ Two in one day for the second time this week--cool! *is so proud of herself!* Lol, ok, I'm gonna go away now, love you all!
As soon as the confrontation was over and most of the assembled people had dispersed, Reanna felt the ice coming back to trap her in its frozen depths. It was just as well, she thought bleakly. She would have to sing her father into the sea, and it wouldn't do for her voice to be occluded by tears. At least the ice wasn't so thick this time that she couldn't feel anything.
Although she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to feel what she felt at the moment, anyway. She was exhausted and she felt heavy, as though she carried a great weight upon her shoulders.
Pur'a'ti was cleaning up Jack's wound and doing his best to preserve Jack's body and prevent it from beginning to decay too much in the vastly oppressive heat. One relief, at least, was that the heat seemed to be lifting. This night was much cooler than past nights had been and carried a hint of moisture in the air. It actually felt like a normal late summer night.
In a way, she was insulted that the weather was so calm in the wake of her father's death. It should be raining, at the least. Why did things work out that way? In stories it was always told that when people died they died on "a stormy night," or some such nonsense. Further proof that the weather cared not for the fate of mortals.
She ran a hand over her face, trying hard to keep her eyes open as she stood on the dock. She was bone-tired, but she felt that if she were to go to sleep that she would somehow dishonor her father.
His funeral would be in the morning, and as of yet she hadn't quite decided what song she would sing to him. Perhaps "A Pirate's Life for Me," as it had been his favorite song in life. She knew that her mother would be very insulted that she would sing such a spirited song on her father's final journey, but there was nothing that seemed so fitting as that song.
Besides, she cared little for her mother's opinion anymore after what had happened earlier. Of course Reanna knew that her mother was stressed, that her life was falling apart around her and that there was absolutely nothing that she could do about it, but in Reanna's opinion that was no excuse to do the things she had done. She had abandoned Jack in the time when he had needed most to speak with her. She had called her daughter--who Arianne had once loved so dearly--a "wretched creature," and she undoubtedly thought that Reanna deserved to be marooned on a deserted island somewhere.
Reanna sighed deeply, feeling as though the entire weight of the world was on her shoulders. So this was what it felt like to have a broken heart, she thought to herself. But it felt more like her heart and soul had both been dashed to the ground and then tromped on until they were quite flattened. Life had been so good until her father had been struck down by that damned poison.
Before she knew what was happening she was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, tears streaming down her face. The grief had built up over the past week so much that even the ice that kept creeping up on her and immobilizing every emotion could not stand against it. She cried through the rest of the night.
When morning came, Reanna was found still sitting on the dock, but she had fallen asleep. Everyone thought it too unkind to wake her before everything was ready, as most of them had seen her crying as though she would break in two the night before.
The ship was bedecked with black ribbons, and a black flag was hoisted. The crew all wore as much black as they owned--which wasn't much, but their tribute to their well-loved captain was touching--and the elves wore their mourning grey.
A puffy-eyed and bleary Reanna was finally wakened by Y'lorani and Dharketh, and they both helped her back to her room so that she could get dressed. They passed Arianne's room along the way, and Y'lorani and Dharketh shared a sorrowful glance with each other at the disgrace their goddess had come to. Reanna didn't look up but trudged past the door wearily.
Reanna herself picked out a pair of grey pants and a white shirt before she plunged her body in a tub full of tepid water. The water seemed to revive her somewhat, and she dressed with more energy than she had showed all morning, though more tears threatened to spill over her cheeks more than once.
She knew she had to compose herself if she was going to sing her father's favorite song in a tempo and with an enthusiasm--albeit feigned-- that would do it justice.
As Reanna left the house, Arianne stumbled out of her room, haphazardly dressed and obviously in the middle of a roaring hangover. Little was going through the woman's mind besides the fact that she needed more whiskey to make this dreadful headache go away, and somehow she managed to find some and drink it without breaking the bottle in her fumbling attempts to get it open.
Not even bothering to change out of the clothes that reeked of liquor, Arianne staggered her way down to the ship, which was preparing to make way with the guest of honor already on board.
She made it up the gangplank--barely, and that with help--and went over to Jack's body. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes and she kissed his cold, pale forehead. "Goo' bye, love," she slurred, "I' 'ever ferget ye."
When the boat was far enough at sea that the island could barely be seen on the horizon, Reanna stood by the railing at the fore of the ship and began to sing: Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,
Drink up, me hearties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho...
She sang the song in its entirety, and with as much exuberance as could be expected at the funeral of her beloved father. Towards the end, the song sounded more like a dirge--which it was--and the last chorus was sung so softly that the assembly of elves and crew could barely hear it, though they all felt that it was very appropriate for the good old Captain Jack.
His body was commended to the sea, and all shed tears of grief. All except Reanna. She simply stood on the deck and watched as the sea swallowed her father, unable to cry any more. At least for now. For now, she wished her father's soul farewell and hoped that he would be happy in his afterlife.
She said goodbye.
************************************************************************ Two in one day for the second time this week--cool! *is so proud of herself!* Lol, ok, I'm gonna go away now, love you all!