Chapter 1: No Rest for the Weary
Estella bolted from her bed at the agonizing shout of her name. She
rushed into the hallway to the room next to hers. She'd lain down to rest
for a minute after luncheon, but had fallen asleep. 'Blast it! You should
have never lain down! You always make the stupidest mistake, Stella!' -
she scowled herself, not for the first time either.
"Father, Stella is here," she soothed, kneeling by Odovacar's
bedside.
She stroked his hair as her other hand held his. "What is it?"
"I feel it, my dear daughter," Odo replied, cryptically. "It is
time to
go."
Estella blinked back the tears that had instantly appeared in her eyes.
Though she knew what it meant, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"It's my time to leave you." Odo was calm and relieved, but a hint
of
sadness was in his voice. "Where is my son? Where's Fredegar? I wish to
see him."
"He's not here, father." Estella heaved, her heart breaking not only
for
losing her father, but for his last request as well.
Odo's face twisted in pain. "I do wish I could see my son one last time.
Tell him I love him."
"I will, father." Estella's voice cracked.
"You will do fine, my dear Estella." He squeezed her hand. "I
love you."
Estella remained by the bedside, holding her father's hand and weeping.
The silence in the Bolger smial endured until late that night. Fredegar
rode up, attended his pony, and slipped inside. He waded through the
smial in the darkness, being all too familiar with sneaking in late and
not lighting a candle for fear of waking someone. Tonight, there was no
need for sneaking. He closed the side door leading into the kitchen when
a voice scared him.
"You're finally back, I see."
"I had to take care of something important in Buckland," Fred
replied
weakly, not even convincing himself that it was true. He busied himself
with lighting a candle. He regretted doing so when it flickered off his
sister's tear stained face.
"More important than being by your father's bedside before he died?"
Fred froze. An awful sinking feeling dropped to the bottom of his
stomach. "He's gone?"
Estella nodded. "He asked for you. He told me to tell you he loved you.
He wished to see his son one last time." She finally looked directly at
his face, eyes blazing. She stood, advancing toward her brother. "You
should have been here."
"I'm sorry," Fred murmured, afraid to raise his voice any higher.
Estella
wasn't afraid, and didn't hesitate to scream.
"You should have been here, Fred! But, you're never here! He needed you
just as much as he needed me!" She pounded on his chest with open palms.
"BUT YOU WEREN'T HERE!"
Fredegar grabbed her wrist, and spun her around. He pulled Estella close
to him, still holding her wrist - wrapping his arms around her waist.
Estella sobbed openly.
"You're a coward, Fred. You should have been here."
"I didn't want to go through it again," he murmured in her ear.
"Not
after what happened with mother."
Estella jerked free, and turned to face him. "So you just leave the sick
and feeble to die alone?"
"Can't you see how hard it was to see mother, and then father like
that?"
"I can see, because I was there day and night with both of them!"
Estella
started for the door. She threw on her cloak. "If that's the way you're
going to be, YOU take care of the funeral."
Fred raised a hand to his forehead, and sputtered, "Where are you
going?"
But, Estella did not answer.
Estella bolted from her bed at the agonizing shout of her name. She
rushed into the hallway to the room next to hers. She'd lain down to rest
for a minute after luncheon, but had fallen asleep. 'Blast it! You should
have never lain down! You always make the stupidest mistake, Stella!' -
she scowled herself, not for the first time either.
"Father, Stella is here," she soothed, kneeling by Odovacar's
bedside.
She stroked his hair as her other hand held his. "What is it?"
"I feel it, my dear daughter," Odo replied, cryptically. "It is
time to
go."
Estella blinked back the tears that had instantly appeared in her eyes.
Though she knew what it meant, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"It's my time to leave you." Odo was calm and relieved, but a hint
of
sadness was in his voice. "Where is my son? Where's Fredegar? I wish to
see him."
"He's not here, father." Estella heaved, her heart breaking not only
for
losing her father, but for his last request as well.
Odo's face twisted in pain. "I do wish I could see my son one last time.
Tell him I love him."
"I will, father." Estella's voice cracked.
"You will do fine, my dear Estella." He squeezed her hand. "I
love you."
Estella remained by the bedside, holding her father's hand and weeping.
The silence in the Bolger smial endured until late that night. Fredegar
rode up, attended his pony, and slipped inside. He waded through the
smial in the darkness, being all too familiar with sneaking in late and
not lighting a candle for fear of waking someone. Tonight, there was no
need for sneaking. He closed the side door leading into the kitchen when
a voice scared him.
"You're finally back, I see."
"I had to take care of something important in Buckland," Fred
replied
weakly, not even convincing himself that it was true. He busied himself
with lighting a candle. He regretted doing so when it flickered off his
sister's tear stained face.
"More important than being by your father's bedside before he died?"
Fred froze. An awful sinking feeling dropped to the bottom of his
stomach. "He's gone?"
Estella nodded. "He asked for you. He told me to tell you he loved you.
He wished to see his son one last time." She finally looked directly at
his face, eyes blazing. She stood, advancing toward her brother. "You
should have been here."
"I'm sorry," Fred murmured, afraid to raise his voice any higher.
Estella
wasn't afraid, and didn't hesitate to scream.
"You should have been here, Fred! But, you're never here! He needed you
just as much as he needed me!" She pounded on his chest with open palms.
"BUT YOU WEREN'T HERE!"
Fredegar grabbed her wrist, and spun her around. He pulled Estella close
to him, still holding her wrist - wrapping his arms around her waist.
Estella sobbed openly.
"You're a coward, Fred. You should have been here."
"I didn't want to go through it again," he murmured in her ear.
"Not
after what happened with mother."
Estella jerked free, and turned to face him. "So you just leave the sick
and feeble to die alone?"
"Can't you see how hard it was to see mother, and then father like
that?"
"I can see, because I was there day and night with both of them!"
Estella
started for the door. She threw on her cloak. "If that's the way you're
going to be, YOU take care of the funeral."
Fred raised a hand to his forehead, and sputtered, "Where are you
going?"
But, Estella did not answer.