Chapter 6
Benjamin started looking at the ground, the window, the closet, anywhere but at the girl really. It was all the answer she needed.
"I see."
The reaction didn't really posses the sadness or grief he had expected, but when he picked up the courage to look at the girl again, he saw why. He had seen it so many times before. She was fidgeting with the sheets, her head bent, her eyes unsure. A lot of innocents had gone through the same thing. She didn't know what to feel, or how to respond. The crushed hope of her parents being alive, the reality and denial were in full battle in her mind. She was mulling over the possibilities. What if? He sighed. It had never been easy and there was no standard procedure in dealing with this situation.
He suddenly found her purple gaze upon her. He saw exactly what he expected to see in them. Grief, doubt, disbelief and loss.
"How did they die?"
It took a while for Benjamin to realise what the girl meant. But then he sighed again.
"The whole village was destroyed girl. Nobody survived. But to give you a detailed account on one person is not easy. I don't even know their name. You can't expect me to just know who your parents are. I'm a paladin, not a priest you know."
Upon saying that a hint of annoyance entered the girls gaze, well stare was a more accurate description of what she was doing. But as she started to talk he could hear the pride in her voice, it made him wonder if the girl wasn't a little spoiled either.
"My father's name is Treon. Treon Weaderin, he was a great hunter from Dolanaar before he retired."
Hunter? Dolanaar? Well that certainly rang a bell. So she was the daughter of that night elf. He had guessed it already, but had hoped to be wrong. The purple eyes, the pointed ears. She was a half-breed. The girl would best swallow her pride and keep her tongue to herself when it comes to her heritage. Marriages between different races were tolerated, but there were few who actually liked it. Especially night-elves. They considered one of their own marrying one of another race a disgrace. Their offspring was a taint on their 'perfect' race, and they were often banished or even killed. The girl was in for a hard time, she would never be fully accepted by any of the races, and not even other half-breeds like her would show her mercy. They had become bitter because of their treatment. He reminded himself to talk to her about that later on. For now he would listen to her little speech.
"My mother's name is Manja. She served the regal guard all her life until she met my father. They live in the second house as you enter the village. Now tell me, how did they die?"
Benjamin thought back to the letter. No, he couldn't tell her, not yet, she didn't need to go through this yet.
"Your name must be Merrilynn then."
Her face turned into a shocked expression. This annoyed Benjamin and he felt himself get angry.
"How did you know that? I never told you, and you weren't part of the guards that patrol Eastvale."
"It doesn't matter how I know does it? You wanted to know how your parents died? Let us begin with your father. The night elf was found barely alive in front of his door, pierced by many arrows. It took only seconds before he died. He only had time to tell us to save his wife. Your mother then, she was a tricky one to find. The whole house was a mess. It was only after moving several bookcases that we found her. Her hands were so red that it surprised me that she hadn't set herself aflame yet. Anybody else you want to know about? Long lost nephew? Your dog maybe?"
It was only after he saw that she had buried her head in the sheets and started crying that he was aware of the venomous tone in his voice. He hadn't meant it, but he hated to have to retell tales of a person's last moments, even if he was telling it to their offspring. He sighed once more; he really wasn't good at this type of thing. He put a hand on her back as to comfort her a little.
"Look, what I meant to say is that your parents fought bravely until their dying breath. They shall be honoured and given a proper burial. You should remember them with pride in your heart."
He could hear soft mumbling coming from the girl head, but the sheets were drowning the words. It took Benjamin three tries before he finally understood that she was asking what a proper burial was exactly.
"First they are cleansed from all dirt and sin. After that they are burned in the middle of their village."
Her head shot up and she looked at him again, tears evident on her face.
"How in the world can burning them be called a proper burial?"
"The horde has their own ways of using our deceased as minions against us. They have done it before, and sometimes our people didn't have to be dead before they lay a grip on them." He mused, thinking back to the betrayal of lord Arthas long ago, it had been a harsh blow for the Alliance, even though that hadn't been done by the Horde, nor their continent. "If we burn them, they cannot be used for any vile purposes ever again. Then they can rest in peace. Your parents and everyone else in that village deserves to rest in peace."
He struck the right cord it seemed. Pride is so easy to please. She regained her composure and asked no more about her parents. She wanted to honour them. She even ate some more of the stew.
Then when she tried to stand up from the bed, she realised again that she was actually terribly hurt. The moment the soles of her feet came in touch with the floor, pain shot through them, all the way to her thighs. She fell back down on the bed in an instant. She looked at her legs confused and raked her hands through her hair looking for an answer in her mind.
Benjamin feared another unavoidable question when a knock came at the door. Not long after Creton appeared. He was just in time, and not just because he had saved Benjamin from having to answer.
"Ah Creton, come in. it seems our little survivor has a name. This is Merrilynn. Merrilynn, this is Creton. He will be your guardian for the time being."
Two pair of eyes went wide in disbelief and two minds thought one thing in unison.
…You have got to be kidding me…