Life Events

[Lirela]

Dressed in a deep blue bed gown and looking care-worn, Lirela appeared weary even in her sleep. A lantern sat unlit on the bedside table nearby, but a fire warmed the room from the fireplace at the other end of the large bedchamber, casting odd shadows on the walls and rug; a faint smell of herbal tea and medicine lingered in the air. A soft knock on the door woke Lirela, and she got up out of the chair next to the bed to answer.

A dark-haired girl of fourteen stood outside the door. “My Lady, a man from the college is here to see you,” said Rachel, Lirela’s attendant.

Lirela glanced at the bed before leaving the room to greet her visitor.
She passed down the shadowy hall and curving staircase, only every third sconce lit. The house seemed so empty, and eerily quiet. Her footsteps sounded loud on the stone floor.

Before she entered the greatroom, she braided her silvery blue hair to hide the neglect. As she passed through the doors, she saw the same comfortable room as always, but it seemed different somehow that night, having a sense of hope in her heart that she had not felt in some time. On the northern wall a fire crackled in the large fireplace, filling the greatroom with warmth and a comforting aroma. Looking into the fire a tall, handsome man from the bardic college named Victor Kaine stood before the fireplace.

“Mr. Kaine, won’t you sit down?” Lirela walked to the chairs near the fire. Victor did not move.

“I’m sorry, Lady. There is no easy way to say this. All your letters have returned unopened. We weren’t able to find your daughter.” He turned and held out a bundle of letters to her.

Lirela looked into his face, wanting to see some hope there. A gentle but mournful look in his eyes told her he felt it was unlikely they would find Katra. She took the letters and looked at them, unable to speak. She sat down heavily in one of the plush chairs. Moments passed in silence before Victor said softly, “I’m very sorry. If there is anything we can do for you, please send for me.” Then he excused himself and left the room.

Lirela felt numb as she stared into the fire. She was still clutching the letters when Rachel returned with tea for Lirela and her guest, who was no longer there.

“Madam, are you well?” Rachel looked at her mistress and the stack of letters she held, and knew immediately that Mr. Kaine had not delivered good news. She set the tea service on a nearby table and sat down with Lirela, who continued to look into the fire.

“They can’t find her,” she said finally. “Hundreds of bards in their network, and there’s no sign of her.” If bards, traveling historians, were unable to find a colleague of theirs, was there any hope she would return?

“Lady, let me draw you a bath and turn down your bed. You haven’t been taking care of yourself, and you sleep in the chair more than your bed. Perhaps you need a good night’s sleep before you should try to deal with this news.”

Sighing softly, Lirela slowly nodded her head. “I’ll just look in on my husband first.” She rose from her seat still clutching the letters, and walked back to her husband’s bedchamber. Lirela paused outside the door and heard that his breathing pattern had changed. Bradon was awake. Her insides bunched up at the thought of delivering the news about Katra. She pushed the door open and walked through. Bradon saw her and smiled, happy to see his wife. “I had hoped you would be in bed. You need your rest…” Then she lit the lantern on his bedside table, and he could see her face. “What is it, Lirela?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Honey. Katra isn’t coming.” Lirela sat down and stared at the envelopes in her hand, unable to bear looking into her husband’s eyes. She could hear him sink into the bed with a deep sigh. After a few silent moments she added, “The college wasn’t able to locate her.”

Lirela began to weep quietly, her heart filling with loneliness and despair. Then her husband was kneeling next to her, his arms were around her, holding her, rocking her. She leaned into him, taking in his scent, allowing him to comfort her. She let it all out then, and it felt like she would never stop crying. She had no idea how long she sobbed before Bradon’s physical strength gave out and he could no longer hold himself up. This sobered her, and she helped him back into bed silently, but with a scolding look in her eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that, Lirela. You needed that. You need to take care of yourself, and you need someone to lean on. You can’t do this alone, and you shouldn’t have to.”

Lirela was busy straightening his bedcovers. “I sent for Airen, she should arrive in a few days.” It was back to business for the priestess now. She went to the dresser and took some clean cloths from the top drawer. At her husband’s side again, she wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked into his worried eyes with a half smile. “I’ll be ok. I will.”

“Darling, why don’t you call for your friends? We both know they would come be with you at a time like this.”

“They’re busy with more important things. I can’t call them to be with me while the battle with Azoun'tvorl is so close at hand. There are preparations to be made that are far more important than my situation. I won’t have the battle lost because they spent their time with me instead of preparing for it.” She had finished cleaning his face and took his hands in hers. “Now, get some rest and don’t worry about me. Rachel is drawing a bath for me, and when I’m done I’ll come back to look in on you.”
Lirela started to get up, but Bradon wouldn’t let go of her hands, and pulled her back. He looked into her eyes for a few moments, a tear rolling down his cheek. Then he said simply, “I’m sorry.”

She blinked back tears of her own, giving him a sad smile. Lirela leaned in to kiss her husband and whispered in his ear, “I know.” She squeezed his hand and left the room.

* * * * * * *

Three days later when Airen arrived, Lirela’s husband had already passed. After hearing the news about his daughter, Bradon took a turn for the worse and his condition rapidly declined. Airen found Lirela busy preparing for the funeral.

She took comfort in Airen’s presence, and confided in her. The next day other Shards began to arrive as well, and soon Lirela was surrounded by the love of her seven Moon Sisters. They laid Bradon in the ground the day after that in a private ceremony including only Lirela, the Shards, and Rachel.
“How long was he sick, Lirela?” a Shard named Daedra asked later that night. Lirela was hosting them all at her home, which seemed larger and emptier now than when her husband was still alive and it was just the two of them and Rachel. Now the seven blue-haired Moon Sisters sat in Lirela’s greatroom drinking wine and catching up with each other.

“He had chest pains and collapsed about nine months ago and never really recovered. Then two months ago he suddenly got worse—a lot worse—and we knew it was time to start preparing.” Lirela took a sip of wine.

“And you never heard from Katra?” Tana asked.

“No, she never even got the message that something was wrong. No one can find her.” Tana had arrived late and hadn’t heard the story about Katra yet. “I suppose that will be my next adventure. It broke Bradon’s heart when he found out she wouldn’t be there for his last days. The least I can do for both of them is to find her and tell her as soon as I can what has happened.”

“You should take some time off. Travel,” Vandy suggested.

Lirela chuckled. “If only I could. I’ve been away from the battle against Azoun'tvorl long enough. They need me; I’m the only one who can weave the amulets. After that’s over, I think an extended vacation is in order. Selune knows I need it, but whether I get it before something else comes up, well…that has yet to be seen.”

“Let us look for Katra for you. You have enough on your plate already, and with the six of us looking it shouldn’t take us long to find her.” The others agreed with Airen.

“The entire network of bards couldn’t find her. How will you…”

“How will you, is the question. You can’t be everywhere at once. If you won’t take a vacation, at least use your time wisely. Go back to the battle preparations. Let us take care of this for you.” Somehow Airen always knew what was best.

Lirela finally conceded, and after a week of fellowship with her Moon Sisters she went back to the battle against the Vile One, her spirit still mourning the loss of her husband, and her mind still pondering her daughter.

[Sonon]

awwwwwwwww :(