A Snow-covered Sparrow

[LadyRebecca 1050]

[Music]

It had started to snow. It wasn’t very heavy, more or less a simple flurry of snowflakes outside the bedchamber window. Dancing atop the window ledge and lightly tapping the glass, Arahaelth lay beneath her furs and thick knits and watched from her bed.

 

She was in labour, a child on its way as she tended to herself, as one would do should a midwife be unavailable. And in the cold tundra of Fenn, there was none at her disposal. With that, she did as she had done before and cared for herself.

 

Though something was different with this little one. She was in more pain, and she had lain there for many hours; so many, that she had lost count. She was worried, for the Grand Princess had felt pain before when she had been with child. Her first pregnancy had been a failure, her baby boy born lifeless and unmoving. Thus, she was fearful, staring long and hard at the drifting snowfall and praying to The Mother that her child be given a chance.

 

Aelthir came into the room, his pallid skin etched with lines of worry as he came to sit on the bed beside Arahaelth. He went to wrap his arm around her shoulders, being gentle and going to offer any help he could provide her in her time of pain and discomfort. The pair exchanged soft conversation, talking about their normal endeavours before the topic shifted to the baby. 

“How are doing, my love?”

“The babe has been taking their time. I am… worried, truth be told.”

“Why is that, Ara? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I think it’s just my age.”

The elfess groaned and went to lay the back of her palm over her eyes. After a few long moments of distressed and pained noises, she meant to send Aelthir off.

“I think it’s time. Head out now, my love.”

 

And so he went, reluctantly, but pressed a small kiss to her cheek before he left the room. Alone, she stared up at the ceiling, preparing herself for what she would endure.

 

 

---

 

With the child resting in her arms, swaddled in warm furs and held secure, Arahaelth panted, her hair plastered to her face and body trembling in an inexplicable discomfort. Something was horribly, horribly wrong. But it wasn’t the baby this time, the little blonde haired boy in her arms was healthy and strong. No, this time, it was her. With a whimper, hot tears began to spill down the wood elven woman’s cheeks, shaking as she brought her index finger to trace along the cheek of her infant. For some time, she remained in such a way before she stilled herself, diminishing her tears with a swipe of her hand. Calmed, she called for Aelthir to come back.

 

He was quick to return, resuming his position upon the bed and looking over both mother and child alike. Painfully, Arahaelth smiled to him and offered the sleeping infant to her husband as she trembled, her fingers gently resting over his as he took the babe in his arms.

 

“He looks like you,” she croaked in a whisper.

“Hopefully he is more like his mother.”

 

She stared for a long time at them both, as though imprinting the image of her husband and second son within her mind. Tormented in silent agony, Arahaelth meant to beckon Aelthir closer.

“You have to choose a name for him, Aelthir.”

“We will pick one soon enough.”

 

And it was as though her suffering had reached a crescendo, unable to be exceeded as her fingers meant to trace down the side of his cheek. While her warmer fingers imprinted themselves to his skin, her eyes surveyed his features with a mesmerized expression.

“I love you.”

If he had spoken to her, she did not hear it. Her cheek pressed to the pillows and her fingers falling away from his face, she seemed to no longer be able to move, too tired to continue trying.

 

She did not see her life, nor did it flash before her eyes. It was as though every emotion she had experienced in her time walking the realm had hit her like a tidal wave, crashing over her; every feeling, every memory, all at once. Aelthir, Aelthos, Liewyn, Katar, Leo, Artimec, Tristin, Siri, Toren, Aenor, Laen, Ailduin, Ciro, Avenel, and hundreds of others faces she either knew or did not all seemed to assemble as her eyes fell closed. And with one, soft little chirp, a little sparrow seemed to fly before her eyes, leading her into her rest.

 

Spoiler

Yep, this one is a PK post. I'm not all that great at writing and this is one of the harder things I've written. There's just something about doing away with the character you started with that hits you. Regardless, I have had so much fun with Ara in the 2 years I've had her and thank everyone I've ever RPed with on her. <3

 

 

[wytch 870]

An elfess sat in her home, having received a bird bearing this news of Ara's passing. She let out a deep sigh, running the metallic hand of hers down her expressionless face as she tucked the note away. 

"One of the only bearable people in Linandria, may you rest forever in peace, llir...Some shall miss you."

Leyunia pushed herself off her couch and returned to her alchemy works.

[fighting evil by moonlight 455]

"Ey, Kypris, didya hear what happened  in Snelflands today?"  A particularly icy woman would call.  In spite of her history, she did feel slight remorse for the Princedom.  "Guess they've gotten good at killing themselves off.  I think that means you're out of a job."

 

@Luv

 

Spoiler

becca this was so well written im crying

 

[Nekkore 641]

The Prime Adherent sits in his office as he folds his arms. The pain of hearing a longing friend passing on.

"Oh Ara... It has been so long since we last spoken... And now I only feel regret... That me as a friend can't see you face ever again... Rest well old friend..."

[JEEGK 1367]

"This is a big ol' yikes." Berr tutted, scratching the back of his head.

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

A lone wood elf climbs his way up a hill, a handful of seeds clutched in his palm. He knelt at the hill's crest, digging a hole in the dirt and packing the seeds in tightly. He placed his palm to the soil, his eyes glowing a faint emerald aura. First, stems writhed out of the earth, eventually growing out a core and white petals. Daisies. Only a dozen or so now, but soon they'd decorate the entire hillside.

 

He rose to his feet and walked down the hill, into the shadow of the forest canopy, silently.

[MamaBearJade 2090]

News slowly makes its way to a small elfess in Linandria. The words brought to her shook her, causing her to collapse in the middle of her cleaning. Her eyes losing their usual emerald gaze. She stared at the wall before her, unfocused as her mind began to fade as the weight of it all fell upon her. Liewyn soon began to wail as she curled up on the floor.

[ElevenJellyBeans 100]

Melethre heard the silent whispers of the wind while meditating. She'd softly sigh with the Sorrow that came with the feel of her idol and one of her closest friends passing, She'd mutter to herself. "We.. Never got to meditate together nor did I have the time to visit. I will visit you Ara... But not for the right reasons. May Aspects guide you." Melethre went back to meditating, all of her interactions with Arahaelth where re-watched under closed, glowing eyes.

[luv 3469]

1 hour ago, fighting evil by moonlight said:

"Ey, Kypris, didya hear what happened  in Snelflands today?"  A particularly icy woman would call.  In spite of her history, she did feel slight remorse for the Princedom.  "Guess they've gotten good at killing themselves off.  I think that means you're out of a job."

 

@Luv

 

  Reveal hidden contents

becca this was so well written im crying

 

2

Upvote

 

Kypris screams frantically within her home beside the icy woman. "NOW I HAVE TO FIND A NEW HOBBY!?" 

[winterblood 11181]

I have music too, you know.

       Nemir's heavy, solemn eyes stared downward at the grass in her garden.  Her hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined, with forearms pressed against her legs to keep her hunched form up on the bench she sat in.  A chill was in the air, as it usually was, given the location of her abode.  Grey overcasting clouds rolled over the sky above, hinting at the chance of  rain with their dark hues.  It had already rained earlier that morning as the floral scents of the garden were more distinct and carried the lingering smell of rain with them.

       The elfess' blue-grey eyes were watery for she had heard of the news of the poor mother.  More tears began to gather in the corners of her somber and tired eyes, though she knuckled them away before they could roll down her pale and damp cheeks.  She released a quiet sigh and struggled to keep it steady, unlike the wind, who sighed beautifully and smoothly through the pine trees outside of her manor's walls.

      Perhaps this day mourns for her too, Nemir thought to herself, raising her gaze to the dense clouds above.

       Something rubbed against her legs before anything else could come to her mind, which caused her to lower her eyes back down... to where she saw a black sphynx sliding against her leg, his head tilted back so his yellow eyes peered up toward her.  "Osiris..." she muttered, reaching her arms down to lift up the cat who began to purr audibly and curl up in her lap for warmth.  The elfess sighed again, raising a hand to wipe her eye from another tear. 

       She then stayed there and mourned in silence.

[ThatGuy_777 220]

As word eventually made its way to Guyden, he'd freeze. Mouth hanging agape "...Huh." Allowing his hands to slump into his lap, his gaze lowers. Expression still and devoid of character "...Llun...lari'onn. Though I scarcely knew thee, I had so hoped to change that..." Focusing on a tea-cup, now cold, he relinquishes a soft sigh "May your last breath been one taken happily. May you forever remain at peace." Raising his hands up to his face, he would bury it. Not showing his eyes.

[Slayy 816]

A grey-skinned maiden courses through the Heddwyn manor, contemplating the news that have crossed over the Isles. Her blue stained lips seemed to crease itself into a frown, her own gaze shifting to the window that had light taps from the flakes that flurried just outside. Her hands touched the glass before frost creeped along the stained mosaic.

"I shall never feel that burden... ever."

[Archipelego 2188]

Kasfer breaths in, and out.

[sidmmvv 203]

As Leo caught wind of the passing of Arahaelth he couldn't help but to seclude himself from the world, spending his time within the forge below the Aureon manor. Sleep was something he couldn’t find, nor could joy find him. It took him days to build up the will to visit her grave, finally beginning the long trek out of the dense forests he called home to the snowy landscape of the ‘fenn. He had made this trip time and time again, for her wedding and just sometimes to visit, but this time it had felt different. That faint smile he had carried on every trip was replaced by a stoic expression.

 

Upon arriving at the citadel he would find himself at their gardens, having been let in by Aelthir. His tired gaze now looked upon the grave of his kin, his form kneeling down in the snows that covered the ground. It took him a moment of silence to even begin to speak. “Well... “ His voice would rasp out weakly to no one in reality, but his wooden fingers went to brush over the grave marker. “I never really wanted to say good bye ya know? I was hopin’ i’d never have too.. But here I am I suppose… Kneeling over my lari’onn’s grave.” He had thought for a moment before a weak chuckle escaped his lips. “Lari’onn…” He hesitates, “It always felt more like Haelun to me… and there are only a few things in this world that hurts so damn much, losing your Haelun is one of them.” At that his voice had broken as he rasped out that word, Haelun. “You just had to go so soon…” His eyes swelled with tears, the droplets falling into the snow. He didn't speak after that, his attention else where as he had reached into his pouch. His fingers formed a ball as he pulled whatever he had in is hand out and shifted off to the side of the grave. His fleshy fingers dug up a bit of the snow to reveal the earth below it before he dropped a handful of seeds to it, burying them below. In a only a few moments his eyes sparked a golden hue, gaze settled upon the place he had buried the seeds. Stems begun to raise upwards from the ground, forming the petals and leaves of each flowers, a total four. The first would have been a white Daffodil, followed by a Dahlia, a Carnation, and finally an Anthurium. They had grown bright and fully bloomed regardless of the harsh weather, their colors popping from the white canvas they grew above. With that, Leo had departed, leaving the flowers behind. Maybe one who knew the language of the Tiva would understand what the row had meant, something Ara had inspired him to learn.

 

Somewhere deep within the forest of the 'ame a hallow suit of stone lets out a sound that mimics a human like sigh, the birds that perched upon his shoulder fluttering away. "Oh little Sparrow..." Iomhar's voice groans out as he shifts his massive poleaxe in his lap.

[Kaelan 1918]

A smile spreads across Aelthus' face as he set off to find his seed sister in some afterlife. "Perhaps you will dance with me once more, sister. I promise I have gotten better over these past few years," he spoke softly under his breath as his walk quickly transitioned to a sprint."

 

Tears formed in the corners of Khiara's eyes as she nursed a small mug of sweet smelling wine. How long had it been since she had last seen her aunt? She could not recall. 

Her heart sank with the realization as she hid her face in the mug of wine once more.