The Consort's Flight

[Skyrunner 257]

Spoiler

 

The young dwed collapsed against the bark of the birch tree with heavy thud. Her staggered breath was barely visible as snow fell down slowly around her and the cold clung to her face. A sharp pain in her right side was troubling her the most as she reached down and pulled her hand back to reveal a red streak across her glove. The sounds of muffled hooves in snow echoed through the forest. She glanced back up as her eyes welled up with tears to watch the masked riders run past and swiftly slay her comrades who tried in desperation to fight back. She moved her arm to try and grab her sword and get back up in fight but it was no use, it wouldn’t move as much as she tried.

 

The dwed sat there in her leather armour, forced to once again be an observer to the death of her comrades, but there was something different. Something was off. A short elfess in blue was skipping towards the dwed ignoring the massacre around her a smile plastered to her face with each skip. Suddenly, a rider appeared out of nowhere their blade held high as they proceeded to skewer their blade through the elfess, blood spraying across the newly fallen snow. The dwed pushed up and screamed her name.

 

“Meine Schatz!” she screamed from the top of her lungs. The scene suddenly became dark, the snow laying underneath her had become sheets, and suddenly she was much older,  wound healed. No longer was she wearing harsh leather armour, but rather, she was wearing her normal, soft sleepwear. 

 

Her breathing was rapid, and she felt a cold sweat poured down her face. She intensely scanned around the room ready for the masked riders to appear. Suddenly! She felt her arm get tugged from behind, to which she spun around to see the Trade Princess had wrapped her arms around her arm. The princess was murmurings words of encouragement to her about how it was just a dream and she was safe. The Royal Consort stared back at her love, who was in fact completely unharmed, but she ignored her wife’s pleas to come back to sleep and got up. 

 

The dreams had been continually getting worse in the past year. The same dangers she had fought to deal with just kept on coming back, and it had finally torn at her soul. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she paced up and down the palace study, her face twisting in thought. After some time she said, “I cannot stay here. Everyday tears my very soul.” 

 

She paused for a moment after those words spending a moment to evoke her silver mists and form a marble. “But to leave, that would be cowardly… death before dishonor.” She sighed, dispersing the marble into the air.

 

She turned around. “But to stay… to stay…” She mused for a moment struggling to find her words.

 

“I have to leave. I can’t let my stupidity hurt those around me.” she gulped, nodding to herself once in affirmation apparently happy with that short reply. 

 

She grabbed some papers off the shelf and threw them onto the desk, pulling out her trusty pencil and scribbling down a note to Lily for when she woke. It was a note which detailed her resignation from government. All of her positions were now vacant except for Royal Consort, which held no power, but it would also be a note to where to find her if she ever needed to. 

 

With that she climbed back to their room and set the note down on her love. She changed  into clothes for exploration, and with one last glance to Lily, she went back down into the palace and headed for the harbour. She didn’t stop to tell any of her other friends as she knew she would be back, but she didn’t know for how long. 

 

At the harbour, Utaria would commander a small fishing craft for her journey. She untied the craft from the dock and set off in the night. When the citizens of the nation would wake up, she would be far gone. She didn’t even take time to glance at the city where she had lived for more than half of her life. As the sun rose over the southern sea, only one thought was present in her mind and that was of her love.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[!] Notes would be hung up around the Federation of Sutica

 

 

Dear Citizens of the Trade Federation of Sutica

 

I am announcing my immediate resignation from my positions as Captain of the Watch, Head Librarian, and Steward of the Federation of Sutica.

 

Gott Mit Uns

Her Highness Royal Consort Utaria Grandaxe Helenson-Anarion of the Federation of Sutica

 

[!] Underneath would be a hand drawing of Utaria herself, bearing the Helenson-Anarion personal standard.

 

[garentoft 9265]

”What the ****!” Exclaims a tongue-twister loving high elf.

[Gustando 1990]

                                                       “what guard force?” a particular high elf asked,  brow aloft

[IsaaKc 1240]

“Th’ land was already lawless. Doesn’ matter b’cause th’ guards weren’t ‘round anyway. Nothin’s changed.” Jude would note.