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Alone  by Esty

Light is abundant; silver and shimmering, sparkling. Even small things can bring joy unmeasured, even the shedding of the bright stars' light can bring a mood to happiness. Children were watched as they played with fallen leaves, as they strayed away to adventure.
A girl sits away from her two siblings, the two boys. Keeping her gaze upon them, she then looks back, ready to tell her mother that they plan for an adventure. Though she had not needed to worry. Her mother calls to the two boys, her voice soft though heard well enough through the chatter of others. Do not stray, she had told them. Come to your mother. They had smiled, though it had not been long before they had tried to wander from the congregation. Then the mother had laughed, seeing as her sons had been shouted back by her daughter.

Running, blinded by unthinking panic. She knew not where her daughter had gone. There was only for her to run, to ignore her gown that had not been made for such desperate action. To shout she tried, though her voice was tore from her.
No silver light there was then. Only the bloodied darkness, flashes of orange and dark metal gleaming. Armour, weapons. Cruelty wrought into cold forms, sharp and brutal. How could she escape the wrath, the blind fury of those that could be called kin?

Where are you, my love, have they found you? Has the blind fury burnt you, as much as that white-fire jewel would have?

Unnoticed had she been, unseen. Those clad for a war against those innocent had fallen behind her; were too busy to fuel the fire of shrieking and death to notice her. Trees and freeness was ahead, she would escape. Blood of others was too prominent in her mind, though it was not her own. Free.
Free, and alone.

Our children, are they safe? I feel not their warmth upon my spirit, I feel remote your comfort. Alone, am I alone?

Pausing only briefly, she gathered her dark hair into a quick twist. A hot breeze flew against her, stoke burning upon her face. No time. She set back again, quickly to where she could see the blood and bodies, the fighting and gleaming armour. She had to find them, she had to hope they had not been…

"My children!" she cried, seeing through the heated haze of tears two young, dark haired boys being pulled roughly along, seeing nothing else. They would not be captured, they could not be killed. "Eluréd! Elurín!" Her voice was somehow strengthened, her last cries were heard by the children. They both looked up, their eyes wide, their expressions tremulous. Terrified. If only she could go to them, if only…

Jolted forwards, she went to go to them, to pull them free from the mute servants of the kin slayers who had brought the bloody, sudden strife. A smile to them, broken and yet formed. Not alone, she would not let them die. Closer, she could see her boy's already calmed. Though she saw not how their gazes shifted from her, startled and warning, as then-
"Mother is here, you are-" Abruptly she was silenced. There would be no more words; nothing but for the breathless air, little other than the upsurge of too-warm blood. Shocked she was confused, unsure of quite what had happened. Seconds passed too slowly, her eyes could focus only upon her children, her sons and the image of her daughter in her mind. They were shocked, wide-eyed, unspeaking in a drawn out gasp.

Time was frozen, though sped swiftly around her. Finally falling, the woman felt the sticky warmth that had seeped across her back, her chest. She knew suddenly the fate that had been thrust upon her, thrust through her with a solid sword-blade.

I failed, please do not blame me, you will save them, will you not? Do not let our children die…

Nimloth grasped upon her fleeting thoughts, strove to hold her spirit to her shuddering body. Unseeing to the blood and butchery around her, she saw only the faded image of her children. Though she was sure they would be saved, sure her sons would be safely returned, to be reunited with their sister. However, she knew not, that as her spirit finally fled, that before she had fallen already had Dior's blood been clotted upon the ground.

Save them… do not let them die. As you did me.





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