Edited by: Anuel (I am sorry for that) and Flubbykin?

Giselle was sitting on the floor trembling and shuddering. She stopped crying few moments ago, now she was only sobbing from time to time. I was sitting by her, forcefully pushing her face on my chest. With one hand i was hugging her around her neck, with another I was gently patting her head.

- “She was… She and Mister Maso were the only… only thanks to them I had a courage to come here.”

We were sitting in the hut for quite some time, it was just a matter of time till the villagers would check on us.

- “Why is that happening? Zari? Everyone around me gets hurt. All that I ever loved are dying. Am I… Am I cursed?”

I tightened my grip around her.

- “No, love, you are just awfully stupid.” I planted a kiss on her cheek. “…How can you blame yourself for those particular cases? Maso and Margaret died because their time has simply come. Everything that grows will eventually die, this is how this world works. Thanks to her understanding of magic Margaret managed to steal few additional decades. But we can only bargain with the death, fight and bargain for every second, every moment of our life… but eventually the hourglass of our existence will run out of grains of time.”

- “B-but… my mom…”

- “She was killed by a series of terrible events. You are not its case, your father was.”

- “B-but…”

I tightened my grip even more.

- “Who are you and what did you do with my Giselle? With my strong Gis? Giselle who never cared about the difficulty of a task? Ready to help everyone in need?”

- “It’s different!” she cried

- “It’s ok sweetie…” I said in much more reassuring tone “… I just want to tell you that…”

- “By the divines…” few villagers just came in and noticed open doors.

I was almost sure that they would jump to assumptions and would try to blame us for old’s witch death. But all they did was taking wool hats off their heads and pushing them to their chests.

- “That’s a… tragedy. Tragedy indeed.” One of the men said “…ol’ Margaret always took care of us… even thought in rather harsh way…”

- “Stephan, go call the elder… as for you…” he finally faced us and noticed the condition of Giselle “… please. Come with us. You need to rest… Especially the young miss. We don’t have much, but I am sure we will be able to feed you and find a warm bed or two…”

The village was poor, I could tell this much, yet without a second thought they offered us a place to stay and something to eat. It was quite… noble of them. On the one hand I smelled some kind of an ambush… on the other one I have heard (from Jericho) that local witch decided to give villagers a painful lesson after Giselle left. Maybe, just maybe, they have learned what they did wrong and decided to find a retribution via honest and helpful living?

I doubt it. I know people they rarely change, if they change at all, they would only get better either at hiding their real intentions or justifying their actions.

- “I don’t want anything from them.” Gis growled “…the time I needed help and protection is long gone.”

Now. That’s my girl! Strong, independent pain in the ass… that’s not preferred way of dealing with your past, but as long as it works for you, sure – remove your sadness with hatred and pride.

- “Don’t get me wrong, miss, we are not doing this for your forgiveness - it’s far too late for that and we know it… ol’ Marg taught us that the wound may heal, but the scar will remain forever… But… in order to never commit same sins again… We need to help those in need as much as possible, to show mercy to those in needs…”

- “Mercy…” she tsked. Once again I tightened my grip – so much, that my fingers started turning pale. But I didn’t do it to give her comfort. I did that so she wouldn’t jump on defenseless people.

And don’t get me wrong once again – I didn’t care about those particular people, but I knew that I would earn later a hit from her for not stopping her from acting.

- “Where was your mercy when…”

- “Gis…” I whispered in her ear.

I felt her tensed muscles relaxing. There was no point in yelling at them.

- “We will rent a room and get some food, but we will pay for these.” I said after a moment

Villager opened and shut his mouth couple of times trying to argue with me, yet seeing that he will not win, he eventually gave up.

- “I hope you will find your way to the inn… we have to prepare miss Margaret…” he looked at me and Lanele “… you are wizards, aren’t you? I don’t want to force you into anything… but, could you carry on the mass in Margaret’s memory? She… she deserves more than just this but…”

Gis squeezed my hand. As much as she hated villagers, she loved the witch.

- “I will do this…” Lanele said seeing our uncertainty “… I am a daughter of current head priestess of Aira in…”

- “It’s ok Lana. I will do this.”

Villager, which for a split of second beamed with joy, froze hearing my words. Well, next high priestess was important, and he didn’t know which position I held within the gathering of Aira’s worshipers.

- “If you say so…” Lana noticed the concerns on man’s face “… your majesty…” she finished with a court in order to end the conversation while giving that simple man the idea that I am higher in hierarchy than our little elfish friend.

The things that followed next appeared extremely unimportant to me. We went to the inn yet instead of eating in the main hall we moved to our room where we ate at peace, Gis was still not ready to have a simple conversation with the villagers without bursting with anger. Rest of the people sensed it, so they didn’t stop us, yet I knew that every single one of them wanted to talk with Gis.

The next day – at the morning, the body of older witch was moved on the stone table located somewhere between the village and the witch’s hut. Very quickly I discovered the role of the stone table. It was an altar. Sacrificial one. The “auntie”, as Gis called her, practiced the bloody magic. Sacrifices of blood and life helped to keep harvest rich. Oh, she didn’t sacrifice human. Just some animals every now and then. Still, for mere blood ritual ol’ Margaret would be hunted down by council… unless the council didn’t want to know.

- “Today, we have gathered here to say our farewells to our sister, mother, friend and teacher…” I said as I finally stand over the altar facing rest of the village “… she indeed was like a mother, teaching us the meaning and ways of life…” I looked at my dragoness “… she was a source of comfort in the time of suffering. She could swallow her pride, she would put her personal issues aside to help those in need. She taught us about compassion and unity. World, without her, became much darker.”

I kept talking, just like a priest would do, trying to act on their emotions – compassion, sorrow, regret, hope of salvation. I was almost mad at myself for using same tricks and ideology I once despised.

But these people were… primitive. They needed something to believe in.

- “From the dust we were raised and into dust we shall fall. As at the beginning, so at the end.”

Few villagers picked the body off the altar and started caring it into the shallow grave at the edge of the city.

When the body was lowered into the dirt I said once again.

- “One must die, so rest could grow. Your ashes will serve a noble purpose of carrying the life of the other. This is the law and right of this earth. From the earth we were raised, into earth we shall lay.”

I said the chant once again and hit the ground with an oak staff, something I “made” an hour before the celebration.

A single seed appeared on the corpse before it was covered by the dirt.

Quietly, under my nose, I started singing a verses filled with magic. These gentle, yet powerful words forced a seed to grow. A single green stalk was erected from the grave, Draining my mana I forced it to grow till it was as big as two grown up men.

- “May this living altar forever and ever remind us about your deeds, sister. For now, rest of the plains of Mother, where you belong.”

At first I lowered my head, then I kneeled by the grave where I started praying.

It was an act. Now, everyone which wanted to say something to old witch would approach the grave and tell whatever he or she wanted to. Some said words of gratitude, some say words of sorrow. Few complained, just a little, making it sound almost like a joke, about old witch being a bit too harsh.

There were only two individuals that didn’t approach the grave. Lanele, of course – as she didn’t know the one that died, and Giselle. Later she told me that she already told everything she wanted to the old witch.

Two hours. Two-fucking-hours – was the time I spend kneeling in the cold dirt before everyone managed to say farewell. Oh, the village was quite de-populated, the only reason it took so long was the … “verbosity” of the crowd.

Oh, I could understand that the witch was the person taking care of the village and that her death was a huge blow to the whole community. Yet only because I understood the situation does not make it more bearable, quite the opposite, after spending 30 minutes in exactly same position I started cursing in my mind, after next 15, as I saw that there is still more than a half of the village waiting, I started meditating in order to pass the time while doing something productive.

I kneeled bit longer after the last villager left, the ritual required me to do so. Once again – I did not care about ritual itself, but Giselle really wanted it to be a memorable event worthy of her friend.

I watched the last dirty peasant (merely stating their lack of hygiene) leaving and raised up only as he vanished from my sight. Very quickly I was approached by my party-members.

- “Nice speech.” Lana teased me “… are you sure you didn’t receive your education at our temple? You surely know how to speak to the dull masses.” She wasn’t pleased by my little act.

- “So you admit that your nation is a dull mass? In the end your priests are studying in this particular reason – to address fools.”

- “You are catching me by the words, not very skillfully, atop of that – I have just stated that after studying in our temples you would be granted with such skill, you are the one who decided how to use it.”

I smiled with a corner of my lips.

- “I hate giving speeches. I have merely seen once or twice how human priests are lecturing believers back in Neira and tried copying them. I am willing to hear out every remark you would have in order to improve my… oratory?”

Priestess wanted to add something more, but Gisele disturbed her.

- “Zari I… thanks. The thing you just did - it means a lot to me.” She said shyly

- “I know, pet, if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t even bother saying a word.”

She smiled with sorrow painted on her face.

- “Anyway, what you want to do?” I asked looking at my mate “I have already replenished our supplies so we can leave anytime you were ready…. Unless you have some unfinished business….”

- “I actually do.” She said quickly “… two little things. I wish to talk with village’s elder one last time and….”

She hesitated.

- “Yes?” I gently urged her to speak her mind.

- “That will be the first thing on our list… Lana, I am sorry, but would you mind if I would spend next few hours alone with Za…”

She didn’t even manage to finish as Lana turned around and walked toward village waving us goodbye.

- “A great friend she is, isn’t she?” dragoness whispered under her breath.

One last time I throw the dust off my robe before stepping closer to Giselle.

- “So, my lady, you booked my serviced for next hour or so, mind telling me how can I be assistance to you?” I bowed like a butler offering his arm to the lady of the house.

- “I… I want you to meet someone.”

She said avoiding looking me in the eyes. Once again, she was tensed. Thought I must admit, I have no idea about who she was talking about. Last time she mentioned that everyone dear to her heard that used to live here is long dead. But, as I promised before – to do everything I can in order to see her smiling again, I followed her without saying a word.

We left the village and headed toward one of many hills surrounding the settlement. We climbed onto its peak from which we have a perfect sight on both – the village, and the mountains on the horizon – the one which used to be a den of her father.

On the highest place of the hill, a single tree grow, under it a single monument was raised. After approaching it I noticed the words carved in it – “In memory of a brave woman and loving mother, that gave her life so we all could live. May the divines help us to never forgot about her greatness.”

- “It… was not here when I was leaving…” Gis admitted approaching the grave “…M-mom?” she almost asked the spirits “… I-I want you to meet someone.”

The two of us sat in front of monument.

And Gis start talking, as if she was standing in front of her mother, she was filling her mother in all the news – more and less recent one. She said that Jericho took good care of her, that she is now strong and ready to help, just as she used to. She would mention dozen or so histories of her recent adventurers (quite colored, if not completely fictitious).

And at the very end of it she would say.

- “A-anyway… mom… I… Remember as you mentioned that one day I would meet someone very special to me?...” she was blushing. Yet not with her usual-half angry blush of embarrassment. She looked more like a teenage girl that for the first time admitted she was in love

- “… you would say that one day a prince charming would come to declare his love to me… Well, he is not quite a prince charming… he didn’t come on a fiery steed… not to mention that he is terrible at top-horse riding….”

Yeah. Guilty of accused crimes. I am terrible at riding anything but Kaito. Well, I am terrible at riding Kaito too, but thanks to our bond we can compensate my lack of skill.

- “…But. He is much more than I could ever have asked for…”

Wait. Am I hearing things? Is Giselle actually praising me? Oh, I will never let her forget about that.

- “Mama… I… I think I can say that… but despite all that happened… despite all those terrible things, despite that I am still sad you are not here… I-I think I can say… that I… perhaps… maybe just a little, in some certain aspects, might have found… a place I belong. By his side, mom. I think that I am happy… No, I am happy, mom. I really am. And even though I will never forget about you… I… I think… that for the first time in my life, I am sure of what to do… I just wish you were here to celebrate this moment with me.” she ended, and her words were filled with such sorrow that i felt as if tinny needle poked my heart.

If two-three days ago someone would tell me that Giselle would speak so highly about me, I would show him the way to the closest medic.

Bah, I could have check on his condition myself, as I would think that the person uttering those words was raving in agony.

Yet, here we were. Standing atop of the hill, holding our hands with sun shining high.

And even though I promised myself that I would be the one which would take care of her and bring her comfort….

… It was her words which caused my chest to become a little bit warmer.

Ok. Warmer.

Much warmer that is.

I pulled her bit closer to myself, looked her deep in the eyes and said with tone filled with love and affection.

- “You are aware that you will regret speaking those words next to me in… no more than thirty minutes?”

She smiled back at me.

- “I already regret them, love.”