From The Deep

A

storm of sorrow writhed in the pit of her belly and the Highlander woman tempted her to release it with her curiosity. “The ones most deserving of death are hardly ever the ones to take the fall..." What started off as a statement laced with bitterness, trailed off as her voice weakened and cracked. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke aloud his name, “Arythmetik Hardin...Scholar...Poet...Professor...
Husband...Father...Beloved Friend..."

Nimue swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes, allowing a a few stray tears to slip beneath her lashes. “He was loved by so many...his kindness and brilliance in this world was snuffed out like a candle's flame. Aryth could have changed the world...while the rest of us just...play make believe as though we could..." She drew her one-eyed gaze downward to her feet where droplets stained her paws. “I paraded about in the name of Voxi, believing in it so blindly that I was foolish enough to think I could have ever made a damn difference in this war...or that I could somehow play a part in...stopping it..."Her words trailed off into a bitter laugh, scowling at an invisible force ahead at her. “I was nothing to The Voice, but a fucking martyr..."

She turned her sight on Nora once more, every ounce of sorrow filling her deep blue orb. “That is why I say...if it were possible to have traded my life for Aryth's, I would have done so in an instant, without question. He did not deserve to die...and my death would have hardly caused a ripple..." Nimue sighed, musing on her own words as she sat back. She only glanced at the woman once more when she insisted that her presence wasn't ghastly at all. It was slightly surprising, given the initial hostility of the conversation...but, she'd take whatever she could get. As directions were given to her, she lifted herself slowly and began to take steps towards the hidden grove that was pointed out to her.

Nimue gave pause and faced Nora, giving her a deep bow of the head in acknowledgement. “Thank you...your aid is much appreciated...especially considering how we first met." She betrayed the smallest of smiles that quickly vanished from her face as sought out the smaller female's cerulean orbs. She locked eyes with her and lowered her voice in a gentle tone, “Hold on tightly to the ones you love the most...you never know when this world will tear them away from you..." After offering her bit of unsolicited advice, Nimue began to limp away slowly, eventually vanishing from sight behind the sanctuary of the undergrowth.

[Exit Nimue]

@Nora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

“The ones most deserving of death are hardly ever the ones to take the fall..." she said, and Nora could feel the truth in that reverberate off her very being. The story that came next was a tale of woe like many she'd heard before and Nora felt her heart going out to this woman and her unknown friend. "I'm sorry..." she said after Nimue finished. "But I'm sure someone would miss you." she added. She did not know much of Nimue's life but she had to have someone out there that would care if she had been the one who'd died. This friend of hers she spoke of, would likely be one.

"It's the least I could do." she said in response to her thanks. After likely blinding the other woman it really was the least she could do, in all honesty. With one last bit of advice, Nimue would disappear and Nora would be left on her own. She thought about following after the woman and trying to help her further but what else could she do? There wasn't much to be done for wounds of the mind, at least not from Nora's experience. Those healed on their own or didn't heal at all. Others could help but not in the way they often meant to. She sighed and turned away, heading up the beach and toward home.

[ exit nora ]

code & art by claerie