Dark Tides:
The Death of Raven / The Birth of Hope

I sat on a fallen oak, staring out at the calm waters of the lake. Tears fell down my cheeks as my hand rested in a fist against my heart. Never again would I deny myself love, or happiness. I had learned my lesson that day the crossbow bolt had struck Kree. Hours on end, I sat beside his bed, holding onto his hand as I watched his life force fade. For how many days I had sat up there, watching over him, I do not know. Today was the first day I had left that death stricken room.

The physician was upstairs in my house, confirming what I had summoned him for. When he arrived I could not stay in the room and watch. I needed fresh air; I needed time to compose myself. It wasn’t helping. This was the spot where Kree had told me, he could not stay. I do not know why I had come to this place. Maybe I needed to come to terms with what had happened. For some reason, I did not want to. Rising, I dusted off the seat of my black breeches, before starting to head back to my little house. Knowing the physician would be done and waiting on my return. I wiped my tears away; I would no longer allow others to see me like this.

Night had fully fallen when I returned to my house. And as I had figured the physician was waiting impatiently on me. Before he could comment I walked up to him and asked: “Well?”

“You have kept me from my other clients long enough.” As he began to walk away, he stopped and placed a consoling hand on my shoulder. He then got into his waiting carriage and told its driver to move on.

Leaving me alone and once again in tears as turmoil raced through me. Anger rose in defense to the pain I felt, and my hands clenched into fists as I entered the house. I climbed the stairs, then stopped outside his door. Wanting and not wanting to see the body. Pushing the door open with my booted toe, my breath froze within my chest.