A crimson flow leaked slowly onto the ground beneath the knight. He lay there bleeding to death, unable to free himself from his armor. Metal which was supposed to protect him had crushed his ribs and torn into his side. His wife looked on helplessly as the crimson flow leaked more quickly from under the armor and stained the white snow beneath him. The hem of her light blue dress was stained with his blood and the moist earth.

She was a mess, she was exhausted, and her husband was dying. Most women would be sobbing, but unlike most women she had fought beside her husband as a mage knight enough times to know that tears would not help her now. She put a hand on her swollen belly and wished that she was strong enough to pry the armor off of him. Months of inactivity because of her baby had weakened her, the practice and training she usually would have undergone daily had gone undone at the insistence of the man lying beside her now. Thinking of the baby they were supposed to raise together brought forward the unshed tears and she bit her lip and wiped them away fiercely. She looked up when she felt his hand on her leg. “Come now Lily , don’t cry. We both knew this was possible when we recited our vows. I’m glad its not you in my place.” He tried to smile but winced, grimacing instead.

His chest had begun to heave more quickly even though his breathing was becoming more shallow. Listen now Lily. I-.She put a hand on his lips, Don’t, you’re getting weaker. Just- Don’t talk.” If she couldn’t hear his strained voice she would be able to hold back the unshed tears. He continued talking as if she had never spoken. I want you to take the baby and bring him as far from this place as possible. Don’t let him fight like we have. Do you hear me Lily? Don't let him!” His voice was getting weaker and weaker. Desperate she shook her head, her composure was crumbling quickly. “”Y-You can do that. Once the babies born you can- you can make sure-.” The words stuck in her throat and she wiped away the salty tears. He shut his eyes, shaking his head slightly but she didn‘t see.

Silly. That’s what she was being, she told herself . He wasn’t dead yet and her crying was doing nothing. After a moment she pushed herself up and faced him from a few feet away. Healing was not her strong point, the most she had ever managed to heal had been a few minor cuts. She took a deep breath, she had to try. She called on the magic, molding it so that instead of a bright red combat magic it was the softer green glow of healing magic. Holding her hands out in front of her she sent it at him. The light hung over his body then sunk into him slowly. Small cuts all over his body closed as if they had never been there. Not enough. Not even close to enough. She closed her eyes and reached again for the magic. Stress and a blaring head ache was making it hard to concentrate on shaping the light. It wasn’t going to be enough, a small voice in her mind told her. “No!” She screamed, defying the voice with another blast. Again and again green light shot from her palms until at last she had reached the last of her magic. The darkness of unconsciousness closed in, like a predator closes in on the weakest of the pack. On her knees, hands clenching the soft dirt she gathered the last of the magic and fired it blindly. It found its target. But the green light did nothing for him. It sparkled around his body but sunk instead into the ground in wispy tendrils.

He was dead.

He was dead but she lived on. Barely. She was alive enough to breath, for her body to continue to function but not enough to think. Not enough to feel, not yet. Around the edges of her vision the blackness got closer. The threatening abyss became more and more substantial. Far, far away, a voice called her name. She felt hands underneath her and could see the shape of someone above. Then everything faded away and there was nothing but dark.

“Almast kill da babe, she did.” The woman made a disapproving noise, “No’ ta mention tha’ fact she almast did ‘erself in as well”, another woman added. The voices had begun to move away but Lillian caught the last snatches of their gossip, “She must be tha luckiest woman in all of Pendrell ta ‘ave Margie come upon 'er an' think enuf o' it to take 'er in.” Their accents were so heavy it was making her head ache again. Relaxing back into the soft pillows she sighed. Where was she? She couldn’t remember anything for a moment, then it all flooded back. She began to sob, the sadness even worse for being prolonged. Remembering made her heart ache as well as her body, adding to the discomfort she already felt. If only she could push the images away but her body wouldn't listen ,tired and beat as it was, and she was forced to watch the scene play over and over again in her head. She put a hand on her belly, had the baby survived? After what seemed forever she managed to stop the onslaught of tears, only a few stray drops leaking down her cheeks. Lily forced her eyelids open and saw the blurry, watery figure of a woman leaning over her. “ Oh thank God! You’re awake!” Warm arms enfolded her body as someone hugged her tightly. “I thought it might just be another false alarm, you’ve been crying in your sleep almost every night. “ The still blurry woman straightened and crossed the room, still chattering to her. The words weren’t clear and Lily shook her head, trying to make the gibberish sound like a language she understood. She wiped at her eyes, blinking the final tears away to see a familiar plump figure.

A.N: Not sure if I’ll continue this. Kindly click the little button and give me your opinion. Like it? Don’t like it? Constructive criticism please, I‘m beggin‘ here peeples . .