Winter was colder and lonelier than Pavetta remembered.
The blackened trees contrasted starkly against the glittering white snow blanketing the barren ground. Dawn was not as she remembered, either. A husk of the beauty it had once possessed; a sad tragedy that left the citizens huddled by the hearth of the burnt down homes in silent despair and grief. Pavetta wandered towards the castle, a silver ghost in the winter forest. Her breath crystalized and sparkled in the early evening moonlight. While she now had warm, beautifully furnished quarters in the castle she often preferred the quiet of her grotto in the woods by the stream. She had spent a cold night there.
Alone. And lonely.
Medicinal satchel and cloak over shoulder, Pavetta paced through the ice and snow. She made several calls to rural homes outside of the capitol; checking raspy lungs and distributing soothing herbs for smoke-induced coughing. She could not bear to leave Dawn in this state to complete her Emissary duties. Her people would come first and then she would venture out to see how the other Courts had faired through the terrible disasters.
Eulalie had been on her mind as of late.
The gentle, kind-hearted mother of two. Somnus’ wife and partner. While they were not well acquainted, Pavetta admired her resilient, steadfast spirit. The warmth of the castle embraced her like an old friend as she stepped inside; inviting and pleasant. She paced up the stairs, wondering if Eulalie might be in her own private chambers with the children or out with Somnus. She tapped her horn on the closed door.
“Eulalie? Are you there?"
a pearl in pigshit, a diamond on the finger of a rotting corpse,
creature in whom nothing, but nothing, remains of an elven woman ---
In the aftermath of the fire, Eulalie had been keeping the twins indoors, often to the sound of their displeasure. Anemone's complaints were usually louder than her brother's, but as the smoke filled skies cleared, she wanted to be sure that their lungs stayed free of it. Regis especially she worried for. Some days the ivory maiden took her children through the corridors or into the great hall where they had more room to play. Still, they grew restless. She could not keep them inside forever.
When the rapping on their door came, accompnaied by a familiar voice, Eulalie swung the door open and offered a warm smile to the woman on the other side. "Pavetta, please come in," she said, stepping back further into the room. For now, Anemone and Regis were in the far corner entertaining themselves. When Eulalie looked at Pavetta, she saw some of the same emotions reflecting back at her from rose colored eyes that she felt herself. "It's so good to see you," and it was. It seemed so short a time ago that Pavetta had been a caretaker, there when Eulalie'd had the twins, but now she wore the title Emissary.
"Would you like something to warm you up? Some tea, maybe," Eulalie suggested, turning toward a low table with cushions resting around it. The few times that the twins had been with someone else, be it their father, a friend or even the various workers around the castle, the Deluminian warrior had gone out into the court to do her part. More often than not, however, she took Anemone and Regis herself. Their father had important duties to take care of and was quite busy these days, as she guessed Pavetta was as well, and she understood. "What can I do for you, Pavetta?"
"Thank you." Pavetta stepped inside, glancing around and the beautiful room. Though the window was shut tight, even inside seemed hazy and smell of ash lingered. She sighed, sadly. The glass of the window was smeared with soot and contrasted starkly with the cheery floral wallpaper. She could still see the smoke billowing from the fires in the distance.
How much time did they have left?
Would they have to evacuate? Seek sanctuary in another court? Would another court even offer sanctuary in the midst of their own crisis?
"It's good to see you too," Pavetta said warmly, flashing her a brief smile. Regis and Anemone were playing quietly in the corner, looking slightly dejected. "Oh, yes please, tea would be wonderful." She could not remember such a cold in all of her life. And yet, the fires still burned. An eternal flame.
"Not a thing, Eulalie. It is what I might do for you. You've been in my thoughts as of late. How are you? How are Regis and Anemone faring in the smoke?" She motioned to the satchel around her shoulders. "I've brought some herbs that might soothe any sore throats or heavy chests."
She glanced out the window once more, soot and frost and smoke billowing in the distance. "Many are suffering from severe smoke inhalation. I wanted to check up on you." She paused, a sheepish expression overcoming her silver features. "And to be honest, I could really use a friend right now, I thought maybe you might too..."
When it seems all hope is lost...
a pearl in pigshit, a diamond on the finger of a rotting corpse,
creature in whom nothing, but nothing, remains of an elven woman ---
