Post by Eurydice on May 27, 2007 0:20:58 GMT -5
((middle-end of Frost Reach, after Cyrima's Angie-summoning))
With the Lady’s last words ringing in her ears, Maura watched the shimmering wall circled around her dissolving. Beyond its borders, Tiberious, Frod, and Dustyn seemed to be quarreling about something. Maura didn’t hear or care. Angelina… Bryant… and now me…
Kuntaire had come forward to kneel beside her. “Are you alright?”
She nodded blankly. Nothing changes. Again, I’m in a position where I’m powerless to do anything except harm my friends. “You heard what she… said to me?”
“Everything but what she whispered.” He bent to examine her, watching her troubled face gently and carefully. “I saw that what she said upset you, and that’s why I asked her to stop. But…” He shrugged. “Whatever it was, you heard what she said. She doesn’t like to keep the truth from people.”
Maura nodded again. “Yes, well. No matter, really.” Hugging herself, she stood and started to move on shaky legs towards the rest of the party, absently brushing angry tears away. She could hear him following at a distance.
“Perhaps you should rest, Maura.”
“I’ll be fine.” She reached forward, reflexively taking the outstretched hand that Frod offered, not looking back.
She heard Kuntaire sigh, perhaps disappointed. “Of course, of course. Still, if you should wish to talk about it…”
Maura said nothing.
The shadow beside her moved, drawing her closer. She felt the now-all-too-familiar tickle of his breath brushing warmly against her ear, his voice low and neutral. “I hope you’re not thinking of sacrificing yourself for your father, Maura.”
She turned away abruptly, hot tears pooling in her eyes again, and she couldn’t bring herself to speak at first. “Why?” she said finally, bleakly. “What purpose could it possibly serve?”
His eyes bore into the back of her head. She could feel it.
After a moment, she found her voice again. “You heard what she said?”
He shook his head. “No. I heard what you said.”
Maura choked back a broken laugh, tears spilling out down her face. How utterly ridiculous of her not to remember how well Frod just managed to overhear everything and find out too much. Always. She could probably whisper his name while he was on the far side of the world, and he’d still hear it. If it came to that, he’d probably hear it whenever Angelina called Maura, telling her it was her turn to slip into madness and death now, and he’d try to stop her, claiming possession of her death again, but this time, he would fail, and then there would be nothing left to save her…
Frod’s arm softly slipped around her, and he held her wordlessly as she wept.
With the Lady’s last words ringing in her ears, Maura watched the shimmering wall circled around her dissolving. Beyond its borders, Tiberious, Frod, and Dustyn seemed to be quarreling about something. Maura didn’t hear or care. Angelina… Bryant… and now me…
Kuntaire had come forward to kneel beside her. “Are you alright?”
She nodded blankly. Nothing changes. Again, I’m in a position where I’m powerless to do anything except harm my friends. “You heard what she… said to me?”
“Everything but what she whispered.” He bent to examine her, watching her troubled face gently and carefully. “I saw that what she said upset you, and that’s why I asked her to stop. But…” He shrugged. “Whatever it was, you heard what she said. She doesn’t like to keep the truth from people.”
Maura nodded again. “Yes, well. No matter, really.” Hugging herself, she stood and started to move on shaky legs towards the rest of the party, absently brushing angry tears away. She could hear him following at a distance.
“Perhaps you should rest, Maura.”
“I’ll be fine.” She reached forward, reflexively taking the outstretched hand that Frod offered, not looking back.
She heard Kuntaire sigh, perhaps disappointed. “Of course, of course. Still, if you should wish to talk about it…”
Maura said nothing.
The shadow beside her moved, drawing her closer. She felt the now-all-too-familiar tickle of his breath brushing warmly against her ear, his voice low and neutral. “I hope you’re not thinking of sacrificing yourself for your father, Maura.”
She turned away abruptly, hot tears pooling in her eyes again, and she couldn’t bring herself to speak at first. “Why?” she said finally, bleakly. “What purpose could it possibly serve?”
His eyes bore into the back of her head. She could feel it.
After a moment, she found her voice again. “You heard what she said?”
He shook his head. “No. I heard what you said.”
Maura choked back a broken laugh, tears spilling out down her face. How utterly ridiculous of her not to remember how well Frod just managed to overhear everything and find out too much. Always. She could probably whisper his name while he was on the far side of the world, and he’d still hear it. If it came to that, he’d probably hear it whenever Angelina called Maura, telling her it was her turn to slip into madness and death now, and he’d try to stop her, claiming possession of her death again, but this time, he would fail, and then there would be nothing left to save her…
Frod’s arm softly slipped around her, and he held her wordlessly as she wept.