Dear Diary 13
July 13th 2009 16:31
Dear Diary,
Today a very strange thing happened... We were not fighting all day; my group was allowed to fall back for a few hours. And I must say that these hours were quite probably some of the strangest I have ever encountered. Here is what happened:
I was sitting on a fallen tree, sharpening my sword. Shalorin and Kaya were grooming the horses, as both have a far greater passion for them than I myself. So I allow them to do what they truly enjoy.
I heard a horse, and it wasn't just any horse; simply by the way she walked you could tell she was an Elvish bread horse, trained to be deadly and beautiful. I looked up and saw one of the most beautiful horses I have ever known, a white mare with a black crescent moon on her side. The horse sniffed me and recognized me, nuzzling me, but I was too busy staring at its rider.
My sister is one of the most beautiful women alive. I would never think of her in that way, but I acknowledge her beauty. With her shining silver eyes and her equally silver hair, she looks like a child of the moon. Her hair was up this day, in a bun, but usually she lets it down, where it flows to the middle of her back in waves. Her body is lithe, the body of a woman fighter; muscled but still feminine in its own way.
“Sister?” I asked, daring not believe what lay in front of my eyes.
“I have come to see you, Alaendril, and to gather up the girl. Such an important parcel I trust no man to deliver to me safely,” she said with a smile, dismounting.
I stood and we embraced. Since I started fighting this war, I'd never realized how much she meant to me, how much I missed her wise council and her friendship.
“She is with my second in command at this moment, grooming horses; they are her dearest passion.”
“I am glad to hear it. Me and the girl will get along well then. Take me to her; my mare needs rest-we leave at sunset.”
“Such a short time which I will spend with you,” I said with a sigh, “when this war is over... I will be much happier. I will be able to go home, to teach at Elorian as I have always loved to.”
“I know,” she responded, looking over the camp, “the sound of swords never still must drive you crazy.”
“You have no idea.”
“I think perhaps I know more of war than you give me credit for.”
We walked in silence for some time after that. I didn't know what to say; for she has studied war as I have. She knows of everything in theory-but she has never been asked to fight on the front lines. I have fought for many months now. She does not have the blood on her hand that never leaves, nor the dreams which only fade away with the right mixture of herbs. The guilt does not weigh her down as it does me.
We arrived at the stables; hearing our horses, Shalorin and Kaya turned. He gasped, staring at both the horse and the woman. A moment later he was kneeling before her.
“You must be my friend's sister,” he said, “I have heard much about you, My Lady.”
“Call me by my name, Aimee. I am no nobility here, for in war there are no titles except for commander and soldier. And I am neither.”
“I am Shalorin,” he said, standing. She took his hand and smiled before turning to Kaya, who was admiring her horse.
“This must be the girl I have heard so much about.”
A moment later she launched into fluent Fidolian. Shalorin blinked at the speed she spoke with, the speed with which she transferred between languages. My sister's passion had always been to study, and she had studied many things throughout her centuries. Her knowledge showed quite clearly here, but only the very smallest portion. I have shone as perhaps the future King of the Elves, but without the wisdom and the advice my sister has given me, I would be nothing. I accept this. She is my elder and my better.
The girl's face lit up and she started talking back, like I'd never heard her even talking to Shalorin. I wonder still what exactly my sister said, what about her charmed Kaya into such joy; I will likely never know.
Aimee turned to me and smiled. I just blinked, not knowing what had gone on between them, but I knew it had to be good. Both seemed happier now, and Aimee was satisfied.
“Good. She is a kind girl. I will most definitely be bringing her back with me. We leave when the sun sets; it is a long journey and I would like to go back to the Monastery and sleep there. I told them I would be coming with the girl.”
“Of course. Come, have tea with us,” I said, gesturing to Shalorin to come as well; Kaya obviously would follow.
“Will my mare be seen to?”
One of my men happened to be walking by at that exact moment. I called him over and a moment later he was tending to her horse. She smiled and nodded and we walked towards my tent; through the camp.
On my men's faces you could see the taint of war, the poison that it leaves in us. The exhaustion, pure and simple exhaustion; the guilt from having killed; the pain of minor wounds, though none of my men had yet needed a proper healer. Aimee looked at all of this with a solemn silence, her eyes seeing all.
We sat and had tea and many conversations. I will not transcribe them all here, and so I will simply say that we had tea and then she left.
And now it is time for me to rest. The fighting will commence tomorrow, and though today we had a break I cannot expect the same tomorrow. I cannot expect anything except more death, but I fight now to keep my sister safe-she is still close enough that if I truly reach out for her, I can feel her presence. I do not fear for her, she is a powerful woman. But I do not want her to have to learn the true horrors of war.
~Alaendril
Today a very strange thing happened... We were not fighting all day; my group was allowed to fall back for a few hours. And I must say that these hours were quite probably some of the strangest I have ever encountered. Here is what happened:
I was sitting on a fallen tree, sharpening my sword. Shalorin and Kaya were grooming the horses, as both have a far greater passion for them than I myself. So I allow them to do what they truly enjoy.
I heard a horse, and it wasn't just any horse; simply by the way she walked you could tell she was an Elvish bread horse, trained to be deadly and beautiful. I looked up and saw one of the most beautiful horses I have ever known, a white mare with a black crescent moon on her side. The horse sniffed me and recognized me, nuzzling me, but I was too busy staring at its rider.
My sister is one of the most beautiful women alive. I would never think of her in that way, but I acknowledge her beauty. With her shining silver eyes and her equally silver hair, she looks like a child of the moon. Her hair was up this day, in a bun, but usually she lets it down, where it flows to the middle of her back in waves. Her body is lithe, the body of a woman fighter; muscled but still feminine in its own way.
“Sister?” I asked, daring not believe what lay in front of my eyes.
“I have come to see you, Alaendril, and to gather up the girl. Such an important parcel I trust no man to deliver to me safely,” she said with a smile, dismounting.
I stood and we embraced. Since I started fighting this war, I'd never realized how much she meant to me, how much I missed her wise council and her friendship.
“She is with my second in command at this moment, grooming horses; they are her dearest passion.”
“I am glad to hear it. Me and the girl will get along well then. Take me to her; my mare needs rest-we leave at sunset.”
“Such a short time which I will spend with you,” I said with a sigh, “when this war is over... I will be much happier. I will be able to go home, to teach at Elorian as I have always loved to.”
“I know,” she responded, looking over the camp, “the sound of swords never still must drive you crazy.”
“You have no idea.”
“I think perhaps I know more of war than you give me credit for.”
We walked in silence for some time after that. I didn't know what to say; for she has studied war as I have. She knows of everything in theory-but she has never been asked to fight on the front lines. I have fought for many months now. She does not have the blood on her hand that never leaves, nor the dreams which only fade away with the right mixture of herbs. The guilt does not weigh her down as it does me.
We arrived at the stables; hearing our horses, Shalorin and Kaya turned. He gasped, staring at both the horse and the woman. A moment later he was kneeling before her.
“You must be my friend's sister,” he said, “I have heard much about you, My Lady.”
“Call me by my name, Aimee. I am no nobility here, for in war there are no titles except for commander and soldier. And I am neither.”
“I am Shalorin,” he said, standing. She took his hand and smiled before turning to Kaya, who was admiring her horse.
“This must be the girl I have heard so much about.”
A moment later she launched into fluent Fidolian. Shalorin blinked at the speed she spoke with, the speed with which she transferred between languages. My sister's passion had always been to study, and she had studied many things throughout her centuries. Her knowledge showed quite clearly here, but only the very smallest portion. I have shone as perhaps the future King of the Elves, but without the wisdom and the advice my sister has given me, I would be nothing. I accept this. She is my elder and my better.
The girl's face lit up and she started talking back, like I'd never heard her even talking to Shalorin. I wonder still what exactly my sister said, what about her charmed Kaya into such joy; I will likely never know.
Aimee turned to me and smiled. I just blinked, not knowing what had gone on between them, but I knew it had to be good. Both seemed happier now, and Aimee was satisfied.
“Good. She is a kind girl. I will most definitely be bringing her back with me. We leave when the sun sets; it is a long journey and I would like to go back to the Monastery and sleep there. I told them I would be coming with the girl.”
“Of course. Come, have tea with us,” I said, gesturing to Shalorin to come as well; Kaya obviously would follow.
“Will my mare be seen to?”
One of my men happened to be walking by at that exact moment. I called him over and a moment later he was tending to her horse. She smiled and nodded and we walked towards my tent; through the camp.
On my men's faces you could see the taint of war, the poison that it leaves in us. The exhaustion, pure and simple exhaustion; the guilt from having killed; the pain of minor wounds, though none of my men had yet needed a proper healer. Aimee looked at all of this with a solemn silence, her eyes seeing all.
We sat and had tea and many conversations. I will not transcribe them all here, and so I will simply say that we had tea and then she left.
And now it is time for me to rest. The fighting will commence tomorrow, and though today we had a break I cannot expect the same tomorrow. I cannot expect anything except more death, but I fight now to keep my sister safe-she is still close enough that if I truly reach out for her, I can feel her presence. I do not fear for her, she is a powerful woman. But I do not want her to have to learn the true horrors of war.
~Alaendril
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