To Be Forgotten

[Elwen]

To Be Forgotten

*Sequel to “The Crown of Thorns”. It would be strongly advised that you read that one first before you read this one.*

 

Kyerith shivered slightly, and the swordsman drew his heavy woolen cloak closer to him. The crystal forest sparkled in the chill morning light-even Kyerith, who was human and felt the cold acutely, had to admit it was beautiful. If only for the sake of the memories.

 

Lissandrien had loved it here. And, here, and only here, had he ever heard Lissandrien laugh.

 

Musical laughter like a soft breeze, like bells, like the music of a flute…all of those things at the same time… Kyerith thought, remembering. All the seriousness, all the pain that Lissandrien seemed to carry around with him, like an albatross hung around his neck, had fallen away in that one moment. It was a instant caught out of time: for that short second, that eternity-in-an-instant, Kyerith thought that he could see the person that Lissandrien had been, before necromantic magic had forever twisted him into something serious and sad. Unlike so many necromancers of the Shadowed Paths, Lissandrien had remained gentle and compassionate, devoted to life’s protection-but he had lost what it meant to be truly happy, and he had lost his childhood. Even Kyerith couldn’t banish the sorrow for more than minutes at a time.

 

And he would never have the chance.

 

We will meet again…if not here, than in the place where no shadows fall.

 

Lissandrien’s words still echoed in his mind, even now. Hollow justification in the end, for what Kyerith had done. Once Julie’s mental probe had stripped away Lissandrien’s own personality and brought forth the sleeping implanted one, the dark elf had, in essence, died. The final death of the soul…and so, all that remained to Kyerith, had been to make an end.

 

Violet eyes widened, as the crossbow bolt thudded into his chest, rocking the drow’s fragile body back with the impact. Lissandrien slowly crumpled to the ground. It was hard for Kyerith to not think of him as Lissandrien, though he knew that the spirit of the one he loved was already gone, even before he had taken that shot.

 

The Society of Sorcerers agent turned to flee-

 

Arilyn cut him down where he stood. The bladesinger moved faster than even Kyerith could, her swords out and singing even before he could reload the crossbow for a second shot.

 

“Drow,” she said, “Do not forget. Nor do they forgive.”

 

But now, ten years later, Kyerith still wondered-did he do the right thing? Even though both Julie and Liberi’s notes had confirmed that there was no way for Lissandrien’s personality to ever be put back together, he still wondered.

 

What mortals have torn asunder…deities can restore. Do you think that the Lady would allow one of her children to wander, lost and alone?

 

Kyerith knew that Arilyn meant that he would see Lissandrien again, in death, but he still couldn’t help wondering if a deity’s intervention would have restored Lissandrien’s own personality. He still couldn’t help wondering…

 

“Cold?” Arilyn asked sweetly. The dark elven priestess of Valeria was dressed in the simple silver tunic with black embroidery that denoted a warrior-priestess of her order, and she had given her black-and-silver cloak to Rune, who had forgotten his.

 

“Shut up.” Kyerith gritted through chattering teeth. “You elves don’t feel cold.”

 

“Rune feels the cold a bit.” Arilyn replied. Kyerith was certain that the necromancer of the Ethereal Paths was in the middle of a conversation with the ghosts that haunted this place, and didn’t notice the chill temperatures.

 

“He’s half-human. /You’re/ full elf.” Kyerith replied, as Arilyn stopped near a spring. The dark elf knelt by it, but didn’t drink.

 

“What is that, Arilyn?” Rune spoke for the first time, his head hidden in the hood of the cloak.

 

“It’s a memory spring.” Arilyn replied.

 

“A what?” Kyerith asked, not entirely sure he had heard her correctly.

 

“A memory spring.” Arilyn repeated, amused: the corners of her lips quirked upward in a slight smile.

 

“I heard you the first time.” The auburn-haired swordsman said, sounding confused. “What does a memory spring do?”

 

“If you have the right magic, you can create crystal spheres and imbue your or another person’s memories inside them.” Arilyn replied.

 

“Oh.” Kyerith said.

 

Kyerith sensed rather than saw the figure who ghosted up out of the fog. Instinctively, he whirled, sword coming out of the sheath with the sound of rusted silk.

 

He felt really stupid once he saw who it was: a little, gracefully aged, old woman, and noticed that Arilyn hadn’t moved, obviously having seen who it was. He lowered the blade and sheathed it, even once he recognized her as Laurana, Liberi Ailliard’s seneschal. The former Lady of Ailliard, Rune’s twin-who had hated him-and the one who had created the sleeper personality, had died not long before. Rune had killed his own sister, realizing that half of her, the child she had been when their older sister Ariel had “died” and the girl she would never be again, had been pleading to be set free, trapped inside the insane, arrogant, dark-touched woman she had become. Death had been the only way, and Rune had set his twin free in order for her to redeem herself in the next lifetime.

 

Laurana recognized him, as well. The old woman bowed to him. “Lord Kyerith.” She said sadly, and bowed to Arilyn. “Lady Arilyn.” Finally, she bowed to Rune. “Lord Rune. I am sorry for the grief I have cost all of you.”

 

“You did nothing to us.” Kyerith said.

 

“I willingly followed Lady Liberi into fire, as the whole world went to madness.” Laurana said gravely. “I may have done nothing to you, but I did nothing to aid you, either.”

 

Kyerith had nothing to say to that.

 

“And that is as bad a sin as any she committed.” Laurana said. “I have nowhere to go, now, but these woods.”

 

“Ariel could take you in, she needs a good seneschal.“ Rune began. “She wouldn’t mind-“

 

Laurana shook her head gravely. “No, Lord Rune. I would not go back…I do not deserve a second chance, for I have had a hand in too much pain, too much suffering, too much sorrow. I do not ask for your forgiveness.”

 

“Then what do you ask for?” Kyerith asked, his own voice sounding hollow in his ears. “Where will you go? What will you do now?”

 

“Leave me, in the shadows of these woods.” Laurana said. “All I ask is for you to forget me, for I am not worthy of rememberance. I long to be forgotten.”

 

She bowed once more to them and disappeared once more into the roiling, swirling fog, and was lost to sight.

 

“The greatest sacrifice of all.” Rune murmured under his breath.

 

“Will you forget her?” Arilyn asked Kyerith, who was shaking his head.

 

“No.” Kyerith said quietly. “No one deserves that fate. Lissandrien told me once…”

 

Do not be so hasty to deal out death and judgment, my love. There are many who live who deserve death, and many who deserve life who are dead. Can you give it to them, Kyerith?

 

“He told me that I should not be so quick to give out death and judgment.” Kyerith said. “And if she is forgotten…it is like she never lived. No one deserves that fate. No one.”

 

“You are learning, Kyerith.” Arilyn approved. “Lissandrien would be proud of you.”

 

Yes. You would be, Lis.

 

~Owari~

[smallscale_mind_games]

I like it better than the last one. And that's all I have to say. My head hurts.

Ninja!

[troubled sleep]

=stands up and clapps= I agree with Merry, this was great/I really enjoyed it!

[Damon Inferel]

One hell of a time jum there, wouldn't you say so. But, Tidus jumped ahead a thousand years, so ten isn't all that many.

 

in any case, I thought this one was rather sentimental, fraught with memory and doubt. And short... for me, short is good because it means I can read it easier, but long is good too. It just takes me longer (aside from obvious time extensions) to finish long stories.

 

Right. having read the first one, i should say that you picked up rather nicely onto this one, elaborating on the after-effects of the crossbow bolt and detailing fonder memories of Lissandrien. That, and i don't know if the living and dying quote was your own, but it was a nice inclusion nonetheless.

 

A good read, good story, good writer. Keep up the work ashke, ai shiteru.