When they buried him, it was a clear day. A slight chill in the wind told of the onset of Winter, and the light meek, danced between sparse clouds and trees.
They saw him off, surrounded by friends, the atmosphere oddly lighthearted.
It was what he wanted. A remembrance of merriment, hope, and joy. Always had everyone been so beloved to him in Life, and himself so full of vigor, that even in his passing his last wish was for them to be happy in Life. To be seen off with a smile.
"No tears! Let it be a happy departure!" he had tutted at them and so proclaimed while bedridden, "See me off on my final journey with only the happiest of farewells! What better is there than to be sent off with love and smiles!"
There were still a few tears, for he was so dearly loved. But wherever there was a frown, there was also a ready hug, and a strong shoulder.
I would ask the most of you all, to be strong for me after I'm gone.
She shook her head of her thoughts and watched the casket that was so carefully lowered into the ground.
Continued watching, long after the last of the funeral attendees had left, that she may finally step out of the shadows and pay her respects.
Shyloris knelt in the mud, eyes slipping shut as she brought her hand in front of her, fingers curled yet held as if singing psalm.
And perhaps she was.
The Heart's Song whispered bittersweet enveloping her with a frail warmth that made the Autumnal breeze seem that much colder.
But she couldn't cry. Not yet.
There was an old folklore in the Ancient Tongue, one that was passed amongst his kind as a superstition.
Shed not your tears or I fear I'll never be able to leave.
For seven days of Seven weeks.
"I thought you would come."
Shyloris turned to see the girl she had met once upon a Time.
Time had taken its toll, and she now stood before her, with the aid of a gnarled cane. The black silk of her tresses were now white. Not an off-colored white, but a complete and utter lack of pigmentation, and where before she let them free to the catch the wind's will, it was now tucked in a neat bun. Raven smiled, the creases in her face crinkling with joy, "You've not aged a day have you?"
The brunette ducked her head. Though she had lived far longer, it still felt only proper to bow her head before those whom abided by Time, who by appearances would appear her elder.
"Come now none of that, I would have us speak as equals, just like old Times!" she held out a hand for her friend, and the Timelocked child gladly took it.
She hesitated though as they left the cemetery, "There's no pardoning my absence, but nonetheless, I would seek forgiveness. Know that it weighs heavy upon my Heart."
"Now we can't have that, I don't fault you." Raven frowned lightly, "Never once did you visit us, and I had wondered why. To think that the rumors were true."
"Rumors?"
"Of a child that wandered the lands, always the same and appearing sporadically throughout history. You could never stay in one place could you? For fear of, well I suppose the most recent bane would be the plague doctors."
A nod.
"I thought so." she sighed, and still facing forward, whispered, "Be wary, they came but a week prior and I worry that they still mingle amongst us."
Shyloris started, and in the same hushed tones, murmured back, "They're--they're in the citadel?! I thought outsiders could gain no entry."
"That used to be true. This was once a sanctuary, a haven. But the uprising of the neighboring Demiciles dissolved the already unstable monarchy and threw them into mayhem." she scoffed, "Unsurprisingly. Figures the imbeciles would."
"Long story short, it's a kraterocracy. They lay siege, scaled our walls and demanded we give them a 'protection fee'. The scum, were I even 10 years younger I'd show them what for!"
Now that she thought about it, though the city was still beautiful in its grandeur, there were a lot folks of dubious company.
Guards too were stationed at corners, and though the people laughed, there was a certain stifling atmosphere. They were being watched.
"I'll right things, you hear me? If it's the last thing I do." Raven scowled, "I ain't laying on my deathbed with my home in disarray! I'll not let my beloved know I just up and left with things in such a mess!"
Her passion brought a light laugh from Shyloris, and Raven grinned, hand on her hip and playfully shaking a hand at her, "Oh you think it a jest do you!"
"Nothing of the sort!" she laughed back, "Oh but would you not let me accompany you?"
Raven got serious then, "As much as I enjoy our banter, this is no laughing matter. I intend to leave this world free, be it in revolution or death. Let it not be said I didn't at the very least try."
But her childhood friend just smiled, "I know. But I've been gone so long. Shall we not venture forth in one last adventure together? It would be wrong if I was not there when circumstances most demand it."
"Ever of shining Heart. You have nothing to make amends for, you know." a wrinkly and soft hand came to rest at her cheek, "Truly. It is not your fault that."
"I would still be here."
"And full glad am I for it. Come, I'll introduce you to the others." she led her into her home, and in the back wall pulled at the light fixture to swing a portrait unhinged, swinging away from the wall. Yet there was no passage nor door and Shyloris gave her a curious glance.
"I'd be a fool to make it that simple." Raven chuckled, and wobbled up to darkened outline on the wallpaper where the portrait had protected through the long years. There she felt through the fabric, and in a series of deft flicks one would not thing the old hands capable of, something clicked, and seams appeared along the wall, and the panel retracted before sliding out of view.
"Lets go." Raven clambered into the narrow opening, and disappeared into the gloom, Shyloris following close behind.
The wall shifted and the portrait swung back, looking as if it never was.
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