• Solo • Don't Forget to Remember Me

[Vakhanor]

Arc 695 Saun

Pottering back and forth between Vakhanor’s bedroll and a satchel, his mother Lissyndra was happy working away and packing for her young man, trying to fight of the grief of losing her strong and independent little boy. Just like his father Vakhanor had fiery red hair and eyes that were like looking into a mirror of herself. Since his birth raising Vakh and sewing had been the widow’s life. Granted it had been tough and there were times when she’d tried giving the boy her share of the bread to grow strong. He’d smiled at her and shook his head telling her she needed to be stronger.

“Are you ready for tomorrow son?” she asked, folding his breeches into satchels. After thirteen long years of raising him, it was time for the young man to meet his father and Lissyndra was dreading it. Half-breeds were rarely accepted among Aukari and the only reason that her son might was because of his father’s status, a military man well renowned as a general among the Aukari ranks.

Vakhanor lifted his head from the lines of his drawings; the boy would spend hours sat at the table trying to draw knives to carve at the forge “If it’s up to you, then yeah,” he said with a large cheeky grin.

“Watch it you,” she smiled back at him, reflecting on how much she’d miss seeing that smile when he was gone.
“Sorry mother,” he’d said politely.
“Did you tell Oberyk that you are leaving?”
“Yeah, says he looks forward to seeing me back as a grown man.”
“How long does he think you will be gone?”
“No idea, what about you?”
“No idea.”

Her gaze fastened upon her son as he nonchalantly went back to his drawing. Ever since he was a young lad Vakh had been patient with the events, the boy would only show emotion when the time actually came. Unlike her who lived thinking of the future, she’d always envied how he could just be in the moment.

“Don’t forget to remember me Vakhanor,”Lissyndra muttered softly, fear painted across her face.

[Vakhanor]

Concentrated on navigating led across parchment, Vakhanor was amending his wiggly lines when her comment finally registered and he lifted his head again. “Never,” he replied softly, placing the pencil down and getting up from the chair to embrace her in a familiar hug “You raised me.”

Tears streamed down Lissyndra’s cheeks “I’m afraid Vakh, you’re all I’ve got.” Ever since his father left Vakh had been the thing she had put her heart and soul into raising and now her was leaving.

“Nah, nana and grandad are about mum. You should go see them. They miss you,” he replied, holding her close.

“You saw my mum and dad?” Lissyndra scoffed pulling away from Vakhanor with a surprised look on her face. The woman had not spoken to her parents in arcs, they were still alive?

“Yeah, find them while I’m gone mum. I’ll write, I promise. Okay?” Vakh said. If he were being honest with himself Vakh didn’t want to leave his mother on her own. The thought of her crying alone in her bedroom night after night tore his heart out; his father however had different idea. The man wanted to get to know his son and after thirteen years of nothing but the occasional sum of money to help afford for food the man had only ever left him one maybe two notes.

Dawn threatened the horizon and Vakh’s trip to Sirothelle finally began, his father had arranged for a horse and guide into the heart of the volcano. According to his mother the man had arrived a few days ago ready to pick him up but she’d asked for a little more time which the man had reluctantly granted. The guide’s name was Oathryn, he was a tall man with a burly stature and the same red fiery hair that Vakhanor had, only the man wore a larger beard.

“Are you ready Baelithar?” the intimidating Aukari asked, watching them with cool dark eyes.

“Almost,” Vakhanor replied, wearily eyeing the lizard creature he’d been given to ride with a certain amount of anxiety. He’d never ridden anything before and was not fond of the idea of riding a lizard whose natural habitat was mountains of roaring lava. Turning to face his mother one more time Vakh hugged her goodbye “I’ll see you around,” he said trying not to cry.

“Yeah,” Lissyndra replied with a pained smile “Be good. Remember no matter what happens you can pick yourself up again Vakh, we made it because of your strength.”

A guilty expression entered the apprentices eyes “I don’t want to leave ma,” he said, finally feeling the brunt of everything going on around him.

“You have to, or we’ll both be in trouble. I can’t survive as the two of us without your father’s help Vakh,” she uttered shamefully, for years the woman had wished she could do more. She’d told Vakh how she wanted to raise him independently and for years she was trying, but no employer would take a woman leaving a child at home on their own.

“I know,” Vakh said clinging to the familiar warmth of her embrace for but a moment longer “Gotta go now, I love you.” It might have been one of the few times he’d said those words and meant it, his mother was the world to him.

“There’s my brave boy, go! Get outta here, I’ve got clients to see.”

Clients… it meant that she was going to spend another night in a strangers bed selling her body for money. Over the years the boy had grown used to the screaming from the bedroom, the sly glances from men and avoided trying to listen to it like the plague. He hated that she had done it, but he knew she had the best intentions “Get a real job mum, please.”

Lissyndra rolled her eyes and forced a smile, over the last two years the two had countless debates about her work and his mother had always won with her stubborn, dramatic antics “Be well son.” Today she didn’t start anything; she did not want Vakh to remember her like that.

[Malcolm]

Vakhanor

Knowledge:
Lissyndra: Mother
Lissyndra: Don't forget to remember me
Lissyndra: Will miss you
Writing: Letters
Drawing: Lines
Mount: Lizard
Lissyndra: A heartfelt goodbye.

Loot: n.a
Injuries: n.a
Fame: n.a

Story: 4/5
Collaboration: 0/4
Structure: 5/5

Comment: A heartfelt goodbye indeed. It's nice to see Vakhanor’s softer side once in awhile. You know I'm not a fan of coloured text, and against the black the red can be tricky to red. This memory thread really should have been posted in the city it took place in but I won't hold that against you. Point off in story only because it was so brief, how dare you you give us just a snippet! Lol. Enjoy the rewards.