97th Vhalar 716
Her breath turned to particles of ice and fell away. Quickly lost to the elements as though it had never been given life. Fingers and toes had long since turned cold and then eventually numb. Sunset over Idalos and painted the world with a brush stained with blood. The wind pulled insistent at her hair and cloak. The incessant howl in contest with the crash of waves and the subtle flap wool and leather. Her cloak tugged at her neck, until she unfastened it with a deft hand. Then it soared back inland spiraling into the distance in a flash of pale blue against a crimson sky. It was colder without the layer of wool but she could breathe more easily. At the treeline, the Volareon flexed uneasy wings before hunching against the weather. Nose tucked against its feet as it watched her. They would think she was an awful person and that she had never deserved Elsie for this. They were right. She had never deserved Malcolm either and this was better for the two beings that held her heart strings. Another burst of wind stole her breath and she lifted her arms from her sides. Boots lined up against the edge of the precipice. The ground fell away in a tumble of jagged rocks. The bottom of widow’s point offered an unyielding end to any that fell forward into the wind. A way to vanish, as though she had never existed. She wouldn’t be able to hurt them anymore.
She’d dreamt of this place once; that much she knew. All of her dreams these days were caught up with reality and half-remembered hopes. Disgust, anger, and disappointment had crossed Malcolm’s features in a heartbeat. She was vulgar to him. There had been so much space between them. In her desperation to close the gap she’d shown true colours and been met with an honest opinion. A wretched, broken thing; and if he’d ever found out what she’d done it would only confirm his loathsome judgement. He was pain, and devotion and the memories that rose without calling. He had promised her justice and vengeance and it had been a dream. A nightmare where she was forced to walk all the paths of the world alone.
All her careful actions to hide the worst of who she was. They would come to fruition if she lent forward against the wind. A steady storm that kept pushing her back and curled fingers in her hair like a lover. Elsie deserved better. She deserved someone who could protect her from the world and shield her from the darkness.
There had been a shard of glass in her cloak and the Skyrider had found it without meaning to. It had slid clean across the heart-line of her palm before falling away to vanish in the wind. She could feel the warm liquid trailing down her fingertips and the myriad of tiny cuts that should have stung from the night before. Her head would have been pounding with her heart from too much wine. Her chest was heavy and had been aching with the need to nurse. Had Elsie eaten? Was someone making sure she was cuddled and wrapped up tight? Elyna blinked quick tears away and felt them freeze against her cheeks. Malcolm loved her. She would be loved and protected and cared for, for all of her days. Malcolm would be happier and free to choose his own path. This was better.
