Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)
Lena simply nodded at Seraphina's words and sat there in despair as she cradled Jaime's lifeless body, praying to any of the gods that might listen, to take care of her and make sure she had a sweet and peaceful afterlife, because she deserved it. After the priests and priestesses from the church made their way out and found her and Jaime, Lena refused to leave Jaime's body and went with them, despite her wounds, and remained with them while they cleaned Jaime up, until she simply collapsed from exhaustion.
When it came time to bury Jaime to lay her to rest, she cried, and sobbed, and would have to be helped away from the graveyard, as her legs would refuse to work. In the coming days, she would be filled with grief, and it would be easy for anyone to see how saddened she was by Jaime's death, and that she blamed herself, despite what all might be told to her, that Jaime did it all willingly, and didn't regret it one bit. It really did bring a tear to Lena's eye when she heard everyone praising Jaime's actions though, a tear of happiness, that her friend, a very good young woman, wouldn't be forgotten. Every day, Lena returns to Jaime's grave, her heart feeling a tiny bit lighter each time as she comes to pay her respects, and to leave a single rose for Jaime, and she asked the priests and priestesses of the church, and even would send word to the duke himself to please make sure that Jaime's grave was well tended and that Jaime herself would never be forgotten.
Finally, after a couple of weeks of grieving, Lena started to write a letter, which she signed from her, to Jaime's parents, and asked the duke once more for help in making sure that it made it to Jaime's parents.
"Words cannot described my feeling of loss and despair as I write you this letter, nor can words describe what you are likely feeling as you read what I have written. Jaime, your daughter, has made the ultimate sacrifice, for the sake of those that could not defend themselves, to help the defenseless people of Farnshold in their time of need, when an evil and vile cult besieged the town of Farnshold, and sought to conquer it to use it for conquering the entire kingdom. She... saved my life, when I confronted their leader, and it was this action that caused her life to be unjustly stolen from us all. I myself grew to love Jaime very deeply in the short time that we knew one another, and I feel that had she not been stolen from us all, I might have asked her to marry me one day. She was a sweet, kind, and beautiful young woman that had an incredibly promising life full of love and adventure ahead of her, and her beautiful life was darkened on that horrible day. I... truly wish that it had been me instead of her, that had been taken, truly I do. And I shall always blame myself for her death, whether it was my fault or not. I know not if you can find it in your hearts to, so I won't ask or beg you to, but I am so sorry, and I do hope that you can forgive me one day, for not being stronger... for not being strong enough to protect Jaime, your beloved and beautiful daughter. Love and best wishes, Lena Weiss," the letter read, multiple stains from her tears that had dripped onto the paper as she wrote it, but not enough to smudge any of the words, and it might even bring a tear to the eyes of even the duke after reading it and sealing it in whatever way he intended to for it to be sent, and she'd make sure all of Jaime's things were sent to her parents as well for safe keeping, save Jaime's scarf that she wore, which Lena kept and wore it from then on, always keeping it with her to remember Jaime by, and making sure it was mended if it had gotten damaged in the fighting. Lena then wrote another letter to be sent to her own parents, detailing what all had happened, and that she might return home sometime soon, but first she really needed to take some time and think about things, before she did, and she'd ask the duke to send both letters together, one going to her parents, and the other going to Jaime's, who lived not Too very far from one another in and near the capital.
Finally, after a couple of more weeks, a month all told since Jaime's death and the battle, Lena would return to Jaime's grave one day, and she'd kiss her gravestone. "Jaime... I need to try and go. Else I'll never leave, and I'll grieve forever until I die. And I know you wouldn't want that. So... I love you, and... I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you. Never again will I let someone I love die. I swear it here and now, to you, and to everyone that can hear," Lena said as she knelt at Jaime's grave, taking one of her daggers and pricking her fingertip to drip a single drop of blood on Jaime's grave as she swore her first ever blood oath.
Then, with that, Lena would get up and return to where she was staying at the time, and collected her things, and set out in search of Seraphina, with a heavy heart, but with new resolve, as she swung Jaime's now mended scarf around her neck and started to head out of town, telling anyone that she passed that asked, that she was going on a journey. She would ask everyone along the way though to make sure that Jaime's grave was well kept, because she Would be back one day, just for now she needed a little more time alone, and to ensure some things were taken care of.
