A Goodbye

The first thing Mina became aware of was the cold. It was not a sensation she was used to. The next thing she noticed was the silence. There was no sound of people, just the occasional gust of wind. As her mind slowly cleared and her vision opened from the blackness she found herself perched on a rock near the Bridge of the Betrayer. Tears pricked at her eye's and froze on her cheeks as she recalled the first time she was here. She had gone with Eydis and Vincent to see Fennic and he had brought them here to see his favorite spot to find peace. Eydis and Vincent had slipped away behind their backs, leaving them alone, which they hadn't noticed at first.

She curled up, pulling her knees to her chest as memories dragged themselves out of the darkness of her mind. She clearly recalled Eonan and Danika visiting to heal her, and sitting with Eydis afterwards.. but things get to blurry after that. She has a vague image of Vincent standing in the doorway to her room. She feels tears painfully well up again.. she is sure she has been crying non-stop for what feels like an eternity, and her body is demanding rest she can not give it. Images of Vincent on the floor and Eydis with a bloody nose flash in front of her eye's, but she can't quite piece them together, all she hears, echoing over and over in her mind is Vincent's sad voice telling her "Th-they never came back out, Mina." and a pain she had never felt before, like someone had reached inside and ripped a piece of her soul out.

She wasn't totally sure how she had come here, but vague images of sneaking past her sleeping guards, the roof, the walls and a cliff entered her mind. There were a few scratches and cuts, a good indicator she had taken more risks than she would normally. Even Vincent sometimes underestimated her, so the fact that she got out despite the guards doesn't terribly surprise her. He'll be mad, but he'll get over it. They all will. All her weapons and herbs were gone, so they  had been smart there, at least. She pressed her forehead to her knees, too tired to do more. The wind, when it came, cut through her like a knife. She was too weak after the injury, healing and lack of sleep to fight it. A part of her, a dim part currently, but a part, was screaming at her to fight, to stand up, to run, to go home. She didn't know how.

The water stirs, as a rogue breeze blows across its mirror-like surface, breaking the silence, and the stillness. Seeming to rush up the shore, violently, but gently. With it's breeze came the word, "Sìth\*", before the wind wrapped around her, holding tightly before releasing, blowing upwards towards the endless sky, whispering a final time as it went, "Sìth, oir tha mi an seo\*"

Mina's head lift's at the words, her eyes going wide and she reaches up, as if to grasp the wind, "Prìseil..\*\*\*" she bites her lip, new tears trickling down her cheek and reaches deep inside to touch the earth, even though it is risky, weak as she is. Nevertheless, she manages to call on her gifts and use them to cast her words into the wind, after the wind, "Sìth, Muileach, slàn leat an-dràsta…\*\*\*\*" the power trickles away and her head droops back to her knees as exhaustion sweeps over her, and the cold.

The earth would rumble gently beneath her, as the tide slowly reaches towards Mina, struggling before faltering and holding its position, another rogue breeze brings the soft whisper of "Na bith a 'gul. Coinnichidh sinn a-rithist, a ghràidh. Dèan sabaid air adhart, dhuinne.\*\*\*\*\*"

Mina feels, more than hears, the words. After a moment, she manages to lift her head, then struggles to her feet. She sways for a second, bracing herself against the rock and manages, "Mar is miann leat, Muileach."\*\*\*\*\*\* The next hours are painful and slow, as she struggles her way home. With no weapons, and exhausted beyond words, the trek is a nightmare that she would barely recall, eventually stumbling to the gates of Heimsgarar and falling, unconscious, on the steps.

Whenever she seemed to struggle on the way home, a slight breeze would be there to meet here, pushing her towards safety, before finally going skyward one last time

How she avoided the wildlife and wildmen she could never say. She would never even know who carried her into the keep, all she would remember is the dreams when she finally slept.. not nightmares, not fear, but the peace and cool of water holding her in comfortable suspension, mummering softly and soothing around her. She knew there would still be pain, when she woke, that it would not vanish, of course, nothing could take that away.. but now she felt she maybe, maybe, could keep going. For them both.

\*Peace

\*\*Peace, because I am here

\*\*\*Dear

\*\*\*\*Peace, Beloved, goodbye for now

\*\*\*\*\*Do not Cry. We will meet again, my love. Fight on, for us.

\*\*\*\*\*\*As you wish, Beloved.