Love Conquers Pt. 3

CHAPTER 9

Some time later, consciousness slowly returned. I opened my eyes to a blurry image of Vet. As my vision returned to normal, I finally realized that Vet’s eyes were open too… but were not moving. I sprang to my feet and rushed to her side, trying to rouse her. I knew, even before I could see her, I knew… Vet was dead. And it was my fault. I should have checked that damned side room…

Vet deserved better. A better life, a better death, a better… me. She was too big for me to carry back to town, so I did my best with what I had. I found a nice clearing, a little bit up a hill overlooking a nice creek, sitting underneath a Glowfruit tree. I spoke her death rites to the best of my memory, and buried her there. I left a sheathed dagger as her headstone, she would have liked that. She always joked that she was the only thing keeping me contained, and every time I stayed my hand it was with her disapproval in mind. 

I left the dagger there, freshly cleaned, scoured, and oiled. It was as fitting a marker as I could imagine right then and there. I swore to her that I would return with a proper cart and coffin, and do right by her.

I felt her, then. A light touch on my shoulder, a faint scent of honey, the warmth I felt every time I saw her… I knew, somehow, that she was okay with what I did. “You tried your best, and you picked a wonderful resting place.” I didn’t hear anything, I just… knew.

She’s still there, resting, gracing the Eternals with her presence.

CHAPTER 10

“Well kid, that’s about it,” Nail said through watery eyes. Nail couldn’t recall how long ago Meredith came to his side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he was infinitely grateful, and placed one of his hands on hers.

Keel watched the moment of vulnerability, the struggle of a man who just lost his love try to hold everything together, to be strong. He knew better than to speak in this moment. He knew this was their moment. Nail’s moment.

Nail crawled out of the depths of his sunken heart and wiped his eyes. “Thanks kid.”

“No, thank you for the privilege of sharing your heart with me,” Keel answered. “I initially approached you wanting a story to add to my repertoire, to earn some money from it and to craft some new magic with it… but I now realize it’s not my place. This is your pain, and I swear to you it will not leave this building.”

Nail looked through Keel, through the walls of the comfortable inn, through everything. He looked and looked, until he saw her face. He felt her hand on his cheek, as he had a million times before. “No, use it,” he said as a single tear rolled down his weary face, through Vet’s touch. “Get some good from it. Craft some healing Weaves, help someone who needs it. Use my pain and her memory to keep up her good works. She wouldn’t want us to mourn. In fact,” Nail asked as he looked over his shoulder and up to Meredith, “Do you have any Glowwine? She’d want us to celebrate life, and loved forcing me to drink that swill!”

Meredith chuckled, warmly and honestly. “Aye, I do.” She left Nail, her hand finally leaving his shoulder, and went to pour three glasses.

Nail realized, with Meredith’s touch gone, that he had little comfort left in this world. He fell into his thoughts again, traveling to darker and darker pits, until Meredith set down three full glasses of glowing white wine on the table. “To Vet!”

Everyone raised their glasses, toasting to a wonderful woman’s memory. A moment of silence was shared, even the birds and the boards keeping quiet in respect. 

Nail downed his glass, finding he actually enjoyed the taste now, Vet’s last gift to him. He set the glass down, and looking at the young, honest face of a Weaver in front of him, came to the decision he was stewing in.

“Meredith,” Nail said with a pause.

“Yes. Of course you can stay here, I obviously am not the fighter I used to be,” Meredith interrupted. “I think she’d like that, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“I don’t, and you’re right, she would.”

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That night, the little lonely inn on the side of the road experienced a warmth and contentedness that it hadn’t felt in years. The birds resumed their songs, and a little light returned to the world.

Nail didn’t know it then, but Keel’s tale of love lost to violence and greed would spread, a sad but needed lesson to all who would take love for granted. Keel made certain everyone who heard his story knew little of Nail and much of Vet, the woman whose love transcended life itself. He thought it a fitting tribute.