Tweet
The old man sat stoic along the lakeside, seemingly further into his dreams as the snow flurried fitfully around him. A child's laughter stirred him once more as his lidded eyes forced themselves open to glance sidelong across the waters edge. He reached to his side with pudgy fingers to grope for a cup that had been left there for him, and clumsily grasped at its rim and lifted it to his lips.
The water was unnerving and near painful against his dried throat as he sputtered and coughed, stubbornly tipping the cup further back. The rush of water was ended abruptly as a gentle weight was applied over him and the cup, sorely removed. "You mustn't fuss so much in your age." A stern, but caring voice spoke out against the howling wind. His eye flit across toward the shadowy shape and he slowly came to recognize his daughter.
"Your body will give out, your not so young as you once were father." He heard the wooden rim of the cup clatter down on the table beside him and a small but strong hand wrapped around his own and squeezed tightly. "I've been squired to Knight Commander Tissle, of the Thayan Enclave." Her voice was quiet, though measured more caution then he was used to. A familiar sting was felt in his heart, his body shifted to try in vain to correct some discomfort.
There was a long pause of silence, before she continued. "I am giving over the rest of my life to them, since arriving at the Enclave I've come far. Not just a little skill, but rather I feel like an entirely different woman... I couldn't bare to insult them now by turning my back on them, let alone imagining the repercussions it may have." His body was trembling now, he could barely tell but he felt his eyes watering with impotent rage as he failed to tell her no, or even ask her why. Though deep down within he knew that even if he could, it would mean little. All she was doing now was protecting her daughter, and in some poetic irony he wanted nothing different for her.
He coughed a few more times as he felt her weight relaxed down over and around him, his hands reached up to embrace her for who she was now, while she could remember.
The water was unnerving and near painful against his dried throat as he sputtered and coughed, stubbornly tipping the cup further back. The rush of water was ended abruptly as a gentle weight was applied over him and the cup, sorely removed. "You mustn't fuss so much in your age." A stern, but caring voice spoke out against the howling wind. His eye flit across toward the shadowy shape and he slowly came to recognize his daughter.
"Your body will give out, your not so young as you once were father." He heard the wooden rim of the cup clatter down on the table beside him and a small but strong hand wrapped around his own and squeezed tightly. "I've been squired to Knight Commander Tissle, of the Thayan Enclave." Her voice was quiet, though measured more caution then he was used to. A familiar sting was felt in his heart, his body shifted to try in vain to correct some discomfort.
There was a long pause of silence, before she continued. "I am giving over the rest of my life to them, since arriving at the Enclave I've come far. Not just a little skill, but rather I feel like an entirely different woman... I couldn't bare to insult them now by turning my back on them, let alone imagining the repercussions it may have." His body was trembling now, he could barely tell but he felt his eyes watering with impotent rage as he failed to tell her no, or even ask her why. Though deep down within he knew that even if he could, it would mean little. All she was doing now was protecting her daughter, and in some poetic irony he wanted nothing different for her.
He coughed a few more times as he felt her weight relaxed down over and around him, his hands reached up to embrace her for who she was now, while she could remember.