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"Takashi."
"Yes?"
"Do not come to visit me. Do not come to visit the family, in any guise. . . . . Husband, beloved, I have already lost my daughter to this war. I will not lose you or our son, as well. But I cannot keep you safe if you come with me, or after me."
*soft* "And who will guard your back, my lady?"
*equally soft spoken, but hard toned* "My brothers."
***
"Ulysse?"
Halfway down the steps, he turned and looked back over his shoulder. "Yes?"
" . . I think our father is gone." Arianhrod leaned against the doorjamb, braid coiled over her shoulder, the end nearly brushing against her belt. "I think--no matter how far he wandered, he would have felt this." Her mouth twisted as she caught the end of her braid and wound it through her fingers. "I think he was the beginning of this war."
Not for the first time, Ulysse wondered what the family's Sorceress had been like as a girl. Even in her indecision, Arianhrod was not uncertain.
"You think him dead?" he asked softly, needing the words in a way he would never admit.
She nodded. "He would have known something was happening . . . and he would never leave that which was His alone."
" . . Tell our brothers I am looking for him, lady."
She froze, the hand twisted in her braid a near cat's cradle, then nodded, once.
***
"I have my father's grave-dust in my hair, and my younger brother's blood on my hands. Leave me be. I need to go down to the water, alone."
now in chronological order
"Yes?"
"Do not come to visit me. Do not come to visit the family, in any guise. . . . . Husband, beloved, I have already lost my daughter to this war. I will not lose you or our son, as well. But I cannot keep you safe if you come with me, or after me."
*soft* "And who will guard your back, my lady?"
*equally soft spoken, but hard toned* "My brothers."
***
"Ulysse?"
Halfway down the steps, he turned and looked back over his shoulder. "Yes?"
" . . I think our father is gone." Arianhrod leaned against the doorjamb, braid coiled over her shoulder, the end nearly brushing against her belt. "I think--no matter how far he wandered, he would have felt this." Her mouth twisted as she caught the end of her braid and wound it through her fingers. "I think he was the beginning of this war."
Not for the first time, Ulysse wondered what the family's Sorceress had been like as a girl. Even in her indecision, Arianhrod was not uncertain.
"You think him dead?" he asked softly, needing the words in a way he would never admit.
She nodded. "He would have known something was happening . . . and he would never leave that which was His alone."
" . . Tell our brothers I am looking for him, lady."
She froze, the hand twisted in her braid a near cat's cradle, then nodded, once.
***
"I have my father's grave-dust in my hair, and my younger brother's blood on my hands. Leave me be. I need to go down to the water, alone."
now in chronological order
