For Rememberance

[Mizbiz]

Arien sat facing her hearth and stared at the double bladed axe. The axe of the gnoll chieftain. The blade whispered to her. "Evil..." it said "Poison...". She shook her had to banish the sounds. Arakiel had defied death to take down the chieftain and thus save his friends from this blade. Arien again heard his last words.

"I am a son o' Tyr."

No, there was no presance of Arakiel here. Arien quietly climbed the stairs, hope filling her heart. The bedroom....here the air was thick with memories, she could almost hear him whisper "Vi khess dos" as he had so many many times. Bending over the pillow, Arien found what she sought. Five raven black hairs clinging to his pillow. Arien picked them up carefully, walked down the stairs, and out the door.

Silently and purposefully, Arien walked through the long grass of Daggersprings. She left no trail in the verdant growth, even though the grass was becoming damp in evenings chill. Arien pulled Arakiels cloak more tightly around her. Nodding in greeting to Shalafi, ahe pressed on until she found the special tree. A shadowtop tree taller than any other in the village.

Her eyes raked over the tree with purpose. There! Sap was running down the tree in rvulets that shined in the moonrise. "Do you see, my beloved?" aaid Arien, "Even the trees weep toningt. I must find the biggest tear".

Finding a large dollop of sap, Arien pressed the hairs from her hubands head into it. Gentlly she scooped the pearl of sap off the tree with her blessed mistletoe dagger. After rolling the sticky mess between her fingers, she held the tree's teardrop up to the moon so that the light showed the hair deep inside.

"Leofa," said Arien, "Beloved, this precious drop will I dry, and let harden into resin. When that is done, I will make a charm of it, and I will wear it always over my heart."

Eyes now threatening to brim over again, Arien retraced her steps back to the hearth she shared with her husband. Placing the trees teardrop on the mantle over the fire to dry, she whispered...

"You will always be with me, my Arakiel".