The Things We Do

Chapter XX: Aurora

He dropped his head, dead. The chains were red with his blood, as was her shiv. Aurora stood before him, her friends and family behind her. "He deserves no burial. We throw him in the river and let nature take care of its mistake. She turned around to see the others. Perdido looked at her in a new way, one of both respect and horror. They agreed to throw him into the river that separated Imperial City and Rielweth, and sent a guard to do so. "We'll bury the other three tonight. For now, those of us going back to Zellarid need to prepare." She, Perdido, Selene, Soren, Beau, and Xayah went in while Tage and Chloe decided to walk around their new home. Once they were finally alone again, Perdido started questioning Aurora. "You really drug out his suffering, didn't you?" she turned and snapped at him. "He dragged so many people's suffering too. If he hadn't died when he did I would've kept going. He killed mothers, wifes, girlfriends, and didn't think twice. Now all four of them are dead, cut down before their golden years. Now me, my siblings, my father, Soren, Xayah and so many more are left to pick up the pieces from the mess he made." Perdido's eyes widened as she gave yet another speech to him.
They loaded the cart after bidding a farewell to Tage and Chloe. They knew that they'd be traveling in the dark but they didn't care. All that mattered now was returning to the new normal life. The moon was high in the sky when they finally buried Arlie, Soleil and Luna right next to Anastasia, and Xayah left shortly after to return to her cabin. Aurora and Perdido ensured that Soren and Selene were secure in their home, gave Chloe's note to Charlotte informing her on where she and Tage went, made sure that Aurora's father would be alright being alone that night, and finally made their way to their home.
The house was different now after meeting Arlie. She had told her that she lived in her house now, and she had told her of memories she had in it. She could no longer look at the table without thinking about a little her running into it and falling over. She could no longer go into the backyard without thinking about a younger her, Soleil, and Aurora's mother playing out there. Perdido and her were to make new memories here, but the old ones would still be preserved in Aurora's mind. She was glad to be back, but feelings of dread still plagued her mind. She told herself to be happier since Perdido was here, but so much more loss had occurred since he came back.
A week had passed since they had returned from Mirirejar when a letter had arrived from Xayah. Addressed to both her and Perdido, Aurora opened it and read it to him.
     
      Aurora and Perdido,
                       I hate to call upon you so suddenly, but it is a matter that I simply cannot wait any longer for. In precisely three weeks I have called you two, Beau, Tage, Chloe, Selene and Soren to the bridge between Zellarid and Mirirejar. There is something that I would like to discuss with all of you together, and not between letters. I beg you to join us, for without you there the discussion would be pointless. It will do much good, I think, to have this meeting. I hope to see you there.
           Remember, three weeks!
                    -Xayah

"What could she possibly want to discuss?" Perdido asked. "I'm not sure. The penmanship is a bit sloppy, she seems frantic about whatever this is. We should go." Aurora responded, putting down the letter. "Certainly. But everything should be right now! Scheven, Luna and Soleil are dead, Soren is under home arrest and likely won't leave so long as Selene is there with him, and most of all you are back. What could Xayah possibly want to talk about?" she asked as she paced. Perdido came over and stopped her before he tried to calm her. "I'm sure it's nothing dangerous, she may just want all of us to come together in memorial for those we lost. That journey brought us all closer together than before. It gave me a chance to get to know these people again, since a lot has changed in the past ten years. I'm sure everything will be alright." Aurora shook her head at his words. "But what if it's not Perdido? What if something new happens and we have to go off again, risk our lives again, just for something else to show up while we still mourn those we lost in the last conflict?" she asked as she threw herself down in a chair. Perdido walked over to her as he spoke. "It'll be alright. We have each other again, we won't have to go into anything alone anymore." he kissed the top of her head as he walked away.
Aurora couldn't sleep that night. Too many thoughts raced in her mind. She was still confused about the letter she had seen from her mother to her father, Soren and Selene's sudden relationship and everything around Luna and Soleil. She decided that tomorrow she would ask Selene if she knew more about their mother than Aurora did, while also getting a closer look at her and Soren. She finally allowed herself to drift off, content with her plan.