Shadewalker || ONC 2024

Epilogue: The Cardinal

Months passed, and they passed very slowly. Most days, Iris found that she felt numb, and her daily life became a mechanical routine of wake, dress, eat, and sleep - along with any other necessaries. She had completed her studies with little to no fanfare, and while her father had thrown himself into his work, she spent her days quietly sitting at her window, paging through the book that she had once thrown at her brother when he was still alive.

Occasionally, a letter from Talan would arrive, or he would come to call and break up the monotony when his work brought him near Whychfeld. He had not reached out with the intent to romance her since the day that Erold died, and for that, she was grateful. She had needed time.

Today was not unlike any of the other days. She sat in her spot by the window with her book and let it fall open to a page - any page - just as she normally did. A bit of birdsong caught her ear, and she looked up to see a cardinal hopping along a branch outside her window. He was red and jolly, and he chirped as if he had not a care in the world. Iris smiled, and the cardinal tilted his head and hopped a bit more, as if to ask why she didn't come outside. The air was warm, and the sun was shining, and it would be a shame to stay in all day.

Fair enough. Iris closed her book and readied herself for a walk. Fresh air would do her some good, perhaps. And perhaps this day would be a good day to relinquish some of her numbness, if only for a little while.

When she stepped out the front door, Iris noticed that there was someone at the front gate. Yes, that would be Talan. He had sent a letter the week before notifying her that he would be in the area again. Iris surprised herself by greeting him brightly.

"Hello, Talan!" she called, and Talan raised his eyebrows.

"You're out and about," he observed, and Iris hid a smile. He was still as obvious as ever. The white gauze covering his missing eye had since been replaced by a black eyepatch, and he'd gotten himself a new pair of spectacles. The effect was an odd mix of comical and handsome.

At one point, she had also thought to find something to cover the deep scarring along her cheek. Masks that covered half of her face were difficult to come by and uncomfortable to wear though. Iris found that she would simply have to make do with becoming comfortable with her scars. She reached the front gate and folded her hands in front of her.

"I have decided that today would be a fine day for a walk. And I find that I am somewhat in need of an opportunity to brush up on my plant identification skills," she said, fully aware that this was something she had been neglecting for quite some time. In the distance, the cardinal chirped again. "You are more than welcome to join me if this is of any interest to you."

Talan grinned. "Fair enough," he said. "Lead the way."

Chapter word count; 544

Cumulative word count: 29696