The Six

Chapter Forty Three- Grief

"Why are you not happy, Eboni?" Bren exclaimed, abashed by her saddened state. "We won! The battle is over!"

Eboni scoffed in reply. "The battle is hardly over. I will be in that battle for the rest of my life, every time I close my eyes I will see the people I killed, I will see our fallen friends. Every time there is silence I will hear their screams in my ears as though they are stood in front of me." She sobbed, holding her head in her hands. "So no, the battle is not over."

They were sat on her bed, morning bread and juice forgotten on a small side table next to them as Bren held her in his arms.

"Eboni, my sister, I am so sorry. I cannot begin to fathom the images that are playing through your mind right now." Bren said, holding her closer.

"How can the others be so calm? How can they act as though this never happened!" She cried out. "It is as though they are cold and unfeeling!"

Their heads shot up as a knock sounded on the open door to her room.

High Priest Jon stood in the doorway, his arms folded in front of him.

"I came to check on you my child, and I am glad I chose this moment to intrude." He sighed walking forward. "I am hearted to see you awake and well." He sat at a chair by her side and clasped her hand in his.

She nodded, looking over him for any injury, satisfied that she couldn't see one, she smiled.

"I was not injured, nor was our acting High Priestess. But there are those who will not be making the return journey home with us. I thought it best to come and break the news to you myself."

"It would have been naïve of me to think that all our Brothers and Sisters would have survived." She replied, looking down to hide the anguish in her eyes.

"They are with our creator now, and we will never forget them." He squeezed her hand comfortingly. "But I see that you are troubled, my child."

Eboni rolled her eyes, releasing his hand so she could push herself to the other side of the bed, away from them both.

"Since when was grieving for lost friends and family called being troubled." She scoffed.

"Grief is, and always will be, a part of loss." High Priest Jon started, leaning back in his chair to survey her. "But you should know that everyone is going through it in their own way. I know this is hard, but in time we will move on. Living our lives to their fullest potential is what is going to honour the fallen the most. Now is the time we should be embracing our friends, not pushing them away."

Eboni looked away from his gaze, focusing instead on the blue skies out of her window.

"I will leave you both to ponder what I just said."

"Thank you, High Priest Jon." Bren replied as he walked out of her room.

She continued to stare out of the window in silence, her breathing ragged as she held back her tears.

"I am a horrible person." Eboni said, finally breaking. She looked over to Bren before scooping him up in a tight hug.

"You are hardly horrible." He chuckled in reply, patting her back soothingly.

"I am. I haven't even asked how you are, how it was for you." She replied, sitting back so she could look at him.

He sighed, his shoulders stooping. "I am not going to lie, it was hard. I was in surrounded by darkness and silence, and it took everything within me to keep my concentration so I could push my shield over the island."