FFXIV Collection

A Smile For A Hero

The snow crunched quietly beneath her Allagan-made boots as she trudged out the gates of Ishgard. The icy wind lashed at her face, it would have torn the warm hood of her cloak from her head if her gloved hand wasn't gripping it in place.

She had heard the warnings from everyone, from Alphinaud, from Tataru and even from Estinien who usually left her to her own devices. They had warned her about the coming blizzard. The blizzard which now raged around her as she ventured further into the Coerthas Highlands towards Camp Dragonhead. She hadn't told them her plans, she hadn't even hinted at them and yet they all seemed to know. She huffed, her breath turning to mist as it hit the cold air.

When she finally arrived at Camp Dragonhead her hands were numb with the cold, she quickly entered the familiar stone outpost building pushing open its heavy wooden doors with all her strength. Pulling down the hood of her cloak she shook off the snow that had built up before her now ungloved hands fumbled to unclip the strap that secured her grimoire to her waist. Her fingers traced the embossed silver cover of the book, it had tarnished turning a gaudy green at parts as silver is want to do, before flipping it open to the front page.

There in languid curling script was not the geometry of arcane incantations that filled the rest of the book but instead a simple message.

                                                                   To My Dearest, Sigyn.

                            I hope this grimoire serves you well through all that's to come.

                                                                     Faithfully Yours,

                                                                       Haurchefant

Sigyn felt the edges of her mouth tug up towards a smile. Haurchefant had known as well as she had that she would quickly outgrow this simple grimoire. They had both known but neither of them had been surprised when Sigyn had continued to keep the obsolete tome on her person. Softly closing the book she placed it back in its holster. The Outpost was void of people, who Sigyn could only speculate had returned home. After all anyone out in this weather must have a deathwish.

Sigyn almost sniggered at the thought. Warrior of Light, so called Hero of Eorzea and Saviour of Ishgard. The woman who brought low the gods of old and dragons alike, killed by a little snow. She was sure the Garleans would have a field day with that one.

The room she had entered before was as unfamiliar to her now as it was the first day she had strode in, uninvited, demanding assistance in locating an airship that had crashed nearby decades earlier.

Since that day this place had become a home away from home, there was always a place at the dinner table for her and there was always a warm bed to occupy. Haurchefant had made sure of it.

But today there was no warm candlelight filling the room, no Elezen guards breaking their stoic personas to smile as she brought them trinkets and snacks back from Ishgard and most importantly no silver haired knight sitting behind the desk at the center of the room. No Haurchefant.

She knew exactly where he would place his cup on the desk after taking a sip of hot cacao. Knew exactly where he hid his ginger cookies so that the guards wouldn't make fun of his sweet tooth. She also knew where he was now.

What she didn't know is why she was here. This was but a stop on the way to her final destination, a stop she had felt she had to make. Now, standing in this room, she didn't know why.