Swords and Staffs

16. A new beginning

A month later...

Today was the day. The day of which I wasn't looking forward to. The day of the funeral. I was hesitant to go. Knowing that, if I came to the secret funeral that Father Joan had helped prepare, I would finally have to say goodbye. Aaldin's heralds would take him to a place where I could no longer plead for his life. It would mean that he would be gone. I hated that thought. Alistair Penteghast, gone. My one and only love, snatched out of my life forever. Never coming back. We didn't even get to officialise our love with the touch of gold at our fingers before he was taken away. Before, death swept him away from me.

Father Joan had prepared a lovely funeral. Full of beautifully lit candles and small bouquets of poppies and daisies. He always did love his wildflowers. I had planned for it to be more of a memorial than a funeral. We didn't have his body, so we couldn't bury him. I was heartbroken about that. That we couldn't actually send his body off to Aaldin. We couldn't ensure that he had the afterlife he deserved. But what could we do?

As soon as I woke up that morning, there was a dreadful episode of father screaming in my face and telling me how much of a failure and disappointment I was. I was therefore kicked out of the fortress and banned from ever returning. Not that I wanted to ever return. As soon as that happened, I ran to the church in dire need of a place to stay. Father Joan had told me that I could stay for as long as I needed. So, I did, until I had found a kind innkeeper who had let me stay until I had enough gold to buy myself a home.

I was thinking all of this whilst walking to our safe place. And as I had thought of all ready, I was contemplating whether to turn back now or keep going.

"Come one Arlene. You can do it. Stay strong. Stay strong for Ali," I told myself over and over again. Before I knew it, I had finally arrived.

Father Joan was standing by the partially-withered bench, ready to conduct the ceremony. The wooden structure was no longer in its full glory. It was now mangled and decrepit.

I felt a chill down my spine. A sudden spout of fear had overcome me which caused me to stop in my tracks. I looked down at the ground, barely containing my sorrow, tears blurring my vision and some escaping and rolling down my black dress. Father Joan raced towards me.

"Come, come now Miss Mccloud, you don't want him to see you like this before we send him off to Aaldin. He is in a better place now," The priest reassured me, patting my back.

"I know," I answered, not really agreeing with my answer, and following him through the gates. We gathered round a tree across from the bench. I carved a quote into the bark whilst Father Joan neatly placed flowers and candles in a circled surrounding the gravestone. I stood backwards to admire my work. It read "Ali and Arly, we may be apart, but will never be alone". I sniffled quietly, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I felt a fraction on my heart burst into shards of obsidian. After grieving for a while, we finished by saying our prayers to Aaldin above.