Swan Song

Chapter 38 - Sophie

The days between her death and the planting were a blur. Me and Keefe were spending more time together, him being my rock. Often I would fall asleep crying on his chest and he would just hold me. He didn't say everything would be alright, he didn't try to make it perfect. He just listened. And that was exactly what I needed.

I stood infront of my new mirror. Now that Vertina was Jolie's, I had a new mirror. I wore an emerald green dress, the bottom was wispy and the top was silken. I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling back a small portion of it with a green clip. I only stared for a moment, until I heard a knock on my door. I looked to it, expecting to find Keefe.

Instead, Biana stood there.

"Hey Biana." I said.

"Hey Sophie. How are you doing?" She asked coming in. She was wearing a gorgeous floor length dress, her hair in an intricate updo. 

"Im okay. What about you?" I asked. She smiled, a sad, broken smile. None of us had realized how much Linh meant to our group. 

"Honestly? Not very good. But I'm getting by. We all are." I nodded with her, sighing.

"I suppose we should get going." I mumbled, straightening my dress. Biana nodded, and we both walked out of my room meeting Edaline and Grady upstairs. Della, Alden and Fitz were there to, I don't know why. I had almost stopped caring about the way he would either glare at me, or stare longingly. Sure, it was awkward but I had more pressing concerns. He didn't have to matter. 

Grady called out, "Wanderling Woods." 

This was the third planting I had been too. I didn't want to go to another, but I knew I would. Keefe's was next. 

I stared blankly ahead as we walked through the trees to where Linhs would be planted. Tam stood at the spot her seed would be planted. His hair was a mess, and he had circles under his eyes that rivaled my own. He barely noticed us, he just stared at where her tree would be. Glimmer stood behind him, her hands behind her back. She almost looked like a soldier at attention with her straight stance and feet planted firmly. She still wore a hood, but instead of her usual black hood it was green. This was a planting after all.

I looked around, noticing Tam and Linhs parents making their way towards Tam.

"Tam..." Mai stepped forward, placing her hand in his shoulder. Tam shook it off, spinning towards her.

"What are doing her?" He growled dangerously.

"It's our daughters planting, we deserve to be here." Quan growled back.

"No. No you don't. If it wasn't for you, she never would have gone to Exilium! You pushed us both away, tried to force us to be something we aren't!" He yelled, "I'm sick of you trying to pretend its all okay. Just... just go." His voice became more quiet and in a way, less... sane. 

They didn't dare to say anything else to him, the look in his eyes was dangerous. Tam simply went back to staring at the ground, placing his hands in his pockets. 

Soon the council appeared, and I watched numbly as they proceeded with the planting. I barely listened, or even watched until they actually planted the seed. I blinked the tears out of my eyes as a tree sprouted out of the ground.

The bark was dark, with silver etchings that seemed to move like waves in a calm ocean. It was a weeping willow, with black leaves, and silver flowers that started thin at the top but covered the ends of each branch. Everything about it screamed Linh. The petit form, the soft song the leaves made when the wind blew through them... everything about it was her.

Only a reminder,

That Linh Song was...

Dead.

In memory of Linh Song

Friend, sister, team mate and everyones favorite character.

Is that just cruel? I'm sorry.