Chapter Text
“Where did you get those earrings?”
The Warrior of Light didn’t turn from her spot at the water’s edge. The beauty of Elpis was a welcome reprieve from the horror that had been Thavnair only a few days ago. She wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to relax and catch her breath. She resumed unlacing her boots and straightened to step out of them.
“I asked you a question. Where —“
“I heard you.” The Warrior smiled at the huff of frustration that came from behind her, but she still didn’t turn around. She took off her socks, sighing at the feel of the cool grass on her feet.
“Then answer my question. Tell me where you – what are you doing?”
The Warrior dropped her belt next to her boots on the grass.
“I’m going for a swim.”
“A swim. In the middle of the night. In a body of water that’s home to who knows what sort of creations.”
She finally turned her head and gave him a brilliant grin. “Exactly.”
“You – you’re worse than Azem.” He’d paused halfway through his statement when she’d started to wade into the water. “Your clothes are going to be soaked. They’ll just weigh you down.”
“Patience, Emet-Selch,” The Warrior of Light said as she waded into deeper waters. “You might be surprised.” Before he could say anything in response, the Warrior slipped under the surface and let the change take her. She sighed happily at the immediate feeling of freedom that came with her tail. Moments away from the Scions were extremely rare, and she’d kept the fact that the Fuath’s spell persisted a secret. She’d kept all of her continued ties to Il Mheg secret, in fact. She quickly scanned the water for any large or dangerous creatures, and, finding none, swam towards the surface. When she had wiped the water from her eyes, she was pleased to see not only Emet-Selch, but also Hythlodaeus, standing at the water’s edge.
“Oh, hello, Hythlodaeus.”
The purple-haired man smiled. “Hello. You look like you’re having fun.”
“I am. The water is lovely, and –”
She was interrupted by Emet-Selch finally finding his voice. “You have a tail.”
The Warrior slid her gaze over to him. “I do have a tail.”
“And you can just…summon this tail at will?”
“Yes, but typically only in water. Outside of the water would be unpleasant, I assume.”
“Is there a story behind the tail?” Hythlodaeus asked, obviously curious.
“There is,” the Warrior said with a smile, “and it’s also the story of how I got these earrings.”
Emet-Selch’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me. Now.” “And why should I? It’s not as though you believed anything I had to say earlier today.” The Warrior swam in a lazy circle, feeling mischievous. Feeling fey-like. Feeling unburdened for the first time in twelve knows how long. “I’d rather not lay my heart bare for you to scoff at it. What changed between then and now?”
Hythlodaeus had a hand over his mouth to hide his smile. Emet-Selch, on the other hand, was clearly annoyed. “Those earrings don’t belong to you.”
“They do. They were a gift to me. I did not steal them.”
“A gift? Who gave them to you?”
The Warrior rolled her eyes and smiled. “You did. Well, first you gave me this one –” she pointed to her left ear – “and then the other one not long after.”
“I would not just give them away,” Emet-Selch said with his characteristic scowl. The Warrior felt her heart twist at the sight.
She turned her gaze to Hythlodaeus and shrugged. “See what I mean? I have no reason to tell this story.”
He smiled and walked closer to the water’s edge. “What if I said that I believed you? Would you tell it to me then?”
“I suppose. It isn’t a happy story, though. It doesn’t have a happy ending.”
“That’s alright,” Hythlodaeus said as he sat down in the grass. “I’d like to hear it all the same.”
And so, the Warrior floated on her back and, for the first time, told someone the full story. Her story. The story that had changed her irrevocably, in body and heart. She knew Elidibus had warned her, but honestly, she’d already gone against his words. What harm could a little more do?
Neither of the two men interrupted her. She knew Emet-Selch was listening closely. Only when she was finished did Hythlodaeus say something.
“That…is quite the story.”
The Warrior smiled. “It is, isn’t it? I’m glad you enjoyed it. You have the honor of being the first person I’ve told the whole thing to.”
He smiled as he stood up. “Thank you. It’s late — I should get some rest, as should you two.” He briefly looked at Emet-Selch, and then gave the Warrior a knowing wink. “I’ll see you two in the morning.”
The Warrior gave him a small wave as he walked away. Emet-Selch still stood near the water’s edge, arms crossed, brow furrowed. He waited until Hythlodaeus had left before he spoke. “Will you come out of the water?”
The Warrior considered for a moment, and decided to shift back and walk out of the water. She paused to wring out her hair. “What is it?”
He didn’t immediately respond, and the Warrior quirked an eyebrow. Even in the brief time she had known him, he hadn’t seemed like one for silence or hesitation. Finally, he spoke –
“You do look like her. Almost exactly like her.”
“Where is she?” The Warrior was genuinely curious. The possibility of meeting her past self here in Elpis had crossed her mind briefly.
“Away on a trip. Something about a volcano and a vineyard with exceptional grapes.”
“Ah,” the Warrior said. “You did tell me she was a traveler.”
“What else did I tell you?”
The Warrior took a moment to tie her wet hair back out of her face before responding. “You told me that she was reckless, that she cared more about helping others than her own well-being. That trouble seemed to follow her wherever she went, and that she often dragged you into it.”
Emet-Selch huffed a laugh, almost smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “That all sounds correct.”
“You also told me that you loved her.”
He had no response to that. The Warrior took a moment to brush her fingers through her damp hair, and then she sighed. “I’m not her. I never will be. And you’re not the you that I know, no matter how…” She felt her throat tighten.
“No matter how…?” Emet-Selch waited for her to finish her sentence, one eyebrow quirked.
“No matter how much I might want you to be. When I saw you, I was…excited. I thought, maybe, this would be a second chance. A chance for me to do things right and fix things. But you’re not mine. You’re hers, and you…you should remember that. Always.”
Emet-Selch stared at her like she’d slapped him, his mouth slightly agape. The Warrior sighed and started walking up the hill. “I’m going to try to get some rest. You should too.”
The Warrior didn’t look back until she was far enough away that Emet-Selch wouldn’t see her tears. He was still standing at the edge of the lake, staring out at the blue water. Good, she thought to herself.
Let her words make him appreciate what he had.
What he would lose.
What they both would lose.