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“Ah, thank the Fury, you’ve returned safe!” The old woman, Meduil, sighed in relief upon seeing the young blonde Miqo’te enter through the doorway to her bedside, “For a moment, I chanced to think I had sent you off to your death too.”
Katsum stopped at the foot of the bed, her stoic expression ever hiding her thoughts as she replied, “Nay, though the beast was a formidable one, I did lay it low as you’ve asked, madam. It shall plague the mountain caves no more.”
The woman smiled and nodded, “Bless you, kind girl. Thank you. You’ve done a great kindness for this old woman.”
“Also, while I went searching for the creature, I found something amongst some forgotten pieces of armor.”
“Oh?” Katsum opened her hand and held out the rosary to her and Meduil stopped breathing for a moment, taking it with shaking hands, “You found his rosary… Oh Bless you, child.” She stared down at the green bead work and the blue-tinted metalwork that held it all together, all down to the symbol of Halone crafted out of the same blue metal. Katsum watched her, observing and listening.
“As bright as the day his father put it around his neck…It’s made of mythril and malachite you see, and while the gems may one day lose their luster, the mythril shall never fade they say,” She laughed softly, looking back up at Katsum for a moment, “Not like life, eh?”
Katsum didn’t respond.
The woman shook her head, “I don’t blame you for not answering or knowing. You’ve still got many years before you understand,” She looked back down again, “‘Fall to a dragon, go to heaven. Fall to aught else’…who gives two hells?…That’s the Ishgard way.”
Katsum narrowed her eyes in confusion, “What do you mean by that?”
Meduil met her gaze with a sad smile, “I wouldn’t expect you to know our troubles much. Especially if you hail from a land as far away from here as you look. We’ve been at war with the dragons for centuries. And it’s all anyone ever cares about, even my boy. All he ever talked about was getting stronger so he could slay his own dragon one day. He was a scout, you see, and a good one I’m told. Scouts aren’t meant to fight, only observe and report back and though it can be dangerous, they often hardly ever see a day of real fighting with anything.”
Katsum shifted, “So what happened then?”
Meduil herself shifted and slowly seated herself on the bed and sighed, “Well, he got stuck out in a blizzard one day and couldn’t find his way back in the storm. You have to be careful traveling through Coerthas and some places have deep trenches carved out in the rocks. One wrong move when you can’t see what you are going and you fall a few thousand yalms to a stony death. So instead of tempting fate, he sought shelter in the caves of the Ogre’s Belly to weather out the storm. And there he met the beast that killed him…”
Katsum noticed her hand shake a little, “The storm ended and they went looking for him. And find him they did, but in the eyes of Ishgard, he died a fool’s death for having wandered so far in such a storm…and…fools they say deserve no justice…” The woman’s hands shook furiously now and a teardrop fell on her hand, “They found him…and they left him…his body, his belongings, left everything where it lay. His own comrades.”
Katsum stepped forward and knelt down beside Meduil and laid a hand on hers, trying the best that the stoic knightess could to comfort the elderly woman as she cried. Never had Katsum heard such injustice. What difference did it make whether he died by a dragon’s teeth or by the claws of the gorgotaur? He still died in the service of his nation, making sure the mountains were as safe as they could be for any future marches through there. The very thought made Katsum’s heart shake with anger.
“But you didn’t, did you?” The Miqo’te’s ears perked as she looked up into the teary eyed woman’s face, “You picked this up and brought it home to me, and I thank you for that. You have a good heart and such a noble soul to keep your promise and do a kind thing for an old woman like me.”
She took Katsum’s hands in hers firmly and nodded, “You…are the justice I sought, adventurer, and now I may live out my days in peace.” She reaches into her pocket and pulled out a small brown pouch and placed it in Katsum’s hands.
“Madam, I-”
“Take it, please. You’ve done me a great kindness. Let me repay you for it.” The warmth in Meduil sad smile made Katsum go quiet and she nodded. She let go of her hands and Katsum stood to her feet again.
“I pray your travels go well, sweet girl. And that you will be safe going through these icy lands.”
“Thank you, madam.” Katsum bowed respectfully, “And I am sorry for your loss.”
“‘Twas a long time ago child, but thank you all the same.”
As Katsum turn and left the room and descended the stairs, she eyed the knights that she passed, clutching the pouch of Gil close to her. She pushed through the doors out into the snow, stopping to look up at the sky and the spires of Camp Dragonhead as they pointed to the heavens. Though the quest Meduil had given her was finished, Katsum was not done. With a deep breath, she nodded and started forward again, a determined look in her eyes.
She would see justice done.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
She sighed as she set down the large stone, her breath coming out as a cloud before her. She stood at the entrance of the Ogre’s Belly, arranging the rocks over the hole she’d just finished filling up until she was happy with it. She then pulled out the chisel and hammer she’d just purchased and bore down on the rock, carving out the words:
Ser Mandailan
Son of Meduil
May he watch over any who enter here
ever more and keep them safe
Her work finished, Katsum moved back enough to be respectful and knelt down to pray before the stone, praying for the soul to be welcomed into the arms of heaven if it had not already, that Halone would find his soul where it was lot and lead him to the Savior’s home in the heavens.
“Amen,” A warm wind blew past her and Katsum lifted her eyes to look about her, but she saw nothing and no one around her. She only heard what she thought was the faintest whisper of a voice that came from deep within the cave that said: Thank you.