The First Tragedy

Life, Trauma/ Loss

Catherine and Vyndius are believed to have died from their excursion in the mines. Fenneck comforts Erikur.

Fenneck walked into his house and looked around. Nobody seemed to be home. He went into the kitchen and found a few bites of jerky to hold him over till dinner. It had been a long day of repairs and Fenneck was hoping his mom had been home to make a dinner by now. He checked the time. It was already seven. His parents had been working later and later these nights and Fenneck found it suspicious. Evelyn had been over the night before so he assumed she wouldn't be back tonight. Fenneck sighed and plopped himself down on his couch and closed his eyes and started meditating. His memories were quite peaceful. Mostly flashes of Evelyn and beautiful green forests he'd never seen. He saw a great, white elk on a hill before him bray loudly and suddenly he heard a loud thud.    He opened his eyes and saw his mother, his father and Erikur laying on the floor in front of him, bloody and injured. "What the hell?!" Fenneck exclaimed in horror. His mother and father had huge scorched gashes across their bodies. Erikur's leg was bleeding profusely. Erikur looked around for a moment as if he was looking for something. "She's gone!" he exclaimed fearfully. Erikur turned to Faina angrily. "Where is she?! What happened to them?!" Faina collapsed into Leonid's arms. "I don't know, Erikur," she croaked as tears started to form in her eyes. "I don't know!" She started sobbing, and clutching her side in pain. Fenneck just stared in shock at the mangled bunch before him. Leonid pulled Faina close to him and wiped away some of her tears. "She can't be gone! She can't be!" Erikur said desperately, still looking around. "They just vanished?!" he exclaimed as he started to cry. "Where did they go?!" He started sobbing.    Fenneck slowly got off the couch and went to them to help Erikur's leg. "What happened to you guys?!" Fenneck asked them, very confused and growing fearful. Erikur collapsed into Fenneck's arms and started sobbing. Fenneck clutched him close and looked up at his father expectantly. "We had to..." Leonid paused for a very long moment thinking about what to say. His eyes were defeated and desperate but he pulled himself together. "We had to take care of a nasty beast that had gotten into the mines," he decided. "Catherine and Vyndius..." He looked down, struggling to get the words out. "They vanished and we aren't sure what happened to them. We had to get out as fast as we could and couldn't wait for them." Fenneck held Erikur tightly. Eventually Faina pulled herself up. "We need to... find Baegla," she said through the pain. Erikur nodded and weakly put his hand on his leg and Fenneck watched him summon a wave of golden magic to heal his wound. The room started to glow and Fenneck watched his parents' wounds heal in Erikur's light. When their wounds were finally closed, Erikur collapsed back into Fenneck's arms, exhausted and defeated. Fenneck caressed him and looked at his parents in fear and confusion. "Take care of him," Faina told Fenneck. "We'll be back soon. Don't let him go home tonight."    Fenneck pulled Erikur onto the couch and helped him lie down as his parents left. He grabbed a blanket, some water and some bread and cheese and forced Erikur to eat a little bit to regain his strength. He was really spooked and Fenneck was feeding him like a small child. Finally, after a couple hours, he spoke again. "I'm sorry, Fen," he whispered sadly. "Why are you sorry?" Fenneck asked him, unable to hide the fear in his voice. "You're the one whose sister disappeared." Erikur looked into his eyes woefully. "I'm sorry I've been lying to you," he said, looking deep into Fenneck's eyes. Fenneck looked at him, even more confused. Erikur continued quietly. "Your parents made me swear not to tell you." "Tell me what?" Fenneck asked him.    At that moment the door opened and Faina and Leonid came in. Erikur got quiet and looked away from Fenneck guiltily. "Fenneck, why don't you go visit Alexei for a few moments?" his mother told him. Fenneck looked down at Erikur and gently kissed his friend's lips. Erikur smiled sweetly at his touch and nodded to tell Fenneck to go. Fenneck reluctantly pulled away from Erikur and slowly walked to the door, eying his parents suspiciously. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the bar. Alexei had a serious look on his face. "Is Erik okay?!" he asked Fenneck worriedly. Fenneck looked around and, seeing that nobody else was with them, nodded slowly. "He's... he's okay. Catherine... and Vyndius are..." Alexei nodded and leaned in toward Fenneck. "Don't talk about that here." Fenneck felt anger and distrust start to boil inside him. Why was everyone lying and keeping secrets from him? He had let them in on his secret. "I have to go," he told Alexei who looked concerned with Fenneck's odd behavior. "Well, here, let's have a drink together," he suggested, a little too desperate for Fenneck to stay, but Fenneck shook his head, already backing up to the door.    Something was wrong. He wanted to see Evelyn. He walked out into the market place and looked around. He went up to the first floor and into their shop. He grabbed one of their cloaks of Elvenkind and tucked it under his arm. He locked the shop back up and went up the lifts into the palace. He got off on the first floor and went outside into the cold wind and snow. He hid behind a wall and threw the cloak on. The magic spread through the cloak as he flipped the hood over his head, causing the color to shift and take on the pure white of the snow around him. Blending in with the snow, he headed toward the stables. He didn't see any guards around and slowly opened the door. He didn't see anybody, pouted for a moment, and went back into the mountain. He returned to the shop and started working on the elvish gown he had started weeks ago, trying to distract himself.    "What on earth are you doing here?!" He jumped and turned to see Naertho enter their office. He looked like he had been woken up. "One of the guards told me that someone was entering and exiting the shop," Naertho explained, still looking at Fenneck for an explanation. Fenneck looked down ashamedly. "I... My parents are keeping something from me," he admitted angrily. "Erikur and Alexei are in on it. I... I just feel... frustrated." He returned his gaze to the gown and started stitching. "They kicked me out and told me to go the bar. Something happened tonight and they were injured and I know they were lying about what really happened, but then Alexei was also acting suspicious so I left and came here," he spewed out angrily.    Naertho took a heavy sigh and walked over and pulled Fenneck into a hug. He leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Oh, Fenny," he said sadly. "Your parents... they... the things they do are dangerous." He pulled Fenneck away from him to look into his face. "They are trying to protect you. I pray you trust them, and myself, in this." Naertho's eyes pleaded with Fenneck. "Well why do Erikur and Alexei know?!" Fenneck argued. "Why are they involved?" Naertho sighed and sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for Fenneck to sit as well. Fenneck hesitantly sat down across from him. "Your parents are... politically minded people, Fen. Erikur and Alexei happen to share their beliefs on a lot of these matters and occasionally get involved." He looked up into Fenneck's eyes with concern. "Faina doesn't want you caught up in it in case things go wrong. She and Leonid decided that your safety was more important. They were worried that if Alexei and Erikur told you, you'd naturally want to help as well. I beg of you though, do not try to get involved at this point. It's much safer if you focus on your training here."    Naertho stood and walked over to the gown draped on the dress form and studied it. "You show real promise, Fenneck. Your mother and father want you to have a good life. A safe life. They want you to be able to have a family and a career and you are well on your way to achieving those things." He caressed the shimmery blue and green fabric. "Perhaps it's time you found a place of your own? I did receive an order from the youngest duchess today, requesting your work." Fenneck's ears perked up at this and a smile crept onto his face at the thought of Evelyn. "Seems like you're going to put me out of business." Naertho smiled proudly at Fenneck. "I can help you file for a house of your own, as a tailor, if you'd like?" he suggested. Fenneck smiled at the idea. "Are... are you sure I'm ready?" he asked his uncle. Naertho laughed. "You'll be a tailor on paper, but you'll always be my apprentice." Fenneck sighed happily. "Thank you, Naertho. For everything. I hope I make you proud one day," he told him. Naertho waved his hand at his nephew. "Oh please, my boy. You already have. Though, perhaps you shouldn't sneak in here so late at night anymore." He nodded to the door with a look of annoyance. "These guards are paranoid and they insist on bothering me when a mouse sneaks in under the door sometimes." Fenneck chuckled. Naertho walked over to him and held out his arms for a hug. Fenneck stood up and hugged his uncle tightly. "Thank you!" he said as his face pressed against his uncle's soft, fur lined, floor length robe that looked like something a king would wear. "Of course, Fenneck. I'm so glad to be such a big part of your life. I'm so proud of the man you are growing up to become." Naertho kissed his head again and pulled away. "Now go home and get some rest. We'll figure out the details in the morning!"    They both left and Fenneck headed down to his home. He hesitated at the door for a brief moment before opening it and seeing Faina comforting Erikur on the couch. Leonid was pacing the living room and there was a halfling woman with short blonde hair sitting on the other side of Erikur whom Fenneck didn't recognize. They looked up when Fenneck entered and the little halfling woman stood up abruptly, "Well, I must be off. It's getting quite late," she announced. "Of course, thank you," Faina told her. Leonid spoke. "Fenneck, this is our friend, Baegla. Baegla, this is our son, Fenneck." Fenneck politely nodded to the woman. "How do you do?" he greeted her. She looked Fenneck over intensely before smiling somewhat mischievously. "Quite well, Fenneck. Quite well. You have your mother's face," she commented. Fenneck smiled. "So I've been told." She smiled at him again before sighing and heading to the door. "Goodnight, my friends," she said, waving a hand over her shoulder before exiting their house.    Fenneck turned back to his parents and Erikur. "You weren't at the bar," Leonid commented a bit aggressively. "No," Fenneck agreed. "I went up to the shop to work on something. Naertho came in and... he got another order from the duchess requesting my work specifically so he decided to... promote me. He thinks he can help me apply for my own house," he told them. Faina smiled sweetly at this news. Leonid considered it and nodded. "That's wonderful, Fen," he seemed a bit agitated and distracted. "You'll be moving up in the world! Literally!"    Fenneck suddenly realized that that meant moving to the first level. Especially with Evelyn's help in requesting his work. He wasn't sure how he felt about such a change. He saw Erikur still looked morbid and he walked over to sit next to his friend. Erikur leaned against him as Fenneck joined them on the couch. "Fenneck, will you rest here with Erikur tonight?" Faina asked him. "Of course, mum," he told her as he wrapped an arm around Erikur. Leonid helped Faina up off the couch and they went to their room.    Erikur looked at Fenneck sadly. "She's gone, Fen," he said despondently. Fenneck wrapped his arms around Erikur. "I'm so sorry, Erik," he said empathetically. Erikur sniffled. "Fen, about what I was saying earlier-" "Stop," Fenneck cut him off. "You don't have to tell me anything, Erik. I understand. I... don't want to know." He and Erikur shared an understanding look and Erikur sighed a sigh of relief. "If you ever do, just ask. Our friendship is more important, Fen," Erikur told him desperately. "I hate that we've been fighting because of it recently," he said remorsefully. Fenneck nodded and leaned in and kissed Erikur's lips for a few moments. "Will Evelyn be jealous?" Erikur pulled back nervously. Fenneck shrugged. "It's just a kiss," he said. "Besides... I... I don't know... I can't imagine a world where I can't kiss you anymore," he told Erikur lovingly. Erikur smiled and sniffled before laying his head against Fenneck's chest. "I love you, Fen," he said as he wrapped a blanket around them. "I love you too, Erik," Fenneck told him before kissing him sweetly on the head and closing his eyes to meditate.