Edmyn

Written by Susie
"I had picked up a rock, you know." She paused, looking over her Uncle's exhausted face. His brow was furrowed, a light sheen of sweat clung to it. Whether that was from the heat, exhaustion, or his infected leg wound, she did not know. "That evening in the mountains, when I awoke from the poison."

Edmyn let out a small grunt, Myria couldn't quite divine it's meaning, but as she dabbed at his forehead, she continued, "I was ready to hurt you, to kill you if I must. Or try to, at least."

The words seemed to hang in the air as they left her lips, as Myria spoke aloud thoughts she had kept to herself for days. Her pensieve silence was broken by the sound of a low chuckle in Edmyn's throat, "I have no doubt at all," he whispered, "you are Alyse's daughter, a fierce woman of House Blackmont." His hand reached out to take Myria's, it was dirty, chapped, and rough, but she did not pull away. "May I ask why you spared my life?" He asked, a light mocking to his tone.

"I saw you, and I saw your pain. I saw the grief of the men you lost, and the fear of what you had done. I saw a broken man, not a monster." She squeezed his hand lightly, "and when you tried to comfort me, and I flinched from you, I saw that look too."

Myria's eyes began to burn as if awaiting the sting of years, yet none came. Their march across the mountains had been a long and difficult one, and their captors had not be generous with food and water. She looked away to gather herself, and took a few deep breaths before returning to attend to her Uncle.

"I'm sorry that I was so angry with you, that I was difficult, I-," her voice became a whisper, "I was just so scared. But I was at Summerhall too, although... that was a different kind of fear." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at Edmyn. His face had relaxed, the pain of his leg wound kept temporarily at bay by a deep sleep.

Myria lightly kissed his cheek. "Thank you", she whispered before curling up beside him. She closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to drift to happier memories as she succumbed to unconsciousness.