Gone

Writers: Clancey
Date Posted: 30th September 2005

Characters: Daynar, Dayn
Description: Daynar's eldest son comes to tell him that Otriana has been murdered.
Location: Smith Hall (NPC)
Date: month 8, day 1 of Turn 3

"Father?" Daynar looked up from a pile of reports on the progress of the journeymen, and smiled at his son Dayn stepped into his workshop. It was late in the evening, and Daynar hadn't even noticed that Otriana had not returned from her trip to Market. Since she occasionally would stay over at the Hold with the Ladies there, Daynar did not mind, as long as she made sure someone fixed his dinner - usually Otrina - and took care of the other woman's work about the Hall. It was unusual for Dayn to visit, and his father wondered what had brought this on. His oldest was an accomplished glassmith, and Daynar was quite proud of him and the family he was producing. "Good day, Dayn. Come in and tell me what you are working on! And what brings you by so late in the evening?" The Hallmaster looked again at his son's familiar face. Dayn's eyes were dark with grief and sadness, and he was much paler than normal under his work-scarred hands and features. When the Hallmaster looked up to meet his son's eyes, he noticed all this and his smile faltered. "Son?" Dayn raised his chin and put on the strength he'd been raised to show and said quietly, "Mother is dead. She was robbed and murdered on the way to Market." No tears fell from Dayn's eyes, though it was clear the young man was holding them back. Daynar stared at him for a moment. Shock made its way across his face before he swallowed that emotion; grief followed, though that vanished soon after, and then finally anger reigned. The large smith rose to his feet with a bellow of disbelief. "MY wife? MURDERED?" were the first words out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying and feeling. "How could anyone dare murder MY wife?" His pride affronted, he almost wasn't as angry about her death as that someone would dare to cause it.

"FATHER! She was our mother too! And she was stabbed in the back!"
Dayn's anguished voice cracked across the bellowing of his father. "And ROBBED?" As if he had not heard his son's words at all. His boys were all somewhat like him in their thoughts and attitudes, but their mother had been special and loved all her sons without stint, all their lives. "Who would dare!?!" Angrier still, the Hallmaster threw the stack of papers from his desk and his fist pounded into the stout wood. "I'll have his head for this, whoever it was! It was probably that thief you still haven't found!" He pointed a finger at Dayn. "Who would DARE!?" He said again. Dayn said several curses, and then turned and left his father to his so-called grief, not understanding that this was the Hallmaster's only way to deal with the truth that was only now beginning to settle in his bones. "And don't come back until you've found her murderer and brought him to justice!" yelled the Hallmaster. "The pride of the Hall is at stake!"

Dayn made no pretense of seeing or hearing him, and the door slammed shut behind him. Because he left, Dayn also did not see the great, powerful Mastersmith that was his father collapse to his chair, shaking from head to toe.
Visions flashed through his head suddenly; blond hair cascading across a pillow, small, perfect features turned shyly away on their wedding night, the birth of Dayn and all his other sons, save one of course, and finally twin blond females who secretly made Daynar prouder than anything as he watched one grow into beauty and one age with consummate grace. Gone. She was gone. Although he would never admit it to anyone later, Daynar felt tears burning his eyes as he sank back to his desk, head in his hands.

Last updated on the October 1st 2005

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