The Prodigal Son Returns

With his cloak billowing behind him in the warm southern air, Elean stops to take a drink of the cool, fresh spring water from his old sancuary. He had found many such sancuaries in his travels, but none could compare to this. As he lay on his back to look at nature's roof, a flashback of his youth with Nedlidee. He quickly wipes the tears away with the back of his hand, as the letter from his parents had seemed urgent. So, with that in mind, he picks himself up and walks briskly towards his home.

Upon his arrival, he is met with a few grim-looking faces that make eye contact with him, and turn away. Sensing that something is undoubtly wrong, he sprints the rest of the way to his parents house. There seemed to be more people around the house than in the whole town. All wore grim or tear-stricken faces. One woman that was his teacher came up to him and hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Have strength, child." With his heart beating frantically with worry, he marches quickly up to the door and slowly opens it. His father looks up at the sound, and rushes over to hug him. Elean returns the hug but then asks, "Father, what is going on?" Elean could see the happiness drain from his face as a few tears rolled down his cheeks, and fell to the wood floor. With an arm around his son, he pushes open the door to his parent's room, to find his mother in bed, looking pale and very thin. Elean breaks from his father's hold and rushes to his mother's side.

His mother cups a hand on his cheek, and tries to form words, but no voice comes. "She is dying, she is sick. We do not know how to treat this disease. I'm sorry to say, but she will die soon." Hearing his words, he does not turn around, yet he holds her hand against his cheek, and brushes some hair from her face. With tears rolling down his face and onto and down her arm, he croaks the words "I love you mother. Please, don't die on me." She looks into his eyes that fill with tears as she mouths the words "I love you too." With those breathless words said, her arm goes limp in his grasp, and the air from her lungs is exhaled, never to again fill with air, or spill out laughter. He kneeled there, looking into those lifeless eyes briefly before putting a hand to her forhead, and gently closing her eyes. With a final goodbye, he places a kiss on her forhead, and weeps at her side for a long time.

With his eyes dried out, he wipes the residue of tears away and crosses her arms over her chest. He turns to his father still standing there "How is she to be honored?"
"We will be making a funeral pyre." He answers solemnly. His father pulls up a chair and tells him to sit in it, then he walks out to begin the construction of the pyre. Elean does not sleep, nor drink or eat. He just stares at the lifeless body of the person who comforted him, and taught him everything he knew. He had no more tears to give.

When his father came back in and nodded to him, he rose and picked up his mother, and very gently carried her out into the night. He carried her to the center of the village, where everyone was standing around a large bed of wood. The townspeople move out of his way as he walks towards the pyre, and sets her down. He turns to his father, and he gives Elean the torch. He stares at the torch burn and sputter before slowly touching it to the base of the pyre, and steps back a few paces. Watching the body burn, he closes his eyes and says a silent prayer. This was how they honored Nedlidee. This was how they honored his mother. He stood there until the break of dawn, when the flames finally died down to coals, and stood there some more, after the others had left. He turns around when he hears footsteps behind him. It was his father, and he was carrying something, a necklace. He had seen his mother wear it on many occasion. As his father approached, he held out the necklace to him, "Your mother wanted to give this to you. It has been passed down for generations." He takes the necklace and places it in a leather pouch, and snaps it close.
"I will keep it safe, father." With a final embrace that seemed to last days, he broke apart and began walking out of town, back towards Tel'Ruid.

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> With his cloak billowing behind him in the warm southern air, Elean stops to take a drink of the cool, fresh spring water from his old sancuary. He had found many such sancuaries in his travels, but none could compare to this. As he lay on his back to look at nature's roof, a flashback of his youth with Nedlidee. He quickly wipes the tears away with the back of his hand, as the letter from his parents had seemed urgent. So, with that in mind, he picks himself up and walks briskly towards his home. > Upon his arrival, he is met with a few grim-looking faces that make eye contact with him, and turn away. Sensing that something is undoubtly wrong, he sprints the rest of the way to his parents house. There seemed to be more people around the house than in the whole town. All wore grim or tear-stricken faces. One woman that was his teacher came up to him and hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Have strength, child." With his heart beating frantically with worry, he marches quickly up to the door and slowly opens it. His father looks up at the sound, and rushes over to hug him. Elean returns the hug but then asks, "Father, what is going on?" Elean could see the happiness drain from his face as a few tears rolled down his cheeks, and fell to the wood floor. With an arm around his son, he pushes open the door to his parent's room, to find his mother in bed, looking pale and very thin. Elean breaks from his father's hold and rushes to his mother's side. > His mother cups a hand on his cheek, and tries to form words, but no voice comes. "She is dying, she is sick. We do not know how to treat this disease. I'm sorry to say, but she will die soon." Hearing his words, he does not turn around, yet he holds her hand against his cheek, and brushes some hair from her face. With tears rolling down his face and onto and down her arm, he croaks the words "I love you mother. Please, don't die on me." She looks into his eyes that fill with tears as she mouths the words "I love you too." With those breathless words said, her arm goes limp in his grasp, and the air from her lungs is exhaled, never to again fill with air, or spill out laughter. He kneeled there, looking into those lifeless eyes briefly before putting a hand to her forhead, and gently closing her eyes. With a final goodbye, he places a kiss on her forhead, and weeps at her side for a long time. > With his eyes dried out, he wipes the residue of tears away and crosses her arms over her chest. He turns to his father still standing there "How is she to be honored?" > "We will be making a funeral pyre." He answers solemnly. His father pulls up a chair and tells him to sit in it, then he walks out to begin the construction of the pyre. Elean does not sleep, nor drink or eat. He just stares at the lifeless body of the person who comforted him, and taught him everything he knew. He had no more tears to give. > When his father came back in and nodded to him, he rose and picked up his mother, and very gently carried her out into the night. He carried her to the center of the village, where everyone was standing around a large bed of wood. The townspeople move out of his way as he walks towards the pyre, and sets her down. He turns to his father, and he gives Elean the torch. He stares at the torch burn and sputter before slowly touching it to the base of the pyre, and steps back a few paces. Watching the body burn, he closes his eyes and says a silent prayer. This was how they honored Nedlidee. This was how they honored his mother. He stood there until the break of dawn, when the flames finally died down to coals, and stood there some more, after the others had left. He turns around when he hears footsteps behind him. It was his father, and he was carrying something, a necklace. He had seen his mother wear it on many occasion. As his father approached, he held out the necklace to him, "Your mother wanted to give this to you. It has been passed down for generations." He takes the necklace and places it in a leather pouch, and snaps it close. > "I will keep it safe, father." With a final embrace that seemed to last days, he broke apart and began walking out of town, back towards Tel'Ruid.
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