His steps were light upon the ground as he passed over the fading snow, Deepfrost melting into Flowerbirth with every passing hour. The return of the sun had brought more than just light back to the world; a faint promise of warmth and cheerful birdsong accompanied him even in the twilight hour as life returned to a world too long buried beneath winter’s restful mantle.
He sang softly as he walked, the song that had become comfort and talisman against the blight and the darkness of LongNight both, calling to any other souls that might have been wandering the edges of the dark as he carried his lantern high and proud. Friends had been lost and Ru’in’s soul had escaped them, but next year he would be ready, and they would not be so foolish as to go alone. The return of the sun had not freed him of his self-imposed burdens, but it had lifted much of the weight for a while under a renewed sense of optimism and a lightness in his chest where the last dregs of the Blight had finally burned away.
He was alive. Rory was alive. Sam and Amalia, Remi and Ronin and Aoife, Deimos and Kiada, Melita and Rexanna… some had been lost, yes, but others who were dear to him had survived and he was grateful for their continued presence in his life. Of those who were not so lucky, many of the souls that had been lost in the dark had been gathered into the lantern’s gentle glow and now he could bring them to the one who could lead them safely home to Mort’s bright halls.
Isuma fluttered down, chirruping brightly to show him the early-awakening insect she had caught: a brilliant blue beetle that gleamed iridescent in the lantern’s light. He chuckled and sent his love to her as they reached the Shrine in the Glade and knelt before the altar stones, laying out his candle and the roughly – but earnestly – carved little wooden fox that he had made, sitting at Rory’s side before LongNight had separated them. Isuma added her beetle before sitting back on her best behavior, feathers fluffed in excitement. Jigano stroked her fuzzy head fondly before he set the lantern down as well, bowing his head.
”Ludo,” he prayed, ”I’ve brought them, some souls who would very much like to see you. Will you lead them the rest of their way to Mort?”
He sang softly as he walked, the song that had become comfort and talisman against the blight and the darkness of LongNight both, calling to any other souls that might have been wandering the edges of the dark as he carried his lantern high and proud. Friends had been lost and Ru’in’s soul had escaped them, but next year he would be ready, and they would not be so foolish as to go alone. The return of the sun had not freed him of his self-imposed burdens, but it had lifted much of the weight for a while under a renewed sense of optimism and a lightness in his chest where the last dregs of the Blight had finally burned away.
He was alive. Rory was alive. Sam and Amalia, Remi and Ronin and Aoife, Deimos and Kiada, Melita and Rexanna… some had been lost, yes, but others who were dear to him had survived and he was grateful for their continued presence in his life. Of those who were not so lucky, many of the souls that had been lost in the dark had been gathered into the lantern’s gentle glow and now he could bring them to the one who could lead them safely home to Mort’s bright halls.
Isuma fluttered down, chirruping brightly to show him the early-awakening insect she had caught: a brilliant blue beetle that gleamed iridescent in the lantern’s light. He chuckled and sent his love to her as they reached the Shrine in the Glade and knelt before the altar stones, laying out his candle and the roughly – but earnestly – carved little wooden fox that he had made, sitting at Rory’s side before LongNight had separated them. Isuma added her beetle before sitting back on her best behavior, feathers fluffed in excitement. Jigano stroked her fuzzy head fondly before he set the lantern down as well, bowing his head.
”Ludo,” he prayed, ”I’ve brought them, some souls who would very much like to see you. Will you lead them the rest of their way to Mort?”
