everything has its wonders
Like his fellow Outlanders, where Ronin had arrived ignorant of the festival last year, this time he felt all too close to it. He walked quietly through the Greatwood towards the flickering lights of lanterns and bonfires, already softly aglow with starlight; it was hardly surprising, given how he felt about tonight. In his left hand he held the lanterns - three in total, though only one would leave with them to bring back next year, over and over and over. In his right arm he carried his daughter, Aoife softly babbling to the stars and the trees and the moon high above.
Smiling, the blighted ex-captain leant in to plant a kiss on her cheek, surreptitiously checking that she still wore Arduinna's blessing to protect her from the scourge that plagued the woods (and him). Soon enough, they arrived at a tree whose branches were still mostly bare, and Ronin nodded. "This will do nicely, right?" He grinned, carefully setting Aoife down and arranging the first two lanterns. These were small but carefully crafted; one a deep, dark crimson painted with dancing fire, the other a pale green, dotted with wildflowers and the silhouette of a donkey (and a few thumbprints, from his daughter).
"For Edrei and for Emmett," he told Aoife, who tried on their names as Ronin hung them up and clapped her hands as they were lit with a taper from a candle nearby.
The last was the largest - a sturdy box lantern painted in ocean hues, with a ship setting sail upon its front. It had a tail of wooden seabirds, which clacked and danced as Ronin lifted it up.
"Ma," Aoife announced proudly as it was lit and lifted to hang upon a separate branch. Scooping his daughter into his arms, Ronin kissed her curls and nodded, enjoying the glow from the newest additions to the festival.
"That's right," he murmured. "This one is for Ma."
Smiling, the blighted ex-captain leant in to plant a kiss on her cheek, surreptitiously checking that she still wore Arduinna's blessing to protect her from the scourge that plagued the woods (and him). Soon enough, they arrived at a tree whose branches were still mostly bare, and Ronin nodded. "This will do nicely, right?" He grinned, carefully setting Aoife down and arranging the first two lanterns. These were small but carefully crafted; one a deep, dark crimson painted with dancing fire, the other a pale green, dotted with wildflowers and the silhouette of a donkey (and a few thumbprints, from his daughter).
"For Edrei and for Emmett," he told Aoife, who tried on their names as Ronin hung them up and clapped her hands as they were lit with a taper from a candle nearby.
The last was the largest - a sturdy box lantern painted in ocean hues, with a ship setting sail upon its front. It had a tail of wooden seabirds, which clacked and danced as Ronin lifted it up.
"Ma," Aoife announced proudly as it was lit and lifted to hang upon a separate branch. Scooping his daughter into his arms, Ronin kissed her curls and nodded, enjoying the glow from the newest additions to the festival.
"That's right," he murmured. "This one is for Ma."
even darkness and silence
