The Funeral of Hearts (1/2)
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Paula
Date Posted: 26th May 2006
Characters: Rigella, N'mor
Description: Rigella and her family gathers to Maverick Bend to her father's funeral.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 14 of Turn 3
Notes: Part one of two, and the title is pure HIM :). It's surprisingly hard to write about your sona's death, even if you haven't written for that sona for two years, that's why this is so late.
Ceerith came out of /between/. They were back at the Maverick's Bend hold. Rigella noticed that the quarantine flag was gone. Of course, she thought bitterly, the epidemic was over, their father had been the last victim of it. Rigella could only feel the aching emptiness where her heart had been. The past sevenday had certainly drained her strength.
~*~
First there had been the earthquake at the Amethyst Cliff hold, where her oldest brother lived and worked as a farmcrafter. After few worryfilled candlemarks, Naerigga returned from Amethyst Cliff hold with news that their brother was all right, injured but still all right. Just when things started to look like they would return back to normal, it happened. A strange flit appreared, bringing news from Maverick's Bend. Her father had died. After sevendays in coma, the influenza had gotten the master healer who had spent his career fighting against infectious diseases like it. It was so ironic and also so fitting, that Rigella had to laugh, between tears.
~*~
So, here they were, their family gathering to bury their father. Ceerith landed next to a brown. Rignaer was being helped down from the brown's back. He still had bandages wrapped around his arm. Their mother Naerella was waiting. Rigella was shocked to see her. She seemed so thin, so frail, so.lifeless. Another green landed just after Ceerith, dispatching her baby brother Naemor. The boy was followed by his flit and looked uncharacteristicly solemn. "Thank Faranth you are all here!" Naerella bursted out when her children had gathered around her. She gave them all hugs. "Rignaer, what happened to you? I was so scared when I heard about Amethyst Cliff hold!" "I got lucky. I was at the greenhouse when the earthquake hit. I just dove under the table was working at. It was horrible. The greenhouse's glass panes just rained down. My friend wasn't so lucky, he was killed by the falling glass," Rignaer told with a subdued voice. "The healer's let you come here even if you're injured?" Rigella asked, pointing his bandage. "Yep, it's closed well, a clean cut, they judged it safe. I will have an interresting scar though," Rignaer replied. They started to move towards the place where the funeral was held, catching up with each other on the way. The dragons that had brought Rignaer and Naemor left.
The seremony was brief and beautiful in its simplicity. The harper sung few of their father's favourite songs, and Rigella's mother surprised everyone by joining him. She had a beautiful, dark voice coloured by sadness. Rigella felt like her heart was being buried with her father. It seemed to her that her life had no joy anymore, no pleasure, just sorrow. There was just the terrible, cold emptiness. A hollow feeling of grief. Fellis Leaf had appreared when the funeral started and was now wrapped around Rigella's neck. She crooned and tried to comfort her human. But Rigella couldn't be comforted.
After the funeral there was a dinner. During the dinner, everyone else talked, talked, talked and talked. Rigella just sat there and played with her food. It tasted like ash in her mouth. The rest of family was making plans. Mostly what their mother would do now that she was a widow. "All you all right, Rige-dear?" Naerella asked softly. Her daughter's condition hadn't escaped her. "No, I'm not! I want my dad back! Why he had to die?" she cried. "Oh, my poor girl. Hard to be strong, isn't it?" Naerella said and wrapped her arms around Rigella. With her mother's instinct, she knew. Stroking her hair and crooning to her, like when she had been a little girl, she gave Rigella a permission to be weak, to be a child again. Tears Rigella had held in since she received the news finally came.
Last updated on the May 28th 2006