Seventh Part
Eight Part
~~~~
A Stranger
Part 9: As Quickly As She Came
~~~~
Galatine silently walked towards the
forest village. As normal of his visits, he left his armor behind and wrapped
himself in a heavy cloak. The blonde man now sported a light beard along his
face and a few streaks of white in his hairline. His pace was solid, but his
breath was heavy as he crossed the treeline. The judge smiled to himself, he
could only imagine to what heights the village had grown to in his long
absence.
As Galatine arrived at the village,
only the scent of dead leaves greeted him. No residents loitered along the
forest floor, only the remnants of a long dead campfire. The village was silent
and lifeless, almost more so than when her first cam there with the Stranger.
The judge pushed forward towards the three oak trees but came to a sudden stop
at their base. There was a raised mound of dirt, with a single wooden cross
placed in it. His expression drooped as he moved to climb the rightmost
tree. As the blonde man ascended he felt no eyes upon him, and when he reached
the top he observed not a soul in the other treetop homes.
When Galatine entered the Stranger's
home his heart rose slightly. Across the room, a woman sat in a chair which
faced away from the door, a warm fire lit in front of them. The judge nearly
bolted across the room, but he chose to approach carefully instead. As he
crossed the room he noted it was dusty and poorly cared for, but still lived
in.
"Hello, your honor," an
unfamiliar voice greeted Galatine. He hurried his approach and finally came in
view of the woman. She had pale orange hair and soft features, her hair was
long but well cared for. There was a small infant that slept in her arms, the
child was vibrant and breathed smoothly.
"You," the judge
stuttered, "you're her daughter, I thought the grave..."
"I don't blame you," the
daughter replied, "mother's passing was so sudden, I still find it hard to
believe."
"When, when did it
happen?" The blonde man asked.
"About a month or so, I think,"
the young woman coughed, "sorry, my body is still weak, your honor."
"There is no need for you to
apologize," Galatine assured, "I should be the one to ask for
forgiveness, I left for so long...I never expected...I promised her..."
"It's okay, your honor,"
the daughter smiled, "you had your own responsibilities."
"That's...very well,"
Galatine stopped himself, "that child, are they?"
"Yes, it's my daughter,"
the young woman explained, "it was nothing short of a miracle."
"Where is the father?" The
judge inquired.
"He left to go find help for
our village," the daughter revealed, "but that was some time
ago..." Her smiled faded.
"What happened to this
village?" Galatine asked, "what tragedy befell you?" The
daughter remained silent for a few moments as she held her own child tightly.
"It's been a long and painful
event," the young woman began, "it began not long before mother
passed. Please have a seat, this isn't a pleasant story." Galatine
accepted her offer and sat down in a familiar chair. "At first we thought
it was a simple flu that had swept through the village..."
~--~
"At first it was only coughs
and sneezes," the daughter continued, "then a few people felt too ill
to work. It was nothing abnormal at the time, but they never recovered. I
feared for myself and my child, but mother assured me..."
"No illness shall harm you two,
I promise," she told me.
"I wanted to believe her, but
more and more people began to fall ill. Even my lover struggled with bouts of
illness. Then people started dying...." The daughter choked up, but still
mustered the will to continue. "The villagers slowly began to pass on, one
by one. We needed...we needed help right then and there, but we had no healers
and there was no city or chapel close enough."
"What did you do?"
Galatine asked.
"My lover and a few others went
out for help," the daughter explained. "Despite how ill he had
become, he promised me he'd return with the best healer he could find."
The young woman stopped for a moment as tears welled up inside her eyes.
"And you haven't seen any of
them since?" The judge queried.
"No," the daughter
confirmed, "soon after that, mother got sick as well." Both
individuals grew solemn at the mention of the Stranger. "But even confined
to her bed she refused to let me worry..."
"You will make it through this,
I promise," she'd always tell me.
"You know, your honor,"
the daughter changed the subject, "she always spoke very highly of
you."
"Why do you mention that?"
Galatine was taken aback.
"Well, near the end, she'd
always say 'her luck has run out, but that's fine' and the like," the
young woman answered. "She told me you'd understand what that meant."
"I see," the blonde man
absorbed the familiar statement, 'oh dear Stranger, please tell me you did not
do such a thing.' The judge traced his vision over the daughter and realized
something was amiss. "Do you still have your mother's...marble?"
"Oh, that?" The daughter
replied as she reached into her clothing to reveals a hidden necklace. It was
adorned with a golden, key-shaped ornament, crafted from some flimsy material. But,
slotted in the center was one of the Stranger's "marbles." It had a
dim glow but had a crack that ran along its surface.
'Even now her strange powers still
linger,' Galatine thought, 'if only for her daughter.' The judge placed his
hand on the young woman's shoulder, "Your worries are over now. I'll do
everything in my power to help you and your child."
"Thank you," the daughter
smiled, "but, it's too late for me."
"I promise you I can-"
Galatine began.
"You don't need to lie to make
me feel better, your honor," the young woman interrupted. "Mother
told me, you've already tried to help me. It's fine, your honor."
"Please, if there is anything I
can do to aid you I will," the judge pleaded.
"There is one," the
daughter admitted, "mother told me about...about an offer you made her
long ago. Is it still...?"
"The offer?" Galatine
realized, "of course, but do you mean to?"
"Your honor," the young
woman held up her child, "please take her with you, give her the life I
never could."
"I," the blonde man
hesitated, a part of him had waited for this day for so long, but this isn't
how he imagined it. "I will, she'll make a fine judge."
"Thank you, your honor,"
the daughter cried as she clutched her own child close.
~--~
The infant was put to sleep wrapped
in a warm blanket in another room. Meanwhile, Galatine and the daughter
remained in the main room, warmed by the fire. The young woman held back tears
of joy, while the blond man did his best to comfort her.
"Please, your honor, you don't
have to stay here any longer, I have nothing left to offer you," the
daughter insisted.
"I will stay," Galatine
exclaimed, "it would be unbecoming of me to leave you alone in your
state."
"Mother was right, you are
stubborn," the young woman sighed.
"Is that all she said about
me?" The judge chuckled.
"No, like I said she spoke very
highly of you," the daughter smiled, "she actually spoke more about
you than herself."
'Cryptic till the end, even to her
own daughter,' Galatine thought. "She never spoke about herself?"
"Very rarely," the young
woman admitted, "If I asked she'd normally be very vague. But, sometimes
she'd muse about how she missed living by the water and eating seafood."
"That's it?" The blonde
man laughed, "if only I'd known, I'd of found a nice fishing village for
her to live in." The two shared a small chuckle and continued to chat idly
about the Stranger and whatever other topic came to mind.
"This Jonathon sounds like a
wonderful man," the daughter replied to a story about Galatine's former
apprentice. "He certainly-" The young woman suddenly coughed,
"oh, sorry I-" She tried to apologize, but the coughs continued and
developed into a full-blown fit. Galatine did his best to help her, but the fit
didn't stop until she coughed up a spot of blood. "Don't worry," she
croaked, "that happens sometimes."
"I will do what I can to ease
the pain," Galatine rubbed her back.
"Thank you," the daughter
whispered.
~--~
"You're so kind, your
honor," the daughter spoke in labored breaths, "you didn't need to
stay with me for so long."
"I am merely doing my
duty," Galatine assured. "Besides, I know the pain of helplessness
and the power of a stranger's kindness."
"Stranger, or 'Stranger'?"
The young woman asked.
"Either or," the judge
smiled and held her hand tight.
"Is that how you met?" She
smiled back.
"Your mother never told
you?" Galatine inquired.
"Sadly no," the daughter
shook her head, "what happened?"
"Well your mother and I had a
very violent first meeting. I was the losing party," the blonde man
explained, "but she took pity on me. Despite her exterior, I always
believed her to have a soft heart."
"Your honor?" the young
woman looked towards the judge with half-open eyes.
"Yes?" He replied.
"You know a lot about my
mother," she stated, "can you tell me the whole story?"
"Only she knew the full story,
but I can still tell you what I know," Galatine admitted.
"That's fine," the
daughter nodded.
"Very well, let's start at the
beginning shall we?" Galatine began. "Once long ago, in a humble
village, a Stranger emerged from the wilderness..." The daughter closed
her eyes and took in the judge's words as he weaved his tale. She smiled as the
story of her mother passed through her mind's eye.
~--~
"They have the same smile you
know," the daughter murmured as she cradled her own child.
"Who?" Galatine was
confused by the statement.
"My mother and my daughter,
their smile is the same," the young woman explained. "It's subtle but
warm and welcoming."
"Oh," the judge nodded,
"I wouldn't know, I don't think I ever saw your mother smile."
"It was hard to notice,"
the daughter stated. "Her face was always covered by her hair and she
rarely looked at people head on. But sometimes, when her guard was down I'd
catch her in the act."
"I see," Galatine mused,
'warm and welcoming, huh. I wish I'd seen it.' The blonde man watched the
parent and child for a moment until a glint caught his eye. The necklace with
the Stranger's "marble" still glowed softly as it hung around the
daughter's neck. However, the glow was much dimmer than before, and the cracks
much deeper. "Do you need any more water?" Galatine offered the young
woman.
"No, I'm fine," the
daughter smiled weakly.
"Don't push yourself," Galatine
stood up from his chair and approached the ill young woman. "If you need
help don't hesitate to ask."
"Please, your honor, you've
already done enough for me," the daughter whispered.
"You need the help, I can
tell," the blonde man refused to back down.
"So stubborn," the young
woman let out a light chuckle. "If you must...then I accept," she
nodded and closed her eyes. Her breaths were shallows, but her smile remained.
"I'll be right back," the
judge assured and left for the other room. Before he exited he glanced back at
the daughter, the glow in the necklace had nearly faded. Galatine took a deep
breath and moved quickly.
~--~
Galatine returned to a somber sight,
the daughter was slumped over infant still in her arms. The necklace had fallen
from her neck and now clung to her child, the light completely diminished. He
knew this time would come, but nobody can truly prepare for it. With a heavy
heart, he separated the two and put the child to sleep in the other room. He
took the daughter and checked her pulse and heartbeat, both were silent. Her
skin was ice cold, despite the nearby fire, and paler than snow.
'What luck it lasted as long as it
did,' Galatine pondered, 'I wonder, is this what she meant by not having a
choice anymore?' The judge chose not to dwell on the thought and prepared for
what was next. He gave the daughter a proper burial, right beside her mother.
The blonde man wished he could have buried her alongside her lover as well. However,
they both knew from the start that could never be the case.
With his duty performed, Galatine
took the infant in hand and returned to the judge's council. His return was met
with many shocked stares and long gasps. Yet, no one dared to ask why a member
of the council disappeared for so long, only to return with a baby in his arms,
except for one. As Galatine moved through the halls he was met with a familiar
face.
"Master Galatine, where have
you been?" Jonathon jumped to his master's side, "you look exhausted,
and where did that child come from?"
"Do not concern yourself with
the child's origin," Galatine stated. "Ask no question, for I will
give no answers. Just know that she has incredible potential."
"Yes, Master Galatine,"
the former apprentice nodded before he helped his tired master forward.
'My dear Stranger,' Galatine looked
down at the infant in his arms, 'I know not where you came from, nor your
intentions. But, I can assure you, I will ensure this child's growth. I will
not let the same tragedies befall her. I won't let her die being nothing more
than a Stranger.'
~~~~
And, finished! This has been quite the ride, but I've learned a lot from writing this story. I hope you dear readers enjoyed it as well.
We end on a bittersweet note, but that was my plan from the beginning. My only concern is the character of the daughter, I hope she doesn't feel forced.
We end on a bittersweet note, but that was my plan from the beginning. My only concern is the character of the daughter, I hope she doesn't feel forced.
I have my share of regrets with the story, mostly because I felt I could have done a little more the flesh out the world and characters. But, I happy with the result still. Besides, I like to wait a bit before I pass any final judgments on my own work.
To end this off I have an announcement, I've started a patreon [link]. I won't be placing any of my stories behind a paywall, but I will be using it to post previews of my content, as well as extra materials around my stories. Fun stuff like rough drafts, cut content and trivia for my stories (so if you wanted to know how old Galatine was, the name of every member of the judge's council or the names of random incidental characters than look no further).
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
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