And I did love her so.And I did love her so. What changed? Ah, that is the question. For Myr asked for her freedom from Cyl because of my friendship. And Cyl granted it without reservation. I thought myself the happiest woman that ever lived. What changed, dearest Aimee', was a discovery that started with Vis and ended with a tragedy. The tragedy was not something unusual or dramatic, except perhaps to my story. Myr died. In the most simple of ways, too. We were picking apples in the city orchard, doing our duty to ourselves and our city, when she fell from a branch and broke her leg. The leg never healed; indeed, it grew worse. Something within her grew out, burst in pain. Finally, she slipped into that merciful sleep where the embattled go to escape the pain, and she never returned. She died within a month. Bethsany wiped a tear from her eyes as the girl named Brandy wrapped her arms around her. "I am sorry, Momma," the young girl said, kissing Bethsany's face. Bethsany reached back and hugged her. "I will be find, Brandy," she said softly. "It is an ancient tragedy. I know, that makes it no less tragic, but the wounds of it have healed and now I face a world with less fear. But perhaps with less love." "Bethsany?" Aimee's face was stained with slight tears, like the old matron's. "How did you come to leave Darachmod? That was the second half of your tale." "Aye," Bethsany replied. "So it was. And we have not much time to tell it. But I shall endeavor to do my best." In the spring of the following year, as in every year, the women of Darachmod prepared to travel down to the city of Melefar to trade the products of the past winter's efforts. Darachmod was poor in metals but rich in growing things, and frequently the lower cities coveted the fruits of our fields. We used this to our advantage, dressing our travellers in great baubles of steel and copper, outfitting our warriors with the brightest of armors. Lost in all that and as badly in grip of their testicles as ever, the metalsmiths of Melefar were easy prey for the deals of our best merchants. |