Elegy of the Leaves

XXIII | The Wake of Grief

Dawn broke over the horizon. Pink rays of sunlight began filtering into the valley the crew of The Valkyrie had become shipwrecked on. The morning chased away the blue-grey of the night. Dew sparkled like diamonds on the golden stalks of grass. How cruel of the sun to continue rising, Claire thought. Like her brother hadn't fallen to his death mere days before. Sleep came little to her over the past week, and she sat next to a fire that had been lulled to mere coals and embers by the cold of the night before.

She tried to wrestle with the truth that Evan, like many of the crew including herself, had survived the fall. However, as the days continued to wane into nights, her hope had quickly fallen to despair.

It was the only thing her mother had asked of her since Evan joined The Alliance. And she had failed. Not only had she failed her mother, but she'd failed herself, for it was her wish to keep Evan safe—to keep what little family she had left in this horrid world safe.

"Fullwing!" A woman's voice broke Claire from her pity.

Claire turned to see a familiar stern look. If she hadn't known it was Vausse's wife, Claire would think Engineer Vausse was his younger sister, such were the similarities in their demeanor.

"What is it, Engineer Vausse?" Claire said as she stood and brushed the sandy dirt from her rear. Her skin shivered with the breeze that swept outward from the valley, numb as she was.

"Gods, woman, have you been sleeping?" Engineer Vausse's face twisted when she saw Claire.

"No."

Vausse wasn't surprised by Claire's candor.

"Did you come over here to gawk at my appearance, or was there something you actually wanted?" Claire said.

"You're the sister of that boy who was charged with caring for the winged girl, yes?"

Claire nodded. Tears seated themselves behind her eyelids at the mention of Evan, but she bit the inside of her lip to keep them there.

"I finished the modifications to his rigging belt, but I haven't been able to find him among the crew. Did..." Her voice wavered. "Did he survive the battle?"

Claire shook her head as she fought harder to keep from crying. She wondered if she was far enough away from her subordinates. Engineer Vausse wasn't part of her command, so it wouldn't matter if she saw. Vausse would never allow her to cry in front of the other crew, however. Moral was already low enough, and their leaders showing weakness would crush what little they held onto.

"I don't know," Claire responded, "He was thrown overboard before we went down. There's a slim chance he survived, but he didn't land in this valley..." Claire's lip began to quiver.

"Damnit!" Vausse shouted as she threw the belt to the ground. "Stupid boy! If only he'd brought his belt to me sooner!"

Claire jumped at the Engineer's reaction. It was clear the pain she felt for not finishing the belt and getting it back to Evan. "It wouldn't have mattered."

Vausse looked at Claire with confusion.

"He was thrown over by an enemy. He wouldn't have been hooked to the ship anyways, so it's not your fault."

Vausse's face softened. "As Engineer's, we rarely see combat," she began, "We're in it just the same as you Leaves in terms of the ship being under siege, but we don't actually see it because if we did it would mean the ship was already lost. Still, we know well placed cannon fire can tear into the engine room despite the focus of armor that surrounds it." Vausse looked to the ground where Evan's rigging belt lay. "You know, it was him and that winged girl that saved the ship when the cores went wild."