Night is Falling: Confessions of the Tattooed Witch

Jade Nacht: The Archer

Night fell and Jade was alone again. He sat by the window and stared out into the trees. Loneliness was a familiar friend, and tonight it was a welcome friend.

Life had been chaos, Darva had been removed from Ulther's house hold and forced to live in a small tent on the border of Braeden and Newport. It was an unfit way to live even though Darva didn't seem to mind.

Yet Jade was struck with worry and annoyance. He couldn't care for Darva the way Ulther had, and he couldn't love her the way he had because he didn't. He wanted to help but there was nothing that he could do. The cabin he lived in was a cracker box. There wasn't room for another person unless they were a lover and even then there was no place to go to be alone.

In his hand Jade wrapped some cannabis in a tobacco leaf and lit it with a match. It was soothing, relaxing. It helped him come to terms and realize that everything would pass.

When Darva finally settled into marriage Jade was thrilled and became close with her husband. Soon, they fought side by side and conjured up battle plans together and when the wars were over, they drank and feasted together.

Normally this would not be strange, but in a realm where title and rank meant everything, nobles did not keep common company. Thorn was a Duke and Jade was a merchant, but Thorn never saw Jade for his class but as a warrior and friend. Thorn did not let his rank dictate his life. He walked with merchants and commoners and married Darva who had lived half of her 60 years in poverty. Jade was impressed with Thorn's ideals and his harsh take on the shattering reality of life.

Thorn may have been an evil, wicked man, but some of his ideals were admirable, like the love he had for his wife. Jade longed to have a woman to lavish that kind of love on, the way Thorn loved Darva. Thorn would have done anything and everything for his wife and he did what ever he had to, to defend and protect her.

Sometimes he really envied them, Thorn had it all, or so Jade thought. Jade hadn't realized how much he had.