Eternal Love - Druig

She's my what now?

Alyssa stared gormlessly into the violent embers burning in front of her. The foundations of the fire pit stood valiantly high with the flames engulfing every inch. An overwhelming silence encased the atmosphere, with only the quiet crackles of the fire echoing through the village.

Druig didn't leave her side the entire time. He positioned himself so they were just centimetres apart, allowing his hand to brush against hers. She jolted away from his touch, every time. Isabella stood at her other shoulder, their arms interlinked as she held her best-friend tight.

The entire village had gathered to mourn Cybele, kneeling solemnly behind the three of them as they all waited patiently for the embers to burn out.

Alyssa had been engulfed with the camaraderie of her fellow villagers from the second she emerged from Druig's hut this morning. Each of them inundating her with their own personal tribute to her mother, and each of them shedding a tear talking about their fond memories. Alyssa had appreciated the support, though tried to dissociate her emotions. The last thing she wanted was to make it rain during her final farewell.

~

A couple of hours later, the fire still remained. Most of the village had already approached the fire, saying a few final words before dissipating back to their huts. Alyssa had refused to move and consequently, Druig and Isabella had remained by her side. Now, Isabella had fallen asleep on Alyssa's lap whilst she rested her own head on Druig's shoulder exhaustedly. Her eyes still remained fixated on the fire, warming her retinas as she barely blinked.

Druig nudged his shoulder lightly, causing Alyssa to raise her head. "You know, if you want to scatter her ashes tonight... we may need to put the fire out."

Alyssa turned to face him, rubbing her eyes as she finally blinked. "I don't want it to rain, not today." She stated.

"Then we might want to get some camping gear, because this fire isn't going out anytime soon. "

When Alyssa shrugged him off, he sighed. "Come on Alyssa, you've held in the tears all day. It's only human to cry when you're mourning."

Druig's second sentence stung, given the recent turn of events. "Poor choice of words, Druig." She spat, whispering so she didn't wake Isabella.

He bowed his head in response, not saying a word. He kept his head dipped, as the pair sat in silence for what felt like eternity.

It wasn't until Druig heard a few faint hisses from the fire that he looked up, noticing a small tear trickle down Alyssa's cheek. Her posture remained bolt upright as she glared wide-eyed in front of her. He shuffled closer to his right, pulling her body into his as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Let it out." He cooed.

Within seconds rain poured from the sky, colliding heavily with the ground beneath them. The hissing from the fire grew louder as the embers rapidly began to burn out.

Isabella shot up, her clothes already drenched. "Oh my god," She shrieked. "I thought the weather was nice today."

Alyssa sniffled, eventually composing herself as the rain eased. "I guess the darkness prevailed in the end."

She pulled away from Druig's grasp and pushed herself up off the floor, enveloping her friend in a tight hug. "I'm going to the scatter the ashes now." She choked.

Isabella's squeezed her tightly, before pulling away and resting her hands on Alyssa's shoulders. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Alyssa shook her head lightly, forcing her eyes tightly shut. "You go and dry off, I'll find you tomorrow."