Amber tears

on the topic of death

Shade shook her head at the sight in front of her, Umbra a childhood friend of hers was drunk again and insisting on talking about death. Shade tried to dissuade her from the topic as she never liked imagining their deaths as much as they both accepted it was a very real possibility and had done since childhood they were drow after all and death was a harsh reality for them it was honestly a wonder they had survived as long as they did in their home city.

"Come on, don't you wonder what's awaiting us?", Umbra was seemingly determined to have this conversation.

"I know what awaits me, I am going to the afterlife of Eilistree just as sure as you are going back to your mothers arms".

Umbra accepted this with a nod before moving on to her next question, "Do you ever wonder how you will go out? I think old age will take me or I will self sacrifice but I don't see me falling in battle after all if a dragon couldn't kill me what could?" Umbra asked her rhetorical question as if she was certain the answer was nothing. 

"I hope its old age, going out in battle doesn't seem a pleasant way to die", Shade took a deep breath shaking away all the memories of her time as a battle medic during the war Umbra's grandmother had sent the entire city to, "now that's enough of this let's get you some water then get you to bed so don't sleep in tomorrow you have a full day of meetings to attend and I'm not being held responsible for you missing any".

Without waiting for a response Shade began ushering Umbra from her seat and into her room. Shade poured a cup of water from the pitcher on the noble females desk and placed it on her bedside table as Umbra begrudgingly got herself ready and into bed. Once Umbra seemed taken care of Shade left the room satisfied that all would be well and desperate to avoid any temptations to recreate old memories with her noble ally.

Shade went to her own room next and tried to settle down for the night, but the questions Umbra had raised stuck with her. She wondered if she truly would go to Eilistree or would she go to Lolth? After all she was sworn to Lolth first so would that allow her claim on her eternal soul? That thought chilled Shade to the core Lolth was not known for her kindness to her own followers let alone those that stop worshiping her at that consideration memories of her time at the academy sprung fourth replaying in graphic detail what the instructors did to blasphemers and non believers. Her mind was stuck replaying the screams of those that got transformed into the abominations known as driders, the way their legs would split into 2 and then again into 4 forming the eight limbs of their new spider bottom half. 

Shade tried again to shake those thoughts but was again unable so instead she tried a different trick remembering a song from her days at the academy that used to be sung to her and she used to sing to younger students as well as umbra. It took Shade a couple minutes to find the right song but once she was sure she had the right one she began to sing and instantly felt the effects of the magical lullaby, a song used to send the students to sleep by the instructors at the academy. It wasn't long before Shade had sung herself to sleep and could find solace in peaceful dreams of life under the dark maiden where she was safe from the cruelty of the spider queen.