Crossed

Chapter 14:

"Where have you two been?," Queen Meadow almost runs up to us when we walk back into the ruins. "We went out for some food in the town, a cafeteria of a friend of mine, then it was too dark to return here so we spend the night at my house," I explain," we have some more information on the Slain's, I had looked over it while researching last year but Ardian found it anyways. I have it here," I hold up a little bundle I made of the notes and illustrations we had found. "Oh! That is such good news!," the Queen smiles," let's show the others," she says.

We had gathered in the library again, Ardian and I shared our findings but I noticed him being slightly distracted. "So, there was not much new to find out about them," I say," but we got some more portrayals at the very least." "This is good," Queen Mirialla says," well done you two." "Mind if I take a closer look at the portrayals?," Guard Fir asks. "No, of course not," I say and hand him the illustrations we found in the book. "They look beautiful," a quiet but strong voice echoes between the walls of the library, Ardian immediately looks behind Queen Meadow where Samaranthan appeared.

"My apologies for being late," she says," I did not mean to miss the whole meeting, I only received the invite just now." "Oh it's good that you are here," Queen Meadow says and she smiles at her," did you hear some of it at least?" Samaranthan nods and then moves closer to Guard Fir and looks at the illustrations as well. I look at Ardian but his focus was completely on Samaranthan.

"Have you been finding everything here?," I ask Samaranthan. "Yes, it is exactly as you described it to be," she says," I even got to explore the forest a little, which is why I was so late. I am sure the invite was send on time but it must have taken a bit longer to reach me in there." I smile at her," if you want to I could show you a spot me and Iliana used to go to?," I offer," before we need to do everything that needs to be done. I think you would like the place as well." "That would be wonderful," she says," thank you, oh but I nearly forgot, I promised Meadow to help her out with something and prepare myself for my part in this quest." "Oh yes, of course," I say," success Samaranthan." "Thank you," she says," however, I would love to see the spot later if you would still be up for it?"

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"Archimage Wren?," I turn and see Ardian standing half behind a part ruin. "What are you doing?," I ask him and walk up to him. "Can we talk? In private?," he looks nervous, a little strange in the eyes... "Yes okay," I say and follow him," can you at least tell me if you're doing okay?" "I'm not sure," he says. After a bit of walking we stop, he walked me to the forest again. "Whenever you are ready," I say, he nods. "Do you remember the picture I showed you?," he asks after a bit. "The one with your wife on it? Yes I do," I say. "Don't you think she looks like her?," he asks, looking at me. "Who do you- oh...," I think but then shake my head," no I'm sorry," I say," do you think she does?" "I do, yes," he says.

"Maybe you can talk with Queen Meadow, ask if she knows whose souls were used to create her," I say," I think she would be your best bet if you want to know. Possibly even ask her if Elv's even know their past life. I could not tell you." "Hm..," he turns his head away from me. I see something moving inside his cloak when he does," what is that?," I ask him. "What is what?," he asks. "The thing that moved just now?," I say," Inside your cloak." "Haven't I shown her yet?," he says and turns back, a small creature becomes visible between his hair. "Are those bones?," I ask. "Yes, this is Tiny, my little companion for the past six hundred years," he says," my wife found her a few months before her passing and I've been keeping her with me ever since she passed on. She used to be a normal rat but after she died me and my wife worked together to bring Tiny back, this is what became of her..." "Oh, well I think she's still very cute," I say, he smiles the smallest smile but he smiled. For the first time.

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"So, what kind of place is it actually?," Samaranthan asks. "A big daisy field," I say," it's in the middle of the forest on the north side of the Territory." "Oh I have never seen it," she says. "Well, we should be close to it by now," I say and we walk in silence for a little while," yes, here it is," I say and we push away the last branches before stepping into the daisies. "Oh this is magical," Samaranthan says. "It is very beautiful," I say with a small smile," let's walk through it for a bit?," I say and she nods before we start walking again.

"Could I ask you something?," Samaranthan speaks up after a little while. "Yes of course, what is it?," I look at her. "What are your memories with her?," she asks," I know how much she loves you, I know what she loved to do with you but we never really got to talk and since she no longer exists here with us... I was wondering, what about you?" "Fair enough," I say.

"Well, I think this place itself contains a lot of my favourite memories with her," I say," she would take me here, even before we got together. I wasn't, honestly still am not, really and outside person but she made me go out and do things. I would never do them on my own but with her it was less scary, less intimidating. She made it even fun to go out and do things, it wasn't tiring when she was with me. This is also the place she confessed to me, ever since then this became our special spot to go to and forget the world for a little while," I smile a little," she also made flower crowns here for the both of us, I wasn't very good at it but watching her make them was calming. Those things must have made it clear to me that I had fallen in love with her but I was so oblivious to my own feelings that it only clicked when she confessed hers."

"Oh I can see it," Samaranthan says," she tried to teach you how to make flower crowns there?," she points at one of my memories from here. "Yes... I didn't know the field could do this...," I say, looking around to see all my memories appearing around us, every one in the spot it took place... I take a breath. "This all hits you deeply, doesn't it?," she asks, I nod. "Yes, it has been a while since I've been here and I don't remember Iliana telling me the field was capable of doing this," I say," she did say it was truly magical, maybe that was my hint all that time." Samaranthan laughs quietly," maybe," she says.

"Hey, do you know that one man well?," she asks after a little while of us just watching the old memories. "I'm not sure but we have gotten to know each other a little," I say," why?" "I don't know, he seems scared of me or maybe uncomfortable is the better word for it?," she sighs," did I do something to upset him?" I shake my head," no, I don't think so at least," I say," I don't think it's my place to tell you what he's asked me so I won't, but maybe wait until he comes to you, if he does," she nods. "Okay, well I hope he doesn't hate me already," she says.