Jovari the Blue

Chapter 32: Saying Goodbye

Esterpine

Claire pawed at her cheeks, sniffling. Talon had offered to accompany her to Pelwynn's, but she'd insisted on doing this alone. She needed this time to process the loss. Despite Talon's physical absence, he was always with her, even now, as she suffered; he was a warm presence against her mind, offering comfort from afar.

Pelwynn's grave was beautiful, covered with a vining plant that twined around the statue of a phoenix and bloomed with white flowers. The inscription beneath his name read, 'Beloved friend and teacher.' That's exactly what he'd been for her, until Kane had taken him from this world.

He'd never call her elam again. He'd never bark at her in his typical crotchety manner. He'd never—

"Are you all right?" The sound of Irelia's voice brought her to her feet.

She sniffed, trying to compose herself. "I'm...no. I'm not." Irelia came to stand beside her, staring at the statue. "I never got to say a proper goodbye, you know. I always thought I'd see him again. That we'd spend more time together after Kane. Long afternoons in his garden, just...sitting, until he was ready. It was always his plan to seek out the king tree eventually, but Kane stole that from him."

"You cared for him a great deal?"

"Yes." Her throat was thick with tears. "He was my teacher. He taught me—so much."

"Then I am sorry for your loss." Irelia reached for her, a tentative offering.

She took Irelia's hand and squeezed. "How did you find me?"

"The forest, I think. It guided me to you." Irelia regarded Pelwynn's grave. "Taylynn informed me that Pelwynn knew my mother."

"Yes," she confirmed in a whisper. "He felt guilty. It's why he lingered for so long. Most sprites tire of life and seek out the king tree. Not him. He waited—for me. Can you believe it? Now I wish...I wish I would have stayed longer. Spent a little more time with him. If I had known—" A sob clawed up her throat.

"There now," Irelia murmured. "Death is unpredictable and inescapable. You cannot linger over the what ifs. It will destroy you. Besides, something tells me he wouldn't want you filled with regret over him."

"I know," she whispered, swiping at her tears. "Can you believe he left everything to me? His cottage—all this." She waved a hand to encompass their surroundings. "An entire lifetime of himself, just for me. I never realized he cared for me that...that much."

"That was kind of him. He must have known how you would miss him. That this would help you feel closer to him."

"Yeah." She blew out a breath. "Want to see it? I can give you a tour."

"I would love that." Irelia squeezed her hand before dropping it.

She hadn't spent much time with her great-great-great—lots of greats—grandmother. The opportunity to be alone had been scarce. Yet, it felt good to have her here. Irelia understood loss better than most. She'd watched her family grow and multiply over the long years of her life. Had seen her offspring and relatives age and die, all while continuing to exist.

She pointed at the dummy near the edge of the garden, still standing after all this time. "This is where I first started working with a bow—to teach me to control my mind, for my magic. And this was where Pelwynn liked sitting, at this bench. He loved his garden. If he wasn't basking in it, he was pulling weeds and nurturing his plants."

They walked towards the cottage's entrance.

It was strange, seeing everything now that her memories had returned. She blinked at a familiar plot of earth, where she'd found Pelwynn gardening before she'd left. She could still see him there, toiling away with his hands instead of his magic. She hesitated, before reaching for the door handle.