If I Just Dreamed

Sympathy- (9 of 13)

"You were great."

The skies were cloudy. Niah looked down. What she held was almost weightless, to her it was a machine, an object meant to defend.

But today, it was going to be used as a means to comfort, and sooth.

"I remember the last thing you said to me on the phone. I still have the last picture. I can still see the last email you sent me. And even in his paranoia of the rudeness of death, somehow. You were still right. I concede it."

Her lip quivered in anticipation as she looked up from the crumbled bit of paper she had pulled from her pocket. Eyes sat upon her, many were in tears, and those who honor his time in the service were lined up against the back of the ceremony in uniform. This made her uncomfortable, there was so much pressure. Her cousins sat to her left, they pondered on towards her, and one sat next to an empty seat. That was meant for her Uncle Griff. She already knew he wouldn't show up. His daughters knew this, everyone did. But she could still hope.

"I remember the first time you taught me to shoot a gun, I think I was ten or eleven at the time. It was the dead of winter at Griff's-" She looked towards her cousins. "It was at a snowman." Niah said slowly. "You said to imagine it as if it were a snowball. And I did." There was so much she needed to say, so much to do for something so sudden. It scared her honestly. But she knew there would be a time that this would happen. But for some reason. When she looked at the attendees, she did not feel their sadness.

"Right before he died, he told me that he loved me, of course. Which isn't anything new."

She looked towards Lucy. Who felt the most genuine pain.

"Call me selfish but, I wish he would have told me something I didn't know."

_____/\_____

Breakfast was quiet.

Neither could get enough caffeine in their system, the bitter coffee that Niah gulped down was less than desirable, and even questionable in its quality. There were more than a few times that she would grimace at the drink, but she pushed through it. Fortunately for her though, Link failed to fare better than she. He took small sips, his eyes were still clouded with sleep, and his hair was a mess. They both wanted to crawl back into bed, Link probably regretted his decision to agree to such a ceremonious occasion.

On second thought-

She looked back at him with a knowing glance.

No, he didn't.

When they left the inn, it was still dark out, many would probably mistake it for the middle of the night, but the smell of wet grass, and the sound of birds told otherwise.

But even that didn't wipe the tired from her eyes.

The door to the stables made a loud slam as it closed behind them. The fire of torches made the place smell like ash and wood as it dimly illuminated the area.

As Link searched through Epona's saddle bags, Niah made sure to fill their buckets with feed. Not much was said between them, the silence was easy. Niah took a brush and pressed it over Mara's coat, once, twice, three times, it made her think of anything; everything. It felt like her thoughts were not her own anymore. The memory of Burvis and the earring flashed in her mind more than once.

"I prefer men the same age as me."

"Oh, I guess we're both at a loss then-"

Calug, was his name, had turned towards Burvis at the comment.