Varian of the Northern Isles

Hearth fire

Varian's POV
The room was silent. I sat next to Hypatia, the fire crackling far too excitedly for the mood in the room.
Terrin had slumped to the floor, blood drained from his face. He was not Helen's brother but he might as well gave been with this reaction.
     "Thank you for telling us this," Leanna knelt to hypatia's chair, "I'm sorry we couldn't have helped her." Leanna directed everyone back to their rooms but Terrin and Hypatia refused to move, the rebel leader halfheartedly suggesting they move before turning away. I drew out the dagger as slowly as possible. I didn't want Hypatia to see it, but I wanted to investigate it a bit more.
"Varian I-" she stopped. Hypatia saw the blade in my hand and her eyes turned empty.
"You can throw it away. I don't have a need for it. Not anymore."
"Well I'd like to keep it," I said, "It's nice craft work, if that's okay with you..."
Hypatia was still for a moment but lunged for the blade. She reached for it, fighting me for control. Terrin tried to restrain her but she broke out of his grasp. Hypatia ripped the dagger from my hand, her fingers closing around the cutting edge. She winced, small sounds of pain hissed through her clenched jaw. She ran to the fire and threw the blade down in the coals, she blood sizzling in the heat.

The coals ate up the ice in the stones casting them in a hellish glow. The blade lay scorching but Hypatia wasn't done. She grabbed a poker from the side and struck the blade; embers catapulted to the sides.

Sparks danced free as her sobs.

Metal struck hard and fast.

Her face contorted just as the blade bent by heat and anger.

I didn't know what to do, what she wanted to hear, or what I could tell her but I ran between the embers soaring line fireflies, and grasped her in my arms. Hypatia landed a final blow, breaking the dagger completely and stood there; coughing or sobbing, I couldn't tell. I held on to her; feeling her ragged breaths, knowing her face must be covered in tears and soot, and focused on her pulse beating wildly out of tune. She did not face me, only stood still.
As the sparks settled, her muscles loosened, bit by bit, the sewn and tendons slowly contacting, releasing. I let one of my arms tail down to the fire poker still gripped in her hand. Ever so gently, I eased it from her grasp; one finger at a time muttering word I hoped would comfort her.
The fire poker fell with a dull clang, and Terrin set to cleaning up the small embers and soot scattered across the room. Hypatia swallowed hard but raised her head.
Fire no longer burned in the hearth but her ice blue eyes now held the very distant echoes of smoke.