The Witch's Daughter

CHARACTER OVERVIEW

Preface:
This is the tale of a young woman shunned by the world she grew up in simply because of her birth trying to find the answers to why while coming into her own.

* * *

Name: Teagan D’Ryil

Place of Birth: Serendia Shrine, Serendia Dominion, Calpheon.

Birth Constellation: Black Dragon


Age: 20

Parents: Kiara D’Ryil, father is unknown

Current Place of Residence:
Glish, Serendia Dominion, Calpheon.

Ethnic / Social Background:
Serendia outcast

Political views/leanings:
She has no political leanings at this time.

What does she care about most in the world:
She cares about herself presently.

Known Interests/Talents/Hobbies:
Singing, reading, alchemy, herbology

Guild: Ravens Of War

Physical appearance:

   Height: 5’2” (1.57m)
   Weight: 100 lbs (45 kg)
   Hair: Long red curly
   Eyes: One Sapphire blue, One Emerald green, medium depth set

Petite build with well-toned muscles, she seems to be small and too thin for her age and physical build.  She moves almost like a graceful, shadow.  She seems to prefer dark spaces with at least some shade around it.  Her youthfulness causes many to overlook her introverted behavior as inexperience.  Her eyes look empty as if she has no emotion or thoughts in her mind despite the fact she is always analysing what she sees and those she watches.  Her voice is soft and timid as if she expects not to be heard or taken seriously.  This expectation explains why she rarely speaks.  There are markings on her face which her mother told her was a birthmark.  However, some who have seen them as she grew up called it the markings of a demon.

Health/disabilities/handicaps:
Excellent health, high strength and stamina. No known disabilities.  


Personality Type:
Introverted and suspicious of people and their kindness, Teagan is actually very loyal to the few people she finds trust in.  She has very few whom have gotten close enough to find that loyalty within her.  Teagan’s first reaction to someone offering friendship is to suspect they want something or have ulterior motives which will somehow come back to hurt her.  While some would think this would make her selfish, she is actually quite the opposite.  While private and socially inept, she is unusually willing to help those in need often with the concealed though it will be used against her somehow.  These are behaviors she has learned from the treatment she has experienced though her life so far.  A life she is less than willing to divulge to anyone.

Possessions:
Because of her sense of being an outcast, Teagan is very possessive of what she owns.  Having had things taken from her in the past for no reason given, she feels she has worked hard to get the few things she has.  She is unwilling to lose them.  This includes the contents of her home and her horse, as well as the herbal garden she plants and tends.

Education:
Teagan’s mother educated her at home.  She can read, write and do basic mathematics.  Her mother also provided her a very in depth understanding of the use of plants and herbs in healing and cooking.  She has an extensive knowledge of alchemy and herbology due to her mother’s instruction.  While she does not claim to be a healer, she has taken her mother’s role providing healing potions and salves to those who come to her in need since her mother’s death.

Age 4

“Witch! Witch! You’re a witch!”  Three children taunted just before Kiara pulled the girl into their house and closed the door.  “Witch! Witch! You’re a witch!” the taunts came through the closed door.  There was the unmistakable sound of something hitting the door as she pulled the crying girl into her arms.

“They just don’t understand Teagan,” Kiara said softly petting the girl’s hair.  “Their words are just misunderstanding, superstition, and jealousy.  They are just words Teagan.  They can’t actually hurt you unless you let them.”

She knelt down and started to wipe the tears from the girl’s face as she smiled at her.  “Besides, being a ‘witch’ isn’t a bad thing  you can do a lot of good for others as a ‘witch’,” Kiara said as she calmed the girl.  “You’ll see love.  They say that, but they still come looking for herbs and help with their illness and injury amoung other things.”

“But Momma, why do they have to be so mean?”

“Because people hate what they don’t understand love,” Kiara said softly smiling as she pet the girl’s hair again.  “There’s nothing wrong with what we do.  It isn’t blasphemy or whatever they want to call it, it’s understanding the plants and nature.  It’s understanding how to help others using the five elements to do it.  You’ll learn, love, you’ll learn.”

Age 6

“I’m sorry Kiara,” the village schoolteacher, Vivan, said looking at the child and not the mother.  “The village council was clear in their decision.  Teagan can’t come to school with the other children.  It would be too much of a disruption.”

“Viv, she’s just a little girl like all the other children,” Kiara said holding her daughter in front of her.  “She has a right to an education just like the other children.  I’m not asking for favors, just equality.”

“I’m sorry Kiara.  I can’t.  I can give you the lessons and let you teach her them, but she can’t come to school with them.”

Kiara frowned as she looked at Vivian.  “Fine,” she said not letting her daughter see the disappointment and sadness in her expression as her voice stayed steady.  “I don’t like it, but if that is what we have to do.”

Vivan watched as Kiara walked her daughter back to their house past the line of arriving children.  The village elders were contradictory in their views.  She knew every villager depended on Kiara for their healing needs and more, but they were suspicious of her and her child.  They didn’t approve of an unmarried woman having a child.  Kiara’s refusal to name Teagan’s father and make him responsible for the child didn’t help matters.  It only fueled the rumors and guesses of whom the responsible man was.  Teagan’s admittance to school should have never come up to the council, but when it was realized the girl would be of age to start school they had banned her outright without giving Kiara a hearing.  The banning was more a punishment for the mother than the daughter, but it was both who presumably would suffer.  Vivan’s agreement to give Kiara the lessons to teach Teagan at home would prevent that.

Age 12

Teagan was pretending to sweep the step outside the door of the house as she watched the other children play.  They were giggling and laughing as children do.  The children around her age were separated like pre-teens often do as they start to discover the opposite sex.

One of the older boys noticed her and grinned slightly at her.  She blushed and looked away quickly to hide her small grin back at him.  He was only a little more than two years older than she was.  One of the other boys noticed him looking at the witch’s daughter.  He started teasing him.  The girl kept her head down as she watched them teasing him.  He blushed slightly at the teasing as they play fought with each other.  As they moved out of sight, he glanced back at her but she didn’t see it.

She was hurt he was denying he had even looked at her.  She knew he had even though they were too far away for her to hear.  She didn’t know how she knew.  She just did.  She stopped watching them as she lowered her head more while actually doing the task she’d been given.  Tears burned in her eyes as she suddenly heard a voice in her head which she knew was his “If I let them know I like watching her, they will hate me.”  She fought the urge to look up at him.  He was ashamed of even looking at her.

Finished with her task, she quickly moved into the house and put the broom up.  Before her mother could give her another task, she ran to her room and closed the door.  She crashed on her bed burying her face in her pillow.  She sobbed softly into the pillow.  

It was several moments before her mother slowly and quietly opened the door to watch her.  Her heart broke for her daughter.  No child in the town was allowed to play with her.  Most of the parents had told the young to stay away from the girl and her mother. Yet, they came to her to get herbs and spells to get what they wanted in life and for healing.

Age 15

The window was barely open as Teagan watched the procession at the church across from the house.  She knew it would be frowned upon for her to watch from outside with the others standing out and waiting to proceed into the Church for the wedding.  The bride was a girl who was the same age as Teagan, but it was her brother Teagan was hoping to see.  

He was three years her senior, but had been exchanging secret gifts and notes with her for several months.  They had stolen looks while no one was watching them, but neither dared actually approach the other when someone could possibly see.  Their actual contact had been stolen moments under cover of darkness.  She was forbidden fruit which made him want to be with her more.  She was flattered by his attention, but guarded.  

She’d already been hurt by both boys and girls pretending to be her friend.  One boy had actually pretended to love her.  That had hurt the most.  She didn’t want to feel that heartache again.  She had told Elrich in one of her early letters to him.  She’d told him if this was just to rebel against his parents he should leave her alone as well.  He had promised his feelings were real.

They both knew they couldn’t be seen together openly.  His parents wouldn’t allow it.  They were prejudiced against the girl because she was a fatherless child and the daughter of a known magic and alchemist user; not to mention the rumors about Teagan herself.  They didn’t want their son involved with the stain socially a relationship with the girl would do to their family.  Marriage would never be allowed.  It would be even worse if the two married.  Both of them knew if they wanted that, they would have to run away.

Her mother would stand between them as well.  Teagan’s mother had plans for her future, which didn’t include Elrich or any of the other village boys. She had started keeping a close eye on her blossoming daughter as she grew closer to her majority.  Truth be known there was no one openly interested in marrying the witch’s daughter.  She had no idea Elrich and Teagan were involved secretly as she trained and schooled her daughter.  Teagan had become all she had been promised and more.  She was becoming more than her mother had ever dreamed she could.  There was no way she was letting a male take advantage of her daughter’s innocence and naivety.

Teagan grinned as she saw him.  He was following his father, who was leading in his sister.  His mother was on his arm as the bride’s wedding party moved into the church.  He didn’t dare glance at her though he knew she was watching.  She knew he couldn’t, but she looked for the movement of his free hand.  Just before he stepped into the church and out of sight he moved it.  It was their secret code.  She smiled brightly behind the cracked window as she hugged herself.

As he stepped completely out of sight, she silently closed the window slowly before she glanced at her bed.  The blanket hung down to the floor on both sides to hide anything under the bed, but she knew what was there.  She knew the promise they had made and now it would be soon.  His hand motion had promised it.  She let the excitement run though her for a moment before she moved to go do her chores and start her alchemy lessons again.

Age 16

It was the first time either had been away from the village on their own.  They had snuck away in the middle of the night a week after her birthday.  Her mother had been sleeping in her room when Teagan went into the garden with her bag.  She’d climbed the wall sliding into his arms on the other side.  They had taken off from there.

Throughout the rest of the night, they had moved as quickly as possible.  When daylight came, they started walking to appear normal.  They decided to make it as far as possible before nightfall while staying off the roads.  On foot, they couldn’t move as fast as on horse.  They knew when they were discovered gone, there would be horses coming after them.  They were hoping to get far enough before the hunt started.

Elrick closed the door to the inn room after Teagan slipped in.  They didn’t have enough money for two rooms, so one would have to do for the night.  He had gotten it and snuck her into the Inn after.  They were saving money for other things until they could find work somewhere.  Yet, he refused to have her sleep outside with no shelter.  He moved over to her as she turned and looked at him.  “Are you sure about this?” she said softly.

“It’s just for tonight,” he said moving some hair back behind her slightly pointed ear as he pulled her to him.  “Tomorrow we will find someone to marry us.  Then no matter what they do, they can’t separate us.”

She frowned slightly as she moved into his arms, “I hope…”

He interrupted her by lifting her chin to make her look him in the eyes.  “Teagan D’Ryil, I love you.  I want you as my wife.  I don’t care what the world thinks about either of us,” he said firmly.  “That is why we left remember.  Between my family and your mother, they would never let us be together.  We are almost there.  Just one more night.  Trust me love, it will all be as we hoped.”

She nodded seeing his sincerity in his eyes.  He truly loved her as much as she loved him.  She moved to kiss his lips.  He leaned down and kissed her back.  “Now, you go relax some while I get a fire going,” he said knowing full well she wouldn’t.

He moved to the fireplace and started setting in kindling for starting a fire for the night.  She moved to the bed and started pulling off blankets.  She wasn’t going to relax until she had made a pallet for the night.  By the time he had the fire going, she had a sleeping pallet made.  He went and cleaned up in the water bowl then sat at the fire as she went to fix them something to eat from the food they had brought.

She had taken off her wrap before she started the food.  He watched her as she put a simple meal together out of the items they had.  She handed him a plate with the meager meal as she sat down so she could lean against him.  They talked part of the time as they watched the fire and ate.  Finally, they were both so tired they just fell asleep sitting there.

Sometime during the night he woke and pulled a blanket over Teagan before petted her hair softly as he fell back to sleep.  Teagan’s dreams were filled with the two them happy and enjoying a wonderful life together.  She was dreaming of the two of them living in a little house talking about having children.

She turned into his arms and snuggled against him.  The door came crashing down.  Before either could react there were men pulling them apart.  She reached for him as she was pulled away.  He was fighting against the men who were holding him trying to get away from them and two her.  He was yelling as were they.  She started crying as she reached for him.  

Suddenly his father was in her face and slapped her with a full open hand.  She looked at him staring in shock with tears trailing down her face.  “You are not good enough for my son you little tramp.  You’re nothing but a whore like your mother,” he said.  “My son is for better stock than some fatherless witch piece of trash.  There is nothing respectable about you.”

She kept crying as they pulled her away.  Elrick was fighting and screaming at them to have them let her go and to let him go.  She gasped as one of the men belted her in the stomach with a fist.

Teagan gasped again and sat up suddenly awake barely realizing it was all a dream.  She looked around.  Elrick woke up and put his arms around her.  “Shhh,” he said calming her.  “It’s ok.  You’re safe.”

“No, no,” she said looking up at him “They are coming.  They know where we are.  They are going to separate us.  Please Elrick, we have to leave now.”

He looked at her a moment.  “You had a dream,” he said softly.  She nodded as she felt the panic building in her.  He nodded and helped her up.   They both started gathering their things and hurrying to leave.  

They were out the door and halfway down the hallway when they heard the shout.  “They are up there.  They’re sneaking out!”

They started to run to.  They made it out the door before they were grabbed both from behind and from in front of them.  His father had her and other men had Elrick.  They were pulling them from each other.  

His father spoke with hate and anger in her ear as he dragged her back away from Elrick “You little whore.  Did you think you were good enough for my son, you little tramp?  You’re nothing but a whore like your mother.  My son is for better stock than some fatherless witch piece of trash.  There is and never will be anything respectable about you.  You will not bring shame on my family.”

Elrick shouted and screamed at them as they pulled her away.  He was taken out of her sight quickly. They took her away and dumped her in front of her mother’s house when they got back to the village.  She looked at the two men who kicked her before they sneered at her.  They started towards her with leering eyes.  She knew what was in their thoughts as she moved back from them against the house wall. Softly she gasped out the words as her hand reached towards them.  The spell was quick as it caused fire to engulf the two men as they started to walk towards her.

Her hand dropped as she watched them burn in the darkness of the impending dawn. Slowly she inched herself up to the door and let herself in. Easing herself into a chair near the door, the whole of what had happened came crashing down on her. She’d killed the men who were attacking her. Even in her sorrow and shock, she thought of Elrick and wondered what they had done to him. What would his father do to him to punish him? She had no idea.

Her mother’s anger at her running away was tempered by her daughter being returned relatively unharmed. Her mother was supportive of her defending herself against the two men in the way she had, but could see it bothered Teagan. She watched over Teagan as she healed from her bruises and scrapes. She dealt with the aftermath of what she had done to the two men, while protecting her daughter from the outlash in the village. Teagan was tortured by what she had done and withdrew into herself.

Several weeks later, Teagan was in the garden gathering herbs when she saw Elrick again.  She moved to the wall and smiled at him.  He barely looked at her.  The pain in his eyes hurt her.  His face still had bruises on it and he was walking slowly as if still healing from a sever beating.  His father was with him.  When his father turned away, Elrick stole a look at her.  She could see his love for her even through his pain.  His lips moved slowly, but she could read them easily “I’m sorry love...I’m so sorry.”  Then his father turned back catching him looking at her and hit him with his open hand across his face bloodying his lip.

Teagan cringed and pulled back.  She sunk down against the wall and cried.  It was hours later before her mother found her still sitting in the garden against the wall crying in the dying light of day.

Over six months later, Teagan still wouldn’t leave the house.  She was withdrawn almost completely.  Kiara worried about her daughter more each day.  She watched her move through her chores with measured perfection as usual, but there was no light in her as Kiara had seen throughout her life.  She barely ate instead she picked at her food eating only a few bites of what was on her plate.

One cool morning as Kiara bought food in the market, Vivan, the village school teacher, stopped her by gently touching her arm.  “How is Teagan?” she said softly keeping her voice down.

Kiara frowned at Vivian before softly speaking so as not to call attention to them  “She’s not herself.  I know, you can get shunned for speaking to me, but is there somewhere we can?  If not, I understand.”

Vivian looked at her old friend.  The two had grown up together.  They had been best friends while in school.  When Vivian had returned to take the position of teacher at the village school, Kiara had changed.  There was a distance between them even though Vivian had not done anything to Kiara.  Vivian didn’t know what had happened while she was gone.  Everyone was suspicious of Kiara and no one trusted her.  Yet, they seemed to go to her for healing and any kind of apothecary needs.  Vivian tried to speak with Kiara, but their friendship seemed to have been lost.  Kiara had changed too much.  Vivian didn’t know why or how.  

Then Vivian learned Kiara was with child.  While Kiara stayed silent about who the father was, the rumors in the village gave many as the possible father.  Rumors were vicious and scathing against Kiara.  She was everything which was evil about women.  

It was not accepted for an unmarried young woman to have a child.  She showed no shame in her condition.  Since Kiara had not been seen in the constant company of any man, the village was trying to get her to tell who the father was.  What they did know was she would disappear for periods of time as if habit.  Shunning her had not worked.  Shackling her had not worked.  They had only released her from the shackles because it became far too long for anyone to remain.  She had been denied commerce within the village; yet, somehow she had been able to continue to survive - not only not starve but continue to thrive.  Nothing they did forced her to name the man who had fathered her unborn child.  It fueled suspicion the man was married and was taking care of her secretly.  Still, 16 years later, Kiara held to the secret.  Teagan’s father was unknown to all but Kiara.

This was the first time Vivian’s friend had seemed to return to the girl she was before.  They moved out of the market into the schoolhouse through an alleyway.  It was market day, so school was closed.  Vivian guided Kiara to her office.  With the office door closed they were completely alone and could not be overheard, Vivian turned beside her desk to looked at Kiara as she spoke “What’s going on with Teagan, Kiara?”

“She’s withdrawn,” she started sitting on a chair in the room and putting her hands in her lap.  “She does her chores and helps me with the potions, magic, alchemy and herbal mixtures.  She’s not there though.  It’s like she’s a shell.  She doesn’t show any emotions except when she thinks she’s alone or when she sees Elrick in the village.  I’m thinking of moving from the village.  Taking her somewhere she will not have any memories of him.”

“Do you really think moving her will help?”

“No,” Kiara said in response looking up at Vivian.  “I don’t think it will help anything.  My parents moved here because of the tolerance and mixed population.  They wanted their children they had to grow up in peace and equality.  Now the same who have always preached tolerance, sit in judgement and intolerance of Teagan and I.  My daughter and I are barely tolerated because I can heal the sick and keep the crops growing.  Teagan is only hated because she exists; her sin was being born.  I am hated for the most part just because I’m unwilling to betray the man I love.”

“Kiara, I can’t pretend to understand why you feel revealing Teagan’s father would be betraying him,” Vivian said watching her face.  “Is there any harm after all this time in telling at least Teagan who he is?  What kind of man leaves a woman to face what you have had to face alone.  How could he love you to leave you to suffer like this?”

Kiara looked at her with a mix of emotions.  She was silent for a while before she spoke “It was not his choice to leave or stay away.  He would be with us if it was safe for him to be so.”

Vivian watched her as she spoke.  It was almost like Kiara had been in touch with the man who had left her and her daughter to suffer.  The matter was closed.  Kiara wasn’t saying anything about Teagan’s father.  

Vivian took a breath and continued by moving the subject back to Teagan “Still that is not what is hurting Teagan.  Elrick’s family will not allow Teagan and Elrick be together, even if they had married and consummated.  They hunted them down to separate them before they had a chance to marry.  I can’t imagine what they would do if she had conceived a child.  Do you know if they even tried?  I’m not sure how the two of them even knew each other.  It’s not like the villagers allowed their children to even talk to Teagan.  She wasn’t allowed in school with them. She could watch them, but she couldn’t even play with them,” said Vivian curiously.  “How much could they have been together?  How could they have planned…”

Vivian stopped as she noticed Kiara was crying and shaking her head “What is it?”

“I don’t know any of those answers.  I only know I’m going to lose her,” Kiara said almost sobbing.  “I’ve feared it since the day she was born. She’s so much like…”

Vivian moved forward hoping to catch the name as she reached to move Kiara’s light blonde hair from her face by hooking it behind her pointed ear.  However, the name didn’t come only silence which she broke to ask  “Why do you think you will lose her?  What happen that you lost him?”

The half-elf woman looked up at her friend.  “She was a gift, I was never meant to have alone,”  Kiara said softly trying to hold back the sobs.  “We were going to be a family.  None of that matters now.”

“Who was he, Kiara?  Tell me or send for him.  Maybe he can reach her even though you can’t,” Vivian said taking her hand softly.

Kiara shook her head as she said “He… I can’t.”

“Kiara, she’s almost grown.  You’ve told no one about her father.  Have you even told her anything?”

Kiara looked at her friend.  The time seemed to wash away for a moment.  Her tears fell without sound as she thought of the father of her child.  The moment was gone then as she shook her head.  “No, I can’t reach him.  I don’t think he could help her either.  She knows nothing of him.  She’s heartbroken over Elrick.  She misses him.  Elrick is the only one who could reach her.  He can’t do even that at the moment.  Sadly it is going to get worse if I don’t find away to pull her out of it very quickly.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard something on my way to market today.  I’m sure Teagan doesn’t know yet, but she will know eventually,” Kiara sighed back a sob as she spoke.  “Elrick’s father has arranged a marriage.  Elrick doesn’t even know the girl let alone love her, but they will be wed in two weeks.  Celebrations will start in a week.  His mother and sisters have been working on preparations and ordering things from the merchants.”

“What do you think Teagan’s reaction will be?”

“I don’t know….I really don’t know.”  Kiara’s eyes looked into Vivian’s as she continued “But I fear what may happen.”

“Do you think she would hurt herself?”

“I don’t know,” Kiara looked in Vivian’s eyes.  “She’s so dead now.  This just might be the last straw for her.  The only person other than me to show her love and understanding betrays her like this, even if it isn’t by choice.  I fear for her.  I have nothing I can do.  No herbs.  No spells.  Nothing can help her.  She has to want to live and go on within herself.  If I can’t reach her.  If I can’t give her a reason to live, she will die either by her own hand or just from loss of will to live.  No one can give another the will to live.  I just don’t know how to reach her or give her a will to live.  I don’t know Vivian,...I just don’t know.”

Kiara had left to go to the market.  She knew it would be sparsely populated because of the wedding.  She hated leaving Teagan alone with the risk of her looking out and seeing what was happening at the church. Still they needed food and other supplies. With her gone the house was quiet and still.  Teagan felt far too comfortable in the stillness - almost safe.

Curiosity about her father had risen again in her.  Her mother would tell her nothing.  She knew there were letters and notes her father hand left with her mother.  Many of them had been kept to teach Teagan from.  Her mother never said where the information and magic came from.  Teagan just knew.

She wanted to know more.  She knew her mother would never tell her.  She headed to her mother’s room and tried to open the door.  It was locked.  She tried spells she knew had the power to unlock things, but none of them worked.  Kiara must have used a spell to keep her out of the room.  She sighed and sank in front of it and softly cried.  

Hours passed.  She didn’t hear anything but her own sobs.  Finally she was calm again.  She looked at the window and noticed it was getting late.  The light told her it was past mid-day by an hour or two.  Her mother was still not home.  Slowly she moved to the window to look out.  She had avoided actually looking at more than the light and darkness coming through them since she last saw Elrick.

When she got to the window, she froze her inside.  There entering the church was Elrick dressed in his formal wear.  He didn’t look happy. He was having angry words with his father, even in the celebrations around them.  They pushed them forward to the door as she watched.  

She didn’t realize what she was doing as she moved her hands slowly casting the listening spell.  She stood there listening to him argue with his father about marrying another girl.  She felt her broken heart being crushed even more.  It hurt so much the way his father spoke of her.  Elrick stood up for her, but it wasn’t changing his father’s decision.  Elrick said he would rather die than go through with the wedding.  The argument continued as they went into the church, beyond the reach of the limited spell she had cast.  She couldn’t hear anymore of their argument, but it didn’t matter.

She knew now of all assurity he still loved her, not that it would make a difference.  She sank to the floor.  Her hands sank into the floor to touched the ground.   Her mother opened the door as the spell started to work.

Kiara moved to Teagan to stop her, but it was already too late the heart crushing realization had her tears flowing not only from her eyes but from her pores as well.  The liquid poured into the ground.  It saturated the ground quickly as water was being pulled up from below the earth her hands were in.  Kiara couldn’t pull Teagan away it was too late.  She was anchored by the spell and the emotions drowning her.  

It was only few moments more before screams started from the church.  They sounded like an argument and fighting.  Kiara wondered briefly if Teagan’s emotions were spilling into the emotions of those nearest the house.  Another scream from the church had Kiara running from the house to the church, a place she usually never went.  Her presence wasn’t even noticed, until she gasped in shock at the sight as she entered into the antechamber.  Elrick was there with his father’s sword in hand.  It was thrust through his father’s lower right side.  A dagger was jabbed upwards under his ribs into Elrick’s heart from his father’s left hand.

Elrick turned his head weakly at Kiara’s gasp then moved his hand from the sword to reach towards her.  Kiara moved quickly without thinking to the young man.  She moved to cradle his body against her as he fell away from his father with the dagger still implanted in his heart.  He gasped as he died “Tell her....t-tell m-my Teagan...I love her…”

Kiara looked at the young man laying in her arms dead.  She looked up accusingly at his father as she spoke “This is your doing.  Your hands are covered with the blood of your son because of the hate in your heart.  The fate of this village lays at your feet because of the hearts you have torn apart.”

She lifted the young man’s body to put him in his mother’s arms.  His father stood watching his wound not as mortal as his son’s.  Kiara didn’t look back as she walked out while the bride walked in on the scene and started to scream.  

The water, and the swamp, having never threatened the village before, began claiming the village as its own at Teagan’s command.  The swamp water was rising around them as it crept into the village slowly.  As the villagers took notice, they screamed scattering trying to collect what they could save of their belongings and run from the rising swamp.

As this process took place, Kiara went to her daughter and held her.  “He loved you,” she said trying to be comforting and knowing nothing could take this pain from her. “His last thoughts were of you and his love for you.”  She softly ran her hands through Teagan’s hair as she held her daughter as the girl cried.  

As Teagan’s head lay in Elrick’s blood on Kiara’s dress, her spell changed.  While the swamp remained claiming the village, the house the two of them had lived in for Teagan’s whole life rose slightly from its position making it higher than any other point in the village and saving it from the coming flood of the swamp.

Kiara held her till Teagan calmed.  By then, the whole village was under the swamp.  Their house was several feet over the swamp level.  The villagers had run with their salvaged belongings from the village in different directions; even the wedding party had disappeared from the village.  

Kiara and Teagan could easily have stayed in the house and been safe, but Kiara didn’t want the memories haunting Teagan.  Kiara was running from her own memories as well when she moved them to a somewhat small house in Glish.  Teagan didn’t think about it, but the house wasn’t really large enough for the two of them to stay for a long time.  However, Teagan didn’t really care.  She was still mourning…still heartbroken.