This part has been ready for a few days, but I waited before I added it here. 
***
"I should've listened to Vanault."
Animus furrowed his eyebrows and actually thought about what had just spilled from his lips. "I can't believe I just said that." He shook his head at the unbelievable situation. Three days ago, he wouldn't have fathomed that he would mourning the death of his lover and his unborn child. Perhaps believing that he should have indeed followed Vanault's advice wasn't that far off.
Sitting on the wet, melting snow next to Opaline's body, Animus stroked her dark brown tresses, a familiar and comforting action to him. Her face had already lost all its color, her skin an appropriate deathly shade of pale. The brown eyes that he had once loved getting lost in continued to stare up at the clear sky; he didn't dare even look into her lifeless gaze now, he didn't think he could face the accusations that lied there.
Why weren't you with me?
Why didn't you take me with you?
Why didn't you leave me in Tribute?
Why didn't you save me?!
Why, why, why... The questions haunted him as he asked himself the same ones over and over.
He had failed her, utterly and completely. He was supposed to protect her. Not only as her lover and betrothed, but also as her compliment in Animarian society. The High Priestess of Animaria and the General of the Animarian Army were always paired in everything, whether it came to their duties in the castle or their attendance at social gatherings, they worked or arrived always together. That would no longer be the case.
"I'm so sorry," Animus whispered to the dead Opaline, fighting off tears that threatened to mar his cheeks. "I failed you, and our baby." He hastily tore his hazel eyes away from the arm lying upon her stomach, and the tears he had fought burst through his defenses and dribbled down his gaunt face. "I...I don't know what to do now..."
A soft whinny broke the silence of the forest and the soldier turned around to see Fauna just a few steps behind him, snuffing at him. Confused, he glanced down at himself to see exactly what Fauna was trying to point out.
His lavish uniform tunic and pants were completely soaked by the slushy snow.
It seemed a foolish thing for the horse to indicate, but as soon as Animus took note of his own condition, his focus no longer on his mental anguish, he realized just how cold he was sitting there. He tried to move his legs and a painful sensation attacked them as they sought to reawaken themselves after being numb. It was then, in that moment as he massaged his legs into awareness, that he saw the footsteps in the snow; they were directed away from Opaline's body into the forest.
Merrick.
The force of remembering that his apprentice was still missing in the aftermath of the snowstorm hit Animus like a ton of bricks. Merrick was still out there, wandering, confused and alone, and believing that he was to blame for his mother's death as well as his father's. He had no food, no supplies of any sort... He was in dire danger.
"Fauna," the young man called to his horse, motioning the animal closer. Once she was standing right next to him, he grabbed a hold of her reins and using her as a support, pulled himself into a standing position. "Thanks," he acknowledged, stroking her mane.
It took him a little bit to adjust to standing before he mounted Fauna, but once he did mount her, Animus began to question his actions. He couldn't very well leave Opaline alone. The last time he left her alone, she died.
As he looked down on her from above, Animus found that he couldn't avoid her stern, dead gaze. It was almost as if she was looking up at him one last time. Her features had hardened and while she may have appeared peaceful in the first moments of her death, she now seemed determined upon some point, almost insistent.
"I need to go, don't I?" His tears had faded and only his deep, pervading sadness remained.
Opaline answered him with her silence.
Animus bit his lip slightly, struggling to let go of her corporeal form. There was so little he had of her, physically, and he felt that if he let her go he would lose her forever. But that wasn't really true; he had already lost her. He had to hang on to what he still had of her. He had to find Merrick.
With a quick, light nudge of his heels into Fauna's sides, Animus pushed her forward, making a clean break away from the corpse of his beloved, in hopes that he would not have to mourn another Baliton's passing in Merrick.
***
***
"I should've listened to Vanault."
Animus furrowed his eyebrows and actually thought about what had just spilled from his lips. "I can't believe I just said that." He shook his head at the unbelievable situation. Three days ago, he wouldn't have fathomed that he would mourning the death of his lover and his unborn child. Perhaps believing that he should have indeed followed Vanault's advice wasn't that far off.
Sitting on the wet, melting snow next to Opaline's body, Animus stroked her dark brown tresses, a familiar and comforting action to him. Her face had already lost all its color, her skin an appropriate deathly shade of pale. The brown eyes that he had once loved getting lost in continued to stare up at the clear sky; he didn't dare even look into her lifeless gaze now, he didn't think he could face the accusations that lied there.
Why weren't you with me?
Why didn't you take me with you?
Why didn't you leave me in Tribute?
Why didn't you save me?!
Why, why, why... The questions haunted him as he asked himself the same ones over and over.
He had failed her, utterly and completely. He was supposed to protect her. Not only as her lover and betrothed, but also as her compliment in Animarian society. The High Priestess of Animaria and the General of the Animarian Army were always paired in everything, whether it came to their duties in the castle or their attendance at social gatherings, they worked or arrived always together. That would no longer be the case.
"I'm so sorry," Animus whispered to the dead Opaline, fighting off tears that threatened to mar his cheeks. "I failed you, and our baby." He hastily tore his hazel eyes away from the arm lying upon her stomach, and the tears he had fought burst through his defenses and dribbled down his gaunt face. "I...I don't know what to do now..."
A soft whinny broke the silence of the forest and the soldier turned around to see Fauna just a few steps behind him, snuffing at him. Confused, he glanced down at himself to see exactly what Fauna was trying to point out.
His lavish uniform tunic and pants were completely soaked by the slushy snow.
It seemed a foolish thing for the horse to indicate, but as soon as Animus took note of his own condition, his focus no longer on his mental anguish, he realized just how cold he was sitting there. He tried to move his legs and a painful sensation attacked them as they sought to reawaken themselves after being numb. It was then, in that moment as he massaged his legs into awareness, that he saw the footsteps in the snow; they were directed away from Opaline's body into the forest.
Merrick.
The force of remembering that his apprentice was still missing in the aftermath of the snowstorm hit Animus like a ton of bricks. Merrick was still out there, wandering, confused and alone, and believing that he was to blame for his mother's death as well as his father's. He had no food, no supplies of any sort... He was in dire danger.
"Fauna," the young man called to his horse, motioning the animal closer. Once she was standing right next to him, he grabbed a hold of her reins and using her as a support, pulled himself into a standing position. "Thanks," he acknowledged, stroking her mane.
It took him a little bit to adjust to standing before he mounted Fauna, but once he did mount her, Animus began to question his actions. He couldn't very well leave Opaline alone. The last time he left her alone, she died.
As he looked down on her from above, Animus found that he couldn't avoid her stern, dead gaze. It was almost as if she was looking up at him one last time. Her features had hardened and while she may have appeared peaceful in the first moments of her death, she now seemed determined upon some point, almost insistent.
"I need to go, don't I?" His tears had faded and only his deep, pervading sadness remained.
Opaline answered him with her silence.
Animus bit his lip slightly, struggling to let go of her corporeal form. There was so little he had of her, physically, and he felt that if he let her go he would lose her forever. But that wasn't really true; he had already lost her. He had to hang on to what he still had of her. He had to find Merrick.
With a quick, light nudge of his heels into Fauna's sides, Animus pushed her forward, making a clean break away from the corpse of his beloved, in hopes that he would not have to mourn another Baliton's passing in Merrick.
***
WhiteZeo
An Oliverette To The End
---
"Blue, please. Please, wait here for us to return. If I think that you are waiting for me, I will be able to return. I'll definitely come back to meet you without giving up, 'cause I'll never leave you all alone." - Hige to Blue in "Faulty Memories" from Wolf's Rain
An Oliverette To The End
---
"Blue, please. Please, wait here for us to return. If I think that you are waiting for me, I will be able to return. I'll definitely come back to meet you without giving up, 'cause I'll never leave you all alone." - Hige to Blue in "Faulty Memories" from Wolf's Rain
I loved it WhiteZeo! I really did. That was a great working of Mave-y-ness. I dont think you had anything to worry about. You worked your magic, like you always do, and made what you wrote fantastic. ::nods:: Youre awesome! 
)
