The Beautiful and the Broken

Fourteen

Caltha and I stay at the house with Derrick and the children until morning, when we leave to call on someone to take away Acacia's body. As we walk out the door, Derrick stops us. "take her," he says, holding the baby out to us. I open my mouth to ask why, but Caltha takes the baby without questioning Derrick. They nod at eachother and the door shuts softly in front of us. Caltha places the baby in my arms and I frown. "Why?" I ask, my voice cracking. Caltha looks at me with tired eyes and shakes her head. "He has eight other children and a farm to care for. He cannot lay the responsibility of caring for a newborn onto Naida, she is still too young. He needs someone to care for her until she is old enough to go back to her family. I will have to find a foster home for her in the meantime."

I look down at the precious baby in my arms and she smiles up at me. "She likes you," Caltha says with a grin. We climb into the cart and Caltha's horse pulls us all the way into the village, where we stop at a small, dark building. It seems like a sad place, and I can feel death emanating from inside. I look up at the sign, which says "Soren Felor, mortician." I shiver as I read the last word. I assume the root of that word is mortem. Death. Caltha jumps down from the cart and I stand up to follow suit, but she stops me. "This is no place for an infant. Wait here for me," she says softly. I nod and sit back to wait. It is not long before Caltha reappears in the doorway with a short, grey-haired man next to her. He looks tired, and has dark bags under his silvery eyes. His hair is neatly slicked back and he is wearing all black, as if he is constantly in mourning. He says something to Caltha, nods towards me, and turns around to walk back inside.

Caltha climbs back in the cart and explains the plans for the burial of Acacia. "Soren will be stopping by the farm today to retrieve the body, and Derrick will take care of the rest of the funeral arrangements with him later on. In the meanwhile, we will sit back and wait - let the family begin their mourning. In time, they will heal but for now we need to let nature run its course," Caltha says sadly. I feel tears welling up in my eyes again, and I try to swallow the lump slowly rising in my throat. Caltha lays a hand on my shoulder reassuringly and I look down, closing my eyes. "It's been a long night, and you need rest. We'll go home now," she whispers softly.

When we arrive at the cottage, the sun is already at its noonday mark in the bright blue sky. The air is still and thick, as if there were a storm approaching. I look to the east, where I see ominous clouds on the horizon, steadily moving closer like black ink spreading through clear blue water. I do not like the stillness in the air; it is too quiet, too...solemn. The birds have gone completely silent, and not even the smallest breeze touches the trees surrounding the cottage. It is as if time has come to a stop and the universe is standing still. It is so unnatural, yet there is something so very exciting in the mystery of it all.

As we walk towards the cottage from the stable, I see Shadow sitting out front in a hammock tied between two trees near the doorway. He is whittling a small stick with one of our daggers, carving intricate and beautiful designs into the wood. He looks up as we approach, and his face lights up when he sees me. As soon as he sees the baby however, his expression grows concerned. He steps forward, reaching out to gently pull the blanket away from the baby's face. He looks for a few seconds, then takes a step back and looks at Caltha, who just nods at him. Without a word he wraps his arms around me and the baby, and as soon as I am safe in his embrace, I burst into tears. He holds me there for what seems like an eternity and I let myself weep. I weep for all the pain and suffering in this world of tragedy. I weep for the now motherless children. I weep for Derrick, who has lost the love of his life. I weep for all who are suffering, all who are hurting, those without anyone to comfort them.

When I finally break free from Shadow's warm embrace, we head into the cottage. Caltha takes the baby and I retreat to my room, the room filled with a forest of plants. I collapse into the grassy bed and inhale the earthy scent. The room still smells of earth, flowers, and dew, and it is all very comforting to me. I close my eyes and curl up, wrapping myself in my wings as I always do when I am drifting off to sleep. I let out a shaky breath and feel the dark, peaceful world of sleep overtaking me, dulling my senses and shutting out the world around me. As I sleep, images and words spiral in my mind until a very clear picture is painted in my conscience.

I am alone in a room, surrounded by pure gold light. I feel as if there is someone watching me, but I am all alone. Suddenly, the golden atmosphere begins to spin and a pedestal rises from the ground in front of me. The pedestal is beautiful, made of pure gold and carved intricately with designs so that it is made to look like a tree stump. I know I have seen this stump before, but I cannot recall where. Hovering above the stump appears a small bronze feather with a slightly curved rachis. The barbs on the vane end in soft, elegant curls. Like the stump pedestal, I recognize this feather, but I am unable to recall where from. Suddenly, the feather begins to spin, faster and faster until it is nothing more than a blur of bronze. As I watch, the feather slowly touches down onto the pedestal and in a huge blast of light, they bind together, weaving and twisting up into the air. Before long, there is a magnificent golden Wisteria towering above and before me. I watch as a shimmery ripple starts at the base of the trunk, shooting upwards and gaining speed as it goes. Behind it, the tree turns natural, its trunk becoming a bronze-brown color, much like the feather. Its branches become covered with beautiful amethyst flowers and emerald green leaves, draping downward like waterfalls of bright color. I am completely awestruck. As the shimmer transforms the very topmost branch, there is a blast, almost like a magical explosion. It is so powerful, I am knocked out of time and space, falling through nothing. I can see the golden atmosphere above me becoming smaller and smaller, and just as I am about to hit another dimension, everything goes completely black.

I sit straight up and my eyes fly open. I feel different, as if something has changed deep inside, strengthening my soul. I feel renewed, powerful, even invincible. What is wrong with me? I've never felt like this since before my accident. I have always felt weak and vulnerable, but now I feel like I am unstoppable, ready to face the world. It's not a bad feeling, I'm just confused as to how it has come over me like this. I slip off the bed and stretch my wings, unfolding them to their full span. Suddenly, I hear a blast of wind stronger than any I have ever heard before. It is like the sound of constant thunder, and it shakes the whole cottage. The wooden shutter on my window swings inward and breaks off its hinges, flying straight towards my head.