[Stories in the Snow] A Broken Promise

by **Lorelle** on February 2nd, 2014, 8:42 am

Timestamp :: 20th of Winter, 513 AV

There was once a story spread around the Snowsong hold about two young lovers. One was a small girl of only sixteen. Marrying age. The other was a charming eighteen year old who decided to sweep the girl off her feet. No one knew of their easy, passion filled love. The girl kept it a secret. Not wanting her parents to know. She didn’t want anyone to know. She didn’t want knowledge of their love to destroy it. Fear would always pull at her that someone was watching them. That something would happen. And it did. The boy, a coolwater they said, was summoned to go on a hunt in the ocean. The two said their goodbyes, whispering their love against each other’s ears and promising to meet once more. They never did.

...

Fingertips brush up against the edge of Lorelle’s ear. She can still feel his breath there. His words echo in her head. “I’ll be back by next snowfall. Don’t you worry, we will be together again.” Lorelle squeezes her eyes shut, feeling nauseous. Not nine days ago she told Kenna to let go of the past. To move on. Yet, she can’t seem to do so herself. An unwanted tear slides down her cheek. She brushes it away with the back of her hand, hoping no one has seen. She wishes it was all just a rumor. That the stories told were false. She wouldn’t have to feel the pain she does now had it never happened.

“Lorelle!” Jack’s voice makes Lorelle cringe. She opens her eyes slowly, looking to the Skyglow in front of her. With the subtle nod of her head, she waits for what he has to say. Knowing there is no way to stop him from going off his current trail of thought. “Why are you standing around? Get back to work. There are books that still need to be put back in place. Those people during that snowstorm really messed everything up,” he grumbles. Lorelle just sighs before nodding. No use fighting with him. He has been worse, more uptight, since the night of the snowstorm. “Okay, will do,” she answers him before turning on her heel.

Hands shaking slightly, she moves to one of the shelves and begins looking for any signs of disorganization. Her eyes bounces from beginning to end of each of the shelves. She isn’t focused though. Grief fills her. Her mind is focused on him. The Coolwater broke her heart. Her shaky hands become fists as she tries to steady herself. It doesn’t even make sense. This grief. It was four years ago and with his death.. it didn’t last long. Yet the feeling of pain twists inside her stomach. The longing to find a dark corner and cry is strong. She can’t though. She must push past it, do her job. Become focused.

“Snowsong,” Jack’s voice is unconcerned. More mad than anything. Lorelle winces, her body tensing. She turns towards him. “What?” she asks, her voice almost depressed sounding. Not a voice she uses often. “Focus please. I can’t be expected to worry about watching you. I have my own work to do.” Lorelle sighs, rolling her eyes. She nods though. “I got it Jack,” she assures him. Jack looks at her skeptically before nodding. “Alright,” he says simply before leaving her once more. Lorelle sighs again, looking back to the shelf.

This isn’t like her. She doesn’t drift off. She doesn’t get so filled with grief that she can’t work. Especially not over someone she lost four years ago. She really needs to get a grip. Blaming Kenna for bringing her feelings back to her, Lorelle tries to focus on something else. Anything else.

by **Lorelle** on February 2nd, 2014, 8:48 am

“Ma’am?” a voice asks. Lorelle turns her head, dazed. “Ma’am, are you alright?” the voice asks. A crease forms between Lorelle’s eyebrows. “Yes, I am. Why...” her voice trails off as she realizes that the voice speaking to her is coming from above. She looks up, seeing an older man looking down at her. All she knows for sure is that the man isn’t Jack. Other than that she doesn’t know him. “Um,” she murmurs, unsure of what has happened. She must have zoned out and tripped or something of the sort. “Sorry.” She feels out of control. Unable to understand why she is flat on the ground.

“Here, let me help you,” the man suggests, putting out a hand. Lorelle nods, taking the hand. The man helps her up by pulling on her arm. Standing up now, the Vantha feels lightheaded. “Thank you,” she says, “I don’t know what happened. I am alright though.” She tries assure herself by assuring him, but it isn’t working very well. She raises a hand and runs her fingers through her short hair. She sighs softly, looking back to the man. “How can I repay the favor? Anything I can help you with?” she asks, knowing she needs to get back to her job.

The older Vantha doesn’t say anything for awhile before he nods. “Yes,” he says, “I am looking for a book about the building of different structures in Avanthal. Is there a chance any might be here?” The man’s words hit Lorelle like a brick. Four years ago, the boy. He wanted to be of Iceglaze. No, maybe he was of Iceglaze and not a Coolwater. Lorelle isn’t sure. The rumors each told him to be of a different hold. Lorelle doesn’t even remember if he told her his hold. She does remember though his dream. He wanted to build a structure out of icestone so great that it would be worthy of the goddess Morwen herself. Such a foolish dream.

Lorelle nods. “Um yes,” she replies, “Some journals I think. This way.” Her feet feel heavy as she moves through the shelves of the small library. She can hear the man’s footsteps behind her. Something good for she doesn’t want to look back to him. She can feel the tears forming in her eyes. Hatred towards her own emotions fill her. She hates being weak, showing these emotions. Especially like this. When there is no reasoning for it. After all, four years have past. As she told Kenna. Love is fleeting.

“Here we are,” she tells the man, her voice low in order to keep it from quivering. Crouching down, she looks to the second to last shelf. She pulls out three worn journals, standing up and handing them to the man. He takes them with the thankful nod of his head. “I am sorry we don’t have more. We probably do, but those seem to be our best,” she tells him. The man nods before shrugging. “It is alright. These will do,” he assures her. Nodding once more, Lorelle looks past the man for a moment before returning her gaze to him. “If you need anything else just find me and let me know. I would be happy to help. Also, if you would like to check those books out of the library I can get you put down in the ledger at the desk. Just let me know,” she explains. The man nods and thanks her once more, assuring her he will do as she suggests should the need arise.

With the man taken care of, Lorelle goes to her desk. She can’t go back to the shelves right now. Falling again would be embarrassing and with the zoning out she seems to be experiencing today ... it just doesn’t seem like a good idea. No matter what Jack says or wants.

by **Lorelle** on February 2nd, 2014, 8:53 am

Orange. That was the color his eyes got when he was excited or happy. Lorelle saw the color a lot swirling in his eyes with silver rings amongst it. In love. That is what the color silver meant. A faint smile brushes against Lorelle’s lips as she remembers just the little details. Like his eyes. She remembers sitting with him one night in the park. He wanted to hear her play her flute. Not feeling good at the act of playing the instrument, Lorelle didn’t. Instead, she convinced him that they should tap into their gnosis marks. Play with the snow.

“Lorelle,” the Vantha frowns as she hears Jack’s voice scolding her again. Her eyes flicker over to him. “What?” she asks, annoyed. Jack stands with crossed arms. “I am not your babysitt...” he starts, but with her anger growing, Lorelle cuts him off. “Than stop acting like it,” she snaps, her voice low but that doesn’t hold the anger she feels back. “I know what I have to do, I don’t need you reminding me every five chimes. Get off my case already.” Jack frown grows deeper. Lorelle is impressed. She didn’t think that was possible. “Just do your work,” Jack mutters before dropping his arms and turning away. Lorelle rolls her eyes. “Yes sir,” she mocks under her breath, opening up the ledger.

It isn’t good for her and Jack to be fighting in the library. Lorelle knows this. And she knows better than to defy one in a more leadership position over her. Still, she doesn’t care. Jack doesn’t seem to either. For one so usually quiet and keeps to himself, he sure has been talkative recently. Lorelle wonders what has brought it on. So strange.

“Miss?” the man from earlier speaks. Lorelle looks up, seeing him. She gives a smile. “Yes,” she says, “Can I help you with something?" The man nods, putting one of the three journals in front of her on the desk. Lorelle looks at the journal, nodding. "Can I check this one out please?" he asks. Lorelle nods. “Yes,” she says, picking up the book. She opens it up and pulls the library card out of it, marking it correctly. She opens the ledger up to a blank slot and puts the title of the book down along with the date. “Sign here,” she tells the man, handing her quill over and showing him where to put his name. He does so, causing him to give a brief farewell and leave the library. Book in hand.

Lorelle sighs, closing the ledger before leaning back in her chair. She tugs at one of her curls, rolling it around and around her index finger multiple times. Her mind wanders, trying hard not to think of her lost love and the onslaught of emotions and memories she has been feeling today due to that time she had him. It had been such a long time ago. So many years. Lorelle sighs. She should really learn how to take her own advice.

by **Lorelle** on February 2nd, 2014, 8:55 am

A long time ago Liana, Lorelle’s mother, told Lorelle a story to try and scare her into marrying someone. How her mother would have enjoyed learning of the man Lorelle found when she was sixteen. She would have been overjoyed, sending Lorelle’s father right away to find the man’s price. She would have had them wed by the year’s end. The mark of Cheva would be on their necks and in her mother’s mind, everything would have been right in the world. Oh how happy Lorelle is that Liana to this day doesn’t know about the boy. That would be... disastrous to say the least.

Lorelle smiles softly to herself at the thought. Her mother with probably cry herself a snow drift if she found out about the chance her daughter lost. She would curse at the gods, maybe even Morwen herself, for having him torn from Lorelle’s life. She would spend days going on and on about how unfair it is that he was gone from the world. Never to be found again. The misery it would cause her.. a small price to pay in Lorelle’s eyes. For all the misery she has caused her daughter the past four years. The endless men and talk of marriage. The longing for Lorelle to find someone. The disappointment when Lorelle was officially an icemaiden. A cruel act it would be to tell Liana now.

“She doesn’t deserve it,” Lorelle murmurs to herself. She hopes she is better than that. That her blows against people are higher than that. For that is a very, very low blow. The Vantha sighs, her mind buzzing with thoughts. Thoughts of him mostly. What the news of him would do to those around her. Her father may feel sorry for her, but he would be encouraging. Saying it was young love, it obviously not meant to be. That someday she would find someone else.

Liana, along with the other things, would feel sorry as well. Only she wouldn’t be so supporting. More along the lines of telling Lorelle of her missed chance at a real life in Avanthal and how much of a loss it was. That is one way the act of telling her mother would just lash back on her. Liana seems to be able to do that quite well. Turn things the opposite way Lorelle herself wishes for them to go.

by **Lorelle** on February 2nd, 2014, 8:57 am

“Alright Lorelle, these need to get put in the correct places and that should be it for you today,” Jack says, his voice showing that he is being a little more pleasant than usual at the moment. Lorelle nods, taking the books he has placed before her. “I think,” he muses, looking around the library, “That we are finally getting back to normal. The destruction caused on the fifth seems to have all but disappeared. I can no longer feel it in the air.” Lorelle rolls her eyes, laughing slightly under her breath. Jack. One of the few Vantha other than Lorelle herself that she has run across who hates mass amounts of people. Especially in his place of work. Lorelle stands up, walking to the other side of the desk where Jack stands. She rests a hand on Jack’s shoulder, feeling him tense up under her touch.

“Oh Jack,” she teases lightly, “What would we do without normal library air?” She smiles before leaving him, books in her arms. She really doesn’t want to hear his reply. So she looks at the titles of each of the books, figuring out where each goes. There are five of them. One on breeding, written by a Frostfawn. No surprise there. Another on Falconry. Written by an Inarta. Lorelle raises her eyebrows slightly at that. It was years ago, but she still remembers the fiery red hair of the Inarta people. She wonders when this book was written. If it came from Wind Reach or if it was written here. She sighs before shrugging. It doesn’t matter. She just needs to figure out where it belongs.

The third and fourth books are on cooking. A Winterflame is the author of this one. Another one that isn’t a surprise. The fifth book isn’t really a book per say. More like a collection of pictures. Skyglow. Lorelle raises an eyebrow. Is this suppose to be here? Doesn’t seem like it. Opening it up, She sees the careful brush strokes off the artist. Words accompany each picture. Interesting. This one is interesting. Lorelle tucks it under her arm, wanting to look at it closer later when she gets the time.

Lorelle spends the next twenty or so chimes putting four of the five books away. She then goes to her desk and opens up the ledger. She checks out the art book, wanting to take a look at it at home. What she has seen so far makes it look like a journal. And a very interesting one at that.

“See you later Jack,” Lorelle says as passes him in the office while getting her coat. He only nods in acknowledgement. Lorelle rolls her eyes, sliding her coat on. “Yeah, bye," she mutters, leaving the library. She heads home, excited to get this art book open and dig deeper into its details. Keep her mind off her lost love. That will be nice. Sighing happily, she walks. A quick bounce in her step as she walks through the snow. This will hopefully be one of her last seasons in Avanthal. Might as well make the most of it. Not dwell on the past and the broken promises it holds. Time to press forward and never look back.

.:End:.

by **Ablation** on March 16th, 2014, 6:14 am

Lorelle :

Please don't be afraid to PM me with any questions ^-^ and please don't forget to remove your grading request from the list to keep My office spick and span.

Solo [Stories in the Snow] A Broken Promise