Forgotten

[Xiomara]

Soft footfalls tread along the cobblestone, the city was much changed and it nearly made one forget how glorious the lands of the Matashina twins actually was once upon a time. The moss green eyes glittered in the dark with the turn of the head, short snow white hair with black highlights bounced with each step. Though quiet as a kitten did she slip through the front door, leaving the horrors outside in the dark. The main room was empty and Xiomara stood just inside it with a slight trembling to her body, which was concealed by the darkness of it all. Was it excitement? Fear of rejection? Did she fear being alone? The tip of her nose was cold, same with her fingertips; they trembled with mixed emotions as she hung her bag up near the coat rack, stepped out of her muddy boots so she would not ruin the floor or carpeting and padded in further. "Hello, is anyone up at this hour?"

What was the hour anyway? Outside it looked like dawn, or was it dusk? Twilight perhaps? All these things rushed through her mind while she trembled for no reason at all. Perhaps it was exhaustion. Starvation? Whatever the reason, she had been away from this place for so long she had forgotten what it was like to be home. Have Ari and Cerverous forgotten me? Does anyone wait for me here? All these were asked in her mind while she waited for the darkness to respond.

[Sauri Matashina]

Appeared in the ruin of the home. Nothing left but a burnt foundation. Her eyes glinted within the dark a mix of emotion. "Many ghost will walk these lands now...many i cherished." Her voice dull, and a little flat. "We will rebuild it...better "

[Xiomara]

All the things that had been rushing through her mind had clouded her vision, for as sharp as it was in the dark; she had missed the ruin. Turning full circle, the reality hit her. All at once the illusion of home fell and the carcass of the estate sprung to life. The war! That's what had spurred her return here. Her bag lay on the floor, tattered and fitting in along with everything else.

Eyes wide with shock and fresh tears looked to Sauri, she dropped to a knee. "I'm sorry Sauri... I have failed..."

[Sauri Matashina]

Shook her head lightly. "Stand up, please." She said and walked a few steps. "The half of the city that remind is where most of us are. Those who sacrificed their lives are being buried in the cemetery." She said, now her voice was pained...

[Xiomara]

Ask how many! Demand to know who! Ignoring the animal within she got to her feet, wiping her face clean and only managing to smear more dirt on it. She hadn't noticed she was covered in the same blood and grime as most she had encountered. A defense mechanism from her brain, no doubt. "You're right. No time for that now. I will follow your lead. I... I encountered some in the city, vampires. I was running here and... there are bodies burned beyond recognition. No teling if ours or theirs or human..." she forced herself to say firmly. "They've been buried in the fields with a gravemarker."

[Sauri Matashina]

She looked back at Xio, and smiled sadly. she wiped off her face with a piece of her dress. "The others, as well as myself are relieved that more have survived.." she said and turned again, to leave the rubble behind. ""We will build again this time a more organic place...give back to the lands." She said, in effort to not break down again.

[Xiomara]

Without hesitation she would take Sauri's hand and lead her to a piece of rubble, where, using her own bag; she would have the woman sit. " I may have forgotten many things Sauri, but it's important to never forget how to cry. So cry for those we have lost, and another day in the near future... fight for those that survived. This is the moment to do so without stubborness." Xiomara took both of Sauri's hands and squeezed, letting her tear drop to the ash, some of which might have once been her friends. She had forgotten that this was her home and in time of need, failed to defend it.

[Sauri Matashina]

She looked at Xio, and blinked. Her brows furrowed she felt something strange...and foreign. Tears took down her cheeks rapidly and she weapt. She weapt for everything...the fallen, the living...and the loss. She buckled and cried. She cried so hard she shook..an extremely rare sight...

[Darcassan]

Darcassan stepped out of the shadows, watching in silence. It was not his place to speak, Sauri needed this more then she thought, he had seen how much burden she had placed upon her shoulders as he had seen it in Ajax and Damien.

He moved with silent steps as he looked at what had once been the beauty of the coven he had come to once call home, placing a gloved hand to the ground as a small crystal etched with the names of those who had fallen and those who had lived to fight another day formed in his hand, each name of the fallen had a small inscription underneath the name. He would not allow any to be forgotten.

Moving now over to Sauri and Xiomara, he still did not speak but he held the small crystal out to Sauri, a parting gift one would call it from all those who had passed on. He himself had not written the inscriptions but those who had fallen had through him. He glanced to Xiomara for a few moments as if to thank her but nothing came out.

[Sauri Matashina]

She looked up at Cassan, and the crystal. She wiped her face, and tool the crystal with shaky hands. The names tore at her heart. As did the inscriptions. She whispered a soft and tired thank you, and held it close to her. She pulled her handmade doll from her pocket and held it tight along with the crystal. The pain that lanced through her almost too much to bear.

[Xiomara]

Once Sauri had finished shedding her tears she rose to her feet to let her deal with this new wave of sorrow that had been invoked by the crystal the dead had written upon. Gently she laid a hand on Darcassan's shoulder before pulling him into a warm hug. Inproper, but now was hardly the time. "Hello Darcassan... it is good to see you with us." Releasing him frm further discomfort she moved back to Sauri's side and embraced their Mistress and leader. "They've only made us stronger... we are the ravages of war, and we will not fall again."

[Darcassan]

Darcassan did not mind he actually hugged Xiomara back, he looked to Sauri and nods. "She is right, we still stand and will not fall, yes those who have departed with always be in spirit but they will never be forgotten. We beat them against all the odds we stuck together as a family should and look where we now stand."

[Sauri Matashina]

She sighed, and dried her face. She closed her eyes and nodded, "I know." She said and spoke softly. "Thank you, for believing." She said and stood. It was more then time to begin the healing process...to rebuild what was destroyed.

[Xiomara]

"Sauri I think we should move away from the humans. They were caught in this war because of us. I don't mean completely, but so that they have time to evacuate should another attack come our way. They have a right as much as we do." It sounded like it was a worry without basis but she was actually speaking because a human had risked his life to save hers. "After this, they'll fear us."

[Darcassan]

Darcassan nodded in agreement. "The humans fought as much as we ourselves did, granted it was not their war but they did it anyway, I think it is best to move well away as Xiomara said, so we don't allow them to be caught in the cross fire again should it happen."