A lump stuck on her throat at the sight of the empty space. The grass was tall, uncut and unkempt. The vines had started to get a foothold on the walls of the building and one of the windows had been shuttered.
Enniliel had noticed the anger rising in her, but the ranger was polite and did not commend on that. This was good, as she was not sure she could describe where this anger came from. Was it because her hope for finding them there was shuttered like that window? Was it because her time for revenge was postponed? Or was it because, deep down she was glad she did not have to face those people again?
Elkirian was not sure if she could face those who hurt her in the past and the doubt gnawed her bones.
Enniliel had a map with more safehouses on it, but Elkirian was not ready to leave the place just yet “Let us have a look inside”.
They had emptied this place as well. Trash and forgotten pieces of household items littered the floors. I had been a forgotten decoration as well, she thought, just another object to be discarded. The two women split, Elkirian moved to the basement and Enniliel covered the first floor. Most of the rooms had been empty. Clearly a room used as a bedroom with an empty basinet in the back. The next door revealed only a coil of rope on the floor. There was a speck of blood on it. With a shiver, she dropped it on the floor.
The next room had a pile of clothes in the back. Slowly, she rummaged through them. Amongst them, she recognized the typical grab of the local guards, within one of the pockets there was a piece of paper. She placed it in hers without looking at it; Enniliel or Lissilana would be able to read it. The pile also had a rohirrim tunic and a Dunlandian one. She froze. Why was she even surprised that there was attire from her homeland amongst their loot. They have been based here and they move to Rohan… it makes sense to have a way to meld with her people.
No, she froze because she did not expect it. A tear trickled down her face. Then another one and soon she had an unstoppable stream of them. She did not know for how long she sobbed for the motherland which did not want her back. For so long she had been angry to the people there and how they treated her. But she missed the comfort of her own people, she was weary of strangers.
She just wanted to go home, but there was no home for her.
