Return

Naridalis returned to the kin house late in the night. The dust of the road was matted into her cloak, and as she entered, she finds a letter on the ground by the door, where it should not be.   
  

Author’s Note: This piece was shaped with a little help from AI. It provided assistance on things like the structuring, some names, shortening some verbose language/ideas as I'd written, and gave me the odd turn of phrase here and there.

OOC: Author's Notes
Status: Complete - Part II contains all 5 entries (5/5).

It was impossible. A dream. Or perhaps a nightmare, with how it tortured her. Still, his return could not be a nightmare with such gentle words...could it?

The hoot of an owl nearby both frightened Dru inexplicably, and snapped her out of her stupor. She lifted a shaking hand to wipe away the cold layer of sweat from her face.

The cold wind licked the earth and shook the burnt banners and tents that remained standing. The once great fort now stood abandoned and even colder than it was, it also seemed scarier and darker, but it was the only place that the tribesmen could camp on their journey. They were all huddled between the burnt buildings at a distance from the gates.

The time had inevitably come where Daphne was leaving Esgaroth and heading home.

The damp, torn and dirty boot seeps traces of water out from it as another step is taken down the cobblestone path. Tired, green eyes lift up to the gate of Bree, while frail fingers grasp at the reins of his horse. Coarsely, he speaks, saying something to himself in a moment of hesitation, as though he himself can't believe it, his voice struggling to start with a forced whistle, "Hhh...Home."

Leaves rustle as the warm summer breeze rushes through the trees and the water rushes along the stream that ran through the village, Aren smiles as those sounds are joined the clip clopping of heavy hooves, plodding along the paved bridge. Flowers were blossoming in the village as the sun shone down, a warm and bright day to match his emotions. He was home at last.