[IRP] The Dead One Calls

[Swift_Assassin]

The rest of the group didn't seem to thrilled about the travel. Well, Paige and Cecily didn't. Ambrose was probably used to it, but he was still recovering from the Cecily's song. That isn't to say this travel is easy traveling to Shad. He did most of his own traveling on foot, so horseback wasn't exactly his cup of tea either. He learned a bit when he was young, then Marcus had to drill it back into his head a couple years back. But Paige was a librarian and Cecily actually spent the entirety of her life as a lord, instead of living half her life as a commoner. Shad's train of thought was broken by Taika starting to shiver. "What's wrong Taika? Getting cold?"

"We are in the mountains. I'm also not really dressed that warm. My scarf can't do the job of sleeves after all."

Shad chuckled a bit. Faint sobbing noises could be heard as they moved on, but Shad was still oblivious to them. "Well, between Maria, you, and me, we should be able to get you a hot bath. You too, Cecily." He turned back down towards the map as the horse kept along it's path. The noise slowly got louder as they moved. "It looks like we are on the last stretch. There should be a break in the path up ahead. In fact..." Shad looked up ahead and saw a woman on her knees crying into her hands at the fork in the road. Shad stopped the horse and climbed off. Silver hair? He noticed. Just like...no. The sobbing stopped for a second as the woman on the road turned towards the sound of Shad's dismount. He slowly approached her, picking out more and more familiar details. Green eyes. Freckles. So many freckles. And that ponytail, just off center.

She blinked her eyes for a few seconds, before wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She looked at the man in front of her almost as carefully as he did her. With a hint of hope in her voice that had seemed lost to her, she spoke. "Shad?"

Perhaps it was seeing his 'sister' among the Tanian clergy. Perhaps it was a reminder of a more peaceful time. Perhaps it was the sad state he found her in. Whatever it was had caused him to forget his surroundings and his companions for a moment. "Mom!" He ran over to her, and she did the same. She, in fact, wasn't his mother. But as his own sister was raised with Tyber Fen and his wife as her father and mother, this woman had become the mother figure he and Lennox lacked after arriving in Ostia. They embraced each other, having not seen each other in over two years. When she let him go, he recalled the crowd behind him and tried to maintain his composure. "Ah...M-maisie. Why are you here? What's caused you so much distress?" That caused her to breakdown again. Great, he was never great at consoling people. "Uh, guys, a little help here? I'm not too good at this sort of thing."