Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-5583506-20150817173834/@comment-5583506-20150818044651

The conversation with the strange man at the inn had taken its toll on Evelyne. She had gone outside to the snow-covered plaza in front of the inn, leaving the warmth behind. She looked around at all the buildings and the few people who still remained in town. It was a sorry sight. She made sure to take a good look at each and everyone of their faces as she sat down on the steps outside the Candlehearth Hall. The faces of the people she was supposed to miraculously save somehow...

These were men, women and children that had everything to loose. When she had lived all by herself with Artik in the cabin she had come to the conclusion that she would eventually die, due to her Blood Lung. She had accepted her death as she was aware of it. But these people... even though they seemed to be very well of their impending end they had yet to accept their demise. She could tell it by looking at them. They had everything to loose: their families, their friends, their homes, their lives... Now she was cursed with undeath, while these people doomed to die by either freezing or starving to death.

''I don't believe that 'irony' would be the correct term for a situation like this. There is nothing ironic about it. These people have everything to loose, while I had nothing...''

She woke up from her reflections by Artik's bark for attention. "Oh", she said. "You... you want to play fetch?"

Artik barked again as if to confirm her question. It seemed that he could somehow sense her sadness and so decided to take her mind off for a while.

"Very well then", she said and stood up, grabbing a nearby twig. "Go for it, boy!"

She threw the twig as far away as she could and Artik pounced happily through the snow in order to retrieve it.

"There is a good lad", she said as he returned with his newfound toy, eager to try it out some more. "Want me to throw it further now?"

Another bark.

"Alright then", she shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

As soon as she was done throwing it, she froze up when she realised she was being watched. Apparently by people shorter than herself. Excitedly they looked upon her play with the wolf, dressed in thick clothing of fur.

''Children? These are children?! By the Gods... I had almost forgotten what a child looks like!''

As soon as Artik returned with the twig, Evelyne turned to the youngsters. "Uhm... Do you want to... join in?"

The two children looked at each other before they seemed to be turning their attention to some people standing on a nearby staircase, leading up to a smaller house. Apparently it was their parents.

"Can we?" they asked.

A Nord with a thick moustache smiled at them. "Of course you can. It would be good for the both of you to laugh again. Wouldn't it, Alva?"

Their mother nodded, before turning her attention to Evelyne. "They haven't seen a dog since they were toddlers", she explained.

He is a wolf, corrected Evelyne in her mind, but made no greater fuss out of it. "It would be good for Artik to have the excercise."

She handed the twig over to one of the siblings. The small girl reminded her of herself not too long ago.

This poor child won't even live to turn twenty...

Artik barked happily and ran around in circles in front of the child who seemed confused as to just what she was supposed to do. Apparently she had no experience of how to handle animals... yet alone twigs...

Evelyne smiled gently and knelt beside her, guiding her tiny hands in the right direction. "You just toss it as far away from you as you can", she explained to the girl. "Don't be afraid when Artik comes running back. He is just returning with the toy so that you can play with him again."

The girl did as she was told and threw the twig as far as she could. Artik didn't even have to run in order to pursue his target. The girl didn't seem to mind though. She laughed happily when the wolf returned with the twig in his jaws. She looked at her parents who seemed quite content with seeing their daughter smile... presumably for the first time in a very long time.

''If she now ever smiled at all... ''reflected Evelyne and stood up, brushing some tears away from her eyes before they froze. She could have lied and claimed that they were tears of happiness, but that would have made her feel even worse.

One doesn't lie to dead people...