#young revallen was all rage and little foresight

[attractthecrows]

hi this infected me in the car today.

revallen leaves the clan with nessie. that night he sneaks to the village that killed ilithra, intending violence- but he finds an unexpected stone marking the spot where they died, with 5 fresh-ish flowers laid at its base. the sight holds him there, daughter in his arms, the both of them covered in a dark cloak that hides their ears and faces.

his contemplation is interrupted by a villager - a barmaid - who'd come with more flowers. he turns away but she calls out to him. she asks if he knew these elves, and apologizes for her village.

this angers Revallen, and he turns, still holding Nessie. "What use are apologies?! What can words do now?! If you must apologize, do so to the girl whose mother you stole," he snarls, "to the parents who lost their only child, because she was naive enough to approach humans with hope!"

The barmaid falls to her knees, prostrate, with more apologies. Revallen’s mana starts to act up as his temper is tested again, wind whipping his cloak around, but a spark scares Nessie. When she flinches, Revallen stops, relaxing his grip on his staff.

He wants to attack. He does not.

"There was no reason to attack." He says, his voice cracked. "We could have worked together."

He wavers again. After a long, painful moment, he puts his staff away. the wind whips the hood of his cloak off of his head, exposing him and Nessie. "I should have expected it. My wife was too kind for her own good," he says hollowly, and the barmaid raises her head, her eyes wide. "Forgiving. Patient. She'd find the best in everything."

"I would rain retribution upon you for her death." He laughs bitterly, and the light fades from his eyes as the barmaid watches. "But she believed very strongly in second chances. Leave, human, and I will do the same. For her sake."