Snippet #1503169

The cool winds of the first winter days cut through the mountains of Vale, the last trees with any leaves on them were steadily losing to the icy mountain gales. The first snows had yet to come, but the inhabitants of the Vale knew that it could not be far off. Teralo breathed deeply, his breath forming a small cloud as he placed his hand on top of Emaya's head, running his fingers through her hair. Small tears were still flowing down her face though she was careful to not make much noise beyond a fain whimpering. Both stood in front of a simple grave, old now and a few shoots of grass already growing over the once disturbed land. The grave was not elaborate, marked simply with a small inscription and the name Frenalin Harte.

The death of Emaya's mother had been rough and the child had not taken it well. Though now 12 years old, her birthday a mere four days ago had done little to cheer the girl up, even for a small time. She was taking the death better then Teralo had, for he had been much younger and did not have the support that Emaya now had from a close friend. Still, it was hard for her. If one had thought Emaya inseparable from Teralo before, they were sadly mistaken now. The girl never left his side and her once cheery and innocent smile had been replaced by one of more knowledge and sadness.

Teralo, or for that matter anybody of the caravan sent to Kings Landing, had not learned of the deadly plague that had swept through the Vale and the surrounding land until their return, and by that time it had been too late. The sickness had been fast, few surviving more then a week after being infected. By the time the caravan returned, the sickness was gone, but death had taken it's place. Many succumbed to it's bite, and one of those poor souls had been Frenalin Harte.

A familiar pressure pressed itself against Teralo's chest, the sound of soft sobs accompanying it. Before her mother passed away, Teralo would have put on a smile and try to cheer Emaya up. However, this was not as simple as that. Emaya's pain cannot be healed by a smile and comforting words alone, it was not even a bandage for the wounds of the heart. Teralo lowered himself down a bit to embrace the smaller girl. His hand caressed the back of her head comfortingly as she cried into his shoulder. Emaya's soft sobs reminded him so much of the loss of his own mother, but even that memory no longer carried such a heart wrenching feel as Emaya's sobs did. He tried to think of something to say, but like all the other times there was little to say to Emaya. She didn't want words, he had tried and she cried all the harder because of them. Emaya wanted him to be there for her, she wanted to cry with and be with the last person she had in this world. So Teralo stayed with her, held her, comforted her to the best of his abilities. Emaya was recovering, but Teralo knew from experience that the death of a cherished loved one, was the worst thing anyone can experience. The greatest shame though, was that Emaya's innocence had cracked, there was nothing that could have avoided it, but Teralo wanted nothing more then for Emaya to smile again.

Emaya shivered a little as another gust of wind blew, temporarily drowning out her quiet sobs. "Your getting cold, let's head back to the castle all right?" Emaya nodded before walking silently back to the castle with Teralo. Hand in hand, and only the wind to help them.