Pearl of the Stars

The seemingly endless dawn taunted Violet from just outside her window. The sky's colors were changing so quickly - first a bright red and orange, and then a mixture of endless aquas. Violet sat on the low-pegged wooden chair that looked out over the woods beyond, gazing at these colors.

The tower her room rested in was so far above the ground, higher than the tallest trees. The curved window in front of her was like an eye that watched over the entire land. It was one of the gaping stone eyes that Violet had seen from down below.

Three steady knocks came from the bolted door. Violet wondered why one would bother to knock at all, seeing as she could not open the door herself. It was locked from the outside.

"Come in," she called in a tired voice, struggling to keep it above a whisper. The past days of traveling in heat with little water had done Violet's health no justice.

A young man with sandy hair slipped inside the room, immediately latching the door closed behind himself. He turned around, revealing a handsome face that sat above the clothing of a peasant boy. Violet looked into his smoke-gray eyes, suddenly standing up from her chair and knocking it over to topple against the cold floor.

"It's... y-you," she said quietly, making no effort to stand the chair properly again.

The young man smiled slowly, looking into Violet's familiar face. They stayed like that, staring at each other. Violet felt her brows furrow in confusion, while her heart began to pound with a familiar feeling.

The young man finally let Violet's eyes free as he reached to pull a dagger from his rope belt. "I believe you meant to give me this... it holds the symbol of the stars. I could only imagine how one like yourself should come across such a weapon, and when I discovered the grave... I knew what must have happened."

Violet's mouth remained opened in surprise. "Y-you..." she said again, shaking her head. "Dammit, Leofrick, why didn't you tell them!" Her eyes suddenly flared in anger, and she stepped closer to him as if threatening the young man to back away.

Leofrick's smile flickered into a frown. "I would have, but as soon as I realized what had happened, I went after the killer myself. For a few days I tracked him - but only came to a dead end," he shook his head, bronze hair falling into his face. "But just now I have spoken to the Waldroms, and they tell me that you are alive after all, and staying here in the castle! Imagine my utter surprise."

Violet's anger remained, but slowly ebbed into an awful misery and frustration. Tears began to pour from her eyes, and she turned away from Leofrick. It was a shameful thing for a woman to cry, and even though Violet was not quite a woman, she felt as if she was. The sobs that threatened to pull apart her lips tormented her to no end.

Leofrick placed a strong hand on her shoulder, but it was not comforting. "Come, Violet, I can see that you know who I am. You must also remember when we were little and I would come so often to fetch those herbs - that Bartha could never seem to get rid of me! All along, it was my job to protect Bartha. It was my duty to protect her from the Royal Guard, and at the same time I was expected to bring back herbs. When I knew that she had died... I could feel something die within myself. I understand how you must feel, Violet. But you must also try to understand! Tears will get us no where in this war."

Violet refused to let her voice falter. "You know about it all, then?"

"Yes, I've always known. And I have come here to tell you that I must make haste. The Waldroms have taken it upon themselves to save the remainder of their scattered powerful witches and sorcerers, now that they have seen proof of the dagger. They want me to do this for them. I have come here to tell you that it is likely I will not come back alive. You will stay here at the castle, until they decide what to do with you." Leofrick paused for a long moment, his hand still resting upon Violet's shoulder. "Goodbye, Violet."

The hand disappeared, and with it Leofrick. Violet stood there without moving. She stared blankly down at the fallen chair, forgetting to hold back her tears. They fell like twin waterfalls along her cheeks, pattering against the floor and seeping into the stone.

Outside, it began to storm. And the sky grew dark once again.