Duendewood: Graveside Part Two

"Of course you may," answered the figure with a soft laugh. Then she stood and turned, slotting the double scimitar into its place on her back with an absent gesture. 

Hirethal frowned. "Tamisira?"

She tilted her head, then asked, "Hirethal?" She sounded pleasantly surprised. "Hirethal Moonshadow, it is is you. It's been a long time." Then she nodded down at the grave behind her. "Why has nobody brought her back?"

"She asked us not to," Hirethal answered, letting his hands drop away from his blades. "Tamisira Eldrish, in the flesh. I thought you were dead."

She shook her head. "Not dead, merely... elsewhere. I meant to come back, but there was always so much more to see." 

Hirethal shook his head and offered a disbelieving half-chuckle. "So how did you find your way here?"

"I was in the City of Brass, doing a bit of work, when a particular oracle interrupted her reading of where I might find my target to tell me that my once-love had fallen. I called in a couple of favors to gather more information, and then I came here." She swallowed. "If I'd come earlier, or if I'd stayed..."

Hirethal shook his head sharply. "Don't gather guilt to yourself. My once-wife knew what she was doing. She knew the dangers, and she stood to face them. If either of us had been there, likely we'd have died too."

There was a long pause before Tamisira asked, "Do you know where I might find my children?"

Hirethal swallowed. She hadn't said anything of the sort, but he could almost hear the echo of before it's too late that followed the words. "I don't," he said, "but I know someone who might. Will you come with me now, or do you want a little more time here?"

Tamisira glanced down at the grave. "There is nothing for me here."

"Then come with me," said Hirethal, and held out a hand. "There's an inn in a town south of here. We might find my son there, and he might know of your children. And if not, well, I may need several mugs of ale to tell you of everything that has happened." 

Tamisira considered that. "I might need several mugs of ale to understand it," she replied. Then she reached out and grasped his hand, and took them both away.