Lunamae (17 page)

“Why can’t you heal him?” I asked. Talfrin
was a longtime friend. He was also a very good teacher and I didn’t
want him to pass from this world just yet.

“I can’t grant immortality Muirenn. I could
heal his arm, sure, but it won’t make him live any longer. He’s old
and it’s his time. It’s natural,” Theron explained lovingly,
putting his arm around me. “He’s had a good, long life.”

“You don’t even believe in the Creator. Where
do you think he will go when he dies?” I suddenly asked, curious. I
broke from his embrace to confront him.

“I don’t really dwell on such things. I try
to enjoy life instead,” Theron stated.

“But surely there is something more? You
don’t have a hope there is more?” I wondered with interest.

“I suppose. Perhaps I should talk to Barri
since he’s been knocking on my door often asking about my
‘spiritual well-being’. He seems like a good enough sort,” Theron
said. The chief dame started down the stairs. I could hear the
footsteps by her shoes.

“Speaking of Barri, if you believe Talfrin is
on the threshold, perhaps we should talk to him about arrangements.
There is a village plot a half a meeley away that would be
appropriate for him,” the chief dame said, coming towards us.
Apparently she had heard the end of our conversation. “Oh and
Theron, I believe it is time to send a letter back to the king and
queen. They will be delighted I am sure.”

Delighted? She can’t have meant that Alexo
was to marry Lunamae? He was just a child by his actions and
incredibly rude. I couldn’t imagine his character improving so
quickly. Perhaps I was interpreting too much into it, but she
hadn’t mentioned the letter that Theron had delivered a few weeks
prior to her. Maybe it was to let the king and queen know that
their servant was now the village apothecary and doing quite well
for himself in his new position. I could only hope.

We were led to the apothecary’s shop, our
hair blowing wildly in the wind. I could hear loud deep breaths
followed by a long period of silence. The struggle to intake air
made me want to demand Theron to do something, anything. I knew he
couldn’t. Death was beyond a healer’s abilities. When Theron opened
the door we looked upon the gaunt-faced Talfrin. He looked so much
older than when I had last seen him only a few weeks ago. The skin
clung to his bones and he had lost much weight. It was hard to see
someone who used to be so alive in this condition. I didn’t want to
leave and I didn’t want to stay. The chief dame could see the look
of pain in my eyes. She held me as I started to cry. I wasn’t ready
to lose him. There was so much more that could be learned. I wanted
to know how herbs interacted. I wanted to know how he had spent his
childhood. I wanted to know how he survived Wortha Hill. While he
wasn’t sent to fight, he was still close to the battle and could
have been easily captured or killed by a passing arrow.

“It’s hard to lose someone dear to you,” she
said, tears in her own eyes. I knew she was remembering her
husband, the Chieftain Leofric, may he rest with the Creator
forever.

“He doesn’t respond any longer,” Theron said.
“I can’t feed him for fear he would choke. He hasn’t been up all
day. I think his body is shutting down. If you have any words, now
would be the time. I have heard that those who may seem unaware can
still hear.”

The chief dame and Theron left me to be alone
with my old friend. I sat at Talfrin’s side and took his hand. It
was bony and thin. It felt colder than mine.

“Talfrin if you can hear me. I’d like you to
pass a message to the Creator for me when you arrive. Please see to
it that Lunamae doesn’t marry a stranger. I don’t care about
myself. I want her to have a good and happy marriage. I will miss
you Talfrin, when you are gone. You still have some time left on
this earth. I want you to know that we all care for you. I will
continue to learn herb lore from Theron. He knows more than I.” I
got up solemnly and went to the door. I waited with Theron as the
chief dame went to say her goodbye. Theron was the last to visit.
While he hadn’t known Talfrin long, he had known him long enough to
miss his gentle demeanor and calm instruction. When we had all
finished, we left Talfrin to leave Orinda in peace. Theron excused
himself to go to his home and I accompanied the chief dame to the
keep.

The night was ushered in quietly and we were
all silent for the rest of the hours until bedtime. No one felt
like speaking. We were all waiting for the expected.

Emylyn and I were called down to the main
level of the keep the next morning. Talfrin was gone, sent back to
the Creator. It was hard to keep a calm face, but I tried my best.
It was a lot easier to know he was in peace in death rather than
struggling so hard in life, but the lump in my throat didn’t go
away and I was constantly holding back tears. I left Eclipse in my
apartment. I didn’t think it would be appropriate having him
bounding around a burial service. Most likely there would be
rodents stirred up and I could only imagine him howling with a
mouse in his chops coming to me to show his prize. Sometimes he did
that in the keep since mice have a tendency to wander in. He would
stand in the doorstep to the apartment and make such a vocal ruckus
until I saw his prey. Emylyn was becoming a little used to it but
it wasn’t unusual to hear her squawking about a mouse in the room,
not realizing it was dead.

We got dressed in our best clothes. While it
was a time to mourn, there was much celebration. Death is only a
portal to new life with the Creator. We don’t consider it an ending
at all. Some cultures, such as Kyrie and Aelisonia, wear black. The
Chalosians wore white for their burials. I knew that Kyrie and
Aelisonia followed the Text of Illumination. I wasn’t sure about
Chalos. Given their remoteness, it was doubtful.

Presently, the chief dame was at the
entrance, talking to Barri. He had the Text of Illumination in his
hand. My mother was there also but I didn’t see my father. I
assumed he had volunteered to help with the burial. I felt awkward
standing there next to the silent Emylyn. Theron entered the keep
and I felt relief. He brushed off his hands and approached us.

“How are you doing?” he asked me. I shifted,
not exactly sure what to say and not able to keep much back if I
did. “You know, in Fanarion they have tools and techniques to
preserve the body after death so you can see your loved ones before
they are put into the earth. I had watched one of those men do the
procedure before. At the chief dame’s instruction I have prepared
Talfrin in such a way. You can see him again if you would like. We
all can. The casket will be open at the site for all to come and
see.”

I was in shock. I didn’t know such a thing
existed. We made such a commotion on seeing someone before they
died as we would never get a chance to see them again. I was a
little excited to see him again, but nervous as to what he would
look like. Normally upon death, the body starts decomposing without
the soul.

“He looks as he did before he met the
Creator, if that makes you feel less uneasy—before what he looked
like yesterday,” Theron offered, obviously seeing the worry on my
face.

“So you believe in the Creator now, do you?”
I wondered.

Theron shrugged. “I have had more time to
talk to Barri. It makes more sense having one divine being rather
than the several that are in Fanarion. I have a feeling the ones in
Fanarion aren’t real—I mean, they never were real. I think they
were conjured out of selfish want for something able to be
controlled by the ruling family. Not the current one of course.
They would rather not stir up hostility by changing what has been
in place for hundreds of years.”

“May we go now?” I asked, changing the
subject. I didn’t want to cut him off—I truly cared for his
spirituality. I just wanted to get to the burial area.

“I think now would be a good a time as any.
Angharad needs to finish a little bit of the after-burial
preparation with Barri. There is going to be a feast of memory
tonight I heard,” Theron told me. Emylyn silently followed behind
us as we walked slowly out of the keep. We caught up with Brynna
and Logan who were coming to pay their respects to Talfrin as
well.

“Have you seen Lunamae?” I whimpered. I
hadn’t seen her from my brief browsing around the village. She had
grown quite close to Talfrin as well, though not as much as I had.
I wanted her company at such a hard time. Brynna shook her
head.

“I saw her standing in the apothecary shop as
I closed up mine for the morning,” Logan responded. “She wasn’t
moving, but staring into space.”

“Should I go check on her?” I asked, although
I knew the answer. The group motioned for me to go see to her. I
left their company and went to the apothecary shop. On the way I
noticed Flurry was lose and running around, meowing for her master.
I picked up the cat and petted her as I headed past the stables,
the ironsmith, and my brother’s shop. It was so empty now as most
of the people had left to the burial. The whole village had used
Talfrin’s services at one point or another.

As I approached the shop, I was hesitant.
While Theron had taken over Talfrin’s duties in the last few
months, it was odd seeing the shop empty. Well, save Lunamae. She
hadn’t moved since Logan had seen her. I put down Flurry who ran to
Lunamae, rubbing her face on the girl’s skirts. I walked up to her
and put my hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little and twirled to
look at me.

“Why do people have to die?” she
demanded.

“He’s alive, just not here,” I said calmly.
“Remember what you learned in the Text of Illumination. Those who
are absent from their earthly bodies are alive in their heavenly
ones with the Creator. Of course, he would be with the Teacher as
well, and your own father, Chieftain Leofric.”

Lunamae started to smile, though it was
barely visible behind her wall of sorrow. I couldn’t imagine
growing up and never knowing my father. Thankfully, there was at
least a painting for her to get some sense of what he looked at.
Chief Dame Angharad had it in her apartment, made by a talented
artisan from Aelisonia. Aelisonia was famous for their crafts and
artisans. Back in Old Orinda, the kings always had a place on the
walls of the stone fortress of Slievenamon. The artisans kept with
the craft of their ancestors, especially since Aelisonia kept the
rule by kings. Angharad left the painting of her husband hidden
most of the time now, but when the pain was nearer, she had it
hanging often.

“Are you ready to see him?” I asked her,
wondering what her reaction would be.

“See him? Isn’t he in a box?” she
inquired.

“The lid will be open. Theron did some kind
of preservation technique he learned in Fanarion,” I told her. She
blinked in astonishment. I wasn’t surprised. Her face looked like
mine when I first heard of it.

“So what of you and Theron?” Lunamae
questioned. “I know there is something going on. Occasionally at
night I notice the two of you walking hand-in-hand around the
village. You might want to be more careful. If your mother found
out …”

“She won’t. If she does, Theron has a plan,”
I articulated.

“What plan?” she queried.

“Uh …,” I stammered. He hadn’t actually
revealed anything to me yet. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but
time was passing and I was sure that I would know soon enough.

“Come on Muirenn, let’s go. I want to see
Talfrin,” Lunamae changed the subject. She took Flurry with her as
we headed to the burial area, stopping by her foster house to
deposit the cat.

We headed out past the keep, over the bridge,
and over to the burial area. The area was more of a mound in the
ground, where the bodies were all stored in crypt underground,
accessible through a door and pathway.

The villagers were all crowded around the
coffin. I heard exclamations every so often on how well he looked
and he didn’t look dead at all. I caught my aunt out of the corner
of my eye.

She caught my gaze and announced, “What a
good job Theron did! I truly wish we had known about this
preservation technique earlier. Seeing Talfrin in this state brings
me peace. He looks happy, even.”

“Does he look like he did last year?” Lunamae
inquired.

“Daughter, he looks like he was maybe even
ten years ago!” The chief dame pulled her daughter towards her and
urged me to follow as we were allowed a walking path as people
parted for her.

I approached the coffin cautiously. I saw
Talfrin, looking as though he was only sleeping. I wanted to reach
out and touch him, to tell him he could wake up now. Theron had
done more than a good job. This was amazing. Lunamae was in awe as
well. Her eyes drifted over his hands and face. Her expression
could only be described as confused, probably for the same reason
as I had just mentioned. He didn’t look dead.