The Beast Within

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

“Go and get my seashell comb.” She said to him, sitting up easily.

She did not look like she was in any bit of pain, neither did she act like she remembered about his father or what was going on.

Ceraun would not take the risk of dragging her attention to that even if that meant that they could not speak of his father ever again, his mother would be alive and well, that was all he could ask for.

He came back cradling the aforementioned comb which he handed to hand before settling down in a cross-legged position in front of her.

Tes got on her knees as Ceraun was taller than her so she could get a better view.

"Have you eaten? Why do you look so pale?" She let out a barrage of questions even as she began to run the delicate comb through sections of his hair.

Ceraun gave no reply, simply listening to her ramble, he felt his eyes burn, tears billowing, he had not shed a tear but now the dam was close to overflowing.

"Your hair reminds me of my older sister's, too bad she died before you were born, she would have loved to meet you."

At this point, most of the tangles in his hair were straightened out and Tes could run the comb through freely.

"I could have sworn I heard Noe's voice, is she perhaps around?" Tes asked when she was almost done, pulling out a string of twine from thin air which she used to cleanly gather up his hair to keep it in place.

His dark blonde hair looked brighter in the moonlight, taking on a lighter hue.

Ceraun was hesitant about giving his mother a honest answer about her questions, he could not tell what words exactly could trigger her memories.

But Noelani made the decision for him, stepping into the dim room. "I am indeed." She answered in a steady voice, an easy smile on her face as she made her way in.

Ceraun experience a brief moment of panic which faded away when he noticed his mother did not act any different, looking over at her friend expectantly.

"Ceraun?" She called, leaving her hand comfortingly on his head.

"Yes mother?"

"I should like to speak with Noe for a while, perhaps you go let us alone for a bit, say hello to Adrik and your other friends, I wish I could get to meet them."

Ceraun turned around to look at his mother as she said this, noting the wisdom in her ageless light brown eyes.

He agreed reluctantly, leaving so that Noelani could make her way in, what bothered him the most was exactly how his mother had known about the presence of the others.

Was it that she was still aware of her surroundings even while she had been unconscious.

"She's awake, is she not?" Adrik asked calmly when Ceraun stepped out, his confusion visible on his face.

He nodded and joined them to keep watch, eager to go spend more time with his mother because the time seemed fleeting and he feared the worst would happen in his absence.

Noelani did not spend as much time as he had been expecting and as soon as she made her appearance at the doorway, he shot up to his feet, hurrying back into the room.

The room was sparse decorated, rickety furniture placed hesitantly just like with the kitchens, never seeming to find a home like they perhaps knew that the occupants wouldn't stay for very long.

His mother was lying down this time, her hands placed over her heart while her eyes were closed.

His heart stopped as did his steps because at that moment, he feared the very worst.

"Ceraun…" His mother said his name in the way that only she could and his heart restarted with a painful jump, his foot moving as well.

"Ceraun…" she called again, slowly opening her eyes this time and looking up and out the window, dim eyes staring at the moon.

"I will not be selfish and tell you to live long because it does not matter if you do or not, I just wish and pray that you live a life you do not regret." She sighed heavily afterwards like it took all of her strength to say those words.

And perhaps it did because her previously glowing white hair was fading to a dull gray.

Ceraun wanted to say a lot, he had a lot to say even but his words caught in his throat, forming a big lump.

"Yes, mother." He muttered like she was scolding him about being rough with his tunic or for not folding his blanket.

"There now." She gave him a bright smile. "There's no need to look so forlorn." She said in an almost teasing voice, her brief smile fading away.

"So much pain, for every one of us…" she trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut and Ceraun found himself clenching his fists tightly.

"This is not your fault." She suddenly blurted out in a firm voice to rival the previous one which was feather soft.

Ceraun looked away from his mother's sharp eyes, still saying nothing, he wanted to engrave every bit of this moment in the depths of his heart.

"Come, come let me hug you." She opened her arms for him to lay his head on her bosom.

He did so without hesitation, the tears brimming now tipping over the edges of his eyes, falling into his mother's cloud of hair.

"No one would wish to tell you and I do not tell you to place spite in your heart but because you deserve to know." She said in a soft voice, rubbing a comforting hand over his back.

"Your father was beheaded with an axe and I know he did not wish me to see it but fate follows no human laws."

Ceraun took a sharply indrawn breath, pain lancing through him.

The room fell silent for a bit before his mother started to hum, he recognised it as a song she used to sing back in the village, long before they were captured.

"I'm so tired, Cera." His mother said with a sigh, her eyes slipping shut. "I would like to rest for a bit."