As she walked through the domain of the lost, viewing her memories of the last few years, finding herself, she had the nagging feeling that something was missing.
She stood by as a young norn man she recognized mourned the loss of his mother. The woman.. No that wasn’t right… Eir Stegalkin, had meant so much to her. Eir had been her first mentor, and friend, outside of the remote shiverpeak village her clan called home. She was like Eir now, dead to the world and it’s problems. ‘Well,’ she thought idly, ‘at least i won't upset Braham anymore.’ yes. That was the man’s name Braham! Why was she so sure that he wouldn't miss her? If these memories were to be believed then they were friends as well…
MORE UNDER THE CUT
She followed past this unsettling event to the next glowing patch of memory thoughtful.
Glint.. Who was glint? Why did the mention of glint’s offspring cause such fear to swell within her?.. No that wasn’t right it wasn’t fear. It was worry.. She was worried for.. Aurene?
She continued forward once more.
This man-plant, stuck and horribly disfigured by.. Mordremoth? Why did she want to cry, to weep, and scream, and curse the world at the top of her lungs? She had killed mordremoth, the second dragon killing under her belt. She watched helplessly as this man to whom she felt so attached was run through by his own sword, by her own hand.
No. She didn’t want these memories. They were too painful, and yet, the nagging feeling in the back of her brain persisted. Something big was missing. Why was she doing this? None of it made sense!
It was her name. This was her past. She would face it, and find herself whether she wanted to or not,she pressed forward.
A new guild? She was leading a new guild..? Ahhh that was why she was mad at Braham. He had accused her of forsaking his mother’s memory. Braham, Eir, the ice dragon, the nagging feeling grew stronger. Why did it keep coming back to the norn? To her home and family..? Every time she saw them and thought of her mission, she was sent back to.. Home? A vision of her village?
As she walked up the plank towards the next hazy memory her vision was suddenly filled with white. A dark blot in the white, was it a snow storm, grew larger until a young girl, skin as dark as ebony appeared before her, tufts of blue hair sticking out every which way beneath the poorly made woolen hat she had made for her dark cousin that wintersday.
A hand shook her out of her vision, it was the woman who was helping to guide her through her trials. “Quickly, you mustn't lose the trail of memories!” she motioned up to the haze that was starting to fade from view.
Aurene! There she was! Oh how adorable was she! Feelings of maternal pride swelled up within her, only to be replaced with a billowing tide of worry. What was wrong with aurene!
She pressed forward. She had to save aurene! Perhaps that was her purpose?
As she reached the top of the spire she remembered what had happened, how she had died. BALTHAZAR! That scum of an ex god had Aurene! She couldn't.. Wouldn’t allow it!
Knowing now who she was she ran back to The Judge. She was no stranger to the gods and their minions. She would return to her plane, the goddess kormir was counting on her. Aurene, all her friends were counting on her! This was her purpose! She was sure of it! If not this then what could she possibly be fighting for?
The judge presented her with her options. She chose to go back believing in her heart that this.. This was what she was meant to do. The battle with The Eater of Souls was terrible, but exhilarating. She felt every inch of her soul fill with power. This was what it was to be a norn! The strength to protect the spirits flowed through her entire being!
As she delivered the finishing blow to the beast she was once again surrounded by white.unlike the unannounced memory of before, this white was not pure. This was no winter blizzard to be waited out in a cave with a childhood friend. This was her village, where she had grown up. Carnage lay strewn about her. Bodies of family and friends encased and impaled by spires of ice. Houses destroyed by the minions of The Ice Dragon Jormag, as blood decorated the pure white snow in random patches, sluggishly dripping down icicles.
She was caught, the bottom half of her body immobile, as jormag’s newest lieutenant sauntered up to her, a loving smile on it’s familiar face. “Cheer up Frelliah.” the monster, for what else could it be but a monster, caught the hand that lashed out at it. Chuckling softly her cousin raised Frelliah’s hand to her lips. “I won’t let them kill you. You are too important to me. To us..” Raven kissed the hand of her captive, and turned. Walking away.
She knew that this was a memory. How could she have forgotten this? How could she have lost sight of that back. Black and gleaming, skin that seemed to ripple in the reflective light of the icicles around them. The frosty glow in that bright blue hair. Celestic Raven.. The name that haunted her sleep, soiled the memory of her clan and their values. The markings of Jormag on her, placed there by the sons of svanir when she was younger.
One way or another she would save her. Save raven from the madness that had engulfed her. She couldn't die, not yet. She would save the last remaining member of her clan, or her name wasn’t Frelliah Nachtsdottir, Last of the norn Clan of Night, Follower of Owl.
