It was a cold, rainy and windy day in the early beginning of winter and end of the autumn as Ally rode out of Bree, towards the cemetery just outside town, as she rode on she began to think what would become of her now, now that her family were gone, the farm had been sold to Alfrid and her own belongings had been brought the the barracks of the mercenary company she now had signed up for.
Suddenly her horse, Steinar made an abrupt halt, such abrupt halt that Ally almost fell off him, leaning to the horse neck she gave him a soft pat and said some calm words and jumped off, she had arrived to the cemetery, a heavy sigh escaped her mouth as she tied Steinar to a pole close to the entrance and walked through the gate and into the cemetery.
The wind howled and tugged on her cloak, the rain were whipped into her face and soaked her from top to toe, Ally only pulled her hood down further and her cloak tighter around her as she walked the path, now another thought came to her mind, what was she going to say, after all she would only be talking to a stone she thought.
After a short walk she found the tombstone of her family, her father and mothers name were carved out in the black stone, the stone itself were smooth and with a curved top, Ally kneeled infront of the stone and began to cry, not that it would be noticed due to the heavy rain, the cemetery were empty as far from Ally herself and some crows and other non migrating birds trying to escape the rain the trees.
"Hi mother, hi father.. its me, your Ally.." her voice broke as she wiped her tears away for a moment and smiled foolishly "I hope you have found each other again..I've sold the farm to Alfrid as you wished mother..father, I have been keeping the dagger and sword you gave me and I have been practicing with them as you showed me how to do, perhaps its time to say that I have signed a contract with a local mercenary company called The Bloody Dawn" she could not help but laugh in the same foolish way again.
"If only you two could see me here and now..you'd probably be scolding me mother while you father would tell me how proud you'd be over your little girl, as you always were as you said.." she looked up at the rain and shook her head "Winter's coming faster than I hoped..and your passing mother..it came so unexpectedly to me, I remember that night I came home and found you on the floor with a fever.." Ally starts to cry again "I hope you will be proud of me, both of you and that your memory will give me strength to carry out my chosen line of work..Alfrid knows of this too and he said that it was good of me to try my own and that the farm would always welcome me and my company if we needed a place to to rest."
After her voice died in the howling wind, Ally took out a figure carved in wood, a figure resembling a man wit ha sword and shield and another carving resembling a woman in a long gown, her father and mother when they were younger and placed the carvings on the ground next to the stone along with a bundle of flowers she had hid under her cloak from the wind, the wind now catching the flowers and made the wave in the wind as she placed them down as well before she stood up and looked at the name Birchbranch on the stone and nodded softly under her hood "Farewell my beloved ones, forever in my heart and mind you will be, I walk now with you watching over me and helping me to make the right choices and take the right paths such as they now come I will never forget our name Birchbranch."
And with that Ally turned and walked away from the grave and down the path leading out of the cemetery and to Steinar, untying him him and sat herself back in her saddle, casting an eye back to the cemetery, the flowers standing out in the grey weather as a mix of green, red and yellow, a tear fell down her cheek again as she whispered "Farewell.." she puled Steinar's reigns and the horse started to head back towards Bree.
