It was nearing the end of day two in the old boarding house at Trestlebridge and time had not helped to heal any of their sorrows. Gwyn leaned on the windowsill and stared out the window, Dar sat on a bench next to her and occasionally he would touch his right eye, and Nethrida sat against the wall with her sword in her lap, guarding Sable’s corpse. All of them were quiet and appeared to be lost in their own thoughts.
Finchley had stopped crying now, but she was no better off than the other three. The raven-haired woman was curled up in a chair next to Lif and had her attention focused on scribbling in a worn leatherbound book with a graphite stick, completely ignoring the food that was on the table in front of her; every so often, she would frown to herself and cross out whatever it was that she had scribbled down.
Lif kept her guard at Cat’s bedside table; she had had her fill of drink now and had taken to keeping herself occupied by tapping the point of a dagger on the table between her spread fingers in a fast intricate pattern. It had been this way for hours, but now, the rhythmic sound of the knife suddenly stopped and Lif looked over to Cat; thinking that she had finally heard a change in the sound of the sleeping woman’s breathing, the Banshee was completely still and silent for once as she stared at the red-headed woman.
Cat remained in the same position on the bed that she had been in since she was brought here and there was nothing that the healers could do to help. She still seemed to be resting peacefully with the tattered blanket perfectly in place and pulled up to her chin. Lif sighed and finally spoke up to the others, "Any bets on who is in there when she wakes up? I put a gold on somebody that we haven’t met yet... Anybody cover me?”
Nethrida blinked a few times and looked at Lif "What do you mean?"
Lif shrugged, “Well… it could be Moyna... it could be Cat...could be somebody else...You saw how strange she was acting before she collapsed, she definitely wasn’t the Red we know.”
Dar lowered his hand from his eye and shook his head. “Cat is strong enough to handle a couple spirits. She will not succumb that easily.”
Finchley furrowed her brows, shut her book, and set it and the graphite pen aside. She then stood and took half a step towards Cat's bed before thinking better of it and sort of meandered to the other side of the room. Frowning, she softly asked, “What if she does?”
Gwyn stiffened up at the possibility and finally took her eyes away from the window to direct them toward Finch. "Then I lose another friend..." she said rather plainly and with a hint of despair.
Finchley glanced over at Gwyn and slowly nodded, looking defeated. "... I'm sorry."
“Don't be...” Gwyn replied as her gaze returned to the outside world. "Your objective was successful, no?"
Lif planted the dagger in the bedside table and leaned back. “Successful or not, if we keep waitin around like this, things are gonna go bad… How long do you figger it would take us to kill the entire fecking population of Trestlebridge?” Before anyone could respond, the elf jumped up from her chair and took a step back as though she were Nethrida seeing a sheet in her closet. "Bitches...we got action...” Nethrida also sprang right up and sent her sword flying from her lap.
Cat had taken in a deep breath and her eyes were slowly opening. Gwyn raised a brow at the commotion and turned fully to face Cat’s bed; seeing that the woman was beginning to wake, she just stood there blinking. Dar also stood and stared at Cat after noticing the movement from her.
Though her body did not yet move, Cat’s pale green eyes scanned her surroundings; it was not yet clear whether she could hear the voices around her yet, but she appeared to be very confused. Her gaze finally turned to the elf next to her and she just stared.
Lif met Cat's gaze and she slowly lifted her hand to wiggle her fingers in a wave. "Ummm... hi.”
Cat's brows furrowed at the elf and there appeared to be no hint of recognition. "Who are you?"
The elf lowered her hand and her eyes narrowed as she introduced herself, “Xandilif.”
Finchley's jaw dropped and she moved slowly toward the bed. "Miss Cat?"
Hearing another voice, Cat looked around for the source and seemed to be seeing Finchley for the first time. "Who are you?"
Gwyn could feel something break inside of her. "Again..." she quietly muttered to herself- Cat had forgotten her once before and now it seemed as though they were back to that point. She sighed and quietly rubbed her face before deciding to get proper confirmation; her voice trembled as she called toward her childhood friend, "Cat?” The woman did not turn to the name.
Nethrida's tension eased a little and she simply looked at Cat with a slightly confused look. Finchley, however, seemed even tenser and the expression on her face showed that she was both stunned and haunted, just like she had been with Hawke had returned with no recognition. Taking another step closer to the bed, she introduced herself, "I'm Finchley."
“That name…” Cat's eyes squinted as she stared at Finchley and she looked to be deep in thought as she studied the woman's features. "You're not her,” she stated plainly, “but it does not surprise me that my mother would give you that name.”
Finchley looked at Cat and her face turned pale. "Who do you mean by 'her'? Who... are you?"
Lif smiled. "Yep, called it...someone we have never met. Pay up, bitches.”
Nethrida furrowed her brow, still somewhat confused. "Technically…” she said to Lif, “I never accepted the bet."
Lif smirked at Neth. "Technically… by Minas Tirith rules unless you say ‘No Bet’, you are in.”
Nethrida scoffed at Lif, "Luckily I'm not originally from the White City, nor have I lived there in years... And my primary employ is still with Princess Lothiriel." The knight folded her arms across her chest and now looked very smug.
Gwyn glared at the two for a long moment and then threw her hands up in the air "Another friend lost and you are worried about coin…" she huffed at both of them.
Lif sighed. "OK, stop panicking and getting all moody… this is pretty normal in terms of coming back from the dead.”
Gwyn deadpanned. "Oh great, it's ‘normal’... I lose two of the only people I ever considered family and it’s ‘NORMAL’? That’s sure good to--”
Cat looked over to Gwyn and her eyes widen. "Gwyndolith, dear, is that you?"
Gwyn froze in the middle of her ranting when she heard Cat call her name. "Y-Yes?"
Lif frowned. "Only person I ever heard Red call ‘Dear’ was a flagon of Old Trapper's Brown Ale.”
As Gwyn slowly turned to look Cat in the face, she could now see that the woman didn’t look like herself at all- she was lacking her usual impish grin and that certain hint of mischief behind her eyes; her features were much softer and she was smiling warmly at her. Cat reached out her hand for Gwyn and motioned her over, "Come here, dear, I haven't seen you in a long time."
Gwyn didn’t move. "No... No this isn't... Rohina?"
Cat tried to reassure her with an even warmer smile as she nodded to confirm. "We are she... Now, come here and let me have a look at you. You don't seem well, dear."
Finchley stepped away from the bed and went to stand by Lif, anxiously wringing her hands. Lif gently slapped Finch's hands and commanded, "Stop that..." but kept hold of one of her hands.
Squeezing Lif's hand, Finch whispered, "Rohina... ain't that the name of Cat's mother?"
Lif nodded softly. "What has Red's mother got to do with the idiot?”- referring to Gwyn.
Neth shook her head at Lif and looked back to Cat. "Excuse me... Would you happen to know what year it is?"
“Time is all intertwined, dear.”
Dar was quietly listening from the bench, unsure what to make of everything he is witnessing. He glanced between Cat and Gwyn and secretly hoped that this one of Cat's pranks and not something more serious.
Gwyn shuddered, "I-If... That is you... What did we last talk about?"
Cat glanced around at the others in the room again before turning her gaze back to Gwyn. "Are these friends of yours? Have they helped you with your grief?"
Those words confirmed to her that this was indeed Rohina speaking and Gwyn started shaking. "This is wrong... Why?... How?" Dar looked over to Gwyn and noticed that tears were starting to stream down her face, but he remained quiet and continued to listen, trying his best to understand what was happening. Gwyn grit her teeth, the reunion was bittersweet; she looked over to Dar to explain, "M-My Mother... Well... The only person I ever considered my Mother."
An empathetic expression washed over Cat’s face and she appeared to be deeply hurt at seeing Gwyn break down. She moved to stand but when she did, that expression turned to one of pain and she grabbed at her head as she immediately crashed back down on the bed. Lif tried to catch Cat, but failed.
Seeing the look of pain, Finchley's eyes widened and she quickly stepped to the bed again, her concern outweighing her guilt. "Miss C--... Miss Rohina?"
When Cat lowered her hand to look up at Finchley, her features were no longer soft and warm; she smiled sweetly, but that smile harbored much more behind it. "Hello, child. Everything has gone to plan; you are free of that sister of mine."
“Elbereth's knickers,” Lif spat out. "Here we go...”
Finchley froze and immediately stepped back; looking to the ground, she clenched her fists together. "Is that all you wanted in the end?” She refused to even look at the woman as she spoke to her. “You said you loved me and I believe you. But does all this make you happy? Because I'm not happy at all. I failed."
Lif stepped up behind Finchley and rested a hand on her shoulder. Cat, likewise, reached out her hand to pat Finchley on the other shoulder. "There, there, child. Tell me why you are unhappy. Why do you say that you have failed?"
Gwyn looked down; she was barely holding herself up at this point and seemed unable to properly process any of it. "Why..." she whispered to herself, “Why?”
Finchley moved away from Cat’s hand and scooted closer to Lif. When she finally gathered the courage to look up at the woman, tears were spilling down her cheeks and the expression on her face was a mixture of both sadness and anger. Instead of verbally replying, she points one finger at where Sable's body lies.
Gwyn’s eyes locked on Finchley, but she was in too much shock to speak.
Dar glanced around at those gathered in the room and finally spoke up. "Someone mind filling me in on what is happening?"
Gwyn looked over at Dar and, through a shaky voice, attempted to explain, "You’re seeing, or rather you’re hearing our surrogate mothers." She gestured to herself and Finch. "... Or Cat's grandmother, Moyna, and her mother, Rohina.”
Dar leaned forward, grabbed a bottle of wine off of the table, and popped the cork to take a large swig, hoping that the alcohol might help him understand what he just heard.
Cat smiled at Dar, “Have you forgotten me already, man of the wilds?” She then looked back to Finchley and let out a soft sigh. "You have ever been softhearted, child. When you were little I had to take the chickens next door to slaughter them and you believed that every rabbit you ever ate died of old age in the forest." Her expression hardened a bit. "But chickens are born to die and to serve a greater purpose....and so was she. Honor the fact she served her purpose and know that the world still turns."
“That don’t make it easier, ya old bat,” Lif snorted.
Gwyn blinked and then glared at Cat "Cold hearted bitch! Your own family... they’re just tools?"
Cat smiled at both of them, completely unfazed by their words. "Now, now… you sound like that granddaughter of mine. Everything serves a purpose."
Nethrida crossed her arms. "Maybe so, but that does not give one the right to treat their own family in such a dismissive way."
Finchley nodded in agreement with the others. "I'll be honorin' Miss Sablelinna alright, but not because she served a purpose… Because she was a person who was loved..."
Cat’s gaze turned back to Finch. "Then do that, dear one; a great deal of work went into this moment... her's was neither the greatest, nor the least of that sacrifice."
“I lost EVERYONE I ever considered family for your ‘purpose’,” Gwyn angrily shouted out. “They were the only people who cared about me as a child! All for what? For some girl I don't know?” Realizing what she had just said, Gwyn gave Finchley an almost apologetic look.
Finchley wiped at her eyes and her posture slumped; she looked defeated. "Easy for you to say, Grams, you ain't livin' with the guilt that everythin' happened for your own sake... Fayna may have decided to shoot that arrow but the hand was still mine.”
Cat’s finger shook at all of them. "Each of you cannot see past the end of your nose. One had to die and one had to live to bring about things so far beyond any of you, things that are even beyond me. Ask the First Born, sometimes we must simply play our part in the grand scheme, in the Music of Eru. None of you asked for this, when I was as young as you, I did not ask for it either...and don't think your tasks are finished yet, the future has now been clouded by one of you.”
Thinking that she was the one being referred to, Gwyn glared at the woman and blurted out, "By me... As a result of the situation YOU put me in."
Finchley shook her head. "Each person belongs to themselves.
Nethrida nodded sharply. "I make my own choices. My will and my deeds are my own, despite the great deeds of those who came before me."
Finchley nodded at Neth and continued, “Whatever the schemes, no matter if things happen for a reason, we are not pawns or slaves or anythin' but people. I'll... forgive you in full one day since I got no choice, ‘cause I still love you. But if you loved me at all... Please tell me how you lived with what you did to those children of the Trev Gallorg. ‘Cause I'm gonna have to live with what my hands have done, even if it weren't me who made the decision.”
The smile on Cat’s face was now gone and her expression was impassive. "I fled... and I renounced all I was born to do, and what my children were born to do, and with that I set in motion the end of the world.... And then, I saved one life- a life that I had no business saving- and in doing that, became myself again. If you wish redemption for what you did not do… do good in the world in her name. If that doesn't help, ask your First Born friend how SHE does it; perhaps she has more practical advice."
Dar’s brows rose. “So… this is a family reunion?”
Gwyn sighed and covered her face. "This is a cruel joke..."
He looked at Gwyn for a moment and then took another swig of the wine. "If it is a joke, I don't get it yet."
Finchley stepped in front of Lif to obscure her from Cat's view. "Okay, one more thing... Is Miss Rohina still uh... in there?" Finchley gestured awkwardly toward Cat’s head.
“WE are all here....for the moment at least.”
Finchley nodded once, “Good… First, for Miss Rohina only, I am sorry. I'm sorry about Miss Cat. I promised I'd pull for her and she ended up pullin' for me instead... Secondly, I think you should let Miss Gwyn here have a little more time with the person who became her mother."Gwyn calmed down for the moment and looked expectantly toward Cat.
"Always negotiating, I see.” Cat laughed as looked upon Finch fondly. “Bedtime ten minutes early for two extra cookies..." She smiled again and shook her head. "Very well, dear one, if that is your request, then, so be it..." Cat's closed her eyes and her body was still for a moment.
Dar quietly watched the scene while chugging his wine.
When Cat's eyes opened again, her features were soft once more. She turned her head toward Gwyn and a look of concerned washed over her countenance. Gwyn locked her eyes on Cat, but seemed unsure of what to say. Cat offered the woman a reassuring smile. "I do not have much time, but I do wish for your hurts to be soothed; I can sense much pain in your head and in your heart. Tell me, dear, do you still have 'Lucy'?"
Gwyn shook her head slowly "No... I left her in your tomb."
Cat held up her hand and pointed to Gwyn’s right side. “No, dear, check your pocket and know that I will always be there to listen to you when you need me.”
Gwyn froze again when she reached into her pocket and felt the form of a doll- the same doll that Rohina had made her when she was a child. "B-But..."
No answer would be given; after the doll was discovered, Cat grabbed at her head again and grunted out in pain. Lif pulled Finchley back and Nethrida took half a step forward, both tensed up ever so slightly. Finchley tried to resist being pulled back, but the elf was stronger than her; even so, she still called out to the woman, "Miss Cat?"
It was evident by her countenance that this was now the true 'Cat' they were seeing; however, as she looked around the room, she seemed to be very lost and confused. Realizing that Rohina was gone again, Gwyn let her hand drop out of her pocket and took a few steps back; once her back touched the wall, she slowly slid down it until she was sitting. Dar moved to sit with Gwyn and held out the wine bottle to her; he still didn’t seem to fully understanding what was going on.
Lif peered at Cat. “Hey, Red...You in there?” Cat stared back at the elf, but didn't verbally respond. Lif smiled, trying to look as non-threatening as possible, but the redhead just scooted back away from her. With a quiet sigh Lif muttered to herself, "WHY does that always happen....?” Finchley reached into her pocket, pulled out a spare bread roll, and promptly put it in Lif's mouth while it was still open.
Dar reached over for the wine bottle and took another long swig. “Wish I could say I understand what is going on, but I am completely lost right now.”
“I'll... I'll try and explain it another time,” Gwyn replied to him, “Once I've had time to think about it...”
Cat looked around at all of them and pulled the covers up around her shoulders. "Um... What are all of you doin' in my bedroom? And why are you starin' at me?"
Finchley frowned upon seeing the lack of recognition again. “Miss Cat, is there anythin' you need? Somethin' to eat? Drink? You haven't had anything' in two days. More pillows? Uhhhhhh- Another blanket?” She continued to ramble nervously.
Cat’s brow furrowed in confusion. "Two days? Huh?"
Nethrida seemed slightly confused as well; she leaned and narrowed her eyes as she stared at Cat. "How many... Of you are in there?... In Cat's head?"
“Huh?” Cat looked back to the knight as though she were insane. “Okay… What's goin' on here?”
Lif swallowed the bread roll and held her hand up to quiet the others. "Maybe you better tell us what the last thing you remember is.” Gwyn blinked and had to do a double take on Lif being the one to say something useful and not snarky for a change, which caused the elf to shrug. "What? I’ve been there; I know it take a bit to get back up to speed after dying.”
Gwyn blinked again and just nodded "You know what... Fair enough." She walked over to Cat and asked, "What do you remember?"
“That one bearing her teeth at me when I woke up… that one ramblin' on about food and drinks… this one starin' at my face and askin’ how many people I am--“ As Cat spoke, Dar got up and moved closer to the group; upon seeing him, she paused and pulled the covers tighter. "How many of you are in my house?"
“That depends,” Lif replied with a grin, “if you include the squad of Gondorian regulars… forty-five.” Finchley sighed and shoved another roll into the elf’s mouth.
“Wait… What?”
Lif grinned as she chomped down on the bread. “I lied about the squad...it’s just what you see here.”
Gwyn sighed quietly, both out of pity for Cat and out of pain for herself. “Do you remember anything that happened before we came here?”
Cat appeared to think about that for a moment and then shook her head. “Uh… What am I supposed to be rememberin’?”
Finchley looked around and an idea popped into her head. "Lif, have we got any stout in this place?"
Lif scratched at her chin for a moment. “I figure I can get some....”
"Can I have it now please? Er, not for me. For Miss Cat."
Cat glanced between the two as they spoke; though she didn't appear to know what was going on, it did seem to please her. Her eyes followed the elf as she went to fetch a bucket of dark ale and she grinned. "Ok so… you two are the drink wenches…" her gaze then turned to Neth. "And are you the cleanin' lady?"
Nethrida blinked a few times and looked rather confused "Cleaning lady...?" she inquired with a puzzled tone. "I... Am not sure I understand what you mean."
Lif smirked as she handed the bucket to Finchley, mainly amused at being called a “drink wench”. Finchley smiled nervously but gratefully and filled up the mug. She then carefully took the stout to Cat's bed and held it out to her with both hands. "For you… Uhhh… because you haven't had anythin' for two days, which ain't good. Drink up." She mentally crossed her fingers that this idea would work.
Cat gladly accepted the mug and started to down the drink, but after the first sip, she started to sputter and cough due to her dry throat. Looking back to Neth, she cleared her throat, "Get me a cloth, hm? I think I spilled some."
Finchley’s posture slumped once more and she now appeared dejected that the stout didn’t trigger any memories. Nethrida pursed her lips, but shrugged and went off in search of a clean cloth. "I am no cleaning lady... But here you are."
Gwyn pinched the bridge of her nose; she looked defeated and forlorn- the exact same way she looked the last time Cat couldn't remember her. “Perhaps... It's better if she doesn't remember… I swear, if I ever get a hold of Moyna's spirit I'll kill her again..." Dar walked over and put his hand on Gwyn’s shoulder, trying his best to hide his own concern for Cat.
“It is just a matter of time,” Lif interjected. “Death messes with your head.”
Gwyn ran a hand through her hair before responding, "You'd better be right..."
At those words, Cat's eyes narrowed and her head snapped toward the elf. "Death... What do you--" A look of realization came into her expression and she reached her hand up to the spot where the arrow pierced her- she was still wearing the same top that she had been in Fornost and though the hole and dried blood are still there, the wound isn't present.
Lif smiled. "AHA! I think the coin is dropping...well...some coin at least.”
Finchley winced and turned away.
Gwyn’s brow raised. "You remember something?" she asks, but doesn’t yet get her hopes up.
Cat looked around at all of the faces, but didn’t seem to find the one she was looking for. "Where is she?"
Gwyn sighed softly, figuring that the woman was speaking of Sable. "Dead..."
“Good…” Cat replied as she lifted the tankard to her lips.
Gwyn snorted softly, but didn’t look at all amused "Well... It's definitely Cat."
