Love Take Me|Aegestrom, Maelstrom

[Kender Bard]

Salacia walked slowly, shuffling down the hall and pausing now and then to lean against the wall, eyes half closed and out of breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this worn out from an illness. She’d already taken healing water, but it wasn’t helping. Rather than remain curled up in her bedroom, she decided to seek out her son. It was taking every bit of energy from her, though.

A part of her wanted to stop, turn around, and just crawl back under the covers of her bed and sleep. The thought of having come this far and needing to turn back for nothing was enough to make her push off the wall again and keep up her walk, though the floor was beginning to look awfully inviting.

Her efforts were rewarded, however, when she stopped outside of the workroom for the two royal healers. “Seafoam,” she said, but it came out in a breathy gasp. Panting for a few moments, she took a deep lungful of air and called out, louder and stronger, “Seafoam!”

[Northen Light36]

"Mother?" Seafoam came running, some instinct telling him his adoptive mother needed him right now. "Mother, what's the matter?" His eyes were bright with concern as he hastily lead Salaica to a chair. "Sit. Rest. Angel!" He called for his former mentor, knowing she'd keep a clearer head then he could.

[Kender Bard]

Angel hastily stepped out from the alcove she was working in. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's not too much," Salacia replied, still out of breath though glad to be sitting. She lay a hand over her midsection. "I just seem to have a very bad sickness today but my healing water isn't working as well as it could." She reached out with a hand and gently squeezed Seafoam's arm. "Be a dear and let your father know I'm not feeling well?"

Angel looked concerned as she began inspecting Salacia over.

[Northen Light36]

Seafoam looked just as concerned as Angel did, maybe more so. "I'll get him. You just take it easy and let Angel see what's the matter. I'll be back soon." He hurried off to find his father.

Seafoam and Flash returned swiftly, both slightly out of breath from the hurried trip through the halls. "Salacia, love, why didn't you say you weren't feeling well?" Flash scolded gently. "I could have taken the day and stayed with you. Shadow and Lya hardly need me to help entertain guests."

[Kender Bard]

"It was rather sudden," Salacia admitted with a rueful smile. She still seemed out of breath. "Forces, but all I'd like to do now is sleep. Is there somewhere here I can lie down?"

"There is," Angel agreed uneasily. She wasn't certain she wanted Salacia to sleep, but she'd administered more healing water in an herbal tea. Something still seemed off, though... "I'm not certain I'm done with my inspection though."

"Oh pish, it's just a little sickness," Salacia murmured, reaching for Flash's hand. "You didn't have to drop what you were doing to come see me."

"You're sure your chest doesn't hurt?" Angel asked.

"Just a little pressure," Salacia reassured Angel.

[Northen Light36]

Flash took Salacia's hand, giving her a concerned smile as he stroked her hair. "Well I'm staying with you, all right? Shadow and Lya won't even notice I'm gone with both Ann and Cascata visiting." He smiled. "We can spend some nice, quiet time together after you've slept."

[Kender Bard]

"That would be nice," Salacia responded with a tired smile. "I'd like that a lot. You need to rest more, my love. You work so hard... Too hard."

"Come on, Salacia, right over here," Angel said, helping the other woman along. Once she was resting as comfortably as Angel could arrange, she beckoned to Seafoam and Flash, stepping out of the room for a moment. "I'm worried. Any illness should at least be reduced in its severity if not outright wiped out by healing water. She says she ate the same breakfast as both of you and neither of you seem sick, so I don't think she was poisoned. But the chest pressure doesn't fit the other symptoms. She's got some slight swelling as well, which is also worrisome and I thought I detected a hint of a rattle in her breath."

[Northen Light36]

For all Flash had long ago turned his back on a healer's training, and his mother, he was still a healer's child and father. He knew enough to know that anything that had Angel this worried was grim indeed. "What do you think is the matter?" he asked, trying not to let panic send his imagination into overdrive.

[Kender Bard]

"I'm not entirely certain yet," Angel admitted. "But I have my suspicions that it's her heart."

She folded her hands together and took on a solemn look. "I will do my best to treat her, but my lord... There are some things that medicine cannot fix. I've been a healer long enough to tell when Taed is drawing near. I... Think you may want to prepare for that possibility now."

[Northen Light36]

Seafoam closed his eyes, taking a quiet moment to hold back his grief. Flash however just looked stubbornly denying. "Salacia's strong. She'll get over this and be fine. And if you'll excuse me, I'd like to stay with my wife." He pushed past Angel to return to Salacia.

Seafoam winced and gave Angel an apologetic look before asking softly, "How long do you think she has, Angel?" He seemed more resigned then anything else. Not surprising when you considered he'd already lost parental figures twice in his life already.

[Kender Bard]

Angel shook her head slightly. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "But I can't imagine it's long with how she's laboring so hard now. I gave her some medicine. If it doesn't help even a little then there's nothing more I can do. Seafoam... I'm so sorry."

Salacia reacted to the sound of Flash's footsteps, stirring slightly. She opened her eyes a crack, as if the effort of doing more was too much. She still breathed heavily and now the rattle that Angel had detected had grown more audible. "Still... Here?" she replied, her mouth taking on the barest curve of a teasing smile and her breath whistling slightly on the 'here.'

[Northen Light36]

Flash ignored it. Denying what reason and the faint memory of his training were telling him was as easy as denying his father's death had been when he was young. "Of course," he replied with a warm smile, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "You know I wouldn't leave you when you're not well."

Seafoam sighed. "Don't appologise. I might be Efilian, but I know we all go to Taed in the end. I'll stay with her and Dad then, and keep mother comfortable." He turned and walked away to join his parents, forcing himself to smile.

[Kender Bard]

Salacia smiled at the two men in silence for a few moments, her smile steadily fading into a somewhat sad look. "The medicine... isn't helping... Still hard... To breathe..." She swallowed, her mouth gone somewhat dry. "It's just like... My father..."

And then a kind of dawning realization fell on her; it was obvious from the slight widening of her eyes, the way the color drained from her already pale face. With near desperation, she reached out to take Flash's hands in her own. "I love you," she whispered. "And you... Seafoam... I feared... My life... After Elijah... Would be dull... Sad.... Empty... But you two... Gave me life... And hope... And Love..." Now she smiled again, weakly. "Love guard you... both."

[Northen Light36]

Flash closed his eyes for a moment, the truth hitting him like a physical blow. Then he opened them and gave Salacia a small, wistful smile. "You've done the same for me, Salacia. I love you so very, very much." He held her hand in his and stroked her hair. With an effort of will, he kept his eyes from watering, swallowed down the aching lump of grief in his throat and whispered, "Etaf bless you, love."

Seafoam took his mother's free hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I love you too, mother. I'll look after everything. You just relax. It's going to be all right."

[Kender Bard]

It will, won't it? Salacia thought, her eyes closing again. Her energy on talking had been spent and she didn't feel up to summoning it again.

I have lived a long life. A full one. She wondered if there was anything to regret, really. Well, there were always regrets. Things not done, mistakes made. Overall, though... No. My children are all grown. Twilight will make a magnificent king and father. Sunray is finally happy. Snowflake is leading the quiet, holy life she always desired. Emerald continues to embody her father's young, wild spirit and happily so. And Seafoam has his place as royal healer and a father who will continue to love and care for him.

There really wasn't anything to regret. No unfinished business. Just a longing to be with her family forever. But she had family she'd be seeing again now. Her father, her mother. Her brother. Elijah.

She opened her eyes a crack again, one more time, to take in Flash's and Seafoam's faces. Farewell, my dears. I'll watch over you.

When she closed her eyes again, it was for the last time. Her shallow, labored breathing finally grew still shortly after.