She arrived with her coat torn and her boots red with dust.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BuV39JimT
Not fresh blood.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MjHacivt7
Old earth.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwL3Vx246w
Walked too long and far to care what clung to her.
She did not collapse.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SBQwxz9vw
She did not cry.
She ordered nothing.
She sat, looked at the fire, and said:64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGRZWbrSHU
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmt1jJhsKoH
“Even if I die here… I shall have no regrets.”
She said it simply.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dbMR1ofdV
Not to me.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXK5MgI3vAF
To the room.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfPvFGF5qq
To the fire.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oCEAalwVO
To herself.
There was no ceremony to it.
I brewed something light, fragileroot and sunpetal,64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjr6kujHqT
the kind that holds no bitterness, no memory, only warmth.
She smiled, touched the rim, but did not drink.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ809pyWoP86
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWazfktcaW
“This place… I didn’t dream it, did I?”
I shook my head.
She nodded once.
And then, she closed her eyes.
Not in death.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1obqwRRoM
Just in rest.
She stayed the night. She left at dawn.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzUVX5hOWL
Left the drink untouched, glowing softly.
I do not know if she is still walking.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKxTSpWgGL
But I know she was here.
And if that moment was her last.
She chose it.
And the tavern remembered her without needing to ask her name.
ns216.73.216.247da2
