Chapter 7: The Grief

After everything was settled I went back home. I met my brother and my fiancé Jay. "Hello you two. Whats up?" "How did your business go in the village?" "It went as well as it would go." I saw their expression. "Tax called didn't he? He told you what happened." "He sure did. Sorry sis." "Its ok. She said it wasn't anyone's fault. It was an accident. She didn't blame anyone. In a few days we leave for snow mountain to spread her ashes." "Yeah I know. He asked all of us to come as well since we knew her." "Oh really? Good. Then I will have family when I go. That's good. Do you want to come Jay? I mean you didn't know her but you can be part of my emotional support." "Yes of course. Anything I can do to help." "Thanks." "Oh I always carry around a picture of her and our friends." I took out the picture, and in the picture was Tax and his family with Tina Orion and Ten-Ten. I pointed out Ten-Ten to Jay. "She was a pretty girl." "Yeah she was. She was mostly tom boyish." "Haha I can see that." "Ok lets go inside I'm so cold." "Ok lets go." Said Lycan. "Oh your Onyx and Azura wanted to hang out when you got back. Father also wanted to see you." "OK thanks brother. I'll go see father then I will find Azura and Onyx."

"Oh hello sir Knight. Is father in his office?" "Oh welcome back princess." "Yes his majesty is in with someone at the moment but I will announce you." He knocked on the door and said, "Princess Talia is here to see you. Should I let her in?" "Go ahead." I walked in and my father came up to me and hugged me. I guess the whole castle knows. "I'm fine dad. I'm really ok." Then I started crying. "OK I'm not ok. I just can't believe she is gone. I miss her daddy." "I know honey. After we spread her ashes it will be all done." "I know. I got to see her cross over. She got to see her parents an little brother. I'm happy she can reunite with them but here on earth no one will see her ever again. I don't know if I can handle it father. Excuse me father I have to leave. I need to relieve some of the stress. No one is to come after me not even my personal knight got it daddy?" "Yes I understand but tell me where are you going to be?" "Don't worry daddy I won't be far. I'm just blowing off some steam. I'm sure you will figure it out." Then I dressed warm enough to go outside and headed to the forest. Not my forest but the forest you have to take to get to the palace.

Once I got to the forest I started punching trees until my knuckles bled. Screaming at the top of my lungs. I even brought my sword with me. Luckily no animals were out at the moment. Finally after all I did I was so tired I fell down and laid flat on my back with my arms and legs spread out like a star. "Why me? Why did the gods have to give me this gift? I mean yes there are some plus sides to it. I help people cross over. I just hate that sometimes it could be the people you have known since childhood that you could end up seeing is the downside to it." I said out loud to myself. I tried to get up but was too fatigued and upset. Then I barely managed to get up a second time. I went back to the trees and tried punching them again but it was no use I didn't have the strength. "I probably should head home. I don't have the strength to even scream anymore." SO I started walking. More like wobbling home. I managed to get to the palace gate when I collapsed. "Princess! Princess Talia!" The guards ran over to me to see if she was ok. She didn't respond. I'll stay here you go get help." "No need. Look." "Oh its Jay. Jay! The princess needs Help!" Jay came running and saw her on the ground. "Talia. Hey Talia. Talk to me!" "Hmm. Ha…Ha…" "Lets get you inside to your room. I'll get a doctor." He picked her up princess style and ran inside yelling someone call a doctor!"

He laid her on the bed and covered her up. She was freezing. Her knuckles were bleeding. She looked really pale like she was dead. "Oh good. Doctor. Her knuckles are bleeding and she is not responding. She looks deathly pale. She is really cold." He went over to Talia and did an exam on her. "She will live. I will wrap her hands up. You will need to get some warm blankets on her. To warm her up so she doesn't get hypothermia or Pneumonia. Most of this is mental. This is her way of grieving for her friend. I don't know when she will wake up just that she will. When she does I need you to call me immediately." "Yes sir. Thank you." Jay went out to tell her brother what was going on. He was shocked and ran over to her room. Then Jay told the king and queen. The siblings also found out. They all went to visit her waiting for her to wake up. Jay even called Tax to tell him what was going on with Talia. "Crap. Are you serious? How is she now?" "She is unresponsive. OK I will go see her tomorrow. Its late now." "Ok I will see you tomorrow." "Oh I just remembered something I have to do. I'll be right back. I have some business to attend to."

He went to the dungeon to talk to the boss. Talia was supposed to be down there by now. "Hello Boss." "Oh prince Lycan. I wasn't execting you." "Yeah well Talia isn't doing to well right now. I thought I would tell you." "What's wrong? I heard people talking about a death of a girl. Could that be what's wrong with her?" "Yes apparently its her way of grieving. There is no way of knowing when she will wake up." "I see. Well thanks for telling me. My condolences on the friend." "thanks." "So do you mind if I ask how she died?" "Hunting accident. She was out with her friends and was drinking water. She was easily mistaken as ann animal since she was wearing camouflage. Her close guy friend shot her." "Oh I see. I'm sorry." "Yeah well when she grieves she really takes it hard. Last time it wasn't as bad. This time we will never know when she will wake up." "Well give me a heads up when she does ok? I wish for her to get better." "Yeah thanks. I better head back." "Yeah good luck." So he headed back to Talia's room.

It was finally the next day. Tax showed up and still no signs of her waking up. "I have an Idea boys. Jay and Lycan. Go to the forest and find Fawn. She knows people who are healers. See if they will be able to help her." "Yes of course. Why didn't I think of that?" said Lycan. "Lets go Jay." The king was on his way to visit Talia and saw the boys leaving. He assumed they were leaving to get help so he left them alone. He opened the door and said, "How is she? How I my baby girl?" "Well father. The doctor said she is fine other than her mentality. Its her way of grieving. The doctor said we won't know when she will wake its like she shut her mind of to the world."

Meanwhile the boys are in the forest and ran toward the elf village. They found Fawns place and knocked on the door. Fawn answered it. "Oh your highness." "Please rise. I need your help. Talia is in a mental breakdown. She won't wake up. The doctor said it was a way for her to grieve. It happened before but not this bad. Is there any way someone can wake her? I mean its already been a day. Who knows she might wake up in years." "Ok slow down take a breath. She won't want you worked up when she wakes." She waited until he did then he relaxed. "Ok now. As for your situation. We may be able to help but no promises. We haven't used this kind of power enough. I will be right back. Let me tell my parents where I am going." She did just that and headed for the village elder to tell him the issue. He accepted that she could take my partner healer.

"Excuse me." She went into the healers building and said, "I need to take Lander with me on some business." "Yes of course. He is in the back. Feel free." So she went back to get him and explained the situation. "OK lets go." He followed her back home and saw the prince. "Your highness." "Please rise. Thank you for trying to help my sister." "Hey she is the friend of the elves after all. We would do anything for her." So they all walked back to the castle.

They got inside and the boys guided Lander and Fawn to her room. "At least she got her color back." Said Jay. "Yeah thank goodness. Some improvement." "You mean she was pale when you brought her in?" said Fawn. "Yes the guards shouted at me and told me that Talia needed help. I carried her to her room. When I saw her she was as pale as the ghosts she can see I'm sure. She was also ice cold. Looks like they got her warm again." Said Jay. "Excuse me your majesty." She curtseyed and he bowed. "Rise. So you are here to help my daughter?" "We can try your majesty. There is no guarantee." "Please do what you can for her." "Yes sir." "Ok I need all 3 of you siblings here. I need the older sister and younger brother to sit on the couch. I will need Jay and your highness to stay with me." Said Landon. "Oh and Tax sit with the others. I didn't see you there. Sorry." "NO problem. Will do." He and Fawn went over to Talia and Lander touched her forehead to get a brief idea of what could be wrong.

"Ok I have a brief Idea of what's going on now. I will be able to make it to wear I can talk to her and you may be able to as well. The best we can do is try to talk her to coming back." "I see so everything else seems to be ok then?" said Jay. "Yes its just as her doctor said. Now who gets to do the honor of trying to talk to her. Who has experience grief here before?" "I have said Jay. My father died a few years back." "Ok then you can try talking to her. I'll put my hand on her head and you speak to her like normal." "Got it. tell me when." "OK your good Now."

"Talia. Hey Talia. Its me Jay. I know you shut your mind off to the world. I had to grief myself too. Remember when I told you my father died? Well me and my younger brother took it the hardest. Mom and our friends and siblings helped us just by being there. We cried together yes we fought too but it was our way of grieving. The way I was taught is to find an exercise you like doing. So when you get mad or grieve do that. Don't close your mind to the world. Do you still like Training? You can use that. That would be the best way and not purposely hurt your knuckles." "She was my best friend. She was like the sister I never had. What am I supposed to do now that she is dead?" "I'm sure she would want you to move on. Didn't you say she told you not to grieve too much?" "Yes but its easier said than done. I don't know how I can go on without her. I just. How did you get over your father?" "Sigh. I'll let you know when I do. The reason I'm not so upset now is because I was taught to think of the good things we did together. That is what is keeping me sane and not going crazy. I'm not sure about everyone else but mother taught me that. So can you come back and try it with me? We are all here for you Talia. Your siblings are here wanting to see you open your eyes. I want to see you open your eyes. Plus Tax is worried sick about you. Think of him. He was the one who took her in he is the one who should have it harder. She was like a daughter to him." I thought about it for a bit and he was right. Tax should be taking it harder. "You said Tax is there right?" "Yeah he is." "OK I'll come back now. So relax." Then he took his hand off Talia and everyone waited.

"Hmm. Ow. My head." Onyx and sis go get the doc Now!" So they ran to get a messenger to get the doc. "Other than your head does anything hurt?" said Jay. "I'm fine worry wort. Sorry to worry you all though." "Just don't do it again ok Talia? You don't want to worry the whole palace." "Yeah I know. Thanks Jay. Its really true though. Even in my head you are there and when I wake up you are there how is this possible? Its like you have a special power on sensing what is happening or something." Then the doctor came in.

"How are you feeling princess?" "Other than a mild headache I'm all good." "I see that's good. Well nothing else seems to be wrong so I will head back. See you all later." "By doc thank you." "Ok then you said you wanted to see Tax here he is." "Can I talk to him alone please?" "Yeah sure go ahead." Said Jay. Then everyone left.

"Tax." I said worriedly. "I'm right here princess." "I'm sorry I ended up like this. I ended up closing my mind to the world when you should be taking it harder. You took her in and raised her like your daughter. How are you so calm? Shouldn't you be grieving?" "Not everyone grieves the same princess. Once I head as you know I was shocked. when I went home everyone was worried so I told them what happened then we all sat down and cried together. I guess since that day its been hard to cry over her now. Since then as long as I know I have someone who cares that is all that matters." "Yeah I guess so. I'll try to remember that. Thank you Tax." "Also I remember what she said to us. You told us she said not to grieve so much right? Also to move on." "Yes." "Well we still have to fulfil her request and spread her ashes. Just remember we are all here for you ok? I know you are all here for us too." I took a deep breath and said. "Thank you." "Sure now I better go home and tell everyone you're awake and ok. Should I get everyone back in?" "Sure I don't mind. Thanks Tax." "No problem." Then he left an told the others I would be fine. They came in for a bit then I had Jay and my brother stay here until I fell asleep again.

Finally it was the day we were to spread ashes on Snow mountain. I was getting ready but was hesitating for a bit knowing what I was about to do. Then I heard a knock on my door. (Knock Knock) "Its sil." "Oh come on in." "Welcome Sil." "Thank you. Tax had me head in to see how you were doing. He thought maybe you were hesitating." "Yes I was. He was right. I was hesitating knowing what I was out to do. Knowing I will never see that person again." Then I clinched my fists. Sil put her hands on my fists and said, "This is not the first time we have lost someone. Before we even met Ten-Ten or even before our eldest child was born we had another child. So you wonder why Tax is so calm? He remembers the first child who didn't survive. He still grieves for him." "So you had a boy before?" "Yes when we was born we were told he wasn't going to live long. We should start saying our goodbyes right after he was born. We both held him in our arms. We promised him that we would never give up having any kids and that we would never forget him. That we loved him. Then he smiled his first and Last smile." "I see. I will never forget Ten-Ten either. I can't." "OK are you ready now?" "Yes. Lets go."