Posterous theme by Cory Watilo
Dianne Owens

Filed under: Short Fiction

Letting Go

Prompt: Letting go

Wordcount: 555 words 

 

We were in love, or at least that is what I once believed. I was sure that I loved Airen, but looking back, he'd simply held on to what felt familiar. Far away from home, lost in a far-off land, I was all that remained of the world he once knew. We were two Airey in a world of humans. 

It is odd, but it wasn't so long ago that I was sitting in front of the Head Sage doing the test to become one of the Chosen. Of course, the next day the event happened, leaving Airen and I stranded halfway across the world. We knew it was the same world, but it wasn't the same time. If I could turn back time, I would have warned the council about the elf's fool experiment. Maybe then I wouldn't have suffered the heartbreak I am afflicted. 

And now, a campfire separates us, flames licking at the base of my vision and heat warming cold limbs. There is a darkness in his eyes, a longing for something more than I can ever give him. We say nothing to each other, for there are no words that would be enough to cross the great divide between us. 

Airen will never say what he is thinking, but I know him well enough to know that he longs for another woman. Her name is Kara, a human that we rescued from slavers several months back. I suppose it was inevitable that he would fall for someone besides the bookworm that he's been travelling with for the past five and a half years, but I had hoped... 

He knows that I adore him, but that will never be enough. I do not hate the girl that has captured his heart. She is a strong woman worthy of his affections. If she was anything less, I would have questioned his taste. That being said, I cannot travel with him for another day. Before he wakes in the morning, I will be long gone, wings unfurled and riding the thermals of the Arlean skies. 

I am not sure where I will go. There are numerous opportunities to the east where I've heard the Dwarven peoples dwell. I've never met a Dwarf before, but I hear they are a stout folk whose military prowess is only matched by their mastery of metalcrafting. They are known for fierce loyalty and keen intellect, even if they lack social graces. 

To the west, my knowledge of the elder tongues will likely gain me a position as a translator in one of the human cities, or perhaps I will become a scribe for one of the noble houses. My wings will certainly allow me to gain a position as a page or a courier. I might gain an apprenticeship with a sage or gain employment at one of the great libraries. 

However, I will decide what to do once I am away from Airen. If I don't leave, he will feel obligated to be with me.I will miss him, but I have to do what is right for both of us. It is difficult just thinking of the decision, but I will survive. And in so breaking the bonds between us, my life will be reborn from the ashes. 

It is time to let go.