Today, even the sky mourned for the loss of the one named Petros Lorrimor. The sky was grey from clouds, and a steady drizzle fell from above. Several of the attendee’s seemed to have traveled from far away, just to come to the funeral. Each consoled the surviving member of the family, his daughter Kendra. The voices were hushed, and polite; tears were shed. As each guest approached and talked to Kendra, as her tears came harder, and sobs more often. The fine, decorated coffin that held the Professor's body resided beside Kendra.
When one takes a moment to count, they realize the number of attendees is thirteen. Be the number lucky or unlucky was yet to be determined, but it mattered little currently. Because all were somber, for each one had come here to pay respect to an old, and now departed, friend and ally.
The grey skies match the heavy heart she feels. Her slight pain in no way equal to that of the Daughter saying final goodbyes to a Father. The constant fleck and patter of drops upon herself, the susurration of the falling waters muting everything. The distance fading to a hazy grey, leaving nothing but a small, colour faded island of the hear...the now.
Arabeth does her best to convey her sorrow at a comrades passing, a mentor. To acknowledge the pain and grief which Kendra feels. To try and be supportive, working through the barriers of being a stranger.
'So few for so well known a scholar? Maybe I was late afterall.' Odessa's eyes slowly sweep back and forth across the crowd. She takes in the size of the room, the ornate and understated settings, and the casket, which seems to loom from the center of the room.
It all seems very lonely to her to be honest.
But, Odessa has already done all she can at the moment: she's wished fair slumber to the deceased and well wishes to the daughter. With nothing else to catch her attention, she lingers near the flowers and wreaths, surreptitiously reading the cards.
Dot!
Well, this isn't how I thought his funeral would be, right Phineas? Guinevere glanced cheekily at her companion draped around her shoulders. He rolled his eyes, giving off the impression that he was not pleased with her lack of tact. Her mismatched eyes roved over those in the room, taking in the woman failing to comfort Kendra, and another reading all of the cards on the flowers. She smirked, rather amused with the circumstances.
I don't know what Petros wanted me to do, but I might as well comfort his daughter now, don't you agree Phin? Without looking at her fox, and ignoring the looks she was receiving from the guests native to Ustalav, she went to give her condolences to Kendra before moving off to the side to stand somewhat out of place at the side of the room.
Three sharp knocks against the wooden door echo through the gloom. A few moments later, whether it is opened for him, or he opens it himself, strides a cloaked figure with a huge sword scabbard strapped to his back. He might cut an imposing figure, if he were at least five feet tall, but he can only claim three and a half.
"I'm not late, am I?" He takes off his cloak, which has soaked through, the damp still clings to his hair and shirt, and strides through the room towards Kendra, who he singles out as the relative by the people comforting her.
As he approaches, he holds his arms out, offering a hug but not reaching for her legs as a child might.
"I came as soon as I got the letter, you have to believe me. I even skipped breakfast this morning. Professor Lorrimer did me a great kindness, I only wish I could have done more for him." He offers his condolences, locking artichoke-green eyes with Kendra's.
When Arabeth approached Kendra, both of them fell collapsed into a weeping heap, their sorrows feeding off each other. Neither could seem to comfort the other, for all their trying. The loss had just hit both of them to hard.
After several long moments, Kendra finally managed to collect herself enough to speak, if only briefly. "Thank you, f-for coming." Her face streaked with tears, she managed to stand, whipping at her face with a handkerchief. As Odessa and Guinevere each approached and offered condolences, she thanks them as well before letting them move away. She was just glad people had came.
She offered a slight smile on her tearstained face, before she answered Teflin's question. "No, not at all." She kelt down to take the hug. "Thank you for coming. I... I wasn't sure anyone would come from outside of Ravengro. It means so much that you came. F-" Tears still ran down her cheeks, and her eyes were all red and puffy. It was painful still to talk about him. "F-Father would have been overjoyed. He liked meeting people."
Arabeth remains huddled in the chair into which she'd sank, nodding at Kendra's words even as grief continued to consume her. (;_;)
"Well, whatever you need, okay? Don't be afraid to ask me." Teflin looks up at Kendra, giving her a window to respond before turning away and giving her space.
He recognizes Arabeth, a sad creature that won't stop leaking. In their last meeting he had approached her expecting a wise plumekith, learned in aberrations, but she was far more interested in babying him.
Teflin approaches her, and bites his lip. I know I'm going to regret this.
"Hey." He shakes Arabeth's shoulder. "Would you like to...re-braid my hair?" Teflin offers the only comfort he can think of.
Odessa watches the continual tears leaking from Kendra's eyes and she makes a decision. She leaves off nosing around and approaches Kendra a gentle smile on her face.
Please Miss Kendra, do not despair. Your father is finally at rest. His soul in gentle slumber as what awaits all of us in the end.
Her eyes take on a far away look and light up, her smile tilting up in the corner. After all, it is as Our Lady Ashava says, So at the close of our song, we finally lay down to rest-forgetting all troubles in that peaceful slumber.
Odessa's eyes focus back on Kendra and takes her hands inbetween her own, patting them gently with overly long fingers. He is fine. And you are strong to stand here for him.
Blinking through her tears Arabeth smiles at Teflin's offer of comfort/distraction.
"Thank y-you. *Sniff* Thank you very much." She answers, pulling out a small hanky and doing her best to freshen herself up. Gathering her composure, she calms and brightens with Teflin's valiant offer. :)
Gwen and Phineas watched the drama unfold. 'I wish I had some of those popped corn kernels or some peanuts to enjoy with this show.' Phineas gave her a look, he's known her for too long to not infer what she was thinking. She shrugged, careful to not dislodge him from her shoulders. She couldn't understand all of this weepy melodrama. The Professor died, and yeah that was sad, but worse things had happened to her and she hadn't fallen into a puddle of tears.
However, the woman now comforting Kendra seemed interesting, if not a little strange.
Gwen doesn't know what religion this woman is a part of, but any religion seems strange to her, and rather unimportant.
However, the gnome offering to let the weeping woman re-braid his hair for comfort was an intriguing development. This needs closer observation to see what unfolds. As unobtrusively as possible, she sidled her way closer to them.
Arabeth takes only a small amount of time with Teflin. Using the distraction to center herself and calm her emotions. Almost as an after thought she picks a glossy black feather from her cloak, working the item in to Telfin's hair.
Arabeth looks up as one of the other mourners approaches. She smiles in greeting, noting the woman's fur stole about her slender shoulders.
Zevran felt old, impossibly old, as he watched the ceremonies surrounding Petros's final journey. 'Farewell, old friend.' his lips formed the words, but no sound came out. It seemed to him that his voice had dried up, that his eyes were sunken and aching, that skin was exceptionally grey. He thought of Petros's body and a shudder ran through him.
Though he typically carried it more for show and the occasional utility, Zevran found himself using his cane to keep himself up as he walked. The urge to collapse to the ground and stay there for hours was overwhelming. Kendra herself had already done so more than once. 'Poor girl.' Zevran thought, shaking his head. He was glad that she'd at least gotten some years with Petros after his retirement.
The varied nature of the other visitors did not phase Zevran at all. Given his own experiences with Petros, and knowing the man as a teacher and traveller above all else, the presence of young people from all walks of life seemed only natural.
Still utilising the cane, he approached the crying girl quietly. "Please accept my deepest condolences, dear Kendra. If there is anything that I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. I shall remain in town for as long as I can be of some assistance."
Kendra only wiped more tears away, as Odessa spoke. "It... it was not supposed to be like this. N-not so sudden. S-so soon." Her voice started to wobble at the end. Odessa's words did comfort some, and kept Kendra from breaking down into a weeping pile again. She manages to whisper a thank you, appreciative of the attempt to comfort (even if she did feel it was a little strange).
When Zevran approached, she couldn't help but move to pull him into a hug. Her face a mix of a relief and sobs. "T-thank you. I... I don't know what I'm going to do. A-after all this, t-they are reading the will. W-we can t-talk more about h-how you can help a-after that." She manages to get out what she wanted to say between sobs, though she still held Zevran.
The more friends of her father showed up the more she became both relieved and emotional at the same time.
As if in response to Arabeth's thought, the "fur stole" lifted up its head and yawned. Phineas was growing very bored with the proceedings, ready to move on to the will reading. His eyes blinked sleepily as Gwen absentmindedly scratched that special spot behind his right ear.
Gwen smiled a little awkwardly at Arabeth, not quite used to people that act like her. Sooooo, you knew the professor? She shifter her stance a little to be more comfortable.
Odessa moves behind Gwen , glancing over her shoulder to the rest of the group.
I do not believe that Miss Kendra would have hired professional mourners Her smile tilts up at the corner and she glances at Gwen before sliding her eyes back to Arabeth. Do you need words of comfort as well? You were quite distraught.
"Is that a live fox?" The gnome sidles up to the newly formed coven and eyes it suspiciously.
Gwen stiffened when she heard Odessa behind her, but relaxed when she realized it was the weird woman who had been comforting Kendra. She ignored the rest of the conversation as the gnome addressed her.
Why yes, yes it is. His name is Phineas. At the mention of his name he opened one eye fully and puffed up his chest. He liked being noticed and not mistaken for a dead piece of fur. And you are? Gwen raised an eyebrow and smirked as she crossed her arms and cocked one hip to the side.
"-Not a fox." He completes the woman's sentence and extends his hand, expecting the woman to introduce herself after she does her pet.
"Well, my name is Teflin. And if you don't feel like introducing yourself, then maybe you can tell me her name?" He whispers the last part as he nods towards Kendra.
"I didn't know much about the Professor's life I regret to say, besides when our paths intersected not long ago."
Arabeth reaches out and gives Teflin's shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze in a subtle show of thanks for his efforts as she stands to greet these others who have arrived to show their respect fod the departed's memory and those still carrying forwards.
She looks to Guinevere and nods, "I am in agreement with..." And Arabeth inclines her head, her gaze now shifting to Odessa to whom she fsvours with a smile.
"Indeed, I might accept your offer, though perhaps sometime later?" She replies/asks.
"The other lady in distress is Miss Kendra." And Arabeth lowers her voice,
"The dear, recently departed Professor did speak highly of his daughter..." Araberh sighs as memories of better times come back to her. Then the fox pet's antics catch her eye and Arabeth's smile returns. (^_^)
Zevran made no move to release the girl's grip, simply held her while she cried into his jacket. When she finally began to pull away, seeing how tear-stained it was made her cry harder, for fear that she'd ruined it. But Zevran simply smiled and replied, "It's only a coat my dear.". Giving her a light kiss on the head and a squeeze of her hand, he moved into hallway to wait with others for the reading.
"She has grown into a truly lovely young woman." He said to himself with a sense of pride. The sight of the others in the hallway took him slightly aback. "Hello, children." He began. "I must say, this is hardly the place for you." A smile spread across his face, "Though, of course, that sort of thing never stopped Petros, and I am sure he would be pleased to see you here. Are you former students of his?"
Arabeth arches an eyebrow slightly at the new fellows address of herself and those around her. She absently adjusts her cloak.
"Not 'student', no..." Arabeth replies.
"The good Professor was quite the polymath. His intrests were very varied." some slight colour comes to Arabeth's complexion.
"He was...an inspiration in my own studies..." She admits.
"Children?!" Teflin crosses his arms petulantly.
"I'll wager I'm older than you!" He stuffs a hand into his belt pouch and digs for coins to back up his words, and finds a couple of silvers.
"I've studied...something, with the Professor, but not as a student. I'd say colleagues. How old are you?"
Tefling: It may look like a fox, but you can tell that it is not a normal fox. You believe it to be that Phineas is likely a familiar.
Kendra calmed down some after her break down on Zevran. She had turned to talk to someone else as he moved away. It was a young man dressed in fine clothes, who had been there when all of you had arrived. Their conversation is quiet, but any who look that way can see Kendra smile some.
Odessa inclines her head to Arabeth, agreeing to help later. The approach of Zevran however, turns her attention towards him.
"Professor Lorrimor was more of a..." The dreamy smile briefly slips off her face as she casts about for a correct comparison, "Distant uncle, than a true teacher. He mainly kept in contact through letters. Normally filled with banal information and the same questions every time." She sends a smile to the rest of the group,"It sounds like you all were rather close to him. How wonderful."
She focuses her attention on Zevran "What was your relationship with him, if not as a student?"
In response to Teflin's inquiry of her name, Gwen smiled down at him and answered, "Oh my, that was terribly rude of me wasn't it? My name is Guinevere Downland, but you may call me Gwen."
When Zevran entered their group and called them children she snorted a little unladylike. 'Children? Please, I haven't been a child in many, may years. Not since I was still at the orphanage...' She turned her attention back to the conversation in time to hear Odessa's relationship with the late Professor.
"Well, it seems as though I wasn't the only one he was a pen pal with." Gwen smirked as she leaned her head towards Phineas's on her shoulder. "I had an...interesting experience when I was younger that Professor Lorrimor was interested in learning more about. He wrote me letters every once in a while to see how I was functioning with the repercussions of the incident, but other than that we didn't have much of a relationship. Sad that he passed though."
Zevran smiles a knowing smile at Teflin, but says nothing. Clearly the gnome's behaviour has made him come across as even younger, but Zevran isn't the type to point it out. All he says in response is "Quite old."
He raises an eyebrow at Gwen's mention of an interesting experience, but does not ask out of politeness, instead responding to Odessa. "Colleagues, of a sort. We studied together when he was a young wizard." He cocked his head. "Probably not much older than you are now." A genuine smile spread across Zevran's face as he remembered those days, but he said nothing, and wiped a tear from his eye. "I am very pleased to see that Petros has touched so many lives, as he did mine."
Arabeth simple continues to smile and be polite as Zevran expands a little upon his own back ground. Though she too sighs and seems touched by the mention, in passing, of the late Professor.
"But not old enough to win the silver." The gnome responds appraisingly, with a grin, and tucks the coins back into his pouch.
As the group continued to talk and converse, the door opened again to admit a newcomer to pay their respects. It's a wirey older man, with white hair spiking every-which way and a thick white mustache. His dress clothes look slightly disheveled, but in decent shape. His hands are mostly clean but it seems to be a small smudge of black grease on them. "Kendra, I pray I am not late. Vattabar broke down twice on the way here. I'm still working out the bugs, but it was the only way to get here in time. Oh how Petros would have loved to have seen Vattabar. I only had blueprints last he visited and this Vattabar is just the sort of thing he would have loved to have seen. Oh forgive me I'm rambling. I just hope I've made it on time. I did didn't I? I made it? I am not late am I? Oh, I hope I'm not."
Kendra reached and gently took the older man's hands. "You made it just in time, Horace. I'm... I'm sure father would have loved to have seen it. Perhaps... before you leave... I can take a look for him." A smile graced her face, the thought of others having come to pay respects to her father made her happy. Several had sent word they would be unable to come or she had been unable to get word. "Are you staying long?"
"A week, maybe two at the most. And I'm sure you'll love Vattabar. I'll even take you for a ride." Horace gave her hands a good squeeze of reassurance.
"I... I think I'd like that. If... if you'll excuse me momentarily, Horace? I'll be right back."
"Of course, my dear. Do what you need too." He placed a gentle peck on one of Kendra's hands before patting on them.
Kendra leaned down and gave the older man a kiss on the cheek and a smile, letting go of his hands. Horace then moved on to talk to a pudgy, aged gentleman wearing a pair of silver spectacles. This man let out a hearty laugh of greeting and began to converse with Horace. Kendra, meanwhile, had moved over towards the party, a better handle on herself now than she had when most of the party arrived. "I have a request to make on behalf of my father. Would any of you be willing to be the Pallbearer's for my father's casket? He, wished for me to ask all of you, to offer the honor first to all you."
Arabeth does let out a little gasp of shock and surprise at Kendra's offer/suggestion/information. Causing her to take a slight step back.
It takes Arabeth a moment to compose herself.
Zevran stands up from where he was sitting, doing so without the use of his cane, and puffs his chest out as he does so. "It would be an honour, my dear."
Gwen took a small step back, looking extremely uncomfortable with this news. She wasn't very close to the Professor, so why would he want her to be a pallbearer for him?
"I'd love to help, but it wouldn't be comfortable for anyone else." Teflin stretches his hands up and stands on the tips of his toes, and still doesn't reach a normal man's height.
Odessa blinks a little-dumbfounded at the offer, before composing herself and giving Kendra a serene smile.
It would be an honor. She bows her head in acquiescence. I'm sure he had his reasons for asking us-it would be a shame to disappoint.
Phineas nosed at her cheek, telling her in his own way that she should be a pallbearer. she furrowed her brow as she spoke, "Well, since it's what the Professor wanted, I'll do it."
Regaining her composure Arabeth will step forwards with a shy smile and also offer to help carry the load. The gently places a hand (Fingers should reach) onto Teflin's shoulder y way of showing understanding, comfort.
With no warning besides a rather perfunctory knock, the main door is opened, and a man steps into the room from the steady drizzle outside. With dark hair and eyes, and incredibly pale skin, he moves gracefully and gently despite still being clad in armor. The armor seems at least as eye-catching as functional; stiff leather bleached white, it's set with metal studs that glow deep blue against the white backdrop (close inspection reveals that each stud is actually shaped like a roughly-wrought butterfly).
"I hope I'm not too late," he says softly, shaking rain from his white cloak. "I have traveled far, and into lands I have not entered for many years, to pay my last respects to a friend."
His dark eyes sweep the room, taking in the group standing with Kendra, Horace, and the other men and women. Settling again on Kendra, he approaches.
"You must be Kendra. Petros wrote to me many times about you; about your strength, and your courage, and your love. I am sorry that you have lost so good a father." He bows deeply to the group. "My name is Kazallin, called Longfoot by many of my friends. I accompanied the Professor on some few of his travels, and in exchange he taught me much of magic and the ways of the world. But most importantly, he was my friend--a very dear one." His gaze zeroes in on Kendra again. "With your permission, I should like to pray over his casket."
Arabeth curtsies demurely to the newcomer even as she adjusts her cape in preparation to help carry the heavy load of some one she knew and respected.
Kazallin returns to the group, his prayers concluded. "Is there any other service I can render, Ms. Kendra?" he asks gently. "I am a wanderer, guided by Desna's light and my own intuition, so I have no obligation to leave this place soon."
Not wishing to impose, but Arabeth would inform Kazallin of the pallbearer duties that have been offered to those assembled for the professor's procession.
Gwen didn't really know how to respond to this situation. Funerals have never been her "thing". She gently moved Phineas from around her shoulders and held him loosely in her arms; giving him the freedom to jump down if he so wished.
Kendra had not been surprised by Arabeth's reaction to the request. 'Even I was surprised. These people must have meant a great deal to Father for him to request this of them. She could give her a moment to compose herself. And Guinevere's reaction, was also not unexpected. For really, not everyone was comfortable with funerals. To think the number of townsfolk who they themselves were unsettled by it.
A smile lit up Kendra's red-eyed and tear-streaked face when Zevran quickly accepted the request. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She gave Zevran a hug, thankful.
Then only moments later, Teflin spoke up. Kendra knelt down and gave him a hug as well. "It's the thought that matters to me. Thank you."
Standing back up Kendra turned to Odessa before looking at Gwen, "Thank you, Thank you all."
Then, the newcomer entered and greeted her. She gave a small sad smile, happy to see another for her father, but still a mix of emotions over the whole ordeal. "You are not to late, no, not to late. Any friend of my Father's is welcome here. And of course you may pray. Who am I to deny the prayers of others." Kendra took the time of Kazallin stepping away to conduct a prayer to try to compose herself again. The number of people there was becoming a mix of overwhelming and comforting. She just needed a moment, before the proceedings. It did not bother her that Arabeth spoke up to let Kazallin know of her father's request. She had been busy composing herself, for soon, her father would be laid to rest. "F-Father's services will be graveside. As is custom here in Ravengro. I need, to talk to some of the others, but the hour approaches. Thank you, again." Kendra gave them a small curtsy before moving off to talk to the others in the room briefly. Tears had been starting to roll down her face once again.
As Kendra makes her way to some of the other guests, Arabeth begins to blink back tears herself as the emotions of the event again threaten to overwhelm her...
Kazallin sighs heavily as he watches the young girl walk away. It is too much grief for someone so young. I at least had more time with my dead...well, most of them, anyway.
He turns back to the group. "There, there, my lady," he says, placing a gentle hand on Arabeth's shoulder. "Kendra is strong, and we are here for her. The Professor's light is not yet gone out."
His hand on Arabeth's shoulder is firm, but gentle, supporting her without being aggressive. He scans the others' faces. "How did you all know Professor Lorrimor?"
Arabeth sniffs and smiles, nodding in thanks at this fellow mourner's comforting words.
"The good Professor was in need of some extra...assistance...in one of his endeavors." She smiles as the fond memories help chase away the current depression.
"It was the church that I was...cloistered..." Arabeth fumbles as she searches for the right word to describe her life style before the good Professor helped open her eyes to the world, "That they sought some aid from the divine to accomplish their works..."
"After helping with the research...we...remained in contact with letters and such..." Arabeth sighs as her thoughts wander along vistas of times past....She absently adjusts her great cloak of feathers where Master Kazzallin's hand has rumpled some of the plumage. She brings herself back to the present and gives a smile of thanks to Kazzallin,
"Thank you." She replies quietly.
"Of course," he responds gently. He glances at the others in the circle. "And the rest of you?"
Gwen smirked as Phineas rubbed his head under her chin. "The Professor pulled me out of a rather...traumatic experience. I stayed with him long enough for him to take me to the next town over. He gave me his address and instructions to contact him every so often so that he could see how I was fairing with the aftereffects of my trauma." She shrugged noncommittally. "We weren't close, so I was rather surprised by this whole will pallbearer business." There was a somewhat far-off look in her eyes and a small shudder ran through her body as she remembered the events that brought her to the Professor's attention.
Phineas gave a strange little chirp, the first noise he had made during this whole thing, and nuzzled her cheek before giving it a small lick. This brought her out of her memories and she smiled at him, scratching him gently behind his ears.