Snowing
--Life
The birth of one
The loss of another
Death--
Nealan of Queenscove sat in a large armchair, staring into the hearth with his green eyes. The orange flames danced as he stared. When had he felt so bitter, so different and changed?
Sighing, he stood as a child's cries sounded nearby, Midori, the child, looked up at him with her bright green eyes, so like his own, and quieted as Neal picked her up.
"What is it, sprout?" he asked, using his nickname for her.
The small child gazed at the healer innocently for a moment and whined, wanting to be fed. After she was full and he had burped her, Neal placed her back in the bassinet. "She was just hungry," he murmured, chuckling and looked at the one-month old baby, fast asleep.
A knock sounded and Neal opened the door. Kel stood in the frame, her Yamani mask showing no emotion. "How is she?" the lady knight asked.
"Just fell asleep," Neal whispered.
Kel nodded. "And you?"
"Not so good. The flames offer no warmth," Neal told her, but knowing him, Kel understood he wasn't talking about the fire.
"It's been so long, almost a month Kel. Can't believe it myself…" he continued. "I feel cold inside"
Neal remembered being in the infirmary, a month ago, when Kel had rushed in…
FLASHBACK
Neal placed a few more jars and rolls of bandages on the shelves and turned when he heard footsteps. It was Kel. She looked frightened, her Yamani mask supposedly forgotten.
"Kel? What's wrong"
"It's Yuki, her labor's begun!" Kel stated.
"But she's--" Neal began. He trailed off and a cold hand squeezed his heart. Neal grabbed a bag of supplies and hurried outside.
Shinko looked up, relieved to see that Kel had found Neal.
"How long?" Neal asked, kneeling beside his wife.
"Just begun," Shinko told him.
"Good. Yuki?" Neal grasped his wife's hand.
A pale, panting Yuki opened her eyes and smiled. "Neal…"
He beamed at her in reassurance. "Your doing fine, love"
Hours had soon passed and the contractions more painful. Yuki, sobbing and tired, bit back a scream as another contraction ripped through her body.
Neal was scared for Yuki. She had lost so much blood and the contractions were taking their toll on her. She was dying…
He felt hot tears on his cheek and winced as Yuki let out a blood-chilling scream and gasped as the pain suddenly stopped. She heard the wailing of a newborn and then all went black as her eyes glazed over.
Grinning like a madman and laughing in happiness, Neal wrapped the babe in a towel and looked at Yuki.
But his smile faded and his laughter quieted. Neal panicked as he felt for Yuki's pulse and touched her skin.
Silent.
Cold.
"She was innocent…" "Yuki," he murmured, sorrowfully, closing her glassy eyes.
END FLASHBACK
"Neal?" Kel asked. "You're daydreaming"
Neal shook his head to clear it and sighed. "She's dead Kel…"
"I know,"
I caused it Neal thought. Yuki's dead because of meAs if she read his mind, Kel put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself--"
"But Kel--" Neal protested.
"Let me finish will you!" Kel gave him a stern look. "Yuki's still with you, even though she's not here physically she--" Kel threw he arms up in frustration and slipped on her Yamani mask. "Look at yourself…"
"Wha--" Neal was then forced to turn to a mirror and looked at his reflection in surprise.
His clothes were wrinkled; his hair was disheveled, dark bags rested under his dull green, exhausted eyes.
"I look like a drunkard," he plainly stated.
Kel hid a smile, this was the Neal she knew, and his humor hadn't changed.
"You do Meathead" Kel whispered, glad to lighten the mood even if it only was for the moment.
"I'm sure Yuki--" he swallowed hard. "Would have loved to see Midori…"
"She's got your eyes, that's for sure" Kel nodded.
"Yes. Do you know why I chose that name?" Neal inquired.
"Why?"
"Yuki's name means snow and Midori means green…after the hard winters, spring comes again with green grass" "The changing of the seasons, but in this case, the death of one generation to let another generation live…" Neal explained.
"I never thought of it that way" Kel admitted.
"Neither had I…not until now" Neal confessed. "It's a rather nice way to put it, now that I think of it, the changing of the seasons"
Kel's eyes then went wide and she smiled. "Look Neal, it's snowing"
The healer looked out the window and grinned. "It is…"
Neal picked Midori up as she began to fuss. "Look sprout, it's snowing" Neal grinned, pointing to the window as the baby's eyes twinkled.
Kel left to the practice courts, saying she'd meet up with him at the mess hall later. He nodded and turned back to the window. He smiled tenderly as he looked out to the falling flurries.
Cold.
Silent.
Innocent.
Yuki.