A Dragon's Quarrel

[saerwen]

Damion stopped breathing for a moment. Why doesn’t she remember me? She was thinking fhard, trying to remember him. He could hardly stand it. Why doesn’t she know me? He let his breath come out when he heard her start talking about the mint-green tea. She did remember him, or at least she remembered something that had happened with him. He mustered a reassuring smile after she had spoken. “Yes-“ he was gasping it out, but trying hard to make it sound normal. “-that is exactly right! Green tea mixed with mint.” When she talked about loving mint he almost choked as he said, “I know. Peppermint. You like coffee also!”
Then, she tried to remember his name, and Damion was pushing back tears. Is this what we did to her? Is this what I did to her? “Don’t stress over it. I am sure that you will start to remember soon.” He again, mustered as much of a smile as he could. “My name is Damion. Do you remember Neron,” he pointed towards Neron, “-or Ares,” he pointed to Ares who was now looking like a lost lamb. And then, he noticed Jaedon standing close behind them. He turned slightly so that Miriel could see. “I am sure that you will remember Jaedon if you remember me any, right?” He simply prayed that it was true and that she would remember. Jaedon simply held her hopes in tightly, praying that they became reality.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel smiled as he mentioned peppermint and coffee. “Yes, I just have told you before, quite delicious together, especially with some chocolate in there somewhere. You must try it, I still need to try your little concoction.” Then at the mention of his name her eyes opened and she smiled dazzlingly at him. “Yes, that’s it! Damion, what a nice name.”
Then Damion started pointing out others, Neron, Ares, Jaedon. The names were familiar, but some were more distant then others. Looking at Neron she studied his face for a moment. “I’m not sure..” She shook her head as her smile faded. “They are all so familiar looking and I can tell that they are friends, but when I try to think how we met or what we have done…it all fades and goes white.” She studied each one for a moment. First was Neron,”Neron..” She rolled the name on her tongue as if merely saying the name would bring back memories. “You play the violin..” Her gaze shifted to Ares, “You….were very kind in a large library.” Then she turned to Jaedon, she had to think for a while. “All I remember is a beach and singing and something about locker combinations.” She shook her head. This trying to remember was giving her a headache. “Ah the beach, one of my father’s favorite places to go. Even though we hate water there is something drawing about the beach, perhaps it is the total openness.” She sighed, “I wonder how my father is, I haven’t seen him in so long…” Her head tilted slightly at Jaedon, “I don’t know why a picture of a panther with a lizard hanging from its mouth comes to my mind. But you remind me of that for some reason.” She turned to Neron, “Actually you do also…It was in some sort of garden...”
Her focus turned back to Damion as her words turned into quiet murmurings. “We must go back to the garden, the roses should be in full bloom by now.”
Neron didn’t know whether he was to be happy or sad about Miriel remembering in the way she did. He was just a familiar stranger to her. Something that made no sense. All this had happened because of a fight, a worthless fight. Why was she so kind in wanting to heal even when it hurt and even when she knew she couldn’t?
Ares frowned slightly, she remembered only events it seemed. Not a single one of the events were negative. “how strange” His head shook, perhaps the saying that you only remember the bad things that happen to you wasn’t all that true. This was definitely a turn in the events. Seems like nothing was dull around this group.

[saerwen]

Both Jaedon and Damion gave a sigh of relief as she remembered things. Small clips of such a long time together, but they were both thankful that she remembered anything. Damion wanted to make Miriel feel safe and right at home, and the best way to do that was to act like everything was pretty much normal. “Perhaps we will make the concoction for each other soon, and try a new thing, new for both of us.” He smiled sweetly and started to lift Miriel slightly, so that she could see better without twisting her neck so much.
Jaedon was about to give a sigh of relief when she heard Miriel remembering bits of things about everyone, and then, about their beach trip. She almost laughed, “You can’t ever remember your locker combination, Miriel.” Just as things started to get better for Jaedon, Miriel mentioned her father, and every hint of joy and relief faded from Jaedons face. She stopped breathing. Then the rest of it came out. Jaedon almost let out a groan to display her agony. She fell to the ground, every part of her falling to pieces because the knowledge that she had been fighting with ever since she had found out was now pounding at her door, and the worst thing of all, Miriel didn’t know. She didn’t even feel like moving, running away now because she was so upset. Why…Why did this have to happen. Miriel hardly remembered her, and now, the fact about her father. What was she to do?
Damion was not paying attention to Jaedon right at the moment, even though he did know that she was having trouble with something. He looked to Miriel as she spoke of the garden, and of when Jaedon had caught Neron. She was remembering everything that could have been marked as good. He was scared to ask her if she remembered any fights, afraid that it might mess with her even more than it already had.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel felt exhausted with all this remembering. She wished that everything just came back to her all of a sudden. She looked at Damion and realized that he was hurt. “You’re hurt did you get into a fight?” She shook her head, “I wish I could do something about it, but it seems I am to weak at the present.” Then her eyes grew thoughtful, “I wonder why….I haven’t been this tired…..I can’t remember.” a frown came to her face. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”
Damion had lifted her up a bit, which was very nice considering she could see better. This Damion, he was a nice gentleman. Even when she could tell that he was worried about her he covered it and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. No wonder she felt so comfortable in his arms. “We must do that Damion…” She reverted back to the coffee conversation. “I would love to try some of your tea.” Her eyes closed and she rested her head on Damion. “Perhaps it would stimulate my memory.. Perhaps.” She didn’t’ get any farther, for she had drifted off to sleep.
Neron noticed that Miriel was asleep and he sighed and straightened up with great difficulty. “What are we going to do?” He shook his head. “ What if she doesn’t get her memory back?” Neron felt like half dead person, but the voices had faded into the background for the moment. Little did he know that it was because he was caring about someone deeply and not focusing on himself and what he felt, but rather what he should do to make others comfortable. He was growing.
Ares shook his head and flicked some of his red hair out of his blue eyes. “I don’t know.. I just don’t know. Her memory seems very selective, almost as if her subconscious is blocking things it doesn’t want her to remember. Why? I don’t’ know. You know her better than I do. What do you think? I wouldn’t even know what to do about this.”

[saerwen]

Well, even if she was hurt, Miriel was still the same caring Miriel that she had always been. She was still worried about the well-being of her friends, of everyone. “Neron is worse than I, but you are very correct, you are far too weak to be healing either of us. It is probably best that you relax for a while.” He smiled at her. “When you are stronger, and feeling better, I will make you as much tea or coffee as you want.” When she fell asleep, Damion just let out a long sigh.
“If she doesn’t get her memories back, then we will give her new ones…better ones.” Damion spoke with gentle resolve. “That is the only thing that we can do. Right now we just need to act like everything is normal. For now, we need to stay away from the idea of making her upset. That would not be a good idea.” He then pulled his feet out from under him, and stood up, still cradling the sleeping Miriel in his arms. “I am going to take her back to her dorm so that she can sleep.” He turned to Jaedon, about to ask her to go in early in the morning and watch Miriel, make sure that someone was there to explain where she was when she woke up. However, Jaedon really didn’t seem to be paying too much attention. She was on the ground, head bowed, figure slouched. He sighed, and then turned to Ares. “Sorry to leave you with this, but can you make sure that these other two don’t kill themselves on the way back to their dorms, and that they don’t do anything stupid. Right now you are the only one that I really trust. I am even unsure about myself right now.” He looked to Neron and then to Jaedon, and then back to Ares.

[»Míríel«]

Ares nodded in reply to what Damion said. “Sure, sounds easy as pie. Which in my experience isn’t that easy.” He turned to Neron, “Come on let’s get, you need rest to, actually I think we all do”
Neron nodded as he rubbed his side and arm, it was still hurting like the blazes. He would have to go to the infirmary at the school. He’d tell them he tripped going down the steps or something like that. Hopefully they wouldn’t ask to many questions. His gaze lingered on Jaedon for a moment, but he didn’t call out to her nor did he even speak her name. Neron just stared at her for a moment before facing the other way and walking off. “You can take care of Jaedon, I can make it to the dorms alone, I’m a big boy now.” With slow and painful movements Neron made his way off, casting a last glance at Damion and Miriel. He was heading toward the nurses office, not the dorms.
Ares shook his head and laughed slightly, “Aye a big boy, but definitely not a man.” He turned to Jaedon and bowed slightly to her, “Let us be off. You heard the man.” While he waited for Jaedon to react he turned to Damion, “I believe that what you say about her memories is very true and very wise. If anything she probably needs peace right now, above anything else.”

[saerwen]

Damion nodded in acknowledgement of Ares’ comment. He really liked Ares, he had a level head. Damion stayed for a moment, making sure that they all went on their way before he walked off with Miriel. She was sleeping, so she wouldn’t mind him waiting around just a little longer. When Jaedon made no movement in response to Ares, he knew that she was going to need some encouragement. “Jaedon, please, listen to me for once in your life. Go with Ares, please, for me.” He was begging, but he had no reassurance that his pleas would be heard. However, Jaedon, after a few seconds seemed to hear what he had said, and she rose from the ground, stable bodily, but her mind had gone blank. Her eyes were not shining, her face was pale, and she would not speak. Damion gave out a long sigh. “Thank you Jaedon.” With that he strode off in the direction of Miriels dorm, a path that he had taken not too long ago. He wished with all his heart that the next time he came this way he was escorting a fully healthy and normal Miriel. Jaedon let Ares lead her away from the lake, following him like a ghost. She was so lost, so upset, and so angry. She was tired of being angry… She needed a break, but for some reason, something told her this could only get worse.
~~~~~~ THE END~~~~~~