The Tales of Scora

Chapter Thirteen

 "Drago...?" Rivka called out, cautiously approaching the hut where the grieving man was hiding. "It's me," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes at the sight of his miserable appearance. He gazed up at her, his eyes red and bloodshot, streaks of drying tears visible on his cheeks.

"Hey, Riv." He replied weakly.

"Can I get you anything...?" She asked, immediately wishing she hadn't as she saw his tears begin to drip onto the floor.

"Bring my 'Lia back...?" He gave her a pained smile, trying desperately to hold in his cries.

"Oh Drago..." She hummed tearily, sitting down and hugging him tight. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault..." He whispered, hugging her back. "It's not anyone's fault." But I could've saved her if I had tried hard enough. He thought, squeezing his eyes shut to get rid of the negativity in his mind. He knew it wasn't his fault— there was nothing he could've done. If he had tried to save her, they both would've died. But at least I wouldn't be living without her. He knew how much Rivka needed him, though. He knew how much Raelyn needed him. He couldn't just give up.

"I know it isn't..." Rivka muttered. They fell into silence, both of them quietly sniffling in each other's embrace.

"Ailia was... sort of like a mother to me." Rivka piped up after a little while. Drago gazed down at her with slight surprise.

"Of course," he chuckled weakly, "she was like everyone's mother... She always was like that, even when we were children."

"No, I-I mean..." Rivka took a shaky breath, squeezing Drago tighter. "She really felt like... like my mother..." She stifled a cry, and Drago deeply frowned, gently stroking her hair in a show of comfort. "I never got to tell her that...!" She sobbed softly, and Drago shushed her tenderly, struggling to contain his own emotion.

"She knew... It's okay." He said gently.

"I never knew my real mom," she muttered, "and then when I found someone to take her place, she died too..." Don't remind me... Drago thought, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "R-Remember when Raelyn called herself a curse? When Ren died?"

"Rivka Temara, you are not a curse." Drago scolded caringly. "Neither of you are... bad things just happen sometimes."

"I just want her back," she whimpered, desperately gripping his shirt, "I just want my dad back...!" A broken sob left her trembling lips, and Drago's heart somehow broke further. He wrapped her up in his arms, trying his best to comfort her. He hadn't realized Ailia's passing had affected her so deeply.

✦✦✦

"Hey, Riv," Ailia grinned as she approached the teen. "Would you like to come with me to pick some herbs?"

"Oh, sure!" Rivka replied, smiling back. "You don't mind, right?" She asked Raelyn, who she was playing cards with.

"Of course not," Raelyn laughed softly. "Go on ahead! You never need my permission, silly."

"Yeah, and I'm older than both of you, so..." Ailia trailed off, smirking as she teased.

The pair walked quietly through the fields surrounding the Bog, the sun shining down on them like the horrid events that took place prior had never occurred. "So, was Drago nice to you when you went with him to the weald? He can be grumpy."

"He was a little grumpy," Rivka laughed. "Does he know how to have fun? At all?"

"Not really, no." Ailia joked, leaning down to pluck a few pieces of chamomile from the ground. "I'm joking... He has fun, but his idea of fun is just... different from ours, you know? He tends to be a little more protective than I am, so he can be a lot more serious." She shrugged lightly, standing back up and continuing to walk the field. "He just doesn't want to lose more than he already has. I get it."