Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Ashes and Remembrance ❯ Chapter Twenty-Four ( Chapter 24 )

TWENTY-FOUR

"Is she alright?" Erich Roh asked as he held his unconscious daughter's hand while he sat on the bed next to her. "I-I can't l-lose her too . . . she'll be alright, won't she?" His voice shook with fear as he blinked back tears.

A hand gripped his shoulder, "She'll be fine, Erich;" a man's voice replied from behind him. "It's just shock, that's all. I've given her something to keep her asleep for the rest of night - the same as Doreena. A bit of untroubled rest will do the both of them good. Actually, it would do all of you some good."

Erich brushed the hair from Jindra's face with his free hand. "Thank you for coming Simon. I-I didn't know what to do . . . she just collapsed, and then - then Doreena became hysterical again . . . and - and . . . this is just too much - it's all just too much for us to bear." Letting go of his daughter's hand, he covered his face and finally let his tears come once again.

Simon Kaberle looked at his long-time friend with a sadness that he felt to very depths of his soul. He had known Erich Roh since childhood; they were best friends, as close as brothers. Simon had followed in his father's footsteps and become a physician, while Erich had chosen a political life in the Zaibach government. Simon had stood up with his friend when he had married the fiery daughter of an Asturian merchant twenty-four years ago and Erich had repaid the favor when he himself took a bride a few years later. Their families lived only blocks away from each other and their children had grown up together. Simon grieved with Erich and his family as if they were his own.

Simon gripped his friend's shoulder once again. "You don't have to bear this alone, Erich. Petra and I are here for you. If you need anything - anything at all - just ask. We'll do whatever we can for as long as you need us to. Petra is just heartsick - she wanted to come with me . . ." Simon choked back tears of his own as he released Erich's shoulder. "I-I just can't believe it . . . I can't believe that he's really gone."

Wearily he sat down in a chair next to the bed, facing Erich. Reaching into this coat, he brought out a silver flask. Unscrewing the cap, he took a deep swallow. Reaching over, he nudged his friend and held the flask out, "Doctor's orders."

With a slightly shaky hand, Erich gripped the flask and took a deep drink. He felt the liquor as it burned down his throat. Silently, he looked at the ornate bottle, watching the play of light as it reflected off its gleaming surface. Sighing, he took another swallow before handing it back. Simon replaced the cap and stowed the bottle back in his coat.

"I still don't understand what happened," he said, as he rubbed his face with his hand.

"A-An accident - during training exercises," Erich's voice was soft as he replied. "T-There was an explosion . . . Coren wasn't the only one - there was another pilot involved. The other boy was seriously hurt, but they think he'll pull through."

"There has to be more to it than that. Someone has to know what happened."

"I don't know . . . the man that came here with Vardas said that it could have been a communication error - a miscue of some sort between the pilots. But there's also the possibility that there was some kind of design error, a problem with the weapons. I got the feeling that's what the he - the major - thought. He said they were already investigating it. Apparently the 'melefs were prototype models and the pilots had only been training with them for a few months. Coren had been hand-picked to train with them; and he was so excited about it."

Erich looked down at his daughter as she slept. "Jindra was so proud of him - we all were." Taking his daughter's hand once again, he continued on. "You know how close the two of them were . . . I'm worried about her Simon, t-this isn't going to be easy for any of us, but . . . but you know how she always idolized him. Y-You should have seen her when I - when I . . ." He felt tears in his eyes again and quickly tried to brush them away.

"I should have listened to Doreena and sent her away to Palas. She'd be married by now and at least have a husband to help her through this . . . not that we won't be here for her . . . but - but I don't know if it will be enough. I don't know if I have enough strength for the both of them, Simon . . . I don't know if I have enough strength for myself." Unable to stop, Erich Roh let his tears fall once again, as his voice broke. "How are we supposed to get through this?"

Simon felt a pain in his heart, and he knew that he could no longer hold back his own grief. Reaching over, he put his hand over the other man's. "You'll get through this Erich; it won't be easy, but you won't be alone. You have my word that Petra and I will be there for you and your family. We'll help you in anyway that we can . . . just don't shut us out. You can't shoulder all of this yourself . . . you're right, it is too much for one person to bear, so let us help you - let us give you some of our strength . . . let us share your grief with you."

Erich merely nodded his head as he pulled his hand away. Reaching over, he embraced his long-time friend and his voice was only a whisper. "Thank you my friend . . . no, my brother. I've always loved you like one Simon, and I can really use one right now." Simon smiled a little to himself and patted Erich on the back.

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Simon Kaberle embraced his grief-stricken friend once again as the two men stood in the foyer at the front door. "I'll come in the morning to check on Doreena and Jindra. They should both sleep through the rest of the night." Stepping back, he looked at Erich with a critical eye, "You should try to get some rest too. I can give you something if you like."

Erich shook his head, "No, I'll be alright." Simon knew from past experience that it was pointless to argue with the other man, so he merely nodded his head. "If you need anything tonight, don't hesitate to send for me. Anything - you understand?"

"I will . . . thank you Simon, thank you for everything; I don't know what I'd do without you here. I just feel so lost . . ." Simon Kaberle embraced Erich one last time, "Rest Erich, that's what you need to do right now. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Erich nodded silently and reached to open the front door.

As he stepped out onto the front steps, Simon reassuringly gripped his friend's shoulder. Then turning away, he started down the steps and walked towards the street at a brisk pace. Erich Roh watched him until he reached the street and then shut door.

The servants had all been dismissed earlier and the house was still. Putting out the lights in the foyer, Erich went down the hall to the front parlor. Sitting down on the loveseat in the dimly-lit room, he ran his hands through his hair and rubbed at his eyes. Resting his elbows on his knees, he sat staring at nothing for several long minutes. Then after slowly rising, he walked over the sideboard and poured out a very generous glass of brandy. Drinking deeply, he drained the glass in two swallows. Looking at the empty glass for several moments, he reached for the decanter once again. But just as he was about to pour, he shook his head. Carrying both the glass and the decanter, he left the parlor and walked upstairs.

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Erich Roh stood next to his bed and looked down at his wife's sleeping face. There were faint lines around her eyes and mouth that he couldn't recall ever seeing before; and except for a maturing of her features and figure, Doreena still looked much the same as she did when they had first met. He could still vividly recall when he had first seen her all those years ago in Palas . . .

Doreena Vardas had not been the most beautiful woman in the room that night; but there had been something about her - something that had drawn several young men to her side, including a very nervous young trade representative from the Zaibach Empire.

Doreena's shining dark hair had been coiled up in an elaborate style and her jewelry had been rather modest, when compared to most of the other women in the room: a thin silver necklace that held just the spark of a diamond at the hollow of her throat, and small delicate earrings that matched. Her dress had been unadorned, but made from some of the finest silk to be found in Palas; and the elbow length gloves had been dyed to match.

But it had been her eyes that Erich remembered the most - those silvery gray eyes that were a perfect match for the dress - the eyes that held a spark of fire and passion in their depths. How I wanted her to look at me with those eyes . . . how I wanted to drown in them; and she had looked at him.

Erich had never believed in love at first sight until that moment. But when their eyes had met, it was as if an instant connection - like a recognition of sorts - had been made between the two of them. He had watched as Doreena had blushed to a deep crimson before turning her head away. Normally shy, Erich had felt a boldness that was so uncharacteristic, that it had scared him. Without any hesitation or nervousness, he had stepped right up to her and introduced himself.

Doreena had by then regained her composure, and if she had been shocked by his forwardness, she never showed it. With a smile, she had taken his offered hand and allowed herself to be led out to the dance floor. The two had danced every set, much to the disappointment of several men in the room. It was after the third set, that Erich had told her that she was going to marry him. Doreena had raised her eyebrows and looked at him like he was a raving lunatic. He had laughed at the expression on her face before boldly taking her hand and kissing it. Blushing again, she had snatched her hand away and told him that he was mad. Erich had merely smiled at her as he once again held his hand out to her. Doreena had given him a long measuring look; and then, almost as if she had been accepting a challenge, she had taken his hand as she gave him an almost sly looking smile of her own.

Oh Reena . . . has it really been twenty-six years? So much . . . we went through so much to be together. Forgetting the glass, Erich raised the decanter to his lips and took a deep swallow. I just hope we can get through this.

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Unable to find any rest, Erich went to look in on his daughter. Without even realizing it, he took the half-empty brandy decanter with him. Looking down at Jindra as she slept, he was struck by how grown up she had become. As he had risen through the ranks of the trade office, Erich had been required to travel out of Zaibach for extended periods of time. Looking at his seventeen year old daughter, he wondered how he could have missed so much. My little girl . . . all grown up now. Old enough to marry . . . old enough to leave home on her own . . .

Coren and Jindra had both inherited Erich's reddish-brown hair and fair skin. While Coren had also inherited his father's blue eyes, Jindra had gotten Doreen's silvery gaze - and just like her mother, she also had a devil of a temper with a streak of stubbornness to match. No wonder the two of them clash like steel on steel . . . they're too much alike. A sad smile played on his face at the thought.

Taking a swallow from the decanter, Erich looked around his daughter's room. On the wall by her closet -- hanging point down from a wooden rack -- was Jindra's sword. He winced as he thought about the war that had erupted when he had given it to her for her fourteenth birthday. She had been so excited because she finally had a real sword of her own, not one of Coren's old hand-me-downs. Reena was so mad . . . I thought she was going to throw me out of the house - or out the window.

Walking towards the window that faced down into the garden, he paused to scan the floor to ceiling bookshelf. Books of all sizes were crammed onto the shelves until the wood had bowed from the weight. Jindra was a voracious reader and the subjects ranged from history, to poetry, to mythology, to fiction and just about everything else in between. Erich ran his fingers over the spines of several books as he read their titles: The Religious Mythology of Freid, A Ladies Book of Romantic Poetry, Sea Songs and Stories, The Lore of the Knights Caeli.

Leaving the book case, Erich went to the window and glanced out. Set up next to the window was an easel and sketching tablet. On a small table next to it were pencils, watercolors, brushes and several other pads. Erich had always admired his daughter's artistic abilities. I don't know where she got that from . . . no one on my side of the family ever had any talent for art.

Picking up one of tablets from the table, he leafed through it, admiring Jindra's work. There were pictures of their house, the garden, what looked like the city clock; and, as he got towards the end of the pad, a large sketch of a young man whom he didn't recognize. Erich raised his eyebrows, for Jindra rarely did portraits. So who are you?

Erich studied the picture, trying to see if he could place the man. Flipping the page, he found several other small sketches of the same man, some in more detail than others. The young man had angular features and didn't look like he was much older than Jindra. He also had rather sad looking eyes and long pale hair, or at least that is what it looked like, judging by how it had been drawn. Erich could tell by the details of his daughter's drawings that the man was obviously someone she knew quite well and he became even more curious.

After glancing at Jindra's sleeping form, Erich looked back down at the portrait. A sweetheart - is that what you are? When the hell did she get to be old enough to have a sweetheart - and why didn't I know anything about it? Closing the tablet, he put it back down on the table and once more raised the brandy decanter to his lips. Looking at the crystal bottle, he was surprised to see that it was empty. Setting it down on the table, he went back to his daughter's bedside.

When did you and Coren grow up? How could I have missed so much of your lives and not even realized it until now? Feeling tears spark in his eyes, Erich hastily brushed his hands over them. Taking Jindra's hand, he held it between both of his. "I'm sorry that I wasn't always here for you and Coren . . . I'm sorry that I missed so much. But I do love you . . . and - and I promise I'll be here for you from now on." Releasing his daughter's hand, Erich bent and kissed her on the forehead. "I promise Love, I'll be here for you . . . from now on."