[Katherine Hawke]

"The wind that stirs
their shallow graves
carries their song
across the waves."

Within the Warden's Rest Inn, Katherine Hawke sat alone by the fire, a lute in her arms. As she plucked the strings of her instrument, her voice wafted softly across the room, filling the quiet tavern with it's sound. The girl payed no heed to those around her, indeed, it seemed as if her mind was lost in thought, the music she played less a conscious act than something done by instinct. A reflex to the thoughts in her head. She had found long ago that music had a near hypnotic effect on her, an effect which allowed her to see everything clearly in front of her. "Mother, no!" Tears ran freely down her cheeks, mixing with the blood which covered her face. Her brother and father were gone. Dead. Her sister lay face down in a pool of blood. Her mother was the only one left... why did she have to die too? "NO!"

"Heed our words,
hear our cry.
The Grey are sworn.
In peace we lie."

The memories from the day she lost her family were at the forefront of her mind once again this night. It had been over a year ago, and yet the feelings had not faded. As much as she tried to push away the pain, the guilt, the fear and the hate, Katherine couldn't get it out of her mind. She had seen her entire family, everyone that she had ever loved, killed in front of her. The home she had always known had been taken in one night by those not fit to rule it. How could she get it out? Out of all that she felt, it was the guilt that stayed at the top, staring her straight in the soul. She had been there too, and yet she had lived. Why? What had made her so special, that those who had lived lives so much more worthy had had their lives cast aside like trash? If time heals all wounds, why hasn't it healed mine?

"Heed our words,
hear our cry.
Our names recalled.
We cannot die."

She knew it was selfish, thinking as she did. Feeling so horrible for herself, when there were those who had it the same. There were those out there who had it even worse. Who was she to feel depressed for that which had happened to her? There were thousands of people out there who had gone through things such as she, and they did not spend their time moping. They did not spend their time crying in their sleep, begging for the gods to end everything. Who was she to feel sorry for herself, when so many had not made it as far as she? In Faylinn alone, there had been untold numbers of girls just like her who had been kidnapped, taken never to be seen again. It didn't take a genius to know they had met fates most vile. She was alive. Shouldn't she be grateful? Why couldn't she just be grateful?

Why couldn't she just be happy?

"When darkness comes
and swallows light,
heed our words
and we shall rise."

By the gods, she had tried! For months, she had tried desperately to raise her hopes, to bring back the girl she used to be. The sweet, innocent little girl, her father's angel, her mother's flower. But she couldn't fix the cracks that had formed, no matter what she did. She couldn't rid her memory of the things she had seen, the horrors she had been forced to witness. There was nothing she could do to fix herself. It was selfish, it was greedy, it was stupid and fickle and weak. But it was something she couldn't stop. She couldn't, no matter what she did to make herself do so.

"We all shall rise."

As the last words drifted from her lips, Katherine's thoughts began to fade back into reality. The sound of quiet clapping replaced the notes of her lute, making the girl open her eyes and look around. Several of the inn patrons had settled around her to listen to her song, something which caused Katherine to blush slightly. She had not realized that she had drawn a crowd, though she realized she should have anticipated such a thing. Though she considered her skills at the lute to be decent, and nothing special, her voice was another matter. Singing was the one thing she felt she was truly good at, and for the most part, others seemed to agree. If nothing else, they liked her enough to pay her for it.

A few off the patrons approached her, and laid coins on the table at Katherine's side. She smiled at them, and gave a small nod of thanks to each one as they came. Waving one of the inn's bar maids over to her, Katherine payed for a mug of ale with some of the coin, before sliding the rest of it into a small pouch and fixing it to her belt. The girl took a small swig from the mug, savoring the burn of the alcohol going down her throat, before placing the mug back on the table and reaching for her lute once more.

As she began to pluck the strings once more, Katherine began to feel herself slowly slip back into her thoughts. This time, she didn't sing a word, letting the notes themselves guide her into her trance.

When darkness comes
and swallows light,
heed our words
and we shall rise.