The day was a perfect reflection of Xara's emotions. She had awoken this morning to a pewter gray sky, and clouds loom ahead, neither rain nor thunder clouds. But it sits against the monochromatic background of the funeral grounds. The field is a dark, rich brown, carpeted by sparse patches of grass. This deep into the wintertime, grass has a weak foothold. The wind is a familiar caress, and with a little flicker of her finger, it weaves its way through the gaps between her fingers.

She can't muster a smile.

Her dress, dark as her hair, is simple enough. A shift, almost, with a line of pearls along the neckline. Her hair hangs down in a sheet, significantly longer than when she'd begun at Ruxnorth Academy. Her hair had always grown unnaturally fast, and she hadn't had the time to get it trimmed. It brushes her elbows.

The wind twines its way through her hair, around her neck, and wrapping around her neck. Leonah purrs softly, butting her head against Xara's shoulder. Absently, she rubs the griffin's wings, scratching at Leonah's favorite spot.

When winter break had started, she hadn't felt glee, or joy, or euphoria like her classmates and peers. As her grandmother's funeral day had grown closer, all she'd felt had been a gaping pit of dread, swallowing every last hint of happiness into her depths. She could tell her family had been worried about her. She'd tried to be happy for them, not wanting them to have to worry about her while grieving for Alisud. But she couldn't bring herself to feel anything but regret, and guilt, and an all-consuming sadness.

While her mother had wept, openly releasing her sadness, her father and her brothers had hidden it, bottling it deep inside. Cass tries his hardest to keep up the pretense that he's alright, but his eyes betray everything. They always have. Bren is taking it the hardest. Being the oldest son, his ties to their grandmother had been the strongest. He'd always gone to Alisud for counsel, and they had liked to share their afternoon tea together.

But having all of that gone, in an instant? Xara couldn't possibly imagine how he must be feeling. Unlike her friends and family, she hadn't tried to talk to him about his feelings, about his loss. The two of them sit together daily, watching the winter day pass by. Their shared silence is enough.

Dimly, at the back of her mind, Xara wonders when she'd grown up so much.

Facing a sadistic Founder and losing your grandmother all in one fell swoop will do that, I suppose, the voice is her head ponders in bemusement. Lately, the thoughts in her head are all that keep her company. In Ruxnorth, once a loved one dies, a family will close itself off from the outside world, consorting only with close friends and relatives. It's seen as a sign of respect to the one you've lost. So Xara hadn't gotten to see her friends at the Academy, or anyone she could talk to about the Warlord. Headmistress Casktalon had sent her a letter, explaining her sorrow about Alisud, and requesting a meeting as soon as possible to discuss what had transpired in the safe.

Everytime the safe is brought up, or even mentioned in her head, a small piece of her heart chips away. Every night, she's revisited by the memory of the small, rough knife finding her grandmother's chest.

She hasn't allowed herself to even think about what had happened in the safe. Where the Warlord may have escaped to, where the Elixir had floated off to. She didn't have the willpower or even the desire.

When I go back to school for the next semester, I'm going to focus only on my studies, Xara vows. She'd wanted to be adventurous and look where that had brought her.

The procession moves forward, a shuffling line composed of people that are either sad at her grandmother's death or of people who wonder why they're even attending this funeral. A weeping willow tree overlooking the funeral grounds catches her eye. Xara taps on her mother's shoulder. Already, the kohl she had lined her eyes with had started to run.

"Can I go sit in the tree?"

Her mother nods. "Please be careful." Xara could hear the unspoken words. I don't want anything to happen to you too.

Xara breaks from the line of morose guests, gulping in the crisp winter air. It's like a shock to her brain, and clears her mind a little as she jumps up lightly and grasps the tree branch. It bends slightly under her weight. She inches her way closer to the trunk of the tree and digs the top of her foot into the niches of the trunk. She then shimmies up the tree with practiced ease, perching on one of the thicker branches. Leonah squawks, watching Xara with curious eyes.

From this height, Xara can see the entire funeral party. A surprising amount of people had shown up, Xara's friends included. The telltale silver hair of the Bestels can be seen at a distance, and the Pellefard twins run around, blissfully unaware of why they're here.

Xara swings her feet lightly, just listening to the sound of the willow leaves rustling and sighing. The canopy of leaves has an earthy scent.

Suddenly, a rustling and a thump breaks Xara out of her reverie. She wobbles on the branch.

"Who's there?" she calls out warily.

A pair of molten eyes shine back at her. Caedric doesn't have his trademark smirk on his face, and it's the most grave she's ever seen him.

"I saw you run up here."

Xara resettles herself on the branch, scooting over lightly so Caedric can take a seat beside her. He straddles the branch, leaning against the trunk. He clasps his hands over his stomach. Xara glances at him from the corner of her eye. His curls have been coiffed and slicked back, and the wind makes his tunic flutter.

"I'm sorry." He says simply.

Xara stares out into the distance.

"If you're going to keep me company, no condolences, please."

He lets loose a small laugh. "Noted."

Her nails dig into the flaking wood. "I'm surprised your family came."

"Vieva refused to miss it. And it would look bad for Uncle Jonan's image if he missed it to." His mouth curls in the corner. "People are calling your grandmother a hero."

"She is," says Xara faintly.

Caedric adjusts himself. "Actually, I didn't come here to sit." He pauses. "Well, not mostly." He takes something out of his pocket. "This is for you."

It's an envelope. Xara accepts it from him, flipping it over so she can see the seal. There is none- it's just a little bit of resin keeping it shut.

"Who's this from?"

Caedric shrugs. "Aunt Eissa asked me to give it to you."

Her head shoots up. "Vieva's mother?"

He nods. "I'll let you read it in peace." He scooches a little closer. "I really am sorry, though."

She tilts her head, letting her hair fall forward. She still hasn't devised a response. Usually, silence is effective. But Xara finds herself wanting to open up to Caedric.

"When I wake up in the mornings, I'll just lay in my bed and try to find the strength to get up and face the day." She laughs humorlessly. "Today was the hardest."

"It might've been, but you did it anyway." He stands, dusting his clothes. "I know we haven't talked much, Xara Roffinnes, but you may be the strongest person I know. You're a Storm, for Founder's sake. You called a griffin as your familiar. You faced the Warlord and won. Examples of how I'm right are endless." He angles his head, watching her with those stunning Bestel eyes. "Come find me if you want to hear more."

With that, he salutes his goodbye and makes his way back.

Xara doesn't know how long she sits on that branch in shock, but when she stands to find her family again, her bottom and the backs of her thighs are numb and stiff. She fingers the letter at the end of the branch. She hasn't met Eissa Bestel yet but if Vieva's any indication, she must be formidable.

Xara inhales deeply, turns over the letter and tears off the resin.

She takes out the parchment and immediately, her eyes swell with tears at the familiar handwriting.

Dear granddaughter.

I have much to tell you. 

>>AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I still can't believe I made it. I'm at the end of the Elixir. honestly, this has been a journey for me. This was the first novel that I really invested in, and now it's done. I started the Elixir maybe middle of last year, and now I'm writing the closing. 

I just wanted to thank every person who liked, read, and voted on any part of the Elixir. It means so much to me to see that you liked my book. truly, it brightened my day. I will be back with book two, after the finishing of my summer project. Deathdancer is really in progress now, and I'll be publishing the COMPLETED version on my page around labor day.  

again, thanks to all the support! 

peace&love,

raniaditi