The Story Continues: Part III

Corwin left to find a room in the village after sharing the evening meal with Susan and Brittany. They played for a bit after he left then Susan tucked Brittany into bed. She fixed herself a cup of tea and sank down into a chair to relax, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. Corwin had given her much to think about. Things that she has pushed away and tried to dismiss. He was right, she was running no matter how much she denied the fact.

She used Brittany's happiness as an excuse, but Brittany would be happy no matter where they were, she was always a happy little girl. Her other children were still in Camelot but Keera and Colby were grown and didn't need her anymore, and Isabel or Crystaline as the old man had called her, she had been ripped away from her. Susan winced as she had the impression that the old man had not found her to be a fit mother, every time she thought of that it was like a knife twisting in her heart, the very insinuation hurt her more than anything ever had in her life. Perhaps that was what Stephan had told him.

She shook herself not wanting to think of that now, that was one pain that would never leave and she vowed someday she would find her daughter. With a sigh she turned herself to the other things he had told her, he had told her that she had strengths she had not explored, she wasn't sure what that meant and made note to ask him when she saw him, at one time she might have considered herself a person of strength but she wasn’t sure she knew how to find it again.

Was he right when he said that in order to truly live again she needed to return to the place where she felt her life, it seemed, had ended? Maybe it was so, maybe it would take that to bring her back to the person she had been. As for his words of knowing love again, that was something that she didn't even know if she wanted it to happen, loving someone only brought sorrow. She had given up on ever finding the kind of love her parents had had together.

Susan struggled with her thoughts most of the night, debating on what she should do, but when Corwin returned the next day he found her bags sitting by the door with her and Brittany dressed for traveling. "So m'lady does this mean what I hope it means?" She smiled at him and simply stated "It's time to go home."