Before long, Shae had run through a large portion of the woodland which came between her home and the plaza, a place she knew all too well, this was where she played for most of her childhood, the other townsfolk didn't allow their children to play with her kind so she would play with the others her brothers or with one other, a boy also from her faction whom she tried everyday to forget, and everyday she failed. The memories filtered back slowly as she regained her breath but she had more pressing matters on her mind...more pressing than the warm, lazy days in the summer years ago, when there were bugs thick in the air, and the grass was crisp and dry, she remembers because all the dust would itch her eyes giving the impression that she had been crying, which she protested against to no end of course. A notch taken from one of the trees reminded her of the times that they would rough house and sword fight together. She looked down to hide a small smile from the world as it broke across her face, then she brought her hands up and the heavy sword along with it. Anybody who left this behind would probably be looking for it and if they were a highborne she would be able to get a handsome amount of money for returning it safely. Shae slumped on the ground before removing her boots, her feet were aching and she'd always preferred to walk around barefoot.
After letting her arms drop with the weight of the blade she got up and continued across the open woodland before encountering the very narrow stream near her house, she giggled to herself and she remembered how they had played there too, the games of pirates, or evil sea-maidens, it was here that she stopped. The water cold across her bare feet, numb while she placed her fingers delicately over her lips, it was here that he had kissed her for the first time, and the last. A flush of anger rose in her core before she swiftly strode out of the water and virtually stormed across the last few yards and up to her front door. It enraged her to think that the one event that meant so much to her meant so little to him,
"It was just a game, just the silly games of a silly child" she was speaking to herself, as she took her sword off and lent it against the wall behind the door of her bedroom.
After standing in the main room of the house with the heavy sword laid carefully across the thick wooden table that had been in the house for so long that she almost believed it had grown out of the wooden floor boards, which had also been a part of their tiny house for as long as she could remember. Shae was waiting, anticipating the arrival of her father or even one of her two brothers who still lived at home, but hours passed and there was no sign of them, impatiently Shae took herself back down to the stream to bathe. As she reached the door she was halted, her mind was telling her that she was forgetting something, but she had already removed all items of clothing apart from a simple white gown. The little reminder soon became a loud command and stubbornly Shae turned her head, there was revealed the culprit, the sword
"So...you wanna come too?" her accent rang out around the empty house before she gave in and picked it up.
It only took moments to reach the knee-deep areas of the water, specifically used for washing oneself in, as she reached the grassy bank which sloped at the perfect angle to relax in she removed the final item of covering she had on, her long red hair cascading down in untamed ringlets. As she sat in the water allowing it to come up to her shoulders by lying down, she lifted her left hand out of the water, playing idly with a plain silver ring she had been given so long ago, a present to say good-bye from a boy who her father decided had become too old for her to play with anymore. That day lingered in her mind for a few seconds before she closed her eyes and opened them to look at the sword. The blade was lying on the grass just next to the water at arms length away and after sitting in the water and dipping her hair in so that it was all wet and the mud was removed from her face she reached for it. Immediately she noticed the leather handle, and noted that she mustn't get that part wet, as she dragged it closer to the waters edge she appreciated the softness of the leather on the grip 'worn'. Shae took her hands and cupped the water before dropping it onto the blade, after repeating this process a few times she could see the pommel which had previously been caked in mud, it was here she saw the ruby like shard, there were only very few swords she knew which had this feature and she liked it very much, spending time washing the areas around it while being totally entranced by the dancing swirls within. Shae then continued to use her dress to clean the rest of the steel, beautifully craften and well looked after she could see where it had been cleaned many times before, 'Perhaps the favourite sword of a fellow highborne' she pondered, but then she made a discovery that sent a chill down her spine, the name of the sword and the revelation of the owner, engraved delicately into the hilt, where she'd left until last
'Soulrend'.
Shae stood up out of the water and pulled her dress over her exposed front before breathing in sharply and exhaling just louder than a whisper
"Rafe".
