LesFic Eclectic Volume Three by Robyn Nyx

Author:Robyn Nyx [Nyx, Robyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Butterworth Books
Published: 2021-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

c. 1456

They said your heart continued to beat from beneath the ashes. I have waited for you to return home for more than twenty-five years now. I prayed that God would help you rise like a phoenix, willed that He would give you back to me.

The more time that has passed, the greater your name has become. You are a heroine, my love. France’s heroine, and now you sit at God’s side. You achieved what no one could have, and you paid the ultimate price. One day, maybe many years from now, the world will know your name. Not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of you. I’m coming home, Jeanne.

The river water chills my ageing toes. The rain over the mountains has been heavy these past weeks. The wind whips through my hair and chaps my skin. You would be too consumed by your creative mind to feel the cold. Is it cold in Heaven?

You know, they have called it the Hundred Years’ War. It is over. You will not be surprised that King Charles VII still reigns. You were right to have fought for him. He stood by you. He declared you innocent of all charges. There were celebrations in the villages for weeks, and the bells rang out a joyful chant. They are chanting now. There is one second between each ring and their echo blends to form a glorious harmony that I’m sure you can hear.

As satisfying as this pronouncement is, it can’t bring you back to me.

It won’t heal the ache that I’ve carried in my heart all these years.

I’m weary from living this life alone, Jeanne. These years were muted without you. I’ve missed the fire in your eyes. Did I tell you that? Have you heard my prayers? Have you missed me too? Is it as spectacular as the Bible tells us? I would have come sooner, but I had to wait. I had to hear the pronouncement of your innocence.

It doesn’t take long before I don’t feel the water at all, though it is up to my thighs and my balance is tested by the currents that dance around my feet. The sun is bright and blinds my eyes. You called to me again last night. Oh, how I have missed your voice, my love. The water is deeper after the rainfall. If I searched, would I find any other treasures in the deeper water beyond the eddies from which you plucked this scythe? It’s heavier than I expected, and I’m tired from carrying it here.

The boulders are hard against my frail feet. The scythe is awkward to manoeuvre as I climb, but my will is strong. I stand atop the large stone and wrestle with my balance for a moment. I drop the object and smile as it sinks into the deepest water. I’m coming home, Jeanne. The deep breath fills my lungs instinctively as I jump. I soften against the water that fills my mouth, and it feels as though I am floating even though the sky has darkened around me.

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