YOU DROVE ME THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS
YOU DROVE ME LIKE A MAGNET, TO THE SEA.As a mortal being, to live this long is a feat in itself. She had far surpassed her thirties, forties, and was closely approaching age sixty by the help of her mother (or the cruel tricks of her mother?) when she was forced to carry a child. She had found Infection, a once sparring partner - for the record, she won - in the meadow and although they never loved one another they shared stories of old. She felt comfortable. Pregnancy was nothing she expected nor wanted, those advances weren't welcomed but a frail, old body cannot fight them off.
Oliphander has carried this child longer than she should, months even and her abdomen is rock hard. She assumes a stillborn but her body has not forced it out. It doesn't worry her, she knows that the world has its way - regardless of her wishes. The dapple gray has seem some things in her time. War. Love. Peace. A sense of belonging - she broke the curse; she had love, real love. This makes her think of Bond, her last time to see him at the Beach and suddenly, the salty taste in her mouth from her old eyes drives her there. The ocean is calming, the waves are slow, gentle. A small welcoming gesture to an old friend, a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup on a frigid day. Her face is gaunt, her knees are calloused and simply skin - a warrior's body is not a pretty sight after their prime. Her forelock has remnants of a birds nest from the spring past. Her body has become as much of the land, already, for other creatures. She is still spirited, stubborn even, at heart but with a body as useful as a bird without legs or wings she stands. Labor has slowly started, she can feel pressure to push but when she does it is not the normal direction. She lies close to the waves, hoping that when the child is born it will wash into the sea as peacefully as possible. Her breathing becomes labored and suddenly, a new pain sets in - a hoarse cry is given. She can feel the fatty tissue (what little she has) being ripped through. She reaches to touch the place on her belly, she doesn't understand but her thin skin is stretching with each moment. The subcutaneous layer is gone, her heart races faster she's in agony - the adrenaline and pain shooting her blood pressure sky high. And within a few seconds, the child's hooves tear through the dermis and epidermis. The assorted gray hairs part and there are no hooves at all; talons. Her eyes grow wide with fear, agony, misery. She has no healer, her mother she could call on but she does not want to be alive in this world with a child like this.
It falls from her now open abdomen, a bloody rib showing and slowly her innards shift. "Siloam. Siloam. Siloam. Let go. Siloam. Siloam," she chants to herself, shock taking over her body the waves lapping at her back calming her. She sees a vision of Bond, he is calling her home - he is asking her to stop being so stubborn, to quit fighting, to be with him, to leave the Jungle, to be a family - to allow yourself to be loved. Really loved.
And this time, she will finally listen.
HERE LIES OLIPHANDER,
Her heart was shared by two beings - Bond and the Jungle.
She lives on in Aubrine, Acoustica, Ilycia, Faulkner, and Siloam.
The warrior Queen is finally at rest with Bond, where she belongs.
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THE GOODBYES:
To my Mother, Prague - thank you for showing me the sisterhood.
To Infection - I hope that our child is less of a monster than you are. I still kicked your ass.
To my children - I have seen none of you in years but I hope that you are fairing well, I loved you - even though I never told any of you I hope you knew that.
To Nativity - Thank you for being my right hand lady, thank you for forgiving me when I wronged you, thank you for showing me there are real friends in this world.
To Amazons of my Era - Please know that my years with you were the best years of my life, I would have died fighting beside any of you because you chose to live beside me. I love you, all of you - past and present.
To Bond - I am ready, I have waited a long time and now we can be eternally together. You are my heart.
To anyone I missed, Oliphander was probably too busy eating Lasagna to remember right now but I'm sure she adored you too.-
This has been a long time coming, I planned on this happening about two real life years ago but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Oliphander was a very special character to me, she was a lot like me at the time when I played her and I cannot thank her enough for being a channel for me to express myself. I will miss her deeply. <3
