Sanria walked slowly from the kitchen, holding Orn to her chest. The baby boy squirmed surprisingly little, as though he knew something major had happened. He contented himself in listening to his mother's heartbeat as she carried him upstairs. Sanria sat down in the rocking chair in Orn's room. While the motion put the full-bellied baby to sleep, it lulled Sanria's mind back to all the events that had transpired. Once again her tears wetted Orn's hair. Tears for everything.
She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, soaking Orn's head as she rocked slowly back and forth, over and over. It just came as a surprise when Throm's voice entered her thoughts, "I seem to have acquired some of your property at my home." The necklace?
"Proper...Colin."
Sanria got up and put a spell over Orn to keep him sleeping for a much longer period of time. She wove her spell and ended up in Throm's living room. The couch lay shattered on the floor, beside Colin who also lay on the floor out cold. Above it all stood the smoky projection of Throm. "Hell... I didn't know he was coming. I'm sorry."
"I'm not worried about that. I'm just going to have one hell of a time trying to carry him to his room is all."
"I'll transport him back to the cavern. He's none of your concern, anyhow."
"Are you certain that's the safest idea?" Throm asked.
"I don't believe he'd hurt me or Orn."
"Neither do I to be frank. But he seems pretty worked up."
"Well, it was bound to happen whether he slept with that girl or not," Sanria said with surprisingly little emotion.
She knew that it would have eventually happened. No one can stay in a loveless relationship and even the most faithful in those circumstances could falter. Sanria sat down beside Colin and moved some of his disheveled hair from his face. "He doesn't see just how much that girl loves him and how she could give him so much more than I can." Sanria stood again.
"Between a rock and a hard place it seems. Though you're not blaming him I would hope. Things have been just as...confusing for him I suppose."
"I cannot change what he did, but it is not solely my reason for leaving." San- ria paused. She looked at Throm, her eyes narrowed. "Why am I telling you all this, you don't care."
"You're right," Throm said, motioning to the room. "He just crashed in here, nearly killed Kaliadra and I'm not the least bit curious."
If he was curious, then Sanria would let him have it. What did *she* care?
"You're curious?" Sanria began. "I didn't love him, I couldn't. I tried and I couldn't. Still he kept with me and couldn't see how unhappy I was. And I wouldn't let myself... leave."
"Blind rage, blind love. Perhaps I shall craft a set of glasses?" Throm said.
Sanria let out a sigh and put a hand to her eyes, pressing on them. The pain somehow brought her back to the present. "Oh Throm, please..." With a sigh she dropped her hand and looked plainly at the projection before her. "He finally slept with Arlenia. Got her pregnant, and it's now... the end of Colin and I. I told him what Kaliadra did and..."
"Perhaps you two just need a cool down?"
"No. This is it, Throm," Sanria looked down at Colin, speaking softly. "I stayed in the marriage but I can't do it any longer."
"I guess you'll have to become that cat lady after all," Throm said with a small smile, and the memory of a long gone conversation drifted back into Sanria's mind - she would be the cat lady, Throm would be the cat...
"He wasn't the one I loved..." She stared at the projection for a long moment. Things had changed so much. Before her heart had the chance to react, she looked down to Colin. "Anyway."
"I'm sorry to hear about your child. Again and so soon. Not fair," Throm said.
"... yes. Things happen for a reason, however. In this instance..." Sanria couldn't finish the sentiment. How could she have relief with the fact that she wasn't carrying Colin's child anymore? Shame washed over her for a moment.
"Even the terrible things I suppose," Throm said.
"I'll get him back to the cavern. I'm sorry he broke your couch. I'll get you a new one. And new doors... apparently."
Throm offered to keep Colin at the manor, an idea Sanria felt was foolish. Were Colin to wake up in Throm's home, who was to say what he'd do. She would take him home. "I don't believe this is your problem," Sanria said. Then, a thought occured to her. "Why did you bring me back to this? Remus told me you hired him to bring me... not the necklace." She watched Throm as he uncharacteristically looked about his room, as though thinking.
"If life were as easy as running from your problems, we'd all be the happier for it."
"To teach me a lesson?" Incomprehensible.
"No. I will be teaching no more lessons," Throm said.
"The truth is simply..." Throm paused. "You were taken against your will...I protested in the only way I knew how."
"I just wish Remus would have listened to me." Sanria said it more as a commentary, not expecting any answer. Certainly not expecting:
"And that is why I sent him and not someone else. Someone who would have listened might have faltered in their task."
Sanria didn't know what to think. Why would he want someone not to listen to her? "I didn't want to come back here, Throm. And...," Sanria paused to look down at Colin. "Had I not he might still be okay. Better him think me lost than..."
"I somehow doubt that greatly."
"All I have right now is Orn. I told Remus I'd stay here two weeks so he wouldn't kill Colin." Sanria looked to Throm. "At the end of that time, I'll be contacting those two priests you sent. I think Orn and I might be happier where I was when I was found."
"If you were meant to reside away from the Prime Material, you would have been created there," Throm said with a matter-of-fact tone. It stopped her for a moment - certainly he wasn't telling her no. Why did it matter to him what she did?
"I don't believe it should concern you... outside of you making available my ability to go back if I choose. I was promised that choice," she finally said.
"You are right it's not. And you shall have the choice, I'll see to it myself if need be."
"Thank you."
With another apology for Colin's distruction, Sanria took her leave. She thought briefly for a moment of her cat lady status - she would need a cat... then shook her head. That was a long time ago. Beside that, if she were returning to Velentham with Orn, she wouldn't be alone ever again.
