Tremain: A year of Mourning

[Martha Silverback]

Martha Silverback stood in a long hallway wearing all black with her three grandchildren close by. In front of her was a large portrait of her late son who had died one year ago on this date. No tears left Martha's eyes as she looked at the portrait thinking hard, it was not easy being a Silverback Widow there were many taboos that came with it as Laurel Silverback had told her when her father in law had passed on. The same Taboos had been told to Maeve after Luxen had died. It was a sad fate that Maeve should loose her husband so early in life however she had married into the Silverback family and would have to follow the traditions that followed. The two most difficult jobs for a Silverback widow referred to the proper mourning, A Silverback widow may only mourn the loss of their spouse visibly for up to one year and no longer, the black candles that floated in front of the portrait with the man in the white suit would never again happen as this tradition was going to be followed.

Martha turned towards the children with red eyes and smiled slightly, "your father was a brave and powerful man" Martha said stiffly though with a sweet undertone. "It's a shame you'll never know him" she added as a cruel afterthought. The second tradition was perhaps the most difficult to follow especially for a young widow however was a tradition that no Silverback widow had ever broken. Female Widows in the Silverback family were never allowed to be with another man, they could not date and they could not remarried. It was a sacrifice they would make in order to honor their late husbands, Male Silverback Widows could only do so if an heir had not yet been born or should pass away before the Widow's death. It was perhaps because of these traditions that Martha Silverback had been nicer to Maeve after Luxen's death, however should the woman break the second taboo Martha would have no choice but to take the children away from her and remove her from the Silverback line. Luckily, Martha believed in Maeve, something that felt very odd. She saw some of herself in the woman as new to the family as Martha had once been.

 

[Maeve Silverback]

Maeve walked towards the shrine like area looking up at the portrait of her husband as she did so. She still thought of him as this, not her ex, not her deceased husband never in the past tense and she knew today would be harder on her for this reason. Martha had explained the traditions of being a widow in her family and as much as the second tradition had been in her mind and heart an easy one to keep, not being allowed to mourn her husband seemed all the more sad and definitely hardest one to do.

Of course she knew she could always go to her room to cry but her children always came to her and she tried so hard not to cry for them. Had tried maddeningly now for a year to be strong and brave without Luxen in her life but it was not easy. She knew for a fact that if Martha had not been there, she would simply have fallen apart. Her heart constricted painfully now as she smiled with saddened eyes up at the face of Luxen. Her magic-school sweetheart and the great love of her life. Gently she touched her fingers to her lips as her eyes filled with tears. In her heart she would hold him close every day, in her soul he would be hers always. Her body would know no other, she was his eternally. The rest of her life would be making sure their children grew up properly and would know what a great and wonderful man he had been.

Refusing to allow the tears to fall, she looked down at the children Maya and Micah were already so tall for their age. Crawling about the floors at great speeds. They would be one tomorrow. Born the day after their father had died.
"They will know of him though" she looked to her mother-in-law feeling a bond with the woman that she had never felt when Luxen had been alive. Luthor was so like him, she glanced at him now as she bent to pick up Micah who had begun to whimper slightly.

 

[Luthor Silverback]

Luthor stood next to his grandmother watching and listening. Luthor was unlike most children his age and had some awareness over that, most children cried alot or ran yelling wanting to show everyone the new trick they learn. Luthor did none of these things, it was perhaps due to Sigourney; the Silver Snake he'd had his entire life, that he didn't need to talk that much. Sigourney knew anything he was going to say just by the expression on his face and would immediately respond. It was perhaps odd that a tiny silver machine would know more about the small child then even his own flesh and blood. Luxen looked at the portrait and then over at his brother Micah and pursed his lips. Sigourney had noticed and quickly moved her head from his shoulder and close to his ears whispering so that nobody else would be able to hear. "The only Law in Life, is Death" Sigourney whispered to the small child, "all things live and all things die, your father was indeed brave and powerful but it didn't keep him from dying" Sigourney said with a slight malevolence as though trying to make a point.

"It will be your job to protect your family now Luthor and should your die doing so then you must be willing to make that sacrifice" Sigourney whispered to Luthor who did not quite understand. He'd been taught many things by the Silver Snake and had better understanding then most children however he was still only a four year old child and did not understand many things that the snake told him. He would never admit that however because it would mean disappointing Sigourney something he understood as the worse fate in the world, it had been a natural instinct that had risen itself in Luthor something that he didn't understand nor could describe but did. Luthor would try to understand as he looked back up at the man in the white suit, his legs were tired and he wished to be picked up and held something that happened less and less these days as he turned back towards his mother and brother. He would not cry but instead turn back at the picture and watch.