for 10_letters 004. Nightmare
Title: To Ebenezer McCoy, Hog Hollow, Missouri
Rating: R - very strong imagery
Fandom: Dresden Files
Character: Simon Pietrovich
Author's Notes: Written to his second oldest friend.
Dear Old Coot,
I'm writing to you...mostly because I don't know anyone else to talk to about this. I had a nightmare last night and no, it wasn't the usual one of Langtry and the pink boxers as chilling as that one is.
It was about Carolina. And Claudia. Did I tell you I have a daughter old friend? I only found out recently myself. Her name is Claudia, though she goes by Dia normally and she's 27 and Ebenezer, she is such my child - I wonder how I ever survived my early years. Actually I know the answer to that, it was Alexei's doing. [a small tearstain blots the ink next to Alexei's name]
I have a child. She's gorgeous and amazing and very much like me.
But I digress, back to the nightmare. We're in the middle of a war my friend or we very shortly will be. The Red Court not have dared touch Archangel otherwise. It was the first strike of what I fear will be a very long struggle indeed. We don't have the numbers for one outright long push. They win in the numbers game, but we're not without our talents as you very well know. The Senior Council will not draft one of its own members they wouldn't have to in this case. But they will draft anyone else with necessary skills. Carolina...I have taught her everything I know. I fear her wearing the gray. It will be hard enough to know that Justin and little Mads' Braden will be out there. Knowing she would be out there as well, I will not send my wife well she'll be my wife by then if I have anything to say about it and former apprentice out to fight in a war where I cannot be on the frontlines right next to her.
I worry that if she doesn't get drafted, she'll still be anxious to go. She's not one for sitting still long neither am I when there's work to be done. I worry about what's left of my Hunters. We're not particularly good at taking direction from anyone but ourselves. If they are drafted, I worry about their safety and sanity.
I fear desperately for my daughter. Dia is brilliant and is picking up her magic studies very rapidly. For the moment she is safe, being still in training, but after she achieves her stole? I fear that someone will try and recruit her for something she's not equipped for and won't have the knowledge to turn down if it's presented to her in the right way. Carolina is training her as well as I am, but that excuse will only hold for so long.
I saw both of them, Ebenezer, both my Carolina and precious Dia fighting alongside each other in the gray. Clear as daylight, I saw them and as good as they both have gotten having both been able to put me on my back more than once in practice sparring, they were losing. It was a no-win situation. The Red Court had cornered them and kept funneling fresh vampires in to fight and I saw them getting more and more exhausted. Making more and more costly mistakes.
Dia went first. [ink smears here] They didn't kill her. They beat her badly, but she wasn't dead. I didn't understand why until later.
It took 14 vampires to subdue Carolina in the end. They then tossed both of them into a room. They'd turned my baby girl, Eb. They'd turned Dia and given a broken and bleeding Carolina to her for her first meal.
It was at that point that I woke up. Screaming I believe, if the raspiness of my voice was any indication. Not that anyone here would blame me
I couldn't find the words to explain it to any of them. I just couldn't. But it burns inside of me and so I figured I would send you a letter. You're now the oldest friend I have living. If I couldn't tell you, then there's not a person in the solar system I could tell.
Enjoy the whiskey - that's still your favorite brand, da? If not, let me know and i'll hunt it up.
Dasvidania,
Simon
Rating: R - very strong imagery
Fandom: Dresden Files
Character: Simon Pietrovich
Author's Notes: Written to his second oldest friend.
Dear Old Coot,
I'm writing to you...mostly because I don't know anyone else to talk to about this. I had a nightmare last night and no, it wasn't the usual one of Langtry and the pink boxers as chilling as that one is.
It was about Carolina. And Claudia. Did I tell you I have a daughter old friend? I only found out recently myself. Her name is Claudia, though she goes by Dia normally and she's 27 and Ebenezer, she is such my child - I wonder how I ever survived my early years. Actually I know the answer to that, it was Alexei's doing. [a small tearstain blots the ink next to Alexei's name]
I have a child. She's gorgeous and amazing and very much like me.
But I digress, back to the nightmare. We're in the middle of a war my friend or we very shortly will be. The Red Court not have dared touch Archangel otherwise. It was the first strike of what I fear will be a very long struggle indeed. We don't have the numbers for one outright long push. They win in the numbers game, but we're not without our talents as you very well know. The Senior Council will not draft one of its own members they wouldn't have to in this case. But they will draft anyone else with necessary skills. Carolina...I have taught her everything I know. I fear her wearing the gray. It will be hard enough to know that Justin and little Mads' Braden will be out there. Knowing she would be out there as well, I will not send my wife well she'll be my wife by then if I have anything to say about it and former apprentice out to fight in a war where I cannot be on the frontlines right next to her.
I worry that if she doesn't get drafted, she'll still be anxious to go. She's not one for sitting still long neither am I when there's work to be done. I worry about what's left of my Hunters. We're not particularly good at taking direction from anyone but ourselves. If they are drafted, I worry about their safety and sanity.
I fear desperately for my daughter. Dia is brilliant and is picking up her magic studies very rapidly. For the moment she is safe, being still in training, but after she achieves her stole? I fear that someone will try and recruit her for something she's not equipped for and won't have the knowledge to turn down if it's presented to her in the right way. Carolina is training her as well as I am, but that excuse will only hold for so long.
I saw both of them, Ebenezer, both my Carolina and precious Dia fighting alongside each other in the gray. Clear as daylight, I saw them and as good as they both have gotten having both been able to put me on my back more than once in practice sparring, they were losing. It was a no-win situation. The Red Court had cornered them and kept funneling fresh vampires in to fight and I saw them getting more and more exhausted. Making more and more costly mistakes.
Dia went first. [ink smears here] They didn't kill her. They beat her badly, but she wasn't dead. I didn't understand why until later.
It took 14 vampires to subdue Carolina in the end. They then tossed both of them into a room. They'd turned my baby girl, Eb. They'd turned Dia and given a broken and bleeding Carolina to her for her first meal.
It was at that point that I woke up. Screaming I believe, if the raspiness of my voice was any indication. Not that anyone here would blame me
I couldn't find the words to explain it to any of them. I just couldn't. But it burns inside of me and so I figured I would send you a letter. You're now the oldest friend I have living. If I couldn't tell you, then there's not a person in the solar system I could tell.
Enjoy the whiskey - that's still your favorite brand, da? If not, let me know and i'll hunt it up.
Dasvidania,
Simon