quietly pushes âyou are my sunshine towards you"
Send me âYou are my sunshineâ for my museâs reaction to yours dying in their arms
You are my sunshine,My only sunshine.You make me happyWhen skies are grey.
â â ~Joanna was apprehensive about the job. Â She could tell without the dark elf even saying a word about it; without even looking to see the tightness in her jaw or the look in her eyes. Â Elena hated to see her like that.
âWe donât have to kill him,â she assured the younger elf, wrapping her arms about Joannaâs shoulders and drawing her close. Â âOur employer didnât say how to get the job done.â
Not entirely incorrect. Â The job was, vaguely, to put a certain mercenary out of commission. Â For the creative-minded individual, there were probably a million different ways to do just that without killing their target. Â Unfortunately, Elenaâs creativity ended at what sort of ways that she could put an end to a manâs life. Â And Joanna knew of the woodland elfâs penchant for slaughter.
Nonetheless, she continued her reassurances.  âJust enjoy the irony of mercenary taking down mercenary, my love.â ~ â â
Youâll never know dearHow much I love you
â â ~Â Wrong. Â It was all wrong.
âJoanna!â  The name flew from her lips in a panic; a frenzy like none sheâd every felt before.  Blood.  There was so much blood. ~ â â
â â ~Â It was Elenaâs fault. Â Sheâd made the mistake. Â Sheâd loosed an arrow from the cover, nailing their target in his shoulder. Â Joanna had taught her a bit of archery, and it had paid off.
Despite Joannaâs whispered pleas not to, she left the cover with a dagger in hand. Â She wanted to watch as the life drained from his eyes. Â And with the choice of following Elena or staying put in the cover, Joanna had followed. Â ~ â â
â â ~Â Elena misjudged. Â The man still had fight in him. Â With the arrow shift embedded deep in his shoulder, he lunged with his sword, piercing it deep into Joannaâs gut. Â There was a scream that drowned out any other sound--Elenaâs scream--and next thing she knew the man was dead and Elena was covered in blood. Â None of it was hers.
She cradled the other in her lap, pressing down as hard as she could, trying desperately to staunch the bleeding to no avail. Â Already Joannaâs breath was faint, eyes dazed as they stared at some point past Elena.
âOh gods. Â Iâm sorry, Iâm so sorry my love.â
Joannaâs lips moved, but no sound made it out.  What was it?  âIt alrightâ?  That would be a lie, as the one person Elena loved more than life lay dying because of her actions.  A last âI love youâ?  Maybe just Elenaâs name?
âWhat? Â What is it?â
But Joanna couldnât respond more than a slow blink, and her eyelids opened so slowly that it was a wonder they opened at all.
âJoanna no, please! Â Stay with me!â Â ~ â â