Little Legs In A Big Castle part 9 Sad Ending

Lalna held Jess close to his chest and gently rocked back and forth seeming to forget about his bleeding wounds.
“I’m…soo…sorry…lass…I…said… I’d…protected you,” Lalna’s tears turned into gasping sobs.  Lomadia walked over to Lalna and places her hands on his shoulders.
“Come on Lalna, let her go so I can heal you,” Lomadia said softly.  Lalna shrugged her off and continued to rock and mutter.  “Lalna please.”
“No…nobody will take her away again,” Lalna shouted and looked at Jess’s pale face, and push some of her hair out of her face.  Lomadia looked up to Honeydew for help and he left Xephos’ side to kneel in front of Lalna.  Honeydew reached out to take Jess, but Lalna pulled back and held Jess tighter.
“Lalna…let me take her,” Honeydew spoke in a soft, but commanding tone.  Lalna looked up at Honeydew with bloodshot eyes and saw the tears running down the dwarf’s beard.  Lalna dropped his head and loosened his grip enough for Honeydew to take her.  Lalna turned and weakly buried his head in Lomadia shoulder and she singled for Zoey to help her with Lalna’s wounds.
“Blast you Israphel,” Xephos said tearfully while he watched Honeydew place Jess on the edge of the platform.  He looked over to where Lalna lay while Lomadia and Zoey worked on his wounds.    He turned to see Honeydew slide down beside him and burry his head against Xephos’ shoulder.  “He had to be stopped, but...why…did the price…have to be…so high.”
--Epilogue, Month later.
Lalna looked into his backpack and double check that everything he needed was there.  Satisfied that he was ready, he walked to the front of his very lonely castle and nailed a letter onto the door.  He sighed and dropped the hammer in front of the door.  A single tear ran down his check as he looked over at what was once his home, but now it was a reminder of painful memories. He looked at the letter once more and thought about what he had written.
‘Dear Xephos and Honeydew, I’m leaving. I can’t stay any longer. The memories are too much to take anymore and my castle is an empty shell without her.  Don’t worry I’ll be fine.  I love you all and will miss you very much but I simply can’t stay.  Tell Rythian I don’t hate him and that I’m sorry for everything, Sips and Sjin to stay out of trouble and tell Lomadia that she’s the best sister ever and I will miss her dearly.  Goodbye to you all.  P.S. I might come back sometime, but you never know.—love Lalna.’
Lalna did not bother to hide his tears and simple flew away across the ocean.  Never to be seen again.