The lake. Beneath the waves the warrior stood. Weeds held her into place as her eyes lay closed, her thoughts empty. It was here that the warrior found solitude. Her magic made her gills, allowing her to stay beneath the surface for eternity if she so wished. It was relaxing and seemed to calm the raging storm within her. So many things swirling within her brain. So many things left unsaid. But here, it all seemed to float away, leaving her in nothing but a peaceful state.
But as the hours ticked by, Katniss knew that she could not stay among the fish forever. At some point she would have to touch base with reality, to feel the things she didn’t want to feel, to see the people that only made her heart ache. And with a heavy sigh, the mare began to walk towards land, the weeds slowly letting go of the mare. They watched her fade away as she moved from the center of the mountain lake towards the beach.
And as her head came above water, Katniss felt her magic slip away. Lungs and trachea replaced gills. Her body felt heavy as she ascended on the beach. As the waves lapped against her fetlocks, Katniss could see the figure of a familiar face not too far away. Aspara, the unicorn that she had watched grow since she was a foal. Briefly Katniss wondered if she missed her mother as much as Katniss did. The girls had seemed so independent, even so young, so Katniss wondered.
With slow and steady steps, she carried herself towards the young filly, flicking the water off her hide as she went. The last thing she really wanted or needed was to look like a drowned rat. Perhaps Aspara knew her love for the lake. Perhaps not.
When she was finally close enough to the filly, Katniss offered her a soft smile. A smile was hard to come by these days and Katniss rarely wore one. There was so little to be happy about these days. But Katniss was trying, she was trying to look on the bright side, trying to be a more happier version of herself. If not for herself than for Kibou. “Good morning, Aspara.” Briefly she wondered if Isra had told her of Katniss’ promise to protect her, to look after her as a mother and as a friend. She wondered if the child knew of her friendship with Isra and the depth it held. She had to admit, she wasn’t sure who knew or who cared. Life in Denocte was carrying on, even if Katniss felt as though the world had stopped spinning.
@Aspara
