The two mares are more similar than the kelpie realizes; although, of course it wouldn't occur to her that she is not entirely unique. Her situation is certainly unusual, and as a result she operates under the assumption that no one else here would understand her-- that no one else was lonely to the precise degree she was.
So the two lonely girls meet once more, this time with blood in the air.
And, of course, Alaunus is there too. The heron is beautiful in a way that seems otherworldly. As he comes closer, naturally, her mind follows where the stomach and its curiosity lead. What would the bird taste like, beneath those sleek feathers… Fatty, like duck?
She lowers her longing gaze, silently berating herself. Alanus was a friend of Samaira, and so he was off limits. Of course he was. When he spreads a wing over a shoulder she looks from the corner of her eye, like a guilty puppy. His feathers, iridescent in the pale sunlight, have a holy sort of gleam to them. It strikes her suddenly the extent to which he is beautiful. And then she learns of the gift he brings to the world.
Anandi smiles, hazy, the pain not lifted so much as smeared around, blurred at the edges. “What is he?” Her gaze follows the bird up and away into the canopy. Did it hurt him, to do what he did? For a brief moment she is surprised by her own concern, and then she dismisses her emotions entirely. They often did nothing but weigh her down. And she simply did not have time for that right now.
“Yes, I’m ready.” She glances up, not knowing what to expect further in the hospital. Suddenly feeling foolish for having never been here before. On diplomatic visits she often spoke of the excellence of the Dusk Court Hospital, yet she had never even seen it for herself. Well, now the emissary would have firsthand experience to share. She almost laughs.
It occurs to her then that she’s lost a lot of blood.
“Thank you, Samaira…” She leans into her winged friend, presses her lips to the other mare’s temple. Breathes in deeply, then out in a warm rush. “Thank you.”
@
some say the loving and the devouring are all the same thing
☾
