I had been restless all that day. I was not a particularly destructive creature (at least, not intentionally destructive- but I was terribly clumsy, and destruction did follow me) but was in such a mood I felt like smashing something, breaking the tall ceramic vases in the courtyard or stomping cracks into the precious stone walkways. I had tried to channel this into throwing knives, but I could not still myself enough for that.
I had the constant sense of something looming, some wave rising. And every time I thought the suspense had peaked, it only rose higher. By sunset I was pure electricity, nerves stretched tight to the point of tearing.
It was Furfur that broke through my stormy thoughts with a whine that almost broke me. Like glass, shattering in response to a note of the exactly right frequency. And it was Furfur that led me, wordless, to the shore. We ran, towards what exactly we were not sure- but even unknowing, we knew it was urgent. Something had been brewing all day.
I came sliding to a stop in the sand with a gasp when I saw her. At first I just stared, wide-eyed, uncomprehending. There was so much blood on the ground. It couldn’t be my sister’s. She was lying there motionless, but that couldn’t be her blood, it couldn’t- she was untouchable.
And then the calm came, the great calm that seized me in moments of need. I felt my emotions drain away, and stillness took their place.
Without looking away from my sister, I turned my mind to Furfur. “Get me fresh rosinweed. From the prairie- you remember the one, yes? And hot water, from the court.” By that point in my life I had shadowed just about every trade and profession in night court; some for a few hours, others a few days, but nothing had particularly caught my interest. But I was a good student, and although I was not passionate about any of it I retained most of what I learned from each mentor. Moira had been particularly helpful in sharing her knowledge of healing plants, and I had passed on what I learned to Furfur.
(I was always a strange girl, decent at anything I applied myself but never great at anything. My strengths were generic and modest, my weaknesses many and varied. But I must say... I think if anyone could teach a demon-wolf how to heal, it was me.)
My wolf slunk quickly and silently into the night. “Avesta,” I breathed into her cheek. She smelled like salt and blood- but not of death, not of death. “Oh sister, wake up.” Around that time in my life, something had changed in me; I did not do a lot of crying. A year earlier I would have been a sniffling, wet-eyed mess. I was wide-eyed, and a little frantic, but mostly calm. In fact if there was anything that threatened my serenity, it was not fear or sorrow but rage. I pushed it away for now, but I knew in my heart it was something that must eventually be obliged.
No one would ever hurt Avesta and get away with it. I was patient, I could wait a very long time- so long everyone might even think I had forgotten. But I would not forget. I carried things, it was my nature.
And some day, one way or another, I would have my vengeance.
a s p a r a
I had the constant sense of something looming, some wave rising. And every time I thought the suspense had peaked, it only rose higher. By sunset I was pure electricity, nerves stretched tight to the point of tearing.
It was Furfur that broke through my stormy thoughts with a whine that almost broke me. Like glass, shattering in response to a note of the exactly right frequency. And it was Furfur that led me, wordless, to the shore. We ran, towards what exactly we were not sure- but even unknowing, we knew it was urgent. Something had been brewing all day.
I came sliding to a stop in the sand with a gasp when I saw her. At first I just stared, wide-eyed, uncomprehending. There was so much blood on the ground. It couldn’t be my sister’s. She was lying there motionless, but that couldn’t be her blood, it couldn’t- she was untouchable.
And then the calm came, the great calm that seized me in moments of need. I felt my emotions drain away, and stillness took their place.
Without looking away from my sister, I turned my mind to Furfur. “Get me fresh rosinweed. From the prairie- you remember the one, yes? And hot water, from the court.” By that point in my life I had shadowed just about every trade and profession in night court; some for a few hours, others a few days, but nothing had particularly caught my interest. But I was a good student, and although I was not passionate about any of it I retained most of what I learned from each mentor. Moira had been particularly helpful in sharing her knowledge of healing plants, and I had passed on what I learned to Furfur.
(I was always a strange girl, decent at anything I applied myself but never great at anything. My strengths were generic and modest, my weaknesses many and varied. But I must say... I think if anyone could teach a demon-wolf how to heal, it was me.)
My wolf slunk quickly and silently into the night. “Avesta,” I breathed into her cheek. She smelled like salt and blood- but not of death, not of death. “Oh sister, wake up.” Around that time in my life, something had changed in me; I did not do a lot of crying. A year earlier I would have been a sniffling, wet-eyed mess. I was wide-eyed, and a little frantic, but mostly calm. In fact if there was anything that threatened my serenity, it was not fear or sorrow but rage. I pushed it away for now, but I knew in my heart it was something that must eventually be obliged.
No one would ever hurt Avesta and get away with it. I was patient, I could wait a very long time- so long everyone might even think I had forgotten. But I would not forget. I carried things, it was my nature.
And some day, one way or another, I would have my vengeance.
@Avesta <3
