Shattered

As she lay there the door swept open and the crumpled fae nearly tumbled within. Thankfully, her giant brother scooped her up and took her inside, settling her by the fire where he immediately curled around her. She felt guilty and horrible and all of the things that her mother hinted about her. She had woken him in the middle of the night for her own well being, putting herself before the needs and care of the pack yet again. It was wrong of her and yet she couldn't help herself. Not this time. Not after what she'd seen.

Artorias gently questioned her, as loving and patient with her as always. She still fought to breathe, but being there beside him was really helping. Though she still gulped in air every once in a while, she was slowly beginning to calm. When Briar drew near and offered to go get Gwyn, however, the small woman's eyes went wide again. One dark paw shot out, grabbing Briar's paw in her own. "No! No, don't wake Gwyn." She was more than fine with Briar staying here. This was the room that she share with Artorias, after all. "Just stay," she sniffled and gasped as she recovered from her sobbing.

Tears still filled emerald eyes and her cheeks were soaked, but she shifted to meet the gold tinged eyes of Artorias. "I saw mom," her throat closed tight and 'mom' came out as more of a squeak than a word. "We were in the mountains. There was a winter lake." The small woman inhaled deeply, her ribcage expanding greatly as she tried to regain composure. "She's disappointed in me, in what I've become." And who wouldn't be? Bowen couldn't control her emotions on the best of days, but the worst of days... They were really, really bad.

Bowen blinked again, eyes wide as though she'd just realized where she was. Her gaze looked back and forth from Briar to Artorias. "I'm sorry," she spoke softly. "I should be able to handle these things myself. It was just so... real." She could still smell the chill of winter, the sweet smell of decaying leaves, the scent of her mother's cold fur. Reaching up with one paw, Bowen wiped away tears roughly from one copper marked cheek. "I think she wants me to go." There was sadness in the fae's eyes as she looked back and forth between the pair with her. "I think... I think I should go." Her heart ached as though it was being twisted into knots. She had been thoroughly chastised by the ghost of her mother and beneath all of the pain and guilt, she knew that the woman's words were true. She couldn't continue being such a burden on Artorias. Not when he had so many others to worry about.

"Bowen"