The Sound of Silence

Just being reassured by Bowen made her feel better, even if she felt like she didn't deserve it. Or maybe she did. She knew her family was here for her, she knew she'd work over the emotional trauma as time went on. It was just hard to really see herself in the right place this early in her return. She just wanted to blend in, hide her emotions, keep it all to herself. Not burden her family. She knew she'd have to open up eventually. They understood and would have without any explanation, but she knew at some point it would come out.

She leaned into her sister as she did and looked down to where she grasped around her foreleg placing her own paw gently on top, "Thank you Bowen." It was easy for her to accept the subtle affections from her sister. She paused just a moment as Bowen continued, not knowing the history that was held behind her either. "I'm glad we feel the same, and that you can understand."

Her gaze rose back up past the castle plains and out to the waves of the ocean, quiet but still sound as near silent as the castle was. Just the sound of them breathing for that moment. "I held onto all of those silly little memories of the falls and when we first moved here and how new and exciting everything was." She smiled for just that few seconds, but it faded just a bit as she was caught up in her thoughts. "I'd look up at the skies at night and imagine that any of you were on the other side thinking of me too." She didn't know if it was true and no one had to say it was or lie to say so. But it was what kept her holding on and what eventually led her to escaping. Because she never gave up on the ones she loved, she knew she had to make it back here some day. "The woman, she was uh... not much different actually." Different than the men that was. She glanced over at Bowen just for a second as she did open up this piece to her. It felt natural, but she was still a little uncomfortable bringing it up and working through it. "But there were a few things she did that were good. She was the closest thing I had to a friend in those moments." But she wasn't a friend and even while captive she had always known that. They hadn't broken her the way some captives would have. She was strong, maybe it was just built into her.

"Ashelia Carpathius"