Trouble on the Way

After a moment of indecisiveness that took longer to work through than it should have, Aurelia decided her first stop of the morning would be the nearby creek. It traced its way through the redwoods just on the other side of the ridge from where she was staying- just far enough to be at the edge of earshot. The subtle inhalation of smoke through the night had left her throat rather parched, a problem that was easily addressed- and perhaps the chill of spring water would help ward off the threat of sleep for a little while longer.

When she began her descent to the low point where the stream broke through the wood, her hazy attention was immediately drawn to the vibrant purple hue of a brute that gave her the impression of death warmed over. He was up walking at least- he had that going for him. But even in her clouded state, she could see that the injuries were relatively fresh- and were screaming for attention. Not that she had decided if she was going to offer it or not yet. Back to what she was doing.

Aurelia fumbled forward on uncoordinated limbs, making her way to the water’s edge. She lapped at its surface, sending an array of rings to spread across the slow-moving current. The sensation of chill spread from her tongue, to her throat, and into her chest, enticing a shudder of delight to encompass her. As she licked the leftover droplets from her lips, it was only then did she cast a sideways glance. “Rough night?” She asked, more curious about the boy’s injuries than anything else he might have to offer at the moment. “I was wondering what had the buzzards circling.”

"Aurelia Veratti"