Coming back around again

Her voice had trailed off, the thread of memories straining and fizzling out after the flash of a picture of a boat silhouetted by the glow of the fire from her former home and the haze of the smoke that blew toward her from it. There was a brief glimpse of a set of amber eyes in a dark face that felt far too close for comfort before the feeling of Mercury's paw on hers snapped her out of the memory with a small inhale that could hardly even be called a gasp. She let the breath she had been holding out in a slow sigh as she turned her gaze up to the cool blue gaze of Mercury's, finding a comfort and a grounding there that she desperately needed. She smiled a bit and shook her head at his apology, both to clear it and to deny his sympathy. "Don't be sorry. I need this. You're helping me more than you know." It wasn't pleasant and she was sometimes afraid of what she might find as she continued to unlock the pieces of her missing memories, but she needed to face them one way or another.

She left her paw under his larger paw as she shifted a bit closer, letting her side press into his as she leaned her head into his shoulder and settled into him as she watched the diminishing flames of her camp fire dance in front of them. By now the sun had fully set and night had settled over Auster, casting the rest of the forest around them in deep shadow that was only lit by the crescent moon and the stars in the sky. "I guess I need to let you get back to the castle," she commented without lifting her head from him. "I'm sure you have to be up bright and early." Truly, she didn't want for him to leave and she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts, but she already felt like she was pushing the boundary for what she could ask of from a friend. Reluctantly, Anthea lifted her head from his shoulder and turned her gaze to find his once more with a little smile.

"Anthea Dásos"