I Really Can't Stay-

Andromeda · 10-16-2023, 07:43 PM

The joy of seeing Aresenn alive, well, and actually here in the snow-covered forest far outweighs the sadness Andy had felt at not having him around while she was sick. True, she would have fussed over him even while the fever had settled in but, more than anything, when she was at her worst, she had wanted him there. Andromeda remembers vividly the fear she had felt as she laid on the thick pile of furs, each breath a rattling reminder of the water she inhaled and how certain she been that she was going to drown on dry land. In those moments, delirious from the illness and truly afraid that she was dying, all the purple girl had wanted, was to be held… by him.

Still, even though Andy had been sad that he was not there, the girl does not fault him for leaving and her grin broadens as his voice greets her. A soft laugh fills the air, disguising the words that he softly adds after his greeting and keeping them hidden from her ears. Pale blue eyes burn bright with happiness as she moves to join him, easily falling into step beside the fire-kissed boy as her brow lifts at his confession that neither of them would have gotten much sleep. Shoulders lift as she gives him a small shrug and offers, “Maybe.” The grin falters and falls, leaving in its wake a gentle sadness as she softly admits, “I was worried about you, Hero. I thought… that something bad had happened to you.”

A short pause as her gaze lifts to captures his ember-hued eyes before her voice, even softer than before adds, “Or that I had done something to upset you.” Even in her fever addled state, the girl had spent time wondering why Aresenn had left so abruptly and if something horrible had happened to cause him to leave. Okay, so maybe him leaving to allow her time and space to heal had been a good idea but it had hurt and confused her at the time. Emotions flicker across her features quickly, overtaking one another before she offers a soft sigh and says, “Next time you want to do something for my health, can you at least let me know?”

There is a gentle humor in these words as she looks over at him, brow lifting as her lips begin to wiggle in an attempt to hold back the laughter that lingers behind them. The convestion moves on and Aresenn talks about looking like she feels better and the girl dips her head in agreement, her smile softening as she says, “Oh yeah, I feel a lot better. Unfortunately, I caught pneumonia from inhaling some water but I am no longer trying to cough up my lungs. So, I call that a win.” The laughter she had tried to hide bubbles out and fills the air around the pair.

The sound of their paws crunching through the snowy landscape are the only sounds that greets their ears for a few moments before Aresenn asks about what happened after. Her steps falter and the joyful expression that has been on her face fades. Steam fills the area around her face as she breathes, obscuring her expression for a moment as pain fills her eyes. Pale gaze slides out to the area in front them as Andy tries to form the words to express everything that has happened since the flood waters had retreated.

Finally, she clears her throat and begins, “It took several days for the water to soak into the ground and for us to realize that one of our members was missing. We… found her in a blocked den, clutching her mate. The pair had been unable to escape and…” her voice falls off, a shake of skull showing that they had not survived the water’s cold embrace. Abruptly, she halts, head swimming with the possibility it could have been her body they had found after the retreat of the water. Yet, that had not been the case because of him; because of Aresenn. A shudder races down along her spine, tickling the nerves and causing her form to shake slightly.

In an attempt to play off it off, she allows her gaze to wander around the area as she says, “Most of our supplies were ruined but a pack from Auster traded with us. We are slowly rebuilding our stores but there are still some things that cannot be replaced.” A shrug rolls her shoulders as she suddenly seems to remember that she had pulled to a stop and looks back to Aresenn sheepishly. Moving slowly, she rejoins the boy and softly asks, “How about you? How has life been treating you since I last saw you?” Curiosity fills the words along with unvoiced concern since she still worries that something had kept him from returning sooner.

"Andy" & "Aresenn"

Thread Move Log
Thread		Forum	From	To
1.	I Really Can't Stay-	Mile-High Woods	11:48 AM, 10-08-2023	10:47 PM, 01-01-2024

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