Tears & Rain

The weariness that Haydée feels is not just from lack of sleep; it is deep, burrowing all the way down into her very soul as insecurities, both old and new have risen to plague her already tortured mind. They travel in silence as Dorian guides her into the cave, the dazed, distant Leader moving sluggishly wherever he directed her to go. Her bed calls and Hay answers, quickly flopping down to the soft furs as Dorian moves about setting things up. For a moment, she tries to relax and her brother steps up to her to stick a vial near her muzzle.

Tired emerald eyes lazily blink at the container as he instructs her to stick out her tongue and, while it takes a few moments for the words to be processed, Haydée finally does as ordered. The drops that hit her tongue are slightly bitter and her face screws up slightly at the taste but she does not pull her tongue back until he is done with her. Swallowing down the herbal mixture, she silently watches as her sweet, caring brother prepares to stitch up her neck. A pregnant pause falls between the siblings as neither one is quite certain what to say.

Quiet words meet her ears and Haydée pulls her eyes from where they had been watching him mix the poultices, hypnotized by the calm, rhythmic moments that come so easily to the healer. Sorrowful green eyes meet her brother’s lighter gaze and the young woman’s brows knit together as she blurts out, “He… he scolded me Dorian. After he gave me these wounds, he ridiculed me for the way I lead.” The pain of that moment will live on for months and perhaps even years and it has had Hay questioning everything since she left the beach.

A sigh fills the air as she diverts her eyes, too guilt-ridden to be able to meet her brother’s gaze for long. As Dorian begins to work, Haydée softly says, “I am so sorry Dorian. Maybe if I wasn’t such a weak alpha, the Raiders would never have come knocking at our door.” The unspoken responsibility of his wound unvoiced but heavily implied by her words. If only she wasn’t Leader, then maybe, Ethne would have been out of harm’s way.


"Haydée Kedieo"