Reconnaissance

A raw gasp escaped Mariah at his sudden movement. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked up at him, her silver eyes wide and alert- the outrage very obvious in her expression as she felt his teeth connect to her scruff, escorting her out of sight. “Let go of me!” She quietly seethed, “I am well aware of the dangers.” But of course, it took very little effort for him to displace her inside whatever den they had hesitated outside of. She wanted to strike back at him in the moment but maintained her composure as he released her. Looking him over, her eyes were long past hardened in her own frustration. “It seems you have a blatant disregard for your own safety as well, so you have no room to talk.”

Her eyes flashed with defiance, the heat of her anger momentarily offsetting the freezing temperature of the den. “You cannot command me, Caedes,” she retorted, her tone icy as she stood up to him. As much as she shared his concern for safety, she would not be ordered around like a subordinate. She was not a pup to be scolded, nor a helpless creature to be coddled. But of course, in the silence of the den, the hostility began to fade as she witnessed the transformation in his gaze, from one of hardened determination to something softer. Something that mirrored the vulnerability she herself felt.

Observing the intense anguish that veiled Caedes' expression, Mariah felt a pang of empathy stabbing at her heart. "Caedes..." she began, her voice softening, the name slipping from her tongue carrying tremors of concern. She moved towards him, her nimble body weaving through the sparse light illuminating the witness of the transformation in his gaze, from one of hardened determination to something softer. Something that mirrored the vulnerability she herself felt. But as she witnessed the change in her demeanor, she quickly shifted her attention to the grizzly sight that he was entranced in. It was the scene of a brutal murder from what she could tell. Bone fragments, clumps of bloodied hair, and other unrecognizable tissue littered the ground, and the scent of decay was still very much present in the otherwise sterile air. The rest of the den was a disaster area. Shelves broken, work surfaces flipped over, parchments, jars, containers, broken, scattered, torn. It was an intense scene to begin to process. But in that moment, her attention remained fixed to the man she loved- her own expression morphing into one of regretful remorse.

This was it. This was where he lost Aurelia.

This was where he lost his fleeting peace of mind.

"Mariah Mendacium"