Finch was quiet most of the way back to Raider territory. She had wanted to speak up when Calliope had found her off shore of the Kamui Delta after she'd had that strange... encounter... but her thoughts had still been a jumbled mess. Was there a sickness spreading across the land? Would she catch it? Her tongue had been glued to the roof of her mouth ever since, not that Calliope had seemed to notice too much. Finch felt more and more like a shiny bauble for the bigger girl to possess: something to be looked at, maybe handled carefully, then put on a shelf and perhaps forgotten about. Not even admired from time to time. It was a strange feeling, to be kept. Would the novelty wear off eventually?
Don't lollygag. She glanced up, unaware that her steps had been trailing. Finch was consumed with thoughts of sickness and death and her paws had slowed accordingly, but Calliope didn't suffer any attitude. She'd learned that quickly enough. Nonetheless, she was tired, and it took some mustering to pick up the pace as they pulled up towards the den. She listened patiently to Calliope's explanation, her eyes flicking back and forth across the lands as she named their purpose and direction. It would take time to get her bearings, but her "master" was thorough in her explanation. "Right," she licked her dry lips, her voice a little hoarse from disuse over their journey,"Consequences."
When Calliope opened the entryway for her, Finch sidled through slowly. It was peaceful here. She could focus on that much, at least. Calliope had chosen her home well, with a calming view of the sea and close enough that the sounds of the waves lapping at the shoreline would surely lull her to sleep. To sleep... yes, they'd have to share this space, which was clearly designed for one. Finch glanced around. The den, although spacious, was not the more sprawling family warrens she was used to. There would be no hiding from her in here. She groped for something useful to say that wouldn't trigger Calliope's temper, but she was so, so tired. "Your home is beautiful," she said softly, real honesty in her words. By the sea was a lovely place to live - and she hadn't seen the ocean in so long, since she'd attended that festival at the Hallows. The sight still amazed her.
Finch slumped against the back wall of the den, her legs nearly vibrating with exhaustion. Calliope had set the pace on this journey and she was a head and a half taller - each limb was stone-heavy from exertion. She pressed her cheek against the cool wall of the den, weighing her options. Did she tell Calliope about what she had seen at the delta? Who else did she even have to talk to? Maybe come morning she could track down her mother's cousin, Sparrow, but they'd never met. This far away from home, Callie was all she had. "I saw something... while we were resting before beginning our journey here," Finch murmured. "It was terrible. There might be a disease beginning to spread across Boreas, but I'm not certain. I have a feeling everything that we've seen is connected," she closed her eyes, as if by shutting them she could unhear her own words. "I'm frightened." Would she laugh at her? Finch wasn't sure she could bear that. Calliope was a lot of things - brash, unpredictable, rude... but she was brave where Finch was not. That had to count for something. Be worth something.
"speech"
