be the air we breathe

She'd had her first healing lesson, and already she wanted more. Ara was beginning to grow anxious, not just for knowledge, but because her father still had yet to return. Her mother had assured her that he would be okay, that everything would be okay soon; but it was obvious something was wrong. Jendai seemed to think that their sire had been taken prisoner, but it was hard to imagine a man so strong being forced into submission. The mere thought of it made a whimper bubble up from the girl's chest as she walked, hating the idea of anyone telling her father what to do. No. He was strong and unbreakable. But he was gone for now, and she did not doubt he would return to his family soon. But until then, she had to gather herbs and prepare, just in case he was injured when he returned. She was too naive to realize that Loccian or another skilled healer would be best suited to actually healing a war victim. She felt like it was her job, and so she marched with surprising courage for a girl so young, out of her home and into the unknown.

Ara had only wandered out of Seracian territory a select few times. Though she felt nervous, there was obvious purpose to her gait. She was an odd sight, not quite as beautiful as her mother with her flawless ebony coat; instead her pelt was dual-colored, her head and belly dappled with creamy hues, a sharp contrast to the black that draped her back and limbs. Movements were far from graceful, but she certain looked like she knew what she was doing as she traversed far from home. One step, two steps -- quickly she lost track of how many she had taken, as the landscaped changed into something far more lovely than her home. Minutes turned to hours, before she managed to see something promising. Though the land was not quite as bright as she knew it would have been just a season ago, it was still quite lovely, and she was happy to see that many plants remained here. Blue eyes would scan the horizon, searching for one particular purple plant that Loccian had taught her so much about.

It took a long while, but the girl caught a glimpse of dull violet. She would begin to rush forward eagerly, as though they might disappear if she did not hurry. As she drew up close to them, her eyes old her that some of the plants had begun to die, but there was some lavender still remaining, and she smiled rather proudly at her find. She was unaware how long the plants would live, but knew if she kept some damp that they wouldn't dry out and shrivel up so quickly. Carefully she would sort through the plants, using her teeth to tear some stems from the base of the plant, before setting down the plants on the grass below.