Time still isn't right for Atha, a varitable eternity seems to pass before Aragibal is pulling her to her feet, and then suddenly she's on Sleipnir still utterly boneless and leaning fully back on Aragibal. Her only muscles that seem to work are the ones in her right hand, which are clenched in an iron grip around the bracelet and the pearl.
The journey is smooth but Athala's thoughts are turbulent. What did she look like? How long did it take for someone to find her? Was she buried? Cremated? Left there? Why hadn't Atha done more to help? What did she look like?
Round and round and round and round.
"Get these kids to safety." Aragibal's words drag her back to herself, for the most part at least. The storm of thoughts still swirls but she can ignore it temporarily.
"Make them safe." She echoes back with a nod, her eyes far less glazed than they were before as she turns and makes her unsteady way to the kittens. Fenrir rests by the crumbled building, ears flicking and raising his large head from his paws as Athala approaches. She has regained enough of herself to give Fenrir a good neck scratch, sending his giant tail thumping against the ground with a "Good boy." from Atha.
The two kits are fully bundled up and asleep in the fur as Athala approaches, naught but their small ears sticking out of the furs. Settling herself down on the floor, she once again removes her gauntlets and her breastplate this time as well before rousing the Mi'qittens.
"Xahqoh. Anweh'a." The ears twitch and the fur shifts as two, small, tired faces come into view. Two sets of large eyes blink slowly in tiredness before registering that Athala has returned and rousing to fill wakefulness.
"You found Mommy?!" The little girl asks eagerly, Anweh'a seeming to still be more caucious, his ears folded back as he glances at her clenched fist.
"We-we did." Atha's eyes drift towards her clenched fist as she opens it to reveal the bracelet and the pearl. "I am so sorry. We came too late to be able to save her." Atha holds out the bracelet and the pearl, her own vision swimming as she watches the look of hope on Xahqoh's face crumble into dispair. Anweh'a slowly, cautiously taking their mother's trinkets from her hand.
The boy cradles them to his chest and let's out a high-pitched keen, and Athala has to fight to stop the world sliding sideways again. "I am so sorry." She slowly moves forward, gathering the two children up in the fur, and hugging them to her chest, rocking them slowly. Her own cheeks wet, her chest heaving.
no subject
The journey is smooth but Athala's thoughts are turbulent. What did she look like? How long did it take for someone to find her? Was she buried? Cremated? Left there? Why hadn't Atha done more to help? What did she look like?
Round and round and round and round.
"Get these kids to safety." Aragibal's words drag her back to herself, for the most part at least. The storm of thoughts still swirls but she can ignore it temporarily.
"Make them safe." She echoes back with a nod, her eyes far less glazed than they were before as she turns and makes her unsteady way to the kittens. Fenrir rests by the crumbled building, ears flicking and raising his large head from his paws as Athala approaches. She has regained enough of herself to give Fenrir a good neck scratch, sending his giant tail thumping against the ground with a "Good boy." from Atha.
The two kits are fully bundled up and asleep in the fur as Athala approaches, naught but their small ears sticking out of the furs. Settling herself down on the floor, she once again removes her gauntlets and her breastplate this time as well before rousing the Mi'qittens.
"Xahqoh. Anweh'a." The ears twitch and the fur shifts as two, small, tired faces come into view. Two sets of large eyes blink slowly in tiredness before registering that Athala has returned and rousing to fill wakefulness.
"You found Mommy?!" The little girl asks eagerly, Anweh'a seeming to still be more caucious, his ears folded back as he glances at her clenched fist.
"We-we did." Atha's eyes drift towards her clenched fist as she opens it to reveal the bracelet and the pearl. "I am so sorry. We came too late to be able to save her." Atha holds out the bracelet and the pearl, her own vision swimming as she watches the look of hope on Xahqoh's face crumble into dispair. Anweh'a slowly, cautiously taking their mother's trinkets from her hand.
The boy cradles them to his chest and let's out a high-pitched keen, and Athala has to fight to stop the world sliding sideways again. "I am so sorry." She slowly moves forward, gathering the two children up in the fur, and hugging them to her chest, rocking them slowly. Her own cheeks wet, her chest heaving.