A month had passed by already in this strange land and place. A long, depressing month. Each morning she woke she'd looked to her side to see if somehow her son or familiar had returned to her. She woke to see if she could wake herself from this dream she felt trapped in. Why did she leave? Why did she leave the kingdom behind? If she had stayed, would Ridley and Buck still be with her? Was Ridley even looking for her, or had he taken her vanishing as a blessing and walked the opposite way? She was sure Buck was happy to be rid of her, able to return to the life of a stag. He had to be alive. She knew this because of her link to him. Occasionally she would get feelings of joy or happiness. Sometimes excitement. Sometimes she could feel anger - he must have staked out a claim to lands somewhere she could not access. And yet, when she felt these brief glimpses of emotions, she could never pinpoint where they were coming from. At least she wasn't entirely alone. She had Caedwyn with her. It wasn't the same as having her family or familiar close by. There weren't those genetic or magical bonds to link the two. But alas, he was company, and he was better company than her own miserable self. She'd thrown it all away again. Again. And here she was, at rock bottom once more. It were these thoughts that plagued her when she woke from her slumbers, at least, until Caedwyn came to check in on her. It felt like a dance to Enya that the two wolves were performing with one another. She craved companionship fiercely. She had never been good at being alone with herself. Her most successful bouts were when she was a raging alcoholic, only able to tolerate herself and her emotions through the haze of booze. She was incredibly grateful for the time that Caedwyn spent with her, but tried to hide it and brush it off. She didn't want him to know how desperately she needed someone's company. Each morning he came by, she greeted him with a smile, wagging tail, and affectionate nuzzles as packmates would. Then, once caught up with one another, sometimes they would hunt together, explore together, and sometimes they would part ways. What Caedwyn didn't know was that during those times they parted ways, she would wish they hadn't. She'd find a spot, settle down, and desperately try to scry anyone she could just to see a glimpse of them. The only wolf or creature for that matter she ever was successful at scrying was Caedwyn. With the heat and humidity of the jungle nearly suffocating Enya with its thick embrace, she took to her natural element this day to cool off and relax. The best part about jungles is they were full of riverways, creeks, and pools of water. Drawn to it like mosquitoes, Enya found herself a secluded pond. Soft rocks covered in moss and algae created a natural barrier, forming a decently sized pool - one large enough for a small ecosystem of fish and waterlife to thrive. Unfortunately for her, she'd yet to find any arowana fish in the waterways. So instead, she'd snatched up a bass like fish for her meal and had settled down on one of the rocks to pick at the carcass. She ate with little enthusiasm as she pondered her most recent failed attempt at scrying with her crystal. She knew it worked. She'd been able to find Caedwyn with it. Yet, she could not see anyone else. Not Ridley, or Renya, or Syrah, or Arachne or Persephone. Not Meliodas, or Ember, or Talulah. Not Buck. Not Ixora. Not a single wolf or creature from her past. Was it something to do with this world? Or... were some dead? 'Enya? Are you here?' At the sound of Caedwyn's call, Enya shook her head to shake the troublesome thoughts away. When he announced who it was, Enya couldn't help but smirk. She knew it was him. She could pick his voice out of a hundred wolves at this point. He pushed through the dense foliage and Enya sat up, perching on her rock with her picked at meal between her front paws. Various scales littered her toes and muzzle, but she didn't bother to get rid of them. He'd seen her in worse shape and condition before. At his approach, her tail swayed slowly behind her. When he mentioned wanting to talk, however, it stilled. Such words were always nerve wracking to her. Usually when someone said 'I wanted to talk to you', it wasn't a good thing. Her eyes traced the scars on his face, his shoulders and legs. Some of those were from her. She suddenly felt a pit swell in her gut. Outwardly, she smiled at him and forced her tail to continue swaying. "I've got some fish here if you'd like. I thought I was hungry, but it seems my appetite has escaped me." She reached down with her muzzle, snagged the fish up, and gently leapt from the short rock to approach Caedwyn. There, the fish was dropped at his paws for him to decide if he'd accept it or not. "What did you want to talk about?" her tone was gentle, but inside her fears were screaming at her. There were so many possibilities of what he could say and her mind went to the worst ones. 'I think it's time we go our separate ways. I've found a pack I'm joining. I'm tired of being around you. I can never forgive you for what you did to me, so I'm through with you. You're a bounty here, and I've come to collect my reward.' "Speech." |
A Small Flame Burns a Bright Candle