| She had been forced to stop running. The pain was too much for her to bear. But she kept walking, or rather, limping. Meito haunted her. His face and last words floated in her mind. She stumbled on in a stupor, eyes unseeing. But in her mind, she relived every second of her last moments with her only love. She replayed the scenario over and over, trying to find a way she could have saved him, trying to find a way. Any way. She had killed him, part of her whispered, that it was all her fault. This would have never happened if it hadn't been for her. Another part of her shrugged, and said there was nothing to be done. Meito made a mistake, at least she still had her life and freedom. The two factions warred back and fourth, but unheard was a third, whispering over and over again, Meito. Finally, exhaustion, both physical and mental, forced her to stop. She collapsed in a heap in the middle of some forest. Other than the presence of trees, she had no idea where she was. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. But demons didn't cry. Never. And demons never became emotionally attached. At least she wouldn't again. She had learner her lesson. Not again. Never� *** "Damn it! I literally have no place to go!" Deborah shouted in frustration to her friend Fae. The elf shook her head, not having an answer. The human girl spun around to face the elf. "Kyriss has already clutched, and they are holding an egg for me. I've got to get a home ready. Now." "But, like you said, there really isn't any place to put an new egg." Fae pointed down to a map laid between them on the table. The map outlined all the land Deborah owned. Names, dates, and other information was written in little tables on parts of the map, indicating a dragon living there. "Your only other option would be to start buying land from the people around you. I'm sure they will sell. They all know and like you." Deborah replayed frustration ebbing, giving way to reason. "Sorry I shouted, Fae. I'm not mad at you. I was just frustrated." Fae smiled warmly at her friend. "Don't worry about it. I totally understand. It happens sometimes." Deborah gave the elf a little smile. "Well, the reason I don't want to start buying from those people is because they know and like me. I would be putting them in a bad position." "Well, you could put out flyers in the nearby towns asking people who own property near your holdings to consider selling any they aren�t using. A lot of the land around yours is so overgrown, most people wouldn't have the man power to clean it up." "Or the dragon power." Deborah grinned. "That's a great idea Fae! Thanks! I'll start working on the flyers right now. Then I'll go see if I can't find one of my dear, wind born bondmates to take me around." Fae smiled. "See, problem solved." Deborah looked back down at the map for a moment, her face thoughtful. "There is one place we haven't used yet." She pointed to the farthest land owned by her, on the edge of the map. Fae looked down at it, then back up to her friend. "It's a fine place, but there is that volcano near it." "Yes, but it isn't active. There is even a lovely little river running through the middle of the forested part. I think I'll visit it later, but first, those flyers!" With that, she grabbed up her pack, and a few sheets of paper, and dashed out the door of the little cottage that severed as her book and records room. *** She started walking again, hunger and pain driving her. She ate a few mouthfuls of a rabbit she had cornered, before starting on again. The wound in her leg was infected. She knew this because a fever was growing inside of her. Soon, she would be sick, very sick, and she didn't know what she was going to do. So she kept walking, knowing not what else to do. On the third day since she had left her home and love behind, she came to a small river. She bathed her wound, and ate a bit of fish. For the first time since she had left, she felt she had enough energy to change again. She did so, slowly, taking care not to go to fast, or to carelessly, lest she harm herself more. Once back into human form, she looked down at her reflection in a still part of the water. Black hair, once so glossy, hung limp and tangled now. Bright red eyes ringed by black started out of the narrow face, grown gaunt from hunger and pain; emotion and physical. Her long muscled body was thinning. She needed to heal, in more than one way, so that she could get back to life. She didn't want to loose her strength or quickness, so she rested, in a little hallow dug out with her own two hands. She stayed in human form, not having the strength to again change. And she slept... |
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