by "Blood on the Wind" Explained: Fozz Speaks
Vida had not wandered far from the Gurahl's home ever since his shift. The sounds she'd heard within had frightened her - or perhaps "terrified" was a better word for it - but she'd stayed nearby and resisted the urge to reenter the den, just as he'd asked. She waited until silence had retaken his home and the smell of burning incense no longer wafted from its entrance. And then, she'd wandered in, settled down next to the slumbering hulk of a man left behind, and tended to his twitching, seemingly aching muscles as best as she could without disturbing him.
It was a rare moment of tenderness for her; one that she would only let show around him. Even then, she figured he was likely in too deep a sleep for him to realize it was even happening. The Spirit Walker gazed down toward him with a look of quiet fondness, and she muttered something secret that in that moment, only she could clearly hear... or at least she assumed. His signature pipe and bag of herbs were laid on a pillow well within reach of him, and for a brief time, she found herself feeling an odd sense of peace in spite of the spiritual and physical chaos she feared continued in the world outside of his den.
That peace was disrupted when the sound of wildly flapping wings reached her ears; the raven had returned.
"Vida... Vida..."
Sometimes the Spirit Walker regretted teaching the raven to mimic the sound of her name to get her attention. It still startled her to hear her own voice call her own name.
As the messenger raven came closer, she finally emerged from the bear den and extended a hand for it to land upon and offer Arianna's response to her, written on parchment. In return, she provided the feathered creature with a handful of grains.
Reading the note over, she grumbled thoughtfully to herself, nodded, and dipped her chin to the raven.
"Thank you."
She was told to wait, and wait she would - despite the deep worry in her heart. She had not forgotten Vetis or Ludo, and her continued fondness of Fozz had prevented her from losing that feeling of attachment she'd felt toward them all those years ago. Things had not panned out between her and the old Shadow Clan tracker, but she did not regret it; she had come to understand. She'd even secretly understood why they had to leave their home in search of the others, though the childish part of her still resented them for leaving her and Arianna alone as it was, just like the rest of them.
But the mere thought of them being hunted by the Blood Clan - her own birth clan - caused a sickness to rise in her stomach. They could not be killed, they could not die - not now. Not when the Umbra itself seemed to be overtaken by darkness. It was not their time. But no matter how badly she wanted to act - to save Fozz, to retrieve and help Vetis and Ludo recover - she knew she could not do it alone.
Her eyes welled and a tightness formed in her chest. Her mind was more emotional than ever; sleep deprivation was a terrible thing sometimes. She hadn't slept through the night and had instead kept a dutiful watch on the den and its entrance.
As she stepped back into the Gurahl's home, she gave no second thought to how she approached him. She tiredly lowered herself to her hands and knees nearby, crawled onto his bed furs next to him... and curled up next to him, drifting off to a light sleep that she could only hope wouldn't be disturbed by her regular nightmares.
Vida had not wandered far from the Gurahl's home ever since his shift. The sounds she'd heard within had frightened her - or perhaps "terrified" was a better word for it - but she'd stayed nearby and resisted the urge to reenter the den, just as he'd asked. She waited until silence had retaken his home and the smell of burning incense no longer wafted from its entrance. And then, she'd wandered in, settled down next to the slumbering hulk of a man left behind, and tended to his twitching, seemingly aching muscles as best as she could without disturbing him.
It was a rare moment of tenderness for her; one that she would only let show around him. Even then, she figured he was likely in too deep a sleep for him to realize it was even happening. The Spirit Walker gazed down toward him with a look of quiet fondness, and she muttered something secret that in that moment, only she could clearly hear... or at least she assumed. His signature pipe and bag of herbs were laid on a pillow well within reach of him, and for a brief time, she found herself feeling an odd sense of peace in spite of the spiritual and physical chaos she feared continued in the world outside of his den.
That peace was disrupted when the sound of wildly flapping wings reached her ears; the raven had returned.
"Vida... Vida..."
Sometimes the Spirit Walker regretted teaching the raven to mimic the sound of her name to get her attention. It still startled her to hear her own voice call her own name.
As the messenger raven came closer, she finally emerged from the bear den and extended a hand for it to land upon and offer Arianna's response to her, written on parchment. In return, she provided the feathered creature with a handful of grains.
On my way.
Wait for me to return.
Leaving Sunthor behind for now.. But bringing an old friend.
-Aria
Reading the note over, she grumbled thoughtfully to herself, nodded, and dipped her chin to the raven.
"Thank you."
She was told to wait, and wait she would - despite the deep worry in her heart. She had not forgotten Vetis or Ludo, and her continued fondness of Fozz had prevented her from losing that feeling of attachment she'd felt toward them all those years ago. Things had not panned out between her and the old Shadow Clan tracker, but she did not regret it; she had come to understand. She'd even secretly understood why they had to leave their home in search of the others, though the childish part of her still resented them for leaving her and Arianna alone as it was, just like the rest of them.
But the mere thought of them being hunted by the Blood Clan - her own birth clan - caused a sickness to rise in her stomach. They could not be killed, they could not die - not now. Not when the Umbra itself seemed to be overtaken by darkness. It was not their time. But no matter how badly she wanted to act - to save Fozz, to retrieve and help Vetis and Ludo recover - she knew she could not do it alone.
Her eyes welled and a tightness formed in her chest. Her mind was more emotional than ever; sleep deprivation was a terrible thing sometimes. She hadn't slept through the night and had instead kept a dutiful watch on the den and its entrance.
As she stepped back into the Gurahl's home, she gave no second thought to how she approached him. She tiredly lowered herself to her hands and knees nearby, crawled onto his bed furs next to him... and curled up next to him, drifting off to a light sleep that she could only hope wouldn't be disturbed by her regular nightmares.
