Yaviel sat in the hollow of an ancient tree, knees hugged to her chest and her chin resting atop them. The only sound she could hear was the hiss of heavily falling rain and the patter of drops hitting the leafy canopy far overhead. She hadn’t bothered with a fire, having no need for the heat or warmth one would offer. More than that, she had no desire to interrupt or alter her surroundings in the least. She had come here to blend in, maybe to fade away.
The huntress had always thought Val’Sharah was beautiful. It was the first place in well over a century that she’d considered settling in instead of merely wandering through. She’d found peace there. She had begun to build a family of sorts there. It was only now that she realized that she hadn’t found purpose, though. Maybe that’s why it all fell apart.
Though still beautiful, there was nothing to keep her in this forest. Faeryn was gone, and every hope of the life they might share had disappeared with her. The huntress’ only other emotional attachment to the place had been her fox, Rowan. She had left him here months and months ago, just before Argus, encouraging him to go be happy and free. Since there had been no sign of him in the area since her arrival the previous morning, Yaviel guessed- hoped -that he had done exactly that.
The huntress had come back to make sure that the beings that connected her to this place were really gone. And now that it was done, she had only one last task. There was a rolling of her gut and a tightening of her chest. Her breaths came in short and shuddering gasps. Flustered, she huffed out a sharp breath as she angrily swiped her forearm over her eyes. Yaviel had hoped that ‘goodbye’ would not come like this, in a rush of helpless tears.
Sometimes Yavi’s dreams lingered even after she woke. More often than not, that wasn’t a good thing. She’d lay half-awake, fighting off the racing heart and rapid breaths that nightmares left behind. Every once in awhile, though, she would fight instead to hold onto something pleasant, if only for a minute longer. This time it was the feeling of warmth she tried to retain, the press of a body against her back. She stayed as still as she could, knowing that the slightest movement would banish this small measure of comfort beyond her reach.
“Miss you.” Her whispered words were no louder than a sigh. Unexpectedly, they prompted an answer. Not the voice her heart ached to hear, but a low ‘wuff’ followed by the steady cadence of a tail snapping against the ground. Gasping, the huntress sat up, only to be shoved onto her back a moment later by the weight of a happy and wriggling fox.
“You grew!” Yavi exclaimed in a raspy squeak. “You’re here.” Those words were far softer, full of wonder, and thanks, and other emotions she couldn’t bother to name.
Wriggling out from under her exuberant pup, the huntress wrapped her arms around Rowan and buried her face in the soft fur of his neck. Only one other word came to mind in that moment, and as scared as she was of what might come in reply, she gave it voice. “Stay.”
