Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 5)

(Girl gotta have her privacy!)

Snow had begun to fall as she fled, spotting the air with the fragile white flakes even as the wind picked up into a steady howl. The wolves had fallen silent a few moments ago, and all that could be heard was the storm.

Ky stopped for a moment, fear freezing her in place as it stabbed through her chest. She couldn't breathe. She'd always been afraid of the dark. As a child, she'd even been afraid from walking from the barn to the house, even if she had a lantern with her. She always insisted Papa sit on the porch and watch her go to be sure she made it safely. It'd never really occurred to her that he couldn't have done anything at all to help her if something did attack her. She still felt secure in him watching.

He wasn't watching now. Or, at least, if it was then it was from a place that he could help even less. Or, perhaps, maybe he was helping. Maybe these snowflakes were his freezing tears that he gave in an attempt to help her hypothermia goal along.

She was trembling now. She hadn't taken her coat off, so it was likely wasn't from the cold, even though the wind whipped straight through her. But she wasn't going to waver. She wasn't going to fail for the third time in a row.

(How far from camp would you guess she is now?)

The moon had been eaten by the clouds early in the evening and it was almost pitch black outside; only the faintest hint of light glinted off the snow.

(hmm I'm not sure. I can't imagine she'd made it terribly far before the guards have come after her? We can be flexible with it, though. Idk what you have planned hahah)

She couldn't have gone back to the camp now even if she wanted to. She thought she may see the faintest hint of the glow of the campfire behind her and to the right, but she couldn't be sure. It was too dark and the wind was blinding her with snow that kept falling off the branches and into her eyes.

Zander had had enough. He'd very nearly followed her himself -- they'd see if he took anyone's goddamn orders. But he didn't. He forced himself to give her space. But she had enough space. She'd had too much space. He stood up and picked up the sword belt he'd taken off and had leaning up beside him.

(The plan would work a bit better if she snuck out after everybody else went to sleep; we've certainly got limited time right here. Perhaps she heads back to try again later or something like that?)

Sara had been watching the spot where Ky disappeared for some time now, and finally she stood. "Zanderz are you going after her?" she asked tensely. "Should I send the guards?'

(Can do!)

Zander took a deep breath, trying to think of the best move. His pride wanted to refuse. To insist he could do it himself. To hope she was being trustworthy and just needed a moment to herself and was merely sitting on a rock just out of sight taking a few deep breaths. But it'd been over five minutes. And she'd known those were the terms. And she wasn't back yet.

It'd embarrass her for the guards to be sent after her. He knew that. But he wasn't going to risk getting to her too late just because of his stupid pride. It'd be hard to find a single little girl in the middle of the night on his own. "Maybe, yeah."

Tadaaki stood up too. Aashi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing herself not to beg Tadaaki not to go. It was too dangerous. They all knew it. But she also knew that he wasn't going to listen to reason. Not when it came to Ky.

Ky stopped for a moment, thinking. What was she doing? No. No, she didn't have time to do this. They were probably sending people after her even now. Her only hope for it being fast enough was if she had something to cut herself with -- and she didn't have anything. Not the knife from dinner; not even the shard of mirror she'd used the first time she tried it, back with Aleth. And her wound was entirely too-healed by now for hopes of it bleeding her out, even if she ripped the stitches out.

No. She needed to just take a deep breath and go back. To think more clearly.

She turned back towards where she thought she'd left the camp, and, sure enough, saw the smoke puffing up into the sky over the trees. She took a deep breath and started in an arc back towards the camp, hoping she wouldn't run into a soldier along the way. If she was going back, she wanted it to be her own choice, not under armed guard.

The snow was falling harder now; her tracks were disappearing almost as fast as she walked.
The guards headed out into the woods with lit torches.

She kept wiping at her face, angry that the snowflakes kept getting stuck on her eyelashes. But she was making good progress. She could see the fire up ahead, and behind it, lanterns heading off in the direction that she'd disappeared from. How was she going to explain coming back from this direction? She bit her lip and kept walking, trying to think up a story.

Gaius had returned and sat sullenly beside his wife with the sour taste of acid in his mouth. He'd acted childishly. True, he'd been trying to help, but it had been wrong to laugh at her. He'd always hated being laughed at when he gave in to something; why had he done that to her?

She had left herself with very few options. If she tried to cut back and slip between the guards and the camp, one of them was likely to see her. Besides, she had no explanation for why they wouldn't have crossed paths, if she'd legitimately been behaving herself and coming from the direction she'd left in.

No. She had to own this and sleep in the bed she'd made.

She started back towards the fire at about a 300-degree angle, when she'd left at approximately a 60-degree one. Not quite a complete circle. But close enough to be suspicious. She braced herself for the anger and judgment that would be waiting for her.

Watch Gaius spill his guts about her being suicidal in front of everyone. Watch Zander overreact about it -- she hadn't come anywhere close to mentioning it to him, not even vaguely alluding to it in passing. Watch them not allow her to pee again without a guard the rest of this trip. See if she fucking cared. The weight was almost as heavy as Aleth had placed on her, but, somehow, she'd been through worse. Barely.

(sorry for the math, I couldn't think of a clearer way to describe lol)

(No that's okay!)

Sara's brow furrowed as Ky came in from a different side, but she said nothing. She simply gave a whistle to let the guards know Ky had returned. Gaius had his eyes fixed on the fire, but he looked up sheepishly as he heard her return.

Zander turned back, too, finally taking a breath as the tension released from his shoulders. Tadaaki, too, relaxed a bit as they started back towards the camp, grateful to know Ky had returned in one piece.

Ky walked back to the campfire and flopped down in the spot she'd had before, not looking at anyone. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but there was a slight furrow to her brows that she couldn't seem to work out.

Gaius opened his mouth, then shut it. What could he say? There was no excuse for his actions, and he'd just punished himself. He could apologize, but it would sound empty. He fixed his gaze back on the fire.
"Are you hungry now Ky?" Mattathias asked. "Did your pee make room?"

"No." She forced her voice not to have an edge. To be gentle for him. But she couldn't quite find a smile for him, and she didn't look at him at all. Didn't look up from the snow in front of her feet. "My bladder wasn't taking up much room, as it turns out."

Now that she mentioned it, perhaps she should have peed when she was out. Gods knew they weren't going to let her go again, and she did have to pee now that she thought about it.

Oh well.

A full bladder would only add to the emptiness in her stomach. In her soul.

"Oh." Mattathias frowned. "Is your meat gross? Sometimes I get gross meat. Wanna trade?" He held out his piece.