Word Count → 352 :: derp
The idea that this was her own damn fault haunted her, clinging to her mind and weighing on her shoulders like so much dead weight. She should have kept better watch over them -- she should have followed after them, keeping quiet and separate watch even as they played on unaware. They were too young to have been allowed the free roam that she had allowed them, and blame for what had happened could fall only on her shoulders. The thoughts rattled in her mind with no sense of order or importance, whatever canorous and sensible quality they might have had lost in the anxious din in her head.
Larkspur was quiet for a long minute, and Eris very nearly seemed to shrivel, awaiting the rage like fire and words of blame, faulting and disparaging her at once. There was none; instead, there was a soft touch against her foot, and she twitched, her whole body seeming to jerk away from this touch as if startled from deep concentration. There was no intent to hurt in the touch, however, and as quickly as she had feared him she relaxed again, nodding her head morosely as he spoke. She understood.
“She'll be okay,” the hybrid agreed. Part of her, that arrogant and still callous youth who had lived in Eterne as some kind of princess, knew in her heart that Wretch was, in fact, fine. A larger part of her, the frightened new mother, knew nothing other than that her daughter was gone. They turned in silence, heading back to the entrance of the cave. There was no urgency in their movement now, and Eris's gaze still swept over the ground, looking for any visible signs of Wretch, however fruitless it might have been. If they could not find her by scent, their eyes were more than useless. Once inside the shallow cave where the horses stayed, the hybrid slid off the equine's back, absently slapping at the animal's shoulder in thanks. There was more quiet as they made their way back to their cave where the remainder of their children still slept.
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