in limbo

[Sage River Lykoi]

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Oh my god, this took me way too long to write! Damn you, dialogue! WC: 548

The mottled lady gave her gift a warm reception, and Sage's broad smile bloomed again on her face. It was brief, though-- cut off by the demands of the political matters they'd come to discuss. Of course, she should put business first; yellow eyes focused on crimson ones as Sage straightened to gentle attention. Nayru's words fell on oversized ears, and Sage felt sudden relief. If this lady was not deceiving them (and why would she be?), then the future of their pack's relationships was nearly secured, was it not? Surely it couldn't be that easy. She opened her mouth to speak, her soft voice hardly a whisper before she was cut off by Talitha's sharp words.

"History cannot be buried," she stated firmly.

Widened chartreuse eyes sought Talitha quickly, gaze and brief expression sending a clear message. What is she doing?! she thought, utterly bewildered. As her cousin launched into a bravely passionate speech concerning the flaws in the pack's leadership, Sage took a step back. Eyes sought to find her cousin's, her gaze fixing as the darker girl continued. Sage was sure that she must have been angering these so far hospitable Dahlians; who wouldn't get angry with someone speaking about their home in that way? Talitha assured Nayru that her presence did not quell the longing for blood inside of Inferni, and Sage took a deep breath. Here we go, she thought. The tan girl had hoped this would have gone better. Maybe next time, she would go alone.

Saluce managed to get a word in, projecting something strangely harmonic for the warrior that he seemed to be. Sage agreed with this sense, of course, but deciding not to further anger Talitha, she refrained from acknowledging his words beyond a subtle nod. Now, she moved gently forward again, so that she may speak and be heard.

"I know more than I'd like of war." She spoke quietly, darkly, shooting a mildly annoyed glance towards Talitha, who seemed to have little faith in Sage's knowledge of this place, of violence. "I also know that new minds bring new ideas, and that we are all capable of change, whether we know it or not." she explained softly, yellow eyes finding her cousin's red ones again. She meant no ill will towards her cousin, but she knew that Talitha's mind was polluted with hatred that she needed to be rid of. "I know that there are still many who hold grudges, as is our nature," she continued, her face expressing gentle concern, "but we are here, now, for a different reason. Maybe we can't bury history, but we can certainly move past it." Eyes lingered on Nayru for a moment before they rounded on Talitha again, voice dreamy as always, but laced with a little something more. "After all, how can we have a future if we are stuck in the past?"

Her thoughts plunged into a deeper meaning than her words could fully express. Both Talitha and Sage carried burdens with them, but Sage knew that hers would be easily shaken. Her cousin, though, was not so easily pulled from those dark shadows. The sun-kissed girl hoped that one day her auburn cousin would be able to see same light that she saw, and share the clarity that came with it.