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The black fae smiled wryly. She knew it, and she knew it all too well. The warrior was not without pride, she merely knew how to swallow it. After the attack, she had only asked another once to hunt for her, and it had been Biler’a, Ril’o’s brother. And that had been very soon after her return to Dahlia in that state. Since then, the female had been forced to scavange, at times going for a week without food. But she was accustom to such things, for on her journey across the Arctic, food had been scarce. But her silence had not been due to pride. She had merely not thought much of it. If she were able to handle it, there was no reason to change it. "You shouldn’t have to fear," the warrior replied gently. "Not for that anyway.... We have hunters for that." But she knew what the girl meant. "If Death were to come for me, I’d simply follow. We have to learn to accept these things, to forget and to be allowed to live our lives."
"But what if you were to have nothing? Is that so frightening?" And there was genuine curiosity in that voice, for she truly wondered. And then she wondered at the things she had. Materially, she had very little—only the weapons she would occasionally use. But spiritually...the warrior had some belief and religion. But most of her existence relied upon war and its rituals. What would happen if she had none of it? She didn’t know, but if were to have nothing, would it be so terrifying? The white orbs turned back to the girl. "I suppose not," she agreed, "But what happens to her should no longer concern you.... But Dreams are hard to ignore," the female said carefully. And she knew a little more than simple dreaming. "I Dream of my father sometimes.... But you should try to understand why it is you do dream."
The warrior wondered then why the girl had decided to drop her co-rank. The reasons she listed were only temporary obstacles. They were not insurmountable. "But these are not things that cannot be overcome," the alto melody countered as she followed the girl. The Raven clicked its beak, the sharp sounds echoing in the silence. "If you must, gather and store the herbs—create a library of your medicines. Scent will discern them. Those who are completely blind have been able to do such things because of such organization. Keep everything in the same place, and you can find it again. The wounds you will be able to find as well." The woman had smelled countless wounds in the dark. "They will smell different, especially if they are fresh...." The woman didn’t want the girl to lose hope of her ambitions.
"Don’t worry about your mother," she replied with a finality. And it was as if she knew that justice would be served. She paused as she threw her arm up, sending the Raven into the air. He was silent and lifted from her arm without protest, and the pied Raven disappeared to the heavens. "Now would you like to learn some defense techniques? If you can find the staff in my den, we can go to the field to practice." The warrior was still unwilling to push the wounds, to force her body down into the tunnel. But it would be better for Svara to get herself moving anyway.
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