Wow, I have missed playing these kids so much! I'm so excited for us to play all of this out.  Slender fingers reached for the sharpened stick, and Ryan tested the rabbit meat with a prod of one finger. It seemed as if it had cooked long enough and would be well enough to put some substance into her belly. Pulling the meat away from the sharpened stick, she began to eat, letting her eyes drift above the fire where little dots of orange and red seemed to leap up from the flames and drift off into the night sky. Perhaps that was how starts were formed; maybe that’s why the sky was littered with so many. When she finished, Ryan laid the stick idly into the dusting of snow beside her, and pulled the blanket up around her frame. This was not her first night alone and surely it wouldn’t be her last, but she could only hope that this part of her journey would end soon. Talk in the cities had spoke of war, and though Ryan did not know whether or not it was still raging, the thought still scared her. What if she was to be caught alone in the midst of battle? But she didn’t let it bother her too much now, for she needed to quiet her mind. Often she didn’t find much rest on nights like these, for her memory conjured up images of times long past and it sent the Inferni girl wondering about what could and should have been. Though both crimson eyes were fixated on the fire, it wasn’t the flames that Ryan saw. Her mind had wandered away back to Nova Scotia, and for a moment it felt as if she were really there, living as she once had amongst the coyotes of Inferni. So lost in her daydream Ryan was that she did not even sense the footfall of the approaching Luperci. It wasn’t until a voice rose in the air that Ryan, startled and confused, looked up from the fire to find herself surrounded by a group of unfamiliar faces. Her gaze settled on the one who had spoke – a fearsome looking hybrid with eyes a brilliant shade of lavender shadowed by the flames. For a moment, Ryan was unable to speak, and she tried to find her words. "I…," she muttered, feeling the tingling sense of fear creeping into her stomach. And then the woman spoke her name, and Ryan was left baffled. How did she know who she was? The woman turned to speak to the others whom had surrounded the small fire, but Ryan kept her gaze fixated on the girl. The words that came from her muzzle were incomprehensible – spoken in some other language that the Inferni woman had not heard before. And as she studied those eyes, she realized how the woman had known her name. "Zana," Ryan murmured in surprise. It was a wonder that the Lykoi girl would be the one to find her out here. She was older now and her frame had grown more curvaceous and carried less childish features. There was still some time before she would be a mature woman, but she had come a long way from the mischievous pup she had been back in Inferni. When laughter erupted from the other mouths around the fire, Ryan looked to them in wonder. What was it that Zana had said to them to make them chuckle like so? It worried her slightly, but Ryan had faith that Zana would lead her in the right direction. After all, she had to know where DaVinci was. And then, she spoke in words that Ryan was once again able to understand. The Ri. The title sounded very prestigious and made Ryan worry, until Zana said she’d have a lot to talk about with him. She had to be speaking about DaVinci, wasn’t she? She merely nodded, watching as Zana turned again to speak in the unfamiliar language. As she turned to leave, Ryan frowned. "Wait! What about me?" She called out to the Inferni girl, but she merely kept walking and left Ryan behind with those unfamiliar faces. Ryan looked up to one, and he beckoned her to follow. With no other choice, Ryan nodded in agreement. Rolling her blanket, Ryan repacked her belongings into her small satchel. Once packed, the others helped her put the fire out by kicking snow on top to extinguish it. When they were ready, they beckoned Ryan in the direction of the castle, and the group began their trek in silence. Ryan didn’t mind so much that she couldn’t speak with the men that surrounded her. She didn’t feel like answering any questions or retelling any of her story to anyone except for DaVinci. Though Zana had not made it clear if they were taking her to see DaVinci, Ryan kept the hope that that was their final destination. She could only hope that they were not too far from where Romeo was staying, because she couldn’t take the anticipation that was building in every bone in her body. As they walked, Ryan kept casting her flawed gaze up towards the stars, marveling that even though they were moving, the stars seemed to keep their position. When she happened to catch the gaze of one of the men, she merely offered them a small smile before looking away. She wondered how much they knew of her, and what it was Zana had said to them. Ryan supposed it didn’t matter too much, but she had to wonder what thoughts were running through their minds as they stole little glances at her. When the castle came into sight, Ryan could only gape in marvel. The men gestured that this was where they were headed and instantly their pace began to increase. The de le Poer woman did not mind at all, as she was eager to get inside. Once there, she was sure her Romeo would be waiting inside. Ryan could only hope that he would be happy to see her there, and not deny her as she had done to him. Once they had made their way inside, one of them motioned for Ryan to stay where she was. She nodded, taking a seat on a stone bench and waiting to see what would come next. It seemed as if her escorts had all but disappeared, and she wondered whether or not they had summoned DaVinci to his visitor. Inhaling deeply, Ryan held her breath in anticipation. Would he be happy? Would he still want her? SoSuWriMo: 1083 |
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