Maea
give me shelter, or show me heart
"There!" The excited cry cut through the air when one of the people spotted Sunjata's form lying in the shade. Maea swallowed thickly, desperately worried at seeing how still he was, how much blood that had soaked into the sand around him. She put on a burst of speed that left the healer behind, and reached his prone form well before the others did.
Haai was there, to her great relief. Clearly distraught, on full alert; Maea gritted her teeth against the throbbing pain of her leg and tried to smile, tried to be calm and steady as she approached. "Easy, Haai, it's me," she said, seeing the griffin bare its teeth at them. Maea reached for the little wolf, nodding assurances to the startled villagers. If Haai let her, Maea would pick her up and hold her close to her chest while the healer set to work on Sunjata. If the man's frown was anything to go by, it was about as bad as it seemed. Before long, the elder waved to his companions to come help, and together they lifted the unconscious Flood, telling her they had to bring him to the village for proper care.
Swallowing, Maea nodded. Followed, as they made the long, seemingly endless trek back across the sand. Her throat was burning with salt and unshed tears, worry clawing at her; she couldn't let her eyes off Sunjata, guilt and fear and anger at herself clawing through the pain. Her fault... this was her fault. Her stupid idea to go exploring this way, her clumsy hands that spilled blood into the sea...
Blindly she followed. Hardly noticed when they were brought into a hut and the healer began working on his patient in earnest. Long after he was gone, having done what he could, Maea lingered by her lover's cot, stroking Haai as long as the griffin remained with her, never for a moment looking away from Sunjata.
Haai was there, to her great relief. Clearly distraught, on full alert; Maea gritted her teeth against the throbbing pain of her leg and tried to smile, tried to be calm and steady as she approached. "Easy, Haai, it's me," she said, seeing the griffin bare its teeth at them. Maea reached for the little wolf, nodding assurances to the startled villagers. If Haai let her, Maea would pick her up and hold her close to her chest while the healer set to work on Sunjata. If the man's frown was anything to go by, it was about as bad as it seemed. Before long, the elder waved to his companions to come help, and together they lifted the unconscious Flood, telling her they had to bring him to the village for proper care.
Swallowing, Maea nodded. Followed, as they made the long, seemingly endless trek back across the sand. Her throat was burning with salt and unshed tears, worry clawing at her; she couldn't let her eyes off Sunjata, guilt and fear and anger at herself clawing through the pain. Her fault... this was her fault. Her stupid idea to go exploring this way, her clumsy hands that spilled blood into the sea...
Blindly she followed. Hardly noticed when they were brought into a hut and the healer began working on his patient in earnest. Long after he was gone, having done what he could, Maea lingered by her lover's cot, stroking Haai as long as the griffin remained with her, never for a moment looking away from Sunjata.
watch me fall apart
and I'll be yours to keep
and I'll be yours to keep
