broken wings

As Soh was ushered inside, she noted the warmth that overtook her, beginning to thaw her frozen fingers and toes. Tarak accompanied her, staying close by her side as Sah led her through the house. Despite the way her body was beginning to warm, her heart remained numb, incapable of wrenching itself free from the heartache that plagued the Luminary in the aftermath of the battle.

It was easier by far to allow Sah to take care of her, and the way that he did so spoke to a man who had done it countless times before. She couldn’t find it in herself to wonder about the familiar way he ran the bath, the polite gesture of Lilly bringing her a towel. When the bath was ready, Sah prepared to leave her to her own devices. At his inquiry, Soh shook her head. There was nothing that she needed that Sah could give her.

Once she was alone, save for Tarak, she forced herself to move, going through the motions of taking a bath if only so that she didn’t waste Sah’s generosity. When she emerged, the water ran red. Soh cringed at the crimson rivulets that beaded upon her skin, lamenting the stains that she left on the towel as she dried off. When she emerged, fully dressed, with damp hair and Tarak in her arms, she looked a great deal better than she felt.