[KQ] Raise You Like a Phoenix

a m a l i a The attempt to be rid of the pesky fox is not without consequences. Amalia bites hard on her lip in an attempt to avoid screaming as the vulpine Attuned latches onto her wrist. The motion works, but her right hand is left badly wounded, a half circle of small, deep teeth marks oozing red from her forearm. Silently she curses, angled face contorting in a brief flash of pain, anger lashing through her unaided by any madness. Why, why would he not just shift, become a human and actually help? In her wrath she does not see that this would only lead to bigger problems. Only now matters, the well being of Rory and the madness of her companions and the cruel, crushing guilt at being responsible for dragging them into this mess. She wishes they had waited for Wessex, yearns for the older woman. Wessex would have known what to do. Amalia is not prepared to take charge. But take charge she must. She alone has remained safe, though as Rory grasps the glowing antler it seems that this might change. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Her hands move to touch his chest, but she thinks better of it. Tears burn in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rory. This is all my fault." There will be time for tenderness later. Right now, Edy is the next priority: the beautiful, savage child has already proven herself beyond predictability or control. Helping Rory to stand, Amalia turns as the teen begins talking, a new sort of panic rising in her face. "No!" she exclaims, and then softer but still urgent: "No! We need to fix it, for the Spark Bird, so that... so that..." It sounds ridiculous, even to her. The Spark Bird, a vanished myth, is not going to come. Their perch was doomed before it was built, and now they have rushed out here, fallen into a trap- for what? A fairytale, a children's myth, a story told around campfires in the depths of the Long Night. The Spark Bird had been a favorite of her grandmother, and thus, the girl, but it was her mother who was ultimately right. The bird had perished long ago. They were never going to see it. No matter how they wished, no matter how they prayed, it was never going to come. And yet... Her arm around Rory, ready to throw herself in front of any danger that should try to approach him, Amalia stares at Edrei with tears in her eyes, pleading with the girl to understand. "Please," she whispers, taking slow steps toward the perch. "Please don't burn it. Please." Because at the end of the day her belief may be foolish, but it is the only thing she has. Permission from Neo to pp Rory getting up with Amalia. Ama continues to act as a human shield and will step in to take any blow aimed at Rory.