Skill: Apostle

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For Amaranth

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Waking to yet another gift bearing Amaranth's scent, Valeska scowled and pushed it away. There was a small pile of them now, little trinkets and offerings of peace left by her mate as she tried to make amends while still respecting the woman's need for space in this sensitive time.

Valeska continued to mourn her tail, and more than that, she longed for home.

Having had quite enough of the Howling River by now, the little wolf shuffled north and followed the water toward its source; toward the once-great, glittering lake of Fate's Respite, whose waters ran crystalline and clear until the plague had suffered its poison upon it. She fully expected to see the sickly, opaque sheen of death still scrawled across its surface, anticipated the all-consuming thirst to trigger in proximity -

But no.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat.

The lake was as it had been before the rot set in; clear like glass, still and calm, and Valeska did not feel the thirst well up in a bid to fill her with its poison.

The world was grown cold, the Respite empty and devoid of all the life that had filled it for so long, but it, home, was cleansed at last and she could have wept for joy.

Soft footsteps from behind distracted her from this reverie, and she knew them from their stride to belong to Amaranth.

Houtu has returned, Valeska breathed. Do you see? Houtu has purified the lake; the Five have not abandoned us. I never once doubted them - oh, Amara, we can come home - damn the cold, the gods have kept us safe, and they will bless this return -

The words caught in her throat.

Even when it was so dark, and so terrible, when I thought we had lost everything - the Five are faithful, and they listen. They work for our good, even if we do not see it.

She thought then of her missing tail; of Amaranth's role in its removal. Her jaw set in a firm line and she swallowed thickly.
Something within softened, then, and she felt herself give up.

... Even if we do not want to see it.

Skill:

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Things were colder. Darker.
(And not just in the world of Mythris,
but in the world of Amaranth as well.)

The golden wraith had spent her days slowly limping around the river, dropping off trinkets at her mate's side when the other was sleeping. She'd nearly frozen over it, sleeping some feet away instead of coiled around Valeska's warmer frame.

It was not uncommon for the raven-eyed woman to drop gifts off for her mate, but both of them knew that this was different. Valeska was normally Amaranth's safety (and a net for the Augur's sanity). But since the 'incident', the silver woman had become standoffish. It was as if all of her love had been held in her tail, and now that it was chopped off ... perhaps there was nothing left to give.

Or, perhaps the plague had affected Valeska more than Amaranth had realized.

Had she taken the cursed appendage off too late?

But it was strange ... the poison ... it had seemed to lift from the river (much like it had left Valeska's body, though everyone seemed remiss to thank her for that), leaving the Respite once more ... habitable. It was a development in the destruction of the world that was puzzling — not unwelcome, and yet ... ominous. But as the world would ease a wary sigh of relief, Amaranth would release a sigh of her own.

Her ankles ached as she approached Valeska once more, this time with an ebony river stone in her jaws—Obsidian. It was a small, jet black stone said to empower truth, grounding, and protection.

Soft, limping paw-steps drew delicately nearer, and this time Valeska did not move away. Those golden eyes, once more, held a familiar sparkle, and it was enough to ignite a glimmer of hope from behind the dark veil of Amaranth's aching heart.

Amaranth would place the obsidian in the pile with the rest of the gifts.

I wonder what has changed ... the woman would ponder softly, easing herself into a sitting position to take the pressure off her injured ankles. Her voice would wonder about the lake, but her eyes would linger on Valeska's face, watching the angles in which her lips moved. Amaranth did not want to mention her latest theory ... you know ... about the cleansing fires. So she opted instead to nod along with her mate — We can go home.

She allowed herself the privilege of a small smile.

But Valeska seemed to struggle, tripping slightly over words. Amaranth yearned to wander closer, to lift Valeksa's chin beneath her own and hold her up. But the wraith remained patiently, painfully, rooted.

We have found Elysium over and over again, she would hum, blinking slowly as she turned her gaze toward Valeksa. Nothing could keep us from it forever.

Silence lingered for a moment, the strain of her anxiety grating against the calmness of their newfound hope.

I am truly sorry, мой свет (my light), she would say finally, flattening her ears against her head. I feared that I would lose all of you, had we not sacrificed that piece. She spoke her truth, regardless of how insane it sounded — there was no point in lying. I would rather have you here ... and very angry with me ... She'd swallow, squinting her eyes against the pain of what she thought would have been the truth ... Than not have you here at all.

She looked rather like a kitten left alone in a box on the side of the road.

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