Dawnlark Plains in the blink of an eye

her throat was raw, her dirges having ripped from her throat that previous evening and set lose her grief from where she'd tried to keep it tucked away. there was still a feeling of detachment that lingered, had her wonder, as Shale had, just when she'd wake up. she could still hear the echo of them in the trees and sky and water, where surely her grief would linger for seasons to come. 

she'd never thought much about death, about beliefs. one day you were here and the next not, as had happened to Steady. but death, true death, had seemed so far removed from her, her family. and here it was, ugly in its darkness, having crossed their borders and taken one of their own. 

she'd grown tired of being strong in that last day, for Cat and for Sunny, and when Adi called for her she answered with a single raspy call. she found him easily, wasting no more strength in standing and moving to collapse at his side, scrapped out and hollow. her gaze blinked shut and wished only for the darkness of sleep to sweep her away, but the constant hum of loss kept it well at bay.