Duck Lake capsize

the fire. aria remembered the burning territory but... only barely. she had told it's story to a stranger-- but only now did she remember telling it. her brow furrowed as she thought back. memories now were so bizarre, aria remembered them but... they were like reading a book. she could only look through as an onlooker-- she understood them and knew them but they did not feel like they we're truly hers. she almost missed his sentiment-- about floki. had she and the ostrega man been that close?

had she and constantine been that close?

"please," aria pleaded softly, her ears lowered and her eyes wide, "don't say that, none of this is your fault-- this is not your burden." in fact, if anyone, it was floki's. aria did not quite remember it now-- but it was not constantine's disappearance that drew her from the safety of the mountain-- it was floki's.  but, of course, it was also the building of one wolf after another leaving her. abandoning her. perhaps it was good she didn't quite remember that feeling. it lingered, as always, but she did not feel that abandonment as she so did back in the day. "i'm just glad you're here now," she added. 

of course, aria was never that great of a scout. aria had never been that great at anything. she'd never found a passion-- not truly. she was born into medicine and used scouting to escape her problems at donnelaith. she loved neither, not truly. but did she know? hardly. to hear she was a scout was... well, news to her. her ears pricked at his comment, but she merely nodded. "please, lead the way."

finally, aria january would be going home. she hoped.