Arrow Lake ge smak daun, gyon op nodotaim

Ever since she’d returned to Mahler’s care, the herbalists’ days were torn between modesty and mortification. It was good that the centurion arrived from her right; if he’d been on her left... well, she supposed wolves were more favorable than water. “Are you alright?” Aure restrained her tongue, biting back something particularly livid while she slowed to a halt.

Halted, while a muscle flickered away somewhere in a delicate jaw set with adamance. Humiliation gobbled its way from the pit of her throat to the little snowcapped peaks of her ears; it  abysmally rouged her cheeks beneath the fur; fastened such a tautness within her breast that her heart cinched with the effort of casting breath through her veins.

Funny — when Rakk had hunted her, she’d shown those new scars so nakedlykeke to Verx, once upon a December. Now, in this late spring, this great, dark male who she’d lethargically mistaken for him got to see them renewed.

In this moment, Aure was glad it was someone else; she wasn’t sure how she’d conduct herself if it’d been dragostea before her. She might’ve ran before figuring his reaction. The silver trembled, pressed her eyes closed. Hold your ground. Then, after what felt like centuries, Aurëwen opened her eyes, and carefully canted her head to face Ingram in full.

”’Morning, Ingram,” came the ever-lilting voice, so much more demure and unassuming than usual. Ears pressed back into her ruff, she kept her eyes averted for as long as she dared — but eventually brought them up to look into the emberous eyes of definitely-not-dragă.