Otter Creek trickle down the spine

dated 10/25 -- maybe @Mahler? or someone else from Diaspora?

Where had things gone so wrong?

That was the question of the century. Really, where hadn't they gone wrong? From the moment of her birth, trouble seemed to follow her. The past few moons, however, had been particularly awful. Children of pestilence, Ramsay's and Mou's departures, Parvati's betrayal, Cass dying, Anansi dying. . .

And now Sakhmet was nowhere to be found. How many more blows before she stopped feeling them?

Maegi stopped for a drink by the creek, pale pelt draped in the shadow of the mountains. It was cold and clear but with rain just on the horizon, ominous clouds rolling in. She lapped at the water, running slower now, interrupted by falling rocks further upstream. Not completely interrupted, as in the woods—but certainly hindered.

She lay down on her belly against the cool earth, a pebble here and there digging into her flesh. She stared down into the water and pressed her nose in, her muzzle, the crown of her head. . .

The Nona surfaced with a small gasp, shuddering at the chill. She shook herself and let the droplets rain from her chin, rippling out in perfect circles upon the surface of the stream. What would it be like to die by drowning? She wondered if it would be peaceful, quiet. She thought maybe that she'd like that, after all the chaos she'd endured.