Redhawk Caldera And all the stars go dark

Maia had woken early that morning, even before Eljay had.  For a bit she stayed there with her back pressed up against his side and felt his breathing, slow, as he slept.  Then she got up stiffly, as silently as she could, and made her way outside to the river.

She just kept doing this.  She could feel it; she was in trouble again, letting herself run away with something that was just going to end up hurting.  He was so nice, so thoughtful and quietly funny and now, weirdly brave.  She'd kinda guessed that too.  But he was here, and Wraen was not, and no matter how she felt, she couldn't ignore that.  Her sister was her world.

It hurt worse this time than last.  She was stupid staying with him, stupid taking whatever she could while she could, because all it was doing was making her fall deeper and deeper into a hole she'd eventually need to climb out of.

Maia laid down next to the water after she finished taking a drink and watched a few late-autumn leaves make their way lazily down on the current without really seeing it.  Her headache had gone down a bit, but the ringing in her ears was still there, and it perfectly accentuated the warning bells that were clanging over what she was feeling.  Too bad she was way too self-indulgent to heed them.  It felt too good to spend time with him.

WC: 243