Chimera Fields apollonius

nearly a moon has passed since her challenge to Aventus. a moon since fleeing Ursus. a moon since she's seen her mother.

she is alive. but is it worth it?

desolation wars continually with betrayal in her mind, even as the fever threatened to overtake all emotion. there was no Evien to tend to her wounds, though a kindly old creature in the mountains had poulticed the worst of it and fed her for a while. but even that had not staved off the infection.

now she is more or less healed, and the feelings have all the room in the world to occupy the forefront of her thoughts. she staggers along the ragged field, face contorted in a perpetual snarl (it really is just her mouth taut with pain) and eyes darting, searching for food.

a less impulsive wolf may have turned back, asked for forgiveness. recognized her challenge for the moment of foolishness it was. but Avicus does not think herself foolish; her choice had been a righteous one, born out of rightful indignity. for her brother to be placed above her, her—! 

to hell with him. to hell with Ursus and the bear god. they could have their fantasies. Avicus wants no part of them.

deer. the scent hits her nose almost as soon as she sees the prey, and she pauses, going stock-still. gaze shifting, watching. . .then moving downward, toward the muddled gray shape upon the ground, its back to her. all too familiar, that thing. 

it can't be, she thinks, moving closer. and yet. . .