Noctisardor Bypass teil eins

It was hard to tell whether any of her words were getting through. She noted that he seemed thoughtful, but would he fight for her, like his son had suggested? Or would Mahler be like everybody else and show her that she did not really matter in this life — not to anyone but Indra, anyway. And me, my dearest. Don't forget me. His hiss turned into a threat: Never forget me.

Even the hot breath that she was sure she must be imagining — but it was there, nonetheless — on her ear was not enough to stop Laurel from her determination. Were he alive then Iliksis may have torn Merrick limb from limb instead. It was an ironic thing to think about. Yet in turn, she would be his shackled wife, enslaved and to do as he wished her to around every bend while he continued a trail of savagery all around them. A willing prisoner. Even her revenge was not worth that prize; just the thought of feeling Iliksis' teeth nibbling at the frays of her face made Laurel feel like cringing. No, it was not worth it.

Hopefully the price she would have to pay Mahler for her revenge was much smaller than what Iliksis would've made her pay.

Eventually he spoke again, asking for a place. Laurel felt her heart pound in her chest as she wondered if this meant that he would do it. She did truly think Merrick was a threat. To her, at least, and therefore to any who associated with her. And perhaps even to the little children, for he had shown to be volatile and unpredictable. He and his had killed wolves from Easthollow too, and as far as Laurel knew that was without knowing Laurel lived with them. It was just because he was insane.

Then her name. There was something different about Mahler. The way he spoke her name — it was almost warm, and yet cautious, as if she was a rose to be admired and kept safe, but with prickly thorns that he was afraid to prick himself on. Mahler, she returned calmly but with a tremble of feeling to it; the same caution in her voice, albeit for perhaps different reasons. There was something about him, she realised from the moment they had sat by the lake together for the first time, the first time that her mask her fallen off her face but for a moment. He was like the rose to her, albeit in different ways. She did not know why she sought him out, why she so longed to... well, to trust him, to truly trust him. She wanted to, but she was afraid. So afraid to be pricked.

She swallowed thickly, distracted from this weird moment where time seemed to play no role and she was just entangled with her own thoughts and feelings, unsure what was even going on, truly. The eloquence and fire when she described Merrick earlier had been doused as she seemed to have lost her tongue for a moment. She looked at him, forcing the moment of warmth from her eyes and voice as she said, He lives in Bearclaw Valley, to the south. My... Our old home. Thinking back, she thought to finding Lucas' dead body in the valley. I remember. I was there. She hadn't had time to look at his body, not before Iliksis showed up. Then Nunataq drove him off. Merrick hadn't been there. He must've been so young then. But what if he played a part in orchestrating that, too? It didn't matter, even though it was easy enough to blame him for the death of her favourite child, too. It didn't matter, but maybe it mattered just a little.

She added coldly as she thought this over, and thought of potential children — Praimfaya's, Sequoia's.. hers, maybe — Not nearly far enough away from here.