Lion Head Mesa How do you know I'm mad?

late evening
37 F

Arielle preferred to remain outside the borders of Akashingo where Ursus had set up camp. Within the mesa was surreal. It was as if it was in a separate reality from the outside world, or at least that was how most of Ramesses wolves seemed to act. It left a bad taste in her mouth. Of course she was polite and went wherever she was needed, but when left to her own devices, she settled for learning the plants that grew outside the borders. 

There were some she knew and some she didn't, and she inspected them closely and carefully. It was a good way to pass the time—to keep the anxious thoughts from her mind as they sat here and waited for the inevitable. 

One plant she found, she knew well. It had no medicinal purpose other than to relieve a sore throat, but she loved the taste of it. She had gathered some, and she picked off a leaf one at a time and chewed it between her teeth as the refreshing minty taste pricked at her tongue. She watched the stars as she repeated the comforting act, searching the sky for answers she knew would not be there.