Shadewood It's strange what desire will make foolish people do

*cries in emo*

There she was.

Minori... she had been a trusted woman - family to the keep, one of the elite, the council of the woods. A dedicated warrior, but alongside this, a mother. The snow queen had maintained wonderfully elevated expectations of such a proud woman, and yet, here they were, slowly descending into the pits of their self-constructed hell. Gwen observed from the shadows, but cared not to conceal the evidence of her presence; the damage had been done - there was no correcting such a feat, and she found herself lacking the vigour to weave around life's pernicious obstacles, endless barriers, traps, the nonexistant hope.

Truth it was that she had tried; oh, she'd tried so terribly hard. She bounced from one family to the next, serving, pleasing, even leading, when innocent heads turned to her guidance. But no matter where she wove, she was trailed by this lingering misery - this sadistic shadow of terror, which loved so passionately to tear all that she loved from her grip, only to cast it to the wind, where she could never touch it again.

"I've had sex with Minori."

Gwendolyn heard his voice, loud and clear in her head.

"I've had sex with Minori."

Stop.

"I've had sex with Minori."

Stop. His words were branded so permanently into her pallid skull, she could not spare a glimpse at Minori's dark figure without the wind cackling to her, the faces in the dark grinning, smirking, watching... they loved this. She was losing her mind. Please make it stop.

There was only so much she could do to hold it in - a choked sob found exit through the parting of her lips, and she closed her eyes shut to the world, praying the warrior had failed to hear.

You're useless, Gwen.