[This post is from Hecate’s point of view.]
She stared out at the water beyond the trees, fingers buried in the dirt. She’d been sitting there in the grass, tucked into a small clearing not far from the shore, for hours, watching the waves crash against the shore, breathing deeply the scent of salt and the sea and trying to capture what little peace she could here, in this place.
She wished she could stay, but she knew that she couldn’t, that this trip, like so many others, was stolen time and soon enough, she’d be missed.
The only signal she had before she sensed him was the sound of a paw against brush, then the warmth of a wolf alongside her. The creature leaned against her and she smiled weakly, eyes stinging as she reached up to rub its ears.
“Hello,” she whispered to it. “Where’s your master?”
She sensed him, then, and turned. She smiled, though he could not see her as he moved through the trees and brush as if he could still see them. Cíar was dressed in doeskin leggings and knee-high boots, a linen tunic beneath a wool wrap and a cloak. He smiled when she turned.
“Were you waiting a long time?” he asked softly as he came alongside her, reaching for her. She took his hand and slowly drew herself to her feet, stepping into his chest even as he gathered her against him.
“No,” she whispered. “Not that I noticed, anyway. Time here…time here always feels too short but also seems to go on forever.”
Cíar pressed a kiss to her temple, then to her lips. “I’m sorry. It was hard to steal away. We’re going to war.”
“I know,” she said. “Word reached us on the continent.”
“I don’t want you to worry.”
“I will anyway.” Her fingers tangled in the wool and linen. “Unless I make myself forget and I do not want to ever forget anything about you. I love you too much.”
“And I, you.” He kissed her again, arms tightening. She sighed into his shirt.
“Forever wouldn’t be long enough.”
“No. And all we have is what we have.”
She sighed, pressing her face harder against his chest. He rested his chin against her hair.
“Always, Peia. I will love you always.”
