Somewhere Over the Rainbow

With every bit of her being, she had believed wholeheartedly that Ambrosia would make it, that Ambrosia would get across the boundary of Dierne Hrof before Draven could catch her. Her soul swelled with the effort as she tried to push radiance from her core, optimism, hope, love all sweeping out from her. Innocent little Zawyne truly believed that if she sent out enough good energy, it would give Ambrosia the boost she needed. But as the wolves neared the boundary, a pestilence invaded her light in an onslaught of rage, hatred, and hunger. This was the first time that the sunrise princess had encountered a dreor stragga, and though she was a Lorer-in-training, and had been submitted to every single vicious detail of their legends and myths, she realized now that it did nothing to prepare her for this. She could sense the crackling of her aura’s defense against it, could sense the evil trying to drown her. Nausea overcame her, and thoughts of failure entered her, send streams of tears down her face. And she knew, she knew that if Ambrosia faltered, it would be her fault. Zawyne cried and screamed but crumpled to the ground, nearly defeated. It oppressed her like heavy chains, weighing her down and she whimpered, helpless…

Until a faint, distance pulse strengthened her own defenses. A trickle of something familiar, something that gave Zawyne the strength to stand. The tears turned to rivers as she poured herself into a last effort, and slowly her aura expanded, her mismatched gaze focused on the woods, waiting for Ambrosia, while her auds swiveled, trying to find the source that strengthened her. And then she realized as she heard a voice calling for her, that it was her mentor, her role-model, the wolf whose pawsteps she had strove to grow up following – Losa. For weeks, months now, Losa’s aura had been quiet, contained, and Zawyne had not been able to reach her through the thick fortress Losa had erected. Maybe Zawyne had not known what Losa was going through, but she knew that something was wrong… but now? Now Losa was a fiery sword wielded by a general who arrived at the last minute with defenses. Zawyne laughed despite the morose situation, smiling, her tears turning to joy as she drew on her sister’s strength to fight back the darkness that called to her very soul. Losa’s aura overtook hers, not with love and hope, but rage and defiance, and yet somehow the pair of them melded into a symbiotic relationship of a beautiful shield. And just then, Zawyne saw Ambrosia leap, and Draven right behind her. “NO!” Ambrosia shone brightly, and just then, Draven faltered. One last step, and he would have grasped the Oferweder in time to tear her apart before reaching the boundary. One last step that he never made. Instead, he tumbled into the boundary and pounded against the invisible wall uselessly. He spewed hateful, violent words, but his evil could cast no shadow upon her soul, not today, despite his horrible vows.

Weak from the effort, Zawyne found herself heaving and huffing, yet continued to send out soothing thoughts to her collapsed Ofer, but she leaned heavily into Losa’s side, not even realizing that her own blood was being smeared across Losa’s pelt. ‘Zaffy…he hurt you. How dare he. Nobody touches my sister. I’m tired of our kind being hurt by this world. I swear to you I will not allow you or any of the Arcus Irae to go unavenged. Ever. Again’ Zaffy nuzzled her sister, trying to calm her. There would be time for revenge, for battles and war, but here in this moment, she was safe. Losa was safe. Ambrosia was safe. And it was time to mourn the loss of Adara. “Losa… at last you found your soul.” The words were but a whisper… but to say them, to speak of it was a relief.

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