Time moved so quickly on the Islands that it made her head spin. The longer she was free of Cullen, the more relaxed she became, however she still had an itching feeling he wasn't gone forever. At least by keeping to the Crossing, she remained mostly free of his presence. The traumatic experience of Fortis slinking off and disappearing and Vidarr having to help her locate the child had put her on edge lately. She watched his every move like a hawk. Combine that and the fact that she was now owned by the Lagoon again because of her stupid hormones, she felt a cast of hopelessness. Part of her wanted to blame it on Fearghas, but she couldn't. She had to take responsibility for her actions, even if they were painful trauma responses. She hadn't seen Fearghas in months and the hold he'd left in her heart was massive. Her brief rendezvous with Verrat hadn't even touched her senses and it was probably wise. She couldn't deal with the heartbreak again. It didn't stop her from wondering where he was however. A pang of guilt fills her for not seeking him out when she had felt the first stirs of their brief coupling. But he already had his hands full with his orphaned daughter and she did not want to burden him further with their conception. Still though, her mind drifts beyond her body, considering the possibility of what could have been if she had let her pride go.
Her eyes travel the horizon as Summer has graced the Meadow again. The vegetation was lively and the heat on her back was warm and needed. Fortis, now a yearling, still tried to stray but Aallotar's overbearing motherly instincts after his stunt, forced him to remain nearby. He glowered most of the time, especially when she reminded him it was for his own good. Fortis didn't have the luxury of understanding why his mother was the way she was. He only knew that because of her unpredictable mood swings and arrogance, that his sister had run away and never come back. He missed Seri. Though he'd never tell her at risk of being teased by his older half sister. All he knew was his mother and his sister. Nobody else.
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