Bane had been less visible than she really wanted, especially after ascending to the Code Breaker’s position. It was strange. She felt… unprepared. Things with her daughter, with her mother, still hung heavily in her heart and in her mind. Family ties were so strange. Honestly, she didn’t really know what to do with family. Honestly, Bane felt like she’d raised herself. At least she’d protected Eden through childhood, but after that? Hell, she’d failed there too. Maybe Bane was a failure after all.

That failure, and the way she was feeling about the entire situation, had been weighing heavily on Bane’s mind. The swim wasn’t terrible, but swimming would always be a full body workout. It would always be tiring. It was more than enough time to get lost in her own thoughts, and that was its own brand of exhaustion. Still, she wouldn’t let it show. Bane knew better than to let the mask slip. It would be too dangerous to let the carefully composed facade crack. They had a job to do. Green gaze flickering to the General and the Prime Minister, happy to let either lead the way to the Paradise itself.

Finally, she rested beside her sisters. A herd lived here, and not a small one. Oswin had made the call, and her gaze flickered to the painted mare and then into the jungle. Everything about this place left Bane with a strange feeling. Was that anxiety? Yeah, probably. It was strange being away from the Peak, even for the day. Right. Bane remained alert, gaze trained on the jungle before her. Had to stay confident.

Anath x Thane