- Jun 7, 2022
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HANGING ONTO HOPE
Today felt like the longest day of Ember's life. She stumbled away from her latest victory, blinked away the blood that dripped into her eyes. There was no telling if it was hers or not. Every part of her body ached from injuries she could hardly remember. Especially her shoulder, torn when she had first thrown herself into the fray, had begun to take its toll on her. For the moment she tried to keep her weight off it, but she knew that she would need to stress it more once she got back into the fight. Because she was going back in. Her most recent scuffle had taken her away from the bulk of the action, but in the distance she could still see it raging. Could hear the cries of her friends on the wind. She wondered how many more bodies had fallen while she was away. Maybe she should have stayed in the midst of the chaos, not strayed off for the sake of a single marsh cat. That was the sort of thought that would have driven thorns into her heart any other day, but in this moment it was dull, emotionless.
It was beginning to feel like it didn't matter.
Still, she limped forward, following the scent of blood. Even if this wasn't working, she had to try. She would throw herself at these invaders again and again until they stopped hurting her friends. If she just kept winning, there had to be an end to them eventually. She couldn't give up. The thought of that hurt so much worse.
Her steps halted suddenly. An ear twitched. There was someone nearby, she was certain of it. She lowered herself into a crouch - ignoring the sting in her shoulder - and turned slowly, carefully. Her gaze found a familiar face. Though not a friendly one. Not one of her groupmates. She did not lower her guard as she offered an exhausted smile. A shadow of her usual joy. "Well," she croaked through her haze of fatigue and adrenaline. "Funny seeing you here."
// @ember