There are flowers growing all around | Running away

The thought had been there for some time. A nagging feeling as she looked out into the forest beyond the town from her windows, her spot where she sat with wary eyes. A feeling of being unsafe, unloved and abandoned by everyone. Everyone but pretty-mother. But even Elsweyr got criticism with what she did, giving Ares a dagger. That dagger had hung from her neck with a leather cord, she swore never to use it. And she was doing a good job of it.

With the moon hidden behind dark clouds the child wrote a letter in candlelight. Shaky hand writing meant nothing, only one would read this letter. A flash of light from an oncoming storm shook Ares out of her zoning. Time to go. "Sorry, Mom. Can't risk you getting hurt or punished because of me." She looked at the note and set it before the door under the sheath. She wouldn't need it where she was going. Taking one last look at the letter she read it again.

"i am leaving. I am not sorry, Tanglewood, for this action. I believe it is best if I leave this place that has given me a reason to hate it. Ever since the incident you've all ignored me or whispered or even glared at me; i know what I am and I don't need you to remind me. Pretty-mother, I truly am sorry but this town isn't for me. - Ares

Ares snorted at the rain, pulling the black cloak further over her face as she moved toward the exit of town. It was a light drizzle now, but it would get heavier before she left the territory for her (hopefully) new home. Leaving town was a weight dropped from her shoulders, her tired limbs given new life as she ran from the town, from the memories, the hate. Maybe she could learn to love the place again, love the people.

At the border the rain pounded against her, heavy breaths drawn on cold air. "From this day forward, I am no longer of Tanglewood. I'm so, so sorry, Pretty-mother, but I can't risk your position for me." She gripped the dagger and she bolted out of the territory, leaving it all behind.

A storm was approaching during the night. The sky heralding rain and then it broke open and the rain came pouring down. It work the woman from her slumber but only for a moment, ears turning slightly to listen to the tapping against the window. For a moment she wondered if Arrow was awake and if she even slept before slowly she succumbed back to the depths of slumber. The woman didn't awaken till the morning, stretching and arching her form before she allowed a loud yawn to pull free from her muzzle. Shaking herself for a short moment she looked around for Arrow to greet her this morning all things considered. The other had been kind and generous to her and she wished to repay her back. She had thought of going to bring back a kill for her, something that showed respect in her tribe but she also realized that the woman did not eat. She was in her afterlife now. So maybe she would think of something else. ''She's going to go and start her duties, Arrow. Please if she needs something just let this one know.'' She called over her shoulder as she headed to the door.

Opening it her paw bumped against something and her crystalline blue eyes locked on the sheathe. She had seen it somewhere before and she narrowed her eyes in thought before she realized that it belonged to Ares. She had negotiated to get the sheathe since she did not get to have the sword. But what was it doing here? Her eyes looked it over before she moved it gently, thinking to take it into the house and return it when she noticed the paper. Something felt very off about this, all of it. Something felt wrong and she swallowed thickly, tension crackling in the air. It all felt so wrong and she breathed out slowly as she took a hold of the letter and opened it up. The words that were etched on the paper were clumsy and quickly written in a haste. Her eyes slowly read over the note but again and again she read over the words because they simply could not be true. Her breathing was quicker, faster, pain expression pulling across her features. ''No..no..no...nononono!'' She began in a heated mumble before it turned into a cry of panic, of fear and anger. The flames that undulated against her neck flared to life. Chaotic and violent the fire turned blue and white, arching and shifting like solar flares along her body and spreading down her back.

She launched herself from the porch then and sprinted toward the house. Don't cry. Don't cry. This had to be just a funny joke, just something to keep her on her paws. She burst through the still ruined door. ''ARES!'' But there was no answer, just a heavy silence that greeted her. She moved into the home and desperately looked around, moving everything out of her path and when she did not see an ounce of her daughter anywhere she bolted from the house and looked around wildly, blue eyes glossed over like a mirror. This was their fault, they had done this to her daughter, they didn't treat her like she was one of their own. They didn't try to help her but chain her down, lock her up. A strangled cry left her throat, turning into broken cracked sobs, as she realized how late she was, that she must have left during the night. When she could not have stopped her because she was sleep.

But the worst part of it was that she did not know where she had gone. She was just gone. The lioness felt the pain in her heart because of the unknown. How would she find her. The rain had washed away the scent and now...her daughter was just gone. What a mother she was. She couldn't protect her after all.

The Shaderunner had been within the safety of her home when the rain began to fall from the sky, she was currently playfully scolding Archimedes who had been in the rain flying and shook himself out sending water droplets in her way. She found herself laughing only to say with a soft tsk "Archimedes! You know better than to be flying in the rain." The small screech owl lifted his wings letting out a joyful shriek though his eyes widened and turned to the window, Sophiea was already for a towel to dry off the feathered scoundrel until she caught sight of what he was looking at. Ares. Her pupils narrowed in that moment wondering where the child was going though, she was uncaring in doing so. "The bloody idiot is going to get herself in more trouble," The British woman hissed under her breath as she began to gently dry off Archimedes, a scowl present as she debated on whether she should follow and catch her before Ares left or let her face her own stupidity. The winged feline almost felt bad about these thoughts but the more she lingered on them, she eventually shook her head and said with a growl "I care not for such an imbecile. If she wishes to act stupidly then I will turn a blind eye," She said to no one in particular, Sophiea eventually went to bed.

Although, her sleep was interrupted by the cries of Elsweyr and Sophiea stared at her ceiling for the moment feeling concern and apathy flood over her. A stupid, foolish mother crying over her stupid, spoiled child. With a roll of her eyes, the British woman began to make her way down from her attic and grabbed an umbrella with telekinesis. She was certain that the child had only went to hide and throw another tantrum though it seemed from Elsweyr's reaction... That might not have been the case. The Shaderunner would drew near not afraid of the lioness and it took her a moment to realize that the umbrella wasn't big enough for the both of them, Sophiea didn't wish to get soaked by the downpour but she figured that she would be kind in these rare moments even if a frown was present on her maw. She used her telekinesis to lift up the umbrella high enough so it was covering the lioness, Sophiea speaking in her usual sharp tone "It is best if you don't stay out in the rain long... The last thing you should do is give Moth more work and get sick." She paused for a moment only to sigh quietly under her breath looking in the direction she had seen Ares run off to.

"We'll find her."

"blood is like wine, unconscious all the time" ✭ ── She was worried about how Ares had been acting lately, more so for the kid's own safety than anything else, she seemed...troubled? Arrow had been worried that something was going to break, and someone was getting hurt. Technically, she was still right, but no one took any physical damage. No, no, it was just Elsweyr wailing like a pained mother.

Sometime before Elsweyr woke up, Arrow had decided to check in for the night, not because she needed to sleep, but rather, she wanted to. It was a comfort she was still lucky to have. Prior to Elsweyr's arrival, she chose not to, but something about the gentle crackling and ambient light of the forever burning fire mane relaxed her usually frayed nerves enough to pretend like a living creature who needed rest. Well, that and the comfort of actually having someone nearby.

The initial call only yielded a lazy sound in return, a chirp of sorts, as Arrow remained where she was, intend on falling back asleep until the chaos began. Out the door she went, stumbling around as her eyes refused to focus for a brief moment, startled awake in full fight or flight, though "flight" was taking the lead. The sound of the aggressive rain didn't help her figure out what the hell was going on, just more noise to the fray. It wasn't until she was able to notice the sheath and the note, which she read over a few times with little luck getting the message to process, that she finally realized what was going on. And even then, it took Sophia's matter-of-fact, sharp tone to yank her back to earth. "Elsie? At least come back to the porch, the rain's getting brutal." Not to mention, though she wouldn't say it out loud, watching Elsweyr dash around in the downpour looking for Ares was devastating, more so somehow than if she was safe inside to mourn the loss.