that love soon might end | open, return

[rochelle]

[div style="margin: 0 auto; border: 0px; width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 11.5px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px;"]The sight that she was met with should have scared her. The scales and the leathery black wings, the large mass flinging itself towards her. But she didn't recoil from the embrace, never flinching as she pressed against the heap of fur. Vandal. That mischievous black beauty, spreading her wings throughout the sky, carrying a breeze of gunpowder and rum in her wake. The smell of her good friend was something she had never forgotten, even when she'd thought she lost all of it. She figured it was because Vandal carried the scent of the island with her, and all the things Fischer liked the most. When she was laying out on the hard floor in the dark, bleeding out, that sweet smell would come over her and suddenly pull her pained thoughts to home and fill her with strength. The small things like that had given her the grit to will a smile in the face of her enslaver.

"I ... wha ... Vandal, I cannot believe that you are home." The words were choked, but they came spilling out fast. That wisened and calm demeanor she had trained so well came down quickly when she was in the presence of that familiar face. Her entire body was trembling for a moment, eyes wet and glazed, stare shuddering when she gazed back into Vandal's. To look upon Vandal's face again ... to touch her, to know that she was tangible and real took Fischer's breath away. Her perseverance hadn't been in vain ... the gods had given her the strength to survive, and Vandal, her being here must be a gift directly from Nereides herself. "It has been so long ... I did not know if you would still be here ..." The Borzoi gasped, shaking her head wistfully. That was true, she had feared that when she came back everything would have been different, that she would be home, but amongst strangers. But as it turned out, she had been wrong ...

Dead wrong. Swallowing thickly and pursing her lips, she timidly looked over to the tigress that stood in front of her. There was something that was familiar about her. In her eyes ... the fierceness and determination of a youthful soul that Fischer had known once before. She dipped her head to her, gracious of her offers. "Aye, I am ... fine. Thank you, I am so grateful for your offer." Though her wounds had healed for the most part, there was still damage unseen she wouldn't confess to. It was going to take a while to get through the darkness that had settled because of the past year, and it made no sense to make someone fret over it when they couldn't help. Or, that's at least what she naively believed. For a moment she hugged Vandal a little bit tighter, but lost her grip when the tigress spoke again. "Captain ..." She breathed out, pulling away from the maned wolf to gaze into the eyes of Goldenluxury.

For a moment, she couldn't help but think of Pincher. He was gone now, wasn't he? Or at least, he was no longer Captain. Something had changed, out of her control, time had passed when she couldn't even recognize it. Confusion and grief fogged up her eyes, smiling painfully. A long time ago now, he had saved her life, she liked to think. When she showed up at the gate, dehydrated and wounded, he had picked her frail body up and brought her in. And then, she had served as a crew-member and Soothsayer to him, a loyal piece of the Typhoon. Those days were over ... his kin now stood before her, as strong and ambitious as any Captain should be. "... and ... and I am so glad to see you, my Captain." Fischer felt herself buzzing, beaming at Goldie. Oh, how big she had gotten. So powerful too. She had needed to live through so much to get to this point, no longer was she the girl with her spine flayed open and bleeding out while Fischer had tried to heal her. The girl was no longer. Only the woman remained.

Her wise gaze fell on Starlightbrigade, who she gave a fond look to. There was a new face. As refreshing as it was to see old friends in Vandal and Goldenluxury, the stranger was a welcomed sight for the canine. "Starlightbrigade, thank you, you are so generous ... some food would be perfect." Fischer murmured warmly, meeting his gaze when she spoke to him. And then this impish look crossed her face, an expression that was almost unnatural for the mature creature. "And, well ... some rum wouldn't hurt, I would be grateful." She thought Vandal might like the sound of that. A sheepish, guilty look crossed her, but when she looked back to the Captain, a soberness took hold of her spirit, a gentle fall of her lips into a frown.

"You kept me alive, Captain ..." Fischer was nearly whispering, eyes beginning to shed tears. "Whenever those Pittians spoke your name with ... with such malice ... an-and fear, it gave me the strength to come home." Her face was stoic when she spoke, expression hardened but her words trembling and impactful. Without the reminder that the Typhoon lived on in Goldenluxury's company, Fischer wasn't sure if she would have made it. Her enslaver had broken her down, beaten all that she loved out of her. But they never got that secret piece of her, they never knew that the rebellion was burning deep within all along.