Hold on to me because I'm a little unsteady

After the battle, she'd bolted from her mother and her aunt. Left them for Mauja. Left them before Alysanne could even get a good look at her wounds. It had been impulsive, and a little bit stupid, but the spotted stallion had touched her heart with his icy fingers. He'd been mourning and surrounded, the despair in his voice pulling her soul to him with a force that she couldn't ignore. It simply shoved her own injuries aside, blocking out any and all desire to get them looked at and tended to. A shattered heart, after all, is a far more grievous wound than burns, bruises, and stiffness. The girl had offered him what quiet comfort she had to offer and a soft bed of passionflowers that she hoped would help ease his pain. Whether her feeble attempts had been helpful or not, she'd likely never know but she took comfort in knowing she'd at least tried.

Mother would be proud of that, right? The moon doctor couldn't rightly scold her for putting someone else before her own wellbeing, could she?

When she finally left Mauja's side, the girl looked even more atrocious with bloody sand coating her legs and belly. She felt dirty, a strong desire to throw herself into the ocean and let the waves wash her fur clean but instead the girl scans the lingering crowd for the familiar face of her mother. But the black and white pegasus is nowhere to be seen. For a moment her heart sinks. For a moment she feels alone. Yet the sensation is fleeting. Alysanne is more than just her mother and as soon as she'd been weaned, the mare had loosened her hold on the girl. She had to grow up, had to experience life - no matter how difficult it was for the emerald eyed doctor. No matter how hard it is for the chocolate painted filly.

A soft sigh flutters from her soft lips, barely audible above the rolling and crashing of the waves. The sky had darkened considerably with the stars blinking into existence. Normally the small, sparkling dots would make her smile. Normally the darkness would allow her to disappear and soothe her but here on this island, so near to where the tiger goddess fell, it only leaves her uneasy; feeling as though her hair is standing on end. Nervously, she shifts and after a brief moment of hesitation the girl unfurls her wings. With a few strong thrusts, paired with several pained steps forward, the girl launches her slender form into the night sky.

***

Her journey is a long one. With her legs taking the brunt of the damage in the battles she'd carelessly thrown herself into, the girl is left with little choice but to fly home. The pain in her shoulder, however, made it even more difficult to fly that distance without a break. The girl flew to the ground often to rest her bruised shoulder, watching the night pass before her teal eyes. By the time she landed just outside the broken remnants of the wall, the sun had completed most of its' curve across the sky. Soon, she knew, night would be settling in again but the girl would welcome the darkness here within the Edge. Here it is familiar. Here, it is her friend.

The girl ruffles her wings before tucking them against her sides once more. She hesitates, her heart fluttering in her chest as her eyes stare unseeing into the misty forest of her home. Naerys inhales deeply, breathing the moist air into her lungs and finding her courage. She steps forward, tiptoeing across the threshold with extra care to avoid the glass shards as well as, hopefully, prevent further damage to her wounded legs. Tar still clings to her back legs, clinging to the burns alongside the dried blood and sand coating the rest of her legs and her belly. Her side and shoulder are still bruised, though the pain in her shoulder is the stronger of the two - leaving her with a bit of a gimp. She moves forward, slow and steady, slipping into the familiar misty woods. "Mama?" comes her whisper, meek and soft.

NAERYS