Her strength was not so much that she could withstand the assault from Naerys. She regretted the physical distance between the two ever since she had made it but would have pushed the girl further away if she thought it would help either of them. In her indecision, she didn’t move - and died a little more inside every second that she spent with distance between them. How could she take it back now, though? She worried about being rejected the same way that she had rejected Naerys.

Her daughter fought her every step of the way, fought her with all that she had, and Alysanne feared that they weren’t going to be able to survive this so she weathered the hits. Later, when their tempers had cooled, they would have another conversation. She didn't trust herself not to make this worse. She felt angry, both at herself and her daughter for talking to them like this. What did it matter what Evangeline’s reasons were for wanting to protect her? Why did it matter why no one wanted to see Naerys get hurt? It was such a natural reaction to her - Alysanne would step up and defend anyone’s child - and she was confused at how her daughter could not make that connection. She, who made friends and so readily defended one stranger (Rift) yet argued with and battled with another (Evangeline). Naerys wouldn’t accept her mother’s friends but Alysanne was at fault for not accepting her daughters and it hurt how unfair that was.

Alysanne no longer had the strength to verbally respond to the girl, chilled to the bone with what her daughter has turned into and all the while her thoughts screaming at her that this was her fault. She had done this to the girl. But had her absence really been so damaging? She managed a nod in response to the (rhetorical) question that had been asked and watched as Naerys disappeared before she allowed herself to react. A sharp gasp escaped her as she fought for breath to fill her lungs, followed by several more as she tried to catch it, to calm her heart from the thundering pace that it has set. Somehow, now, she managed to get out some words - wings unfolding just a little so that she could try to touch the side of her friend, something to keep her rooted.  “Eva, what have I done?” She stumbled then, her knees giving way, but she managed to catch herself before she fell to the earth. “Was I wrong?” She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know the answer, despair taking over from the fear and anger that had been roaring through her just a few short moments ago.