Lamia Cinus

Hawk's Peak

I wake up with a start. Sunlight streams into the small shelter, the fire is dead. The rain is a recent memory as is my dream by now. Birds chirp outside. Cassie speaks first. "We're still alive, right? Lamia?"

I reply with "Too late, I'm gone, dead! Emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually... dead! Go on without me, I am of no use to you anymore. Save yourself!" I finish the dramatic charade and grin while propping myself up on my elbow.

Classy, you use my lines. To make yourself seem interesting.

Technically they were my lines.

No, they were not.

Go back to sleep Mortana. I munch on a strip of dried wolf. "How are you Cassie? You must not be feeling well."

"I feel like I was run over by a tree. Oh, wait..." She sits up and I watch her pick leaves and twigs out of her clothes with a grimace. She then edges over to me and inspects my wounds, I didn't hear what she said at first but I hear the second part which was "We shouldn't set out right away. You...well, I need a moment to pull myself together. I don't know about you. You owe me some new bandages." What?! Did she just say that you owe her new bandages, preposterous! Give me control of the body and I will end her now.

What is so outrageous about it?

Fleshling you buffoon, she dares say that the great Mortana owes her bandages!

She said I owe her bandages not you.

I will still end her someday.

Oh, go shove yourself in some bad memories.

"Well, well, well, I am feeling very well today! My leg feels like it was never injured! Other than the fact that walking is hard, I am fine! We can continue the moment you feel better!" I stand up clumsily, take my now dry cloak off the ground, check the box for missing weapons, put the box on my back then equip my cloak and finally stride outside.

looking up at the sky, I use my arm to shield my eyes away from the sun. I walk up a small hill until I am sure that Cassie cannot hear or see me. I click my tongue twice, and wait. A midnight black raven flies down. I give it my arm to perch on and to my surprise is actually takes the offer. "You're the little devil that has been spying on Cassie and me for the past two days. Or was it three? This journey is taking far too long. Are you Cassie's?" With the mention of the name it caws at me. "So, Mr. Raven. Will show me where the berries are?" It caws again and takes flight. It circles around me thrice and flies off to the north. I follow the raven's cries and soon find it eating a berry. A bush of élan vital berries. They taste like blood which is often terrible to humans but I am different. They give the body energy and blood. Both of which I need. It was something to do with some sort of alchemical property, however ravens and hawks seem to be the only ones that can find them. Additionally, my clan uses them to make alcohol, which numbs the nerves. I thank the raven and it flies off, "Perhaps we can go on a second date later. Maybe?" I giggle at my own joke.

I then decide to finish fixing my old, torn dress, I decided against wearing it until we were over the mountain, in case it ripped again. Finally, I went back to the shelter with the berries I had picked. "Hey. So, how are you? Now, I mean." I see her looking at the élan vital berries. "Don't eat these unless you like the taste of blood, they taste terrible. I have to eat them, gives me blood. Besides they don't taste that bad to me. I am also used to the taste." I pause, "I have eaten them before."

A good way to cover up fleshling.

I told you to go away.

"Are you out of rations?" Cassie asks. She tosses me a small package. "I didn't eat yesterday. You can have a day's worth." I murmur a thank you. "You mean I'm fine besides my aching body? Yeah, I'm fine. Better than I expected to be. I mean, I'm not dead." She takes a sip of water but nearly spits it out as she chuckles out of the blue. "'I'm dead. Go on without me?' Seriously?"