𝓣𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓪 ↬ b. blake

E L E V E N

A hissing sound made her open her eyes to focus on a snake approaching them. Naga slithered with the calmness of a predator towards the woman.

Pax, who had yet to gain the slightest bit of trust with the reptile, despite no longer looking as babyish as he had the first time he had seen her, was quick to rise and leap into the protection of Astrid's massive body.
The ligeress raised her head when she felt her mistress rise, and, without protest, welcomed the little fox who snuggled as close to her as he could.

Coriane held the air in her lungs; whenever Naga came to visit her, it meant bad news on the way. She reached out a hand to make it easier for the snake to coil around her body until it was positioned around her neck like a necklace. And with her venomous tongue, she hissed into her Terra's ear.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Night had fallen and the feeling of stress had quickly taken hold of the girl's heart. An uncertainty that wouldn't let her breathe.

Astrid walked on her left, Roscoe on her right, and behind them, watching their backs; Søren, a beautiful albino lion. Naga was still curled around her neck, resting her head peacefully on Coriane's shoulder.

Coriane walked through the forest as if it were her own. She knew every path, every nook and cranny, every corner of it. She knew those woods like the back of her hand, even at night she could cross them with her eyes closed.

Lexa's words, the arguments, her brother's words, everything she had discussed with her friends, now pounded so loudly in her ears that she couldn't even hear the crickets sing.

Lexa would attack Skaikru that very night, and her brother, driven by a stupid love he thought he felt, was willing to ruin his life, betray his clan, even risk his life, for a girl.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She repeated over and over in her head. Cursing Lincoln and his heart.

A sound she knew perfectly well rang out in the distance, unsettling not only her, but the animals she brought as company.
It was a sound she knew perfectly, the sound that always attacked her nightmares when Coriane let her guard down. 

Gunshots.

Perhaps now was the time to regret not bringing her siblings with her.

Coriane ordered her animals to be extremely cautions and asked Astrid, who knew Lincoln best, to track his scent. Her brother was close, she knew.

The ligeress did so, and soon left her side to lead the group in pursuit of the target.

Another shot fired. More, more and more and more shots.

The animals growled. Naga hissed. Coriane; she tensed.

She pushed all the terrible, painful memories out of her head. She pushed them all away for her brother's sake. And for her own sanity as well.

Shots. Shots. Shots.

Her people. Her people were dying.

But Lincoln...the spirits.

Control yourself, Coriane, you have to control yourself.

She took a sharp breath, closed her eyes for a moment and forced herself forward. Within minutes she had spotted Skaikru's camp, and Naga was hissing her way to the most covered and discreet entrance.