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ARIA

Aria lurched upright, the echo of gunshots ringing in her ears

Disoriented, she blinked at her surroundings, taking in the canvas walls, the two bed pallets, and the stack of battered storage trunks, finally recognizing Perry’s tent

Pain pulsed steadily in her right are wrapped fro in her stomach

A Guardian had shot her in Reverie

She licked her dry lips, tasting the bitterness of pain medication Just try it, she told herself How hard could it be?

Aches stabbed deep in her bicep as she tried to htest twitch It was like her e vanishing so to her feet, she swayed in place for afor a wave of dizziness to pass She’d coo, and hadn’t left since But she couldn’t stay there a second longer What was the point, if she wasn’t getting better?

Her boots sat on top of one of the trunks Detere one-handed "Stupid things," shea burn

"Oh, don’t blame the poor boots"

Molly, the tribe healer, stepped through the tent flaps with a la like Aria’s mother had, but they had similar demeanors Steady and dependable

Aria ja like an audience to htened

Molly set the lamp down on the trunks and came over "Are you sure you should be up and about?"

Aria swept her hair behind her ear and tried to slow her breathing Cold sweat had broken out along her neck "I’er"

Molly sht "I’ve heard that very coh-skinned hand to Aria’s cheek "Your fever’s down, but you’re due for more medication"

"No" Aria shook her head "I’ asleep"

Asleep wasn’t really the right word For the past days, she had a fewfrom a black abyss forher and whispering in her ear When he’d spoken, she’d seen the glow of e but darkness--or nightmares

Molly took her nu, but as Molly probed higher, she sucked in a breath, her stoe," Molly said "I suppose you’re figuring that out for yourself"

"But it’ll heal, won’t it? Eventually?"

"I care for you too ive false hope, Aria The truth is I don’t know Marron and I did the best we could We were able to save the liht have to re toward the shadows as the words sank in Her arm had almost been removed Taken off, like some expendable part An accessory A hat or a scarf Had she really co a piece of herself ?

"It’s the ar it close to her side "It wasn’t , the half-finished tattoo that would have established her as an Aud, was the ugliest thing she’d ever seen "Will you show me around, Molly?"

Aria didn’t wait for an answer The urge to see Perry-- and to forget about her arh the tent flaps, she came to a dead stop outside

She looked up, overcome by the sheer presence of the cave, a hefty immensity that felt both close and everywhere Stalactites of every size eed from the darkness above, darkness unlike what she’d experienced in her medicated haze That had been empty, an absence This darkness had sound and volu low and constant in her ears

She drew a deep breath The cool air s she could taste them

"For most of us, the darkness is the hardest part," Molly said, co to her side

Around theloom Sounds carried from farther off, where torches flickered--the crunch of a cart wheeling over stone, the steady trickle of water, the pleading bleat of a goat--all echoed frenetically in the cave, assaulting her sensitive ears

"When you can’t see more than forty paces off," Molly continued, "it’s easy to feel trapped We aren’t, thank the skies It hasn’t come to that yet"

"And the Aether?" Aria asked

"Worse Storht on top of us" Molly threaded her arh Aria’s healthy one "We’re lucky to have this place Soh"

An i to dust caone, and the Tides’ coht This was better than nothing