The scourge has started to take hold of Yharnam but the church and citizens are fighting back. Young hunter, Auna, sets out on her first hunt to prove herself against the beasts that plague her city. However, she finds that not everything is black a...
Auna tossed and turned in bed. Stephen's room had grown silent when she returned from her talk with Logarius. His concern for Arianna made Auna's stomach twist but she didn't have the heart to tell him what she heard. Something was wrong about Cainhurst. You could smell it in the halls and see it in the cracks breaking through the surface. Her eyes were open and she couldn't return to her previous reality.
She hoped to dream. The Doll would know what to do. But sleep never came. Every moment she would reach out for it she would hear the voices. "You're not strong enough." "Fear the old blood." "You will never survive alone." Conversations replayed in her head, repeating and repeating. Before she knew it, dim light peaked through the windows and it was time to wake.
The castle burst into life once again in the early hours of the day. Auna chose to stay in her room hoping to avoid Stephen and any of the Cainhurst family. She watched out the window as more carriages arrived bringing more guests. Music began to waft through the halls as the day wore on. Auna tried to busy herself with folding her clothes and sharpening her weapon until finally a knock came to her door.
"Auna, it's time," came Arianna's voice on the other side. She opened the door cautiously and scoffed at Auna's appearance. "You haven't even done anything with your hair yet."
"Sorry, I was preoccupied," she replied. Arianna sat her down and pulled the comb through her tangled hair. She moved quickly in her work, painting her face and helping her into a feathered frock. Auna looked at herself in the mirror but she couldn't find anyone familiar. She looked like a joke, exposed to the world even with the mask of jewels and color.
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"Is this normal for you?" Auna asked, looking at Arianna's gown.
"It has been awhile since we had a gathering like this at Cainhurst," she began. "Not since before the most recent outbreak. I was far too young to remember."
"This is quite an event," Auna mused, hearing the voices climb the castle walls.
"Yes, mother has been planning this for months," Arianna commented heading towards the door.
Auna followed her out but felt encumbered by the heavy fabric of the gown. "Logarius didn't have anything to do with this?"
"He wanted nothing to do with the nobles. They are far too selfish and only care about impressing Annalise. Honestly, he only wanted to see some of his old hunter friends but mother insisted against it. He was able to slide a few on the list but that was it. These hunters are foreigners, probably friends of Stephen."
"Do you trust him? Stephen?" Auna blurted. Arianna stopped and turned to her with an inquisitive look. "It's just that I thought you and he were close. I don't know him that well."
"I have barely spoken a word to him since he arrived," Arianna replied, one eyebrow raised.
Auna thought back to the sounds she heard in his bedroom. The voice of the woman sounded like her and with their longing stares at one another she could only assume it was.
