hiraeth | c.g. |

vi

"You're late."

Clary let out a sigh as the door shut behind her, looking at the woman in the white coat waiting patiently at the table. "Sorry, Doc, got caught up with the shift change." The woman only let out a disappointed noise, watching as the Commander sat beside the table, laying her right hand on it.

It was a routine for the two, with Nora removing the gloves off of the Commander's hand, holding it in hers before Clary flexed her fingers. Her jaw clenched as the stretch of her muscles brought pain up her arm.

"On a scale of–" Clary cut the woman off. "Pain is at a two, no soreness, no aches, just tight when I flex it." Nora looked at the young woman, not surprised by her quick answers. After all, they did this weekly, the one routine Clary could stick with because she knew that if she didn't, the Doctor would hunt her down. 

"It's the same as it has been for the past three years," Clary said after a moment, waiting before Nora handed the Commander her gloves. "Well, then, let's keep it that way."

Before Clary could agree with the woman before her, the door to the infirmary swung open and a tall figure entered the building only to stop in his tracks. "Commander," the man declared, dropping his head slightly as a greeting.

Clary stood up, her eyes falling on the man. "Dawson, you alright?" The man nodded. "Wrist sprain, I think, from mishandling some lumber while working on the wall repairs. Nothing too bad."

The Commander nodded before giving a nod to Nora, heading towards the door before his voice sounded again. "Commander, I—" Clary turned towards the man, her eyebrows raising slightly as he sighed. "I'm sorry for my outburst at the meeting the other day. I just want to make sure Solaris is safe."

It was silent in the room, the tension dissipating as Clary nodded. "You want to protect your home, that's an honorable thing." Holding out her hand, the man took it and shook it firmly.

As she pulled away, placing her hand on the doorknob, she stopped one last time. "Dawson?" She questioned, causing the man to look back to her. "Yes, Commander?" Clary stood still before she turned back to face him. "Disrespect the Council like that again, I'll break your jaw. Got it?"

With a clenched jaw, the man nodded before watching as Clary walked out of the infirmary, knowing she left the man behind in fear. It wasn't her favorite thing to do, threatening her people. She also knew she didn't have to, especially with the legacy she held as the Angel of Death. That title alone was enough to have her people scared, but the respect came from ending the war.

However, she would not stand herself and the Council being questioned, not after all that they had done to get to this point. They had survived too much, suffered too much, done too much, to be disrespected.

While the thought was quick, it faded just as fast as it came in when a bark sounded, a smile making its way to her face as she saw the large, dark hound that waited by the porch steps. "Hey Bear," Clary said with a laugh, the shaggy, black dog bursting from his seated position and finding his place beside her as they walked.

Cerberus, better known as Bear, had truly lived up to a dog's reputation of "man's best friend," quickly becoming Clary's. He had been a gift from Daryl a few years back, his intention being revealed that, while he wasn't there all the time to be by her side, Bear could be. Having trained the dog much like his own, being able to track and attack anything Clary deems a threat, he had easily become her most important companion when traveling anywhere.

Nowadays, Clary was never seen without him, feeling protected and comforted wherever she went. However, the companion also reminded her of a certain girl that she cared about, who had helped Clary name him after the guardian of the underworld.