𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, bellamy blake ¹

10; steheda

What is a Wanderess? Bound by no boundaries, contained by no countries, tamed by no time, she is the force of nature's course."

― Roman Payne, The Wanderess

➳ ➳ ➳

CHARLOTTE WAS CRYING. MAYBE BELLAMY WAS TOO, NEITHER OF THEM COULD TELL EITHER WAY. It was raining: fit for the occasion. Bellamy held the younger girl to his chest. Two nights of non-stop sobbing from her and Naomi's body still hadn't been recovered.

Did she die in pain? Bellamy wondered. Alone?

Charlotte started to scream again. Bellamy hugged her to his chest. "It's okay."

"She's dead! She's dead!"

"I know," Bellamy said, and he closed his eyes, laying his chin on her head. Charlotte wailed in his arms. "I know."

➳ ➳ ➳

"I know you're awake."

Naomi breathed out and considered her options, before letting go of the blade and moving to lift her head.

"You need not be afraid."

The woman—Gaia, Serena had called her—had dark skin. Black kohl lined her eyes, making them seem larger than they were. Large dreadlocks of black and dyed blonde fell over her left shoulder in a sweeping motion, a bandana pushing the front back to dramatise the style. She was younger than Naomi had expected.

Naomi moved to sit up, eyebrows still drawn. "Why were there children watching me?" she asked, skimming her eyes untrustingly over Gaia's form.

Gaia moved to grab something from a table and shrugged. "They have never seen a sky person before. You are strange to them." She turned back with a ceramic plate in her hands and walked back to Naomi. "Here." She held it out towards the blonde. Naomi took the plate from the older girl's hands. "Trilipa." Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Deer," Gaia translated with a gentle voice, but not a smile.

"Thank you," said Naomi. "But I'm not going to—"

"It's not poisoned," Gaia said. To prove her point she moved forward and took a piece of venison from the place. She ate it. "Promise."

Naomi still looked apprehensive.

"We would not poison you. Serena isn't like that and it is not right to kill someone in that way."

Naomi wearily began to eat while Gaia moved back to sit in an armchair next to the fireplace. Naomi looked up. "So you like us then? Sky people?"

Gaia raised her eyes to meet Naomi's. "I do not agree with my mother's views," she said, moving for a second to grab something out of her jacket pocket. Naomi flinched and moved for the weapon under her pillow. She froze when Gaia pulled a book from her coat pocket. The latter raised her eyebrows but made no move to say anything further.

"Who is your mother?"

"Indra," replied Gaia.

"The one who will kill me if I don't become prepared to face her?"

"Most likely, yes."

After that, Gaia fell silent, leaning backwards to watch the flames of her candle. She seemed to had almost forgotten about Naomi entirely until the older girl moved to place the empty plate on the bedside table beside her. Gaia's eyes moved upwards to meet hers.