Post by Kelly on Aug 30, 2010 11:32:45 GMT -8
Thalia walked quietly to the high bank above the Sammamish river. She sat beneath the wide arms of a Western Red Cedar; closing her eyes and leaning her back against its smooth bark. She took a few deep breaths: the scents of fresh water, river mud and crushed cedar twigs swirled through her. Effortlessly she noted the scents of squirrels, crows, songbirds and the cold vivid smell of a small salamander beneath the leaf litter.
"Maybe I was too hard on Wilhelm." She thought, digging her hands into the dirt. Guilt perched heavily on her shoulders. "Maybe I was too encouraging, as well." She pondered. She felt horrible that her packmate had been hurt, worried that she'd caused it by bad advice.
Thalia opened her eyes and looked out at the river. "He deserves some goddamn happiness after all he's been through!" she said fiercely; glaring at the river as if it could do something about it. "Argh! I could just punch the Silver Fangs sometimes!" She said, and gave the ground a thump. She growled lightly and then unclenched her fists. She closed her eyes and deliberately folded her hands in her lap. She breathed deeply until the anger died down.
Thalia sighed. "Not entirely their fault, I guess." She said grudgingly. "Oh, Metis. It's a whole existential question with so many conflicting answers. Wilhelm is a person, just like any of us, with the same wants and needs. And I can't even encourage him to talk to women without stumbling into debates about the Littany."
Thalia slumped forward in frustration and buried her face in her hands. She wished there was something she could do, but knew there wasn't much. Unbidden, her outburst at Wilhelm from earlier surfaced in her mind. She winced, the guilt poked at her. "yeah, I was too hard on him." She said and let her hands fall back into her lap, looking out at the currents in the river. "I mean, who knows if he's in love with her but any romantic rejection hurts. Heck, it took me months to get over... " Thalia tried to slam shut that train of thought but not before a wave of grief washed over her. She sniffed, squeezed her eyes shut against the tears and felt a little tickle in her throat of a halfway-stopped sob.
"Okay, not months, years." She said huskily. "Oh, Thalia, you are such a hypocrite. Telling Wilhelm to get over himself when you're still pining away after some Kinfolk who is probably happily popping out Wendigo babies somewhere." She sighed, shaking her head. "Stick with the basics, Thalia, stick with the most basic advice." She glanced down the river at the setting sun. "This has proved that you need to save your words for spinning stories not trying to fix other people's problems."
"Maybe I was too hard on Wilhelm." She thought, digging her hands into the dirt. Guilt perched heavily on her shoulders. "Maybe I was too encouraging, as well." She pondered. She felt horrible that her packmate had been hurt, worried that she'd caused it by bad advice.
Thalia opened her eyes and looked out at the river. "He deserves some goddamn happiness after all he's been through!" she said fiercely; glaring at the river as if it could do something about it. "Argh! I could just punch the Silver Fangs sometimes!" She said, and gave the ground a thump. She growled lightly and then unclenched her fists. She closed her eyes and deliberately folded her hands in her lap. She breathed deeply until the anger died down.
Thalia sighed. "Not entirely their fault, I guess." She said grudgingly. "Oh, Metis. It's a whole existential question with so many conflicting answers. Wilhelm is a person, just like any of us, with the same wants and needs. And I can't even encourage him to talk to women without stumbling into debates about the Littany."
Thalia slumped forward in frustration and buried her face in her hands. She wished there was something she could do, but knew there wasn't much. Unbidden, her outburst at Wilhelm from earlier surfaced in her mind. She winced, the guilt poked at her. "yeah, I was too hard on him." She said and let her hands fall back into her lap, looking out at the currents in the river. "I mean, who knows if he's in love with her but any romantic rejection hurts. Heck, it took me months to get over... " Thalia tried to slam shut that train of thought but not before a wave of grief washed over her. She sniffed, squeezed her eyes shut against the tears and felt a little tickle in her throat of a halfway-stopped sob.
"Okay, not months, years." She said huskily. "Oh, Thalia, you are such a hypocrite. Telling Wilhelm to get over himself when you're still pining away after some Kinfolk who is probably happily popping out Wendigo babies somewhere." She sighed, shaking her head. "Stick with the basics, Thalia, stick with the most basic advice." She glanced down the river at the setting sun. "This has proved that you need to save your words for spinning stories not trying to fix other people's problems."
