The Planting

The sound of the small waterfall soothed her senses.  It had been a couple of weeks, since she'd been able to submerge her whole body in the water, and the itch had been unbearable toward the end.  Worse than the ache of her ribs, even, so the cool water on that too-long encased skin felt better than almost anything.

She'd scrubbed herself down, body and hair, until she was reddened with the cleanliness.  And now, she floated, letting everything roll through her head.  Her new experiences almost overwhelmed her.  Some of them were shocking..the creatures and places she was learning about.  The lessons in fighting, and the applications so new to her.  Certainly her sleep was often harder come by.

Her living arrangements too - the triangular arrangement of her tent that had slowly begun to feel like home.  She moved from place to place among the fields and the edges of the wood, her horse tethered close enough that it could drape it's nose over the side of her shelter.

The new closeness with friends, as well.  Ry, who it felt like she could ask anything, share anything with.  Silver, who had introduced her to so many, and though she was older and more experienced, to be admired...she had been shocked to find they had more in common than she'd thought.  Winnie, and Cwen she hadn't quite gotten to know yet, but with them, and Clothilde even to an extent, there was a feeling of camraderie.  And girltalk, something she definitely was not accustomed to.

She was growing more.  In using her body, being comfortable in it in ways she'd never considered before.  The fighting she practiced, daily and twice if she could, didn't come naturally.  But she was determined, and she worked at it.  People, as well.  She felt joy, at the way she seemed to fit this.  The experiences had, and to come.

There were nightmares.  Chances she took, more and more bold.  A cracked rib, a cut on her cheek.  

The cost of freedom, she thought.

The cost of happiness