Shaurria: Grief and Healing

This starts up right after this part, and covers the couple weeks from there.
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Arvoss followed Shaurria as she wandered out to the Park. She stopped next to the Moonwell and hopped up onto the wall, then sat and stared down at the water. Arvoss took a seat next to her. He was trying to find words to ask what had happened the night before, when she suddenly shifted out of her cat form.

"Do you think they'd be proud of me?" she asked quietly, still watching the water. Arvoss blinked, then his brain caught up and he realized who she must be talking about. "Aye, Ah think they would," he replied. She sniffled a bit, then looked over at him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "M'dad was a druid, you know," she said, her voice trembling a little but calm. "He wasn't very strong, so he didn't do much, but... S'why I wanted to be a druid." She sniffed again, wiping her nose against her sleeve. "Th- they were so proud when I got picked for training. Even had a party t' celebrate. Wasn't much of a party with just us three, b-but they tried." She gave him a small, teary grin.

Arvoss didn't know what to say. He had never heard her talk about her parents before. After a few uncertain minutes, he simply scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. She cuddled against his side, sniffling, and they sat like that for several minutes. "Lass," he said finally. "None o' it were yer fault. There wasnae annehthin' ye could do t' change things. Stuff like tha' 'appens, ye ken?" He tilted her chin up with his other hand so he could see her tear-streaked face. "They loved ye, lass. Ah can tell it jes' fra th' way ye act. They raised ye righ' while they 'ad ye. S'no shame in grievin' fer them." With that he put his other arm around her and held her tight while she shook with silent sobs.

* * * * * *

"Ye feel up t' goin' t' th' Pig t'nigh'?" Arvoss asked her. Shaurria nodded, then trotted out the door, tail twitching. She waited for him to catch up, and they were on their way.

The evening was blissfully uneventful; Shaur didn't even remember much of it afterward. Aely had come too, and Shaur stuck close to either her or Arvoss the whole night. The normal routine-ness of the night helped as well, and she was feeling almost like her old self by the time they left the Pig.

Once outside, Shaur was surprised when Aely asked her if she wanted to stay with her that night. She looked from the paladin to Arvoss, obviously torn. Sensing her struggle, Arvoss offered, "It dinnae matter t' me where ye go, kitten. Ye'll nae be 'urtin' mah feelin's if ye wan' t' go wi' 'er." Shaurria looked back at him, then at Aely one more time. Then with a small sigh, she went to Aely and rubbed against her leg, then padded over to Arvoss and flopped at his side. She gave the paladin a rumbly purr to show no hard feelings, and Aely didn't seem to mind at all. With a final goodnight, she headed to her apartment, and the death knight and druids set off for the Rose.

* * * * * *

Little Timmy's cat had had kittens again. Shaurria was following Tadrith around the Canals when they passed the little boy. "Oh hey," he said when he saw Tad. "I just have one left, d'you want him?" Tad stopped to think about it, but Shaur went straight up to the tiny scrap of white fluff trailing behind the boy. She gently touched noses with it, then the kitten mewed and tried to climb onto her head. Shaur licked it a couple times, then looked up at Tad. He grinned at Timmy. "Yep, we'll take him."

* * * * * *

Shaur watched absently as her orange kitten, whom Feliche had dubbed "Three", crept up on Weebit while the smaller cat was distracted. He pounced, and the two went rolling through the grass as Arvoss chuckled. Three had the obvious advantage- he was half-grown and couldn't really be called a kitten any longer- and he quickly had the tiny white kitten pinned underneath, then began chewing at his ears.

When Weebit's squeaks started sounding like actual distress, Shaurria got up and walked over to the tussling cats, then gently swatted the bigger cat, sending Three tumbling off. She picked up little Weebit and carried him to Arvoss, then flopped down and began grooming him. Arvoss' hand snuck down and began rubbing at her ears, making her purr get much louder. Neither of them noticed when Three got up and began stalking Shaur's tail.

* * * * * *

Shaurria blinked at Arvoss in surprise. "No." He blinked back. "But why, kitten? Ah think it'd 'elp ye." "I'm never going back there," she said fiercely. "I don't want to, and that's all." Arvoss looked at her helplessly. "D'ye mean t' say ye dinnae wan' t' tell 'em goodbye?" Shaur's eyes suddenly filled with tears, and without another word she turned cat and ran off. Arvoss was left wondering how he had bungled things up so badly.

She returned eventually, and behaved as if nothing had happened. Arvoss went along with it, but he spent the rest of the day thinking. The next morning he asked her as they left the inn," Lass, would ye wan' t' see what's left o' mah farm? We could make it a day trip, if ye're interested." She looked at him, ears pricked, and after a bit she nodded.

* * * * * *

Shaurria followed Arvoss out of the Pig, trying not to yawn. The last two days, spent almost entirely in Outland, had worn her out even more than she realized. As she curled up at the foot of the bed, back at the Rose, Arvoss told her, "Lass, Ah cannae even begin t' say 'ow proud Ah am o' ye. May'ap ye can stay out o' yer kitty shape more often, eh?" Shaur managed a sleepy rumble, before she dropped her head on her paws and was asleep.
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So that's about where she's at in-game. She's almost back to normal, and is getting more comfortable around people finally. Aely's been gone for a few days, so Shaur has some stories to tell (Aely you've been warned! :)).

Also delayed post is delayed. Having a half-dozen things running around in your head is almost as bad as the writer's block. >.>