Astraea entered the house just after dark.
"Well, I guess now we just have to wait and see what news Seph brings us." She said to herself.
Katrina came out of the bedroom when she heard Astraea. She placed a hand on the wall to steady herself. "D-did Seph get in okay?" she asked concerned for her new friend.
Astraea rushed to Katrina's aid and helped her to the couch. "Yes he did," she breathed easing Katrina onto the pillows. "How are you Kat?"
Memories came flooding back to Katrina as she sat on the couch. She was in another place and there were people, but everything was too blurry to make out. However, a name and a voice made her eyes tear. The pain in her side welled and brought her back, "Umm... Yeah, I'm fine," she winced.
Siobhan entered the room and sat across from Katrina. "Kat, you should be sleeping," she said softly.
Katrina jumped up slightly, "N-no I can help!" she insisted falling back onto the couch.
Siobhan tried gently to get Katrina to go back to bed, "Not in this state, you can't."
"No!" Katrina asserted, "I am not going to be useless. I am staying here and I am going to help." She winced again and gasped for air. "I need to help," she trailed off.
"You can help by going back to sleep!" Siobhan contested.
"I can heal here just like I can heal on the bed," Katrina protested, then mumbled to herself, "Sleep is when they find me." She sighed and stared at Siobhan, "I am staying here, at least for a bit."
Siobhan gave her a look of annoyance, "You need to sleep," she softened, "Or at least to lay down. You're already doing too much, it's not safe. Now you can walk yourself back to bed, or I can drag you."
Katrina sighed again, "Fine, I'll go lay down." She stood up, took a step and began to lose her balance.
Siobhan grabbed Katrina's arm and lead her back to bed.
"I had that, but thank you," Katrina said defeated.
"You were about to fall over, you didn't 'have that'"
"I just lost some balance," Katrina she said straitening herself, "but thank you." She grabbed for her side. "Ugh," she moaned.
"Are you okay? What is it?" Siobahn asked as they neared the bedroom.
"J-just some pain," Katrina gritted her teeth, "I'm fine."
"No, you aren't. Sit down and let me see."Siobahn helped Katrina sit on the bed.
"I'm okay." Katrina avowed.
"What happened?" Siobahn asked concerned for her friend.
Katrina looked away, "I may have pulled the wound when I..."
"When you what?" Siobahn pressed.
"I thought I heard him," Katrina whispered, "So I jumped up...I-it was just Astraea"
Astraea stood in the doorway. "Siobhan you don't need to be so harsh," she chastised. "You shouting at her is not going to improve her state. Where are the others?"
Rowan returned to the house carrying a small basket of vegetables, he placed them on the counter and he noticed Astraea standing in his bedroom doorway.
"Astraea, you're back..." Rowan said getting her attention, "Where is Seph?" he asked.
Astraea turned at the sound of her name. "He's joined the camp," she said flatly
"Ok, good," Rowan nodded, "So what did you find out about the eggs?"
"Nothing much, unfortunately." She shrugged, "We did find where they're keeping their loot. Seph's going to find more out about their rotations and other things and report back to us," to herself she added, "If he's still alive."
"Hopefully he is back soon." Rowan assured her.
"Hopefully yes." Astraea agreed.
"I guess all we can do now is wait." Rowan suggested.
Rika entered from her bedroom, "I'm hungry Rowan."
Thankful for the change of subject Rowan looked at his sister, "Rika when did you get back? I'm sorry I have been so distracted today. What would you like?"
"A few minutes ago," Rika said, "You're the better cook," she said eyeing the basket on the counter.
"I think I still have some salted beef and I just picked some root vegetables. I will make a large pot of stew. I'm sure everyone is famished." Rowan pulled a large pot from under the counter.
"That sounds delicious." Astraea said as her stomach rumbled.
Rowan quickly got to work on dinner.
~
After dinner Astraea went to see Katrina, "How are you feeling? And don't tell me fine."
Katrina giggled slightly and then winced in pain, "W-what if I'm fine for real?"
Astraea narrowed her eyes playfully, "Then why did you wince?"
Katrina sighed, "Just in a bit of pain, that's all."
"What happened?" Astraea prodded.
"What do you mean?" Katrina asked coyly.
"How did you get hurt?" Astraea probed.
Katrina looked away, "Y-you don't want to know..."
"But I do." Astraea said sitting on the edge of the bed.
Katrina fidgeted with her hair and whispered, "I suppose someone needs to know."
Katrina took a deep breath and exhaled, "My father was a friend of the King and one of the King's best soldiers. He was summoned to the war, leaving me with my ill mother. One day I went to the market to fetch a few items, and I happened upon a flower pot for sale." She smiled slightly at the thought of her mother. "Mother loved her flowers, and a new flower pot would brighten her day. I had bought the flower pot, and I started the journey back home. I came to an alleyway, and a group of bandits grabbed me." Her hands started to shake and her voice wavered, "I don't know what they wanted, but suddenly an old friend walked by and saw the situation." Tears started to form in her eyes and she whispered "Kane, he, he saved me, but I lost him that day. He fought the bandits off and he took a fatal stab to the chest." She started panicking, "If I hadn't stopped to grab that flower pot maybe I would have gotten home without an issue. Maybe Kane would still be alive." Tears started falling down her cheeks, "I stayed with him for an hour trying to help, no one came by the alley. Finally, I decided to drag him home, I had more items to help there. I got home..." Katrina looked away and wiped her eyes, "Mother was there..." She trailed off and then whispered, "I lost both of them that day all because I stopped for a flower pot. Since that day when I find certain things, they a-appear and I am stuck with those memories again." She took a breath, "I feel that day all over again." Wiping her eyes once more, she continued, "I found a flower pot the day I met you. I saw them. I was startled and fell into a broken flower pot." She laughed slightly through the tears, "Stupid I know, but I can't think straight when they appear." Katrina couldn't meet Astraea's gaze, "Now you know."
Astraea wrapped her arms around Katrina, careful of both their wounds. "K, I'm sorry you had to go through that. But it wasn't your fault. How were you supposed to know that would happen?" She comforted.
"I should have stuck to my routine...Maybe they would still be here." Katrina pulled back from the hug and wiped her eyes, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
