your faith was strong but you needed proof

You, you, keep me yearning

Nox's return to the mainland was far from a homecoming filled with warm nostalgia. Instead, it was was cold and more bitter than sweet. It was a risk she had to take after their funds were depleted. Nobility were not expected to care for themselves, so she had never learned. If not for Lupa then she would have starved or been forced to serve at some brothel. She was better than that—better than this. She’d sunken to new lows since leaving home, resorting to petty theft and banditry to survive. Lupa was unbothered, but then again, he’d known little else in his life. He prioritized survival above all else, and now… so did she. Morals were a thing of the past, but in truth, she’d had few of those to begin with.
Perhaps she should’ve been grateful for the privileged life she’d led until recently, but she wasn’t. Wealth and fancy titles came with their own set of problems; She was a perfect example of them.
Close calls with hunters had become increasingly frequent. Nox nearly ran into her father’s mercenaries both to and from Sussex. As she returned to their makeshift camp in the redwood, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. These woods, once the source of countless folktales and superstitions, were now her refuge. A temporary sanctuary until they could gather enough supplies for the journey to Inverness. The idea was that the war would provide some cover, keeping her pursuers at bay amidst the chaos. Or, if things got truly desperate, she could plead to the Jacobite’s for sanction.
Nox left Lupa to sort the day's haul and headed to the river. She was eager to scrub the stench of poverty off her fur. She waded into the water, feeling the cool current tug at her ebony fur like a needy child. Fatigue began to catch up with her as she soaked, her eyelids growing heavy. The warmth of the sun on her cheeks and the bubble of the river lulled her into a semi-conscious state.
The sound of approaching paw steps drew her from it, but barely. Expecting to see Lupa standing on the shore, she lazily turned her head, eyes heavily lidded. It wasn’t her traveling companion that she saw standing there, but a man that she’d never seen before.

You, you, keep me burning

table by scarlet