[ P ] Goodbye Blue Sky

T

he roar of an outraged crowd had fizzled into a whimper. The protestors had no chance, it seemed, and a good many of them had been taken away to the dungeons, whether conscious or knocked out. Willow was fortunate to be among the ones still cognizant of what was going on – or maybe that was not very fortunate, because every second felt overwhelming. She had not meant to participate, but seeing the soldiers brutalize protestors – women no less! The peaceful Lowlander had become something else entirely out there, and she was unsure how to feel about that.

The walk to the dungeons was nightmarish, and the jail cells themselves were cold and frightening. Willow had cried quietly most of the way from the protest to the prison. Many of the cells were already filled with other protestors, and Willow was shoved into one that already contained a female inmate..

Willow couldn’t remember if she had seen the woman during the riot. It was too chaotic, too many faces, too much blood to keep track of everyone and everything. Without argument, Willow entered her new temporary home with her head bowed low, with a thought that made her shudder.

How long am I going to be in here? What if Mama and Mum knew? What if they didn’t know, and think I have run off again? What would Gallagher say if they found out what I've done...?


@Nora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Nora

"..."

"LEO!" she screamed as the guards dragged her away and threw her in a cell. She snarled and charged the door as they slammed it in her face. Her arms reached past the bars for them, but they were already gone... likely to gather more prisoners to throw into the dungeon. "YOU BASTARD, FACE ME!" she screamed into the dark.

Nobody answered back.

Nora felt a wetness on her cheeks she hadn't noticed before and realized she had been crying. "Oh, god..." she cried as she backed out of the bars and sulked to the back of the cell. She hadn't even noticed her cellmate for the longest time.

...

As she lifted her head, she peered at the stranger in her cell with her and realized she was not quite as alone as she'd thought. "Sorry..." she said hoarsely. After a few moments, she looked at the younger girl clearly and blinked the tears away. "I'm Nora." she added, hoping she hadn't frightened her with her furious show earlier. Not that it mattered now, she was just a miserable fool crying over a man who probably now hated her.

S

he could hear the ruckus before she could see it – a female voice in fury, screaming and resisting as the guards brought her further down in the dungeons. A new prisoner was dragged into the dark abyss of the dungeons, and the bars of Willow’s cage were opened to throw her carelessly inside. The woman screamed for someone, but the only sound to be heard was the murmurs of other prisoners and the soft crying of the stranger who had not yet noticed Willow was there, as well.


The tearful woman apologized, and Willow’s eyebrows knit in silent concern. She did not fear this protestor who had also been caught up in the fray. On the contrary, a surge of empathy coursed through the tri-color wolfess who called herself Nora. Willow took a tentative step closer, eyes searching the other’s figure for any wounds – not that the healer could do much to help now, deep underground, with nothing to heal or soothe.


After a quiet second, she responded in a gentle voice, despite her own distress. ”Hi Nora. I’m Willow.” She hesitated a moment before asking, ”Do you… know the guards?”


@”nora”

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Nora

"..."

The girl was silent for a while but that didn't bother Nora, she was too distraught about being thrown in here without even so much being allowed to see or speak to Leo. There had to be a way she could get to him but right now, she was stuck here. At least she wasn't alone. "Nice to meet you, I guess." she said softly.

Nora's ears flicked at Willow's question and after a moment she just nodded her head as she stared off into the darkness. She slowly got up and moved to the bars, looking towards what she thought to be the entrance. "I thought I did..." she said, swallowing the lump in her throat and trying to push away the nausea growing in her stomach. "Sorry, yes. I do. I know of of them, his name is Leoric. Do you know him?" she asked as she peeled her eyes away from the door to look at Willow. She didn't frankly expect the other girl to know, but what if she did? What if... oh... Nora didn't even know at this point what she was thinking. Her mind was in a daze and she felt hazy and lost.

”I

thought I did.” The small, dark wolfess looked even smaller pressed up close to the barrier of their cell, her pale eyes staring into the darkness. Then Nora inquired if Willow knew of someone called Leoric, and as the other turned to meet Willow’s green gaze, she shook her head slowly. ”No, I’m sorry, I – I don’t know anyone on that side of the cage,” she commented in low tones, with the hint of a bemused laugh. ”Although I do know a few wolves now behind bars.”

Willow was glad that she stood on the right side – of justice, of standing up for the regular wolves rather than the ones at the top. She looked at Nora curiously now. She seemed nice enough – distraught, yes, but who wouldn’t be in this situation? Willow only wondered, how could this woman called Nora be mixed up with them – the guards, the oppressors? ”Is he – uh, Leoric, is he a friend of yours?” Willow stumbled over her words, knowing this could be a tricky subject. But it would be nice to know a guard with some sort of connection to her cell mate, right?



@Nora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Nora

"..."

"No, I’m sorry, I – I don’t know anyone on that side of the cage,” she said, and at her laugh Nora offered up her own small, half-hearted one. "It's alright," she replied. There was no need to be sorry about not knowing someone, but Nora didn't bother saying so. "Although I do know a few wolves now behind bars.”

Nora lifted her head and offered a small, sad smile. It was her turn now to be the apologetic one, for that was sad news indeed. She hadn't paid much attention herself in the courtroom, having been too shocked and angered by seeing Leoric fighting on that side of the protest.

”Is he – uh, Leoric, is he a friend of yours?” the girl asked and at this, Nora's ears perked up slightly and she looked up at Willow. Then, her expression turned thoughtful, then slipped back into sadness as she finally shrugged her shoulders unknowingly. "I don't know anymore, honestly." she said.

"He was my... my boyfriend." she admitted to the younger girl. Leoric had felt like so much more than a simple boyfriend at the time but now she wasn't so sure. She wanted to confront him, demand what he was doing in the Army and maybe get past it but the look in his eyes told her that maybe that wasn't a possibility. "I didn't know he'd be there and I didn't know..." she sighed and shook her head. There really was a lot that she didn't know about him, she supposed, and he didn't know about her. How had they managed to make it this far on dreams alone?

"Forgive me, I'm not the most entertaining cell mate... we don't have to talk if you don't want to." she said. She didn't want the girl to feel obligated.

W

illow sat, her mind focusing upon the words of the stranger-turned-roommate before her. With sadness, Nora described in brief that Leoric had once been a lover, and unconsciously, Willow winced at the uncomfortable tidbit. ”It’s hard to trust in times like these.” For now, she reached a paw out, and if Nora would allow it, she would pat shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Nora asked for forgiveness, earning a surprised look from Willow. ”I’m not looking for entertainment. I can – I can tell you have been through a lot already. If you want, we can just… sit here together. Better than being alone,” she theorized, though the woman was not exactly sure herself.

The name Leoric repeated in her brain, and her eyes unconsciously narrowed as she lifted her muzzle to stare at the entrance and exit of the dungeon. It seemed only one type of wolf was able to leave so far. But certainly, they had family on the outside, which felt so far away. Family that would wonder and worry and work to set them free… if such a task was even possible.

”This can’t last forever,” Willow stated in a shaky voice, to assure the both of them.


[exit if Nora is done talking?]


@Nora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Nora

"..."

As Willow pat her shoulder in a comforting manner, Nora allowed it. She saw no harm in the act thought she didn't quite feel comforted. Willow seemed nervous, which was to be expected given the fact that they were strangers stuck in a jail cell. Her ears flicked as Willow dismissed her apology and she offered a small smile in return. "You're right. At least we have each other, despite not knowing one another." she said. It would be worse being in here alone, she had to admit, and she'd think she'd go mad if that were the case. It was a terribly lonely place, prison.

The other girls small voice piped up again, stating that this couldn't last forever and Nora nodded agreeably. It was a more optimistic approach, and though her voice wavered, Nora would not refute the truth in favor of misery. "We'll be out before you know it," she said. She didn't know how long the other wolf was in here for but she was stuck in this pen for months.

At least it wasn't for life, she told herself.

There were much worse punishments than being locked up for a time and she was almost grateful to have received what she did. However, that didn't stop her from contemplating escape where she could. Maybe once things settled she could talk someone into letting her out, or perhaps her siblings would come for her... she had no idea what the future would bring and so she tried to remain positive about it for now. With that, she settled into her prison alongside Willow and fell silent once again, losing herself in thought.

[ exit nora ]