Chapter Text
Pearl
Where is she…?
Pearl was perched atop the Swagon. Her brother…yes, her brother. She was getting better at letting that word just be. He was inside with Scar and Mumbo getting dinner ready. The sun was setting. Etho was also inside, probably awkwardly sitting at the dining table watching the food preparations. Pearl had been told to stay, to keep an eye on Etho since he seemed to have grown attached to her.
Gem had needed some solitude for a bit. Pearl understood that didn’t mean she was excluded, Pearl was a person, after all.
And wasn’t that just a wild thought?
There was still so much pain bundled up in her chest, aching and writhing with nowhere to go, and yet…that pressure had eased, recently.
Define recently.
Gem was the new everything to her.
Yet now she had Grian, part of her old everything returned.
Both of them together were more than everything, and there was even more on top of that. She found herself worrying for Impulse’s safety, her suspicions of that white-winged avian not totally shaken. She was already fond of the little fox in the house beneath her, who had looked at her with such wide, fearful eyes that seemed, for a spark, like they might trust her.
But what to do.
What to do.
What to do with the pain inside her?
Pearl shuffled her talons against the copper-colored roof tiles an wrapped her arms more firmly around her knees as she perched, looking out over the forest. She was wearing her red cloak with the sleeves, her arms through them to brace against the winter chill. She could’ve endured without it. Had done so many times before.
Just like so many other little pains.
Little hurts.
Tangled up.
But Gem’s workin’ on them. And I’ve got Gri again, too…
She tried to settle those thoughts in her mind and let them be enough.
But of course, there was so much else in there. Inside her mind. Inside her heart.
She tightened her fingers against the edges of her sleeves, the red cloak Gem had gotten her so she didn’t have to endure the cold of the mountains they were headed into, and she tried to breathe. Count her breaths, feel the movement of the air in her chest, and wait.
Keep an eye on things and wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Ignore the tangle and wait.
Wait.
Wait.
“…where is she…” Pearl muttered as she glared at the forests edge.
And as if she heard her, here she came.
Sword covered in scarlet.
“GEM!”
Pearl hurled herself off the rooftop down as Gem came strolling back toward the house, her face set into an exasperated huff, cheeks puffed, elf ears red with indignation.
“Honestly, you would think after I finally broke the streak they’d give it up!” She exclaimed.
Pearl landed right in front of her, dark eyes darting all over her frame.
Ignore the pain.
Now wasn’t the time for that. Bundle it all up and set it aside in a package to be agonized over later. Or never. It was just an avian thing.
“What happened?” She asked, and Gem let out an exaggerated sigh.
“I just wanted a bit of time to roll some stuff around in my head considering Etho’s whole situation, went on a lil stroll, and some moron adventurer and his avian showed up and attacked me!”
Pearl’s blood felt like ice.
Ignore the pain.
The memory of all an avian could do. You know that well…don’t you?
“Where are they now?”
Gem huffed as she planted her sword blade-down in the grass and produced a kerchief from her skirt pocket, wiping off the blood the same way many would mop off sweat after exertion. It was so mundane to her, not even worth the consideration of the staining issues.
“Well, the adventurer is in a few different pieces about a hundred yards west.” She said, tilting her head in that direction.
“The avian took off. I think as soon as he realized his contract was broken for the moment he flew for it.”
Pearl felt anxiety rise in her stomach, prickling the hairs on the back of her neck.
“…are you sure? What if he circles back to come after you?”
Gem waved off the concept lackadaisically. “I doubt that. He seemed spooked enough, so I’m not worried. Besides, he’s got a shot at freedom if he flys for it now, why bother coming back after me? I don’t think he and his Master had the best relationship from what little I saw of it.” She said as she walked up to Pearl and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“It’ll be fine…you worry to much!” Gem beamed, and Pearl felt that same twist of concern mixed with endless adoration. For Gem. For all Gem represented in her life now. The ease with which the elf took every day, the lack of anxiety that now dredged the bottom of the raven-winged avians stomach relentlessly.
There was so much now.
Before, it was her. Just her. And even then, she hadn’t cared much to protect herself. Then Gem ended up with her. And it’d been her and Gem.
Protect her and Gem. Then they’d met Impulse. Impulse got the white-winged avian. They’d found the swagon.
I got Grian back.
The name, even if she’d fought desperately to know it without the pain, the pain tangled into knots inside, was still difficult.
Like so much else. There was Etho now, too, Etho who was barely beginning to sleep without nightmares, and she needed to protect him too.
She didn’t have time for her own pain.
Wadded up and shoved down and ignored ignored ignored.
“If you’re certain…” Pearl mumbled as she met Gem’s eyes, and Gem smiled wider.
“Sure as sure can be. C’mon, let’s head inside. I’m sure the boys are finishing up making dinner. Tomorrow I’ll bet we’ll finally make it to Silversvale!”
“Mm.”
Pearl followed Gem to the door, and shoved the tangle of hurts away.
It wasn’t a neat little package anymore. It was a writhing bramble of things. Half-sorted out, half-understood things.
But there was no time for that right now. And she was better off than so many others. Even if paranoia already had her eyes darting to the skies, and when they stepped inside she was sure to throw the deadbolt.