Niraya fled up the hill, to where the trees and slope hid her from the horror-stricken faces of her friends and family; of her tribe. With strength that was not her own, she ran until she finally couldn't bear it anymore and sank to her knees, in the snow, and began weeping with her haunting human/inhuman face cradled in her decidedly inhuman paws.
...there now, you protected them from the fearsome orcs didn't you? The voice wasn't a voice...it was more like a memory of something someone had said, like something suddenly recalled from a dream.
The young shepardess jerked and looked around, and bitter anger suddenly flared in her eyes.
"You knew this would happen!" she accused. "Why?! Why would you do this to me?!"
Stop being so melodramatic, it chided. I came as you called, nothing more. You can't hold ME responsible for the idiocy of the people you choose to surround yourself with.
With a snarl, Niraya grabbed her own arm, tried to pry the armor off of herself, and gasped with pain. "Enough! I want you gone!"
Are you sure? That would leave you quite vulnerable, and the woods are full of horrors. I may be the only friend you have left.
"GO!" she demanded. "How do I make you GO?!"
...just ask.
And white smoke engulfed her...this time only for a few seconds, leaving her dizzy and winded...and entirely human. On her knees in the snow.
With a huff of surprise at the sudden cold, Niraya jumped to her feet and sought out a higher place to stand; on the bole of a tree nearby, where her feet wouldn't be buried in snow. Behind the crushing despair, other wheels were starting to turn in her head. She had very little in the way of supplies without the cart. A few days maybe. She might make it back to the tribe, but they'd want to know where the others were. And sooner or later, they'd come back and then everyone would know.
What was she going to do?
Do you want to live, or die?
It wasn't that other voice this time. It was just her own thought. It was almost with surprise that Niraya realized she still wanted to live. There were other tribes. Or...maybe she could even get by on her own. Maybe that would be best.
She closed her eyes, trying to stave off another wave of tears. She had food and water, for now at least. She could try to make shelter. What she really wanted...what she really needed...was a friend.
There was a bark from in front of her. Niraya opened her eyes, startled, and saw a big yellow-white dog standing there, wagging his tail and beaming up at her with the kind of uncomplicated joy that dogs had on seeing the faces of their masters.
"Wh...where did you come from?" she asked. The dog barked again, and Niraya realized something. There were no footprints leading up to where the dog stood in the snow. It was as if it had just...appeared there.
And its color...that golden orangey creamy color...had she ever seen a dog look like this before?
Niraya bent over and let the dog sniff her hand, then stroked its head...and said, "Thanks...I feel better. You...you can go now."
She froze in place as the dog lit up and evaporated.
Like a dream.
She covered her mouth, but for the first time in a long time, it wasn't to stifle a sob or to forestall a startled yelp. Astonishment and...delight? Despite everything, despite all she'd lost...here was something new. Something she could DO.
"...a horse," she said, uncovering her mouth. Her breath puffed in a cloud before her, and a word rose to her lips. "Alstrade."
There was a tug behind her forehead, a feeling a little like when she'd called the Therion, only smaller. The air before her rippled, and spun out the shape of a horse. Well, a small horse. Her face fell a little and she lifted an eyebrow.
The horse 'Alstrade' was not much more than a pony, with the awkward legs and big head of an animal in its youth. He had a white coloration with just a hint of silvery platinum in his mane, and his hooves were oddly colored...a shiny sort of yellowish metallic hue. The colt looked around, spied her, and came over to press his muzzle against her shoulder...wringing a giggle out of Niraya that was only slightly hysterical.
Maybe she was mad. Maybe it wasn't real. But if it was all she had left, maybe that wasn't so bad.