Wendy had felt sick all day. Sick with what she was planning to do as soon as everyone was asleep-- with fear, with guilt, with relief. She'd snapped at Petra a few times, screamed at Via, brushed Jerzy off, and had a long walk in the woods. Then she'd apologized to everyone-- Petra especially. She felt like she owed her the most. Petra was almost a parent to her-- except she knew what those were really like.

Petra was more than any mother she'd ever had. She was her friend. Had Wendy ever had a friend that wasn't a passive? Khymarah, rather superficially... but no one else. And while she felt kinship with other passives, Petra was something else. She wasn't constantly afraid...she'd lived free most of her life...she'd found somebody to love.

I owe it to you to let you live...To let you go back to Rosie... Wendy thought to herself with a sniff. She had stuffed a few of her belongings into a bag earlier and now she was gathering food. But god damn am I going to miss you.

And Via? Well...Wendy had found out that it wasn't the same, with Viator as it had been with Adalare. She wanted to get away from him as fast as possible.

The passive maneuvered well in the dark, and made as little noise as possible. She pulled out a letter she'd written earlier and put it on the door step of Petra's kint.

Shit, am I really doing this?

Yeah, I guess I am.

Wendy let the letter go before she lost her nerve and turned away, sliding noiselessly farther from the camp.

Wendy collided with something solid, warm and buxom. It was Petra, with her arms crossed in front of her chest and a very hurt expression upon her face.

"And where d'you think you're going in the dead of night?" She asked, though she had never cared before. It was clear something was different this time. "I see you've packed."

Her breathing was a little less regular than it usually was. Her lower lip was sticking out, almost wobbling as she fought to maintain her composure.

Wendy backed up two steps, freezing up. Her face went as smooth as if she was talking with a galdor at Brunhold. Her hands moved to the bag she carried and she looked at the floor. Servile posture returned, head bowed, bangs brushing over her eyes so Petra couldn't see them.

"I didn't see any reason for me to disturb you any longer." It was almost a fight to stop herself from saying 'lady'. "I thought it best to..." Wendy licked her lips nervously and swallowed, trying to get her mouth wet enough to say something, "To leave before I caused you further troubles. So you can go back to Brunhold."

With Rosie. Please. Please understand. I'm leaving for you, Alioe curse it!

Petra's stiff upper lip was seriously twitching now. Her eyes were shining in the moonlight, looking suspiciously wet.

"I ent going back to Brunnhold until the festival is almost over." She said, despite how lost she always felt without Rosie by her side. "And you ent a bother, why would you think that? I never said that. I've always said you was welcome."

Petra's arms tightened around her, making her look paradoxically small. There was silence for a long uncomfortable moment, then Wendy heard it. It was faint, barely noticable in fact. It was a sniffle.

"Petra you got Rosie to think about. I know you miss her." Wendy whispered, feeling the beginnings of tears creep up on the corner of her eyes. "I don't want to be a burden. You only took me 'cause Rosie told you and I understand that. It's fine. Really..."



Wendy stood stiffly in front of Petra, not quite believing she'd been caught and still intent on leaving. She heard the sniffle and moved away, "P-Petra are you crying?" she asked in a surprised cry. "Petra I'm only-- I o-only-- I wanted--" A tear made its way down her cheek. Seeing Petra cry did that to her. "I th-thought I'd be free. I didn't-- I didn't want to rely on your k-kidness I know you aren't going to b-be here so long and you miss Rosie--"

She took a deep breath, "And you were drunk at that bar last night and I knew I was holding you back. I just want-- I just want you to be happy." Her voice had gotten more and more miserable as her speech progressed and her throat caught on her last words. Wendy felt herself unable to continue.

Petra's cheeks were now wet. She wiped at them furiously but more tears quickly replaced those she managed to remove.

"You wanna go... you go." She said, voice catching. "I ent going to keep you here if you ent happy staying with me. I always miss Rosie at these things, missing you as well couldn't be much more awful than that."

Petra was a very tough woman. She had survived the precariousness of being wick and a Black Hand, she'd managed to maintain a relationship with someone who may as well have been from a different world. She did not love easily but when she did...

She did not take rejection well.

Petra started to sob loudly, nose running and tears almost spurting outwards from her eyes.

Ouch.

"N-no you have to know that's not-- that's not what I-- Of course I'm happy s-staying here I just thought you--"



Wendy's eyes flew open wildly and she felt the impulse to run away come even stronger. Next, absolute shame. You bitch! Look what you're doing to her!

Wendy's lip trembled and she let out a few puttering noises before dropping her bags and crashing into Petra's shaking form, arms wrapping tightly around the other woman. She let out a long wail, "I d-didn't mean it I thought you w-wanted to go back to R-Rosie. I d-didn't--" she took a deep breath and let out another heaving sob, "I thought y-you'd want me g-gone!"

Belatedly, she realized she hadn't meant to admit that. To admit that even despite all the times Petra assured her she wanted Wendy there, Wendy didn't quite believe her.

Petra wailed passionately enough to scare the bats from the trees around them. She flung her arms around Wendy as the younger woman hugged her. Petra shook her head, sending her braids flying.

"Never, I never!" She sobbed. "You're like a daughter, a boch. I'm so happy having you around... Even if you are a pain in the a-ha-haassss! I'd miss yooouu!"

Petra was shaking a little and her grieving sobs could only be described as epic. There was little doubt that she meant what she was saying and that she was, perhaps, a little hurt that Wendy hadn't believed her when she'd said she wanted her to stay.

Wendy laughed for a moment through her sobs and then buried her face in Petra's chest. "I'm s-sorry I won't leave I didn't mean any of i-i-iit!" After she finished crying she sniffed a few times and wiped her nose, but refused to move off of Petra. It only hit her later when she was halfway to falling asleep that she was quite tired after all of these emotions. A few seconds passed and she was dead to the world, resting lightly on Petra's shoulder.