Smiles covered the gamma and zeta's faces as they exited the clothing store. Syri looked at the two bags in his hands and came to a conclusion: he liked shopping, no, he loved shopping. Estan held a triumphant expression on his face as he watched the zeta happily walk with his loot. The two had each bought, with Estan's lorne of course, three pairs of clothes of which each item of clothing was interchangeable as to create multiple options for outfits.
Syri followed along happily as the gamma led him down the main street and to the market where Estan bought two burlap bags from a stand at the entrance to the market. After handing one of the bags to Syri, the two began walking down the main strip of the market. The zeta seemed used to markets, so Estan presumed the pink-haired knew how markets worked.
The two divvied up what produce to get, and Estan walked ahead to give the zeta some space. The gamma walked to the section of the market that sold fresh produce while the zeta meandered to the area that sold cheese and bread. The gamma proceeded to fill one of the burlap bags with fruits and vegetables while Syri filled the second bag with cheese, bread, eggs, and a selection of dried meats wrapped in cloth.
After paying for the produce, the gamma and zeta exited the market and began making their way back to the cabin. They were stopped, however, when a voice called, "Estan!!"
The gamma turned to see a middle-aged woman swiftly approaching him. Estan's knit brows loosened when he recognized the woman. "Garnelle!" The gamma greeted his friend happily.
"I didn't know you were visiting!" Garnelle exclaimed as she reached the two werewolves. "Why haven't you come to see me?" The woman inquired as a friendly complaint.
"I have only just arrived, Garnelle," Estan explained to the woman.
"Oh, very well. I'll let you off the hook this time. But you had better come see me soon!" The woman said as she pointed a finger at the gamma.
"Of course," Estan responded politely. "How is the clinic faring?" The gamma inquired on the small medical center where he learned his trade in medicine.
The woman nodded her head a few times before answering, "It's doing the same. Alia is very eventful, so there are no exceptional cases. You should stop by sometime. Everyone misses you."
"I will. Give me a few days, and I will visit," the gamma told the woman.
"Very well. Come whenever you have time. Speaking of the time! I must be on my way!" The woman exclaimed as she waved goodbye and rushed off. As soon as she had come, she was gone in a cloud of dust.
Syri watched the boisterous woman hurry away before inquiring on who she was.
"Garnelle is a fellow gamma who taught me everything I know about medicine. She is my mentor," Estan explained to the zeta before leading the way out of the charming village.
The sun was setting when the two reached the cabin and began sorting the produce.
"Are you hungry?" Estan inquired of the zeta as the two emptied the bags.
Syri nodded his head in response to the gamma's inquiry.
"Okay!" Estan let out a breath as he rolled his sleeves. "What should we have?" The gamma set his hands on his hips and pursed his lips as he pondered what he should make. "Ah!" Estan's eyes snapped open as he remembered a recipe he learned when he was young. It was not long before the gamma was gliding around the kitchen and extracting select ingredients to create his masterpiece.
<<<<<>>>>>
Syri lied awake on the bed and stared at the ceiling as he tried to reach his wolf for the nth time. The stars were out, and a subtle night breeze blew through the open window as the zeta released a breath and closed his eyes. The zeta tried to fall asleep, but a restlessness filled the werewolf's gut preventing Syri from catching any rest.
The zeta turned his head to the side before facing it toward the ceiling once more. Finally, after a few minutes, the zeta felt sleep taking over. The restless feeling in Syri's gut had diminished to the extent where he could eventually fall asleep. However, a pain in Syri's chest ripped the zeta from the opportunity for rest. Syri sat up in the bed and gasped for air as his chest tightened and his heart was wrought with pain.
'What is going on?' Sweat broke on the zeta's brow as he threw back the covers and stood to his knees. A need to scream and cry consumed the zeta, and he found himself exiting through the opened window and running into the grove. Syri caught the cry in his throat as he ran to the stream. 'I have to get away. I need space. I need to breathe. I need to cry, but I can't let anyone know.' The zeta looked up at the trees surrounding the grove and felt suffocated. A bridge crossing the stream positioned toward the back of the grove caught the zeta's eye, and Syri found himself racing to the bridge.
A path that connected to the bridge led into the forest and brought the zeta through a clump of trees and onto the top of a rolling hill. The moon shone down on the vast landscape of a valley of soft hills and rivers as the zeta broke through the trees and ran to the peak of the hill. Syri fell to his knees and released the cry that had been building in his throat.
Tears streamed down the zeta's eyes as he cried into the night. 'Why am I crying? Why does my heart hurt?' Syri brought his hands to his face and cried into his palms as his body racked with sobs. A burning sensation on the zeta's shoulder caught Syri's attention as the ache in his heart intensified. Fresh tears streamed from the zeta's eyes as he pulled his shirt off his shoulder to see the mark glowing and burning.
A choked gasp of pain left the zeta as Syri held the skin around the burning mark. The scar began to pulse with heat as the skin began to burn. Syri cried out in agony as his heart ached as he watched the mark burn. Soon, the skin turned to ash, and the pain ceased. Syri's hand shook as he reached to touch the ash on his shoulder only for a warm breeze to blow the ash away into the night. The breeze tousled the zeta's hair as he watched the ashes fly away.
A sigh rippled through the zeta as Syri leaned his head back and let the tears flow. 'I am free.'
Syri realized at that moment why his heart ached and why he involuntarily cried. His mate had died. The person fate had given Syri to love and to love Syri was no longer. His mate was dead.
Sobs continued to pulse through the zeta as the bond between fated mates forced the pink-haired werewolf to feel the pain of losing a loved one. Hate consumed the zeta and filled every fiber of his being. He hated his mate, and yet he was pained that he had died. He hated him, and he hated that he was crying for him. Syri hated the fate that forced him to mourn his abuser.
'Why is fate so cruel? You even make me cry for the one who hurt me?' Syri's cries intensified as he cried out his soul to the moon. He cried out his hate for his mate, his hate toward fate, and his hate for the pain in his heart.