Berra — Water Falls 02

????, Fire Season, Stasis Week

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Context

1626, Fire Season, Stasis Week, Fireday. [[[s01:session-36|Session 36]]]

Events

It’s noon, almost time to leave. Berra is in a patch of sunlight on a quiet part of the palisade, gazing at the nearby waterfall.

Mellia comes over to Berra, medical kit and all. “Berra? Could we speak privately, perhaps by the waterfall?”

Berra looks over to Mellia calmly, and nods. “I suppose over the top here is a bad way to get there?” she suggests.

Mellia nods. “Bad for me, anyway.”

“Probably also bad for me.” Berra gestures to the ladder down. “You first, Lady of Mercy.”

Mellia nods and goes down the ladder, then out to the waterfall.

Berra follows, alert without, apparently, trying to be.

Mellia settles down on the convenient large rock by the waterfall, leaving plenty of room for Berra to sit.

Berra does the same, looking into the water with a strange, calm, understanding expression. “What’s the thing?” Her voice does not quite match her face.

“I was rather focused on getting everyone back on their feet in the caves,” Mellia begins. “Do you have other wounds I missed?”

Berra sighs slightly. At first she says nothing, although she is considering. Finally she looks at Mellia and says directly, flatly, “No.”

Mellia nods a little. “Berra, if you ever want to talk about whatever you endured in captivity, I am here to listen. Wake me up if you need to. Talking and sharing can be tremendously healing.”

Berra relaxes a little, and says, “Thank you. I know you would be there. Right now I have to not think about it. At all. Please go away or talk about something else.”

Mellia bows her head. After a moment, she nods, gets up and goes away.

Berra stays by the waterfall, looking into it and definitely not back at the village.

An insight: Berra went from just about holding herself together, to not, as she tried not to think about the recent past. It might help later, but right now what it did was probably the opposite of help.