Scars
Aurea and Biros walked placidly along the shore, listening to the swell of the waves crashing into the sand. The two had become quite close in the recent days having spent time together over the summer. Aurea couldn't help the creeping feelings worming their way into her heart and taking hold, and Biros was happy to have someone around who seemed to really understand him and the way he saw the world. He smiled peacefully, grateful for both the company and the beauty of the water on the cold morning. Aurea looked up at him quizzically.
"So Biros, you still haven't told me. What happened to give you those scars?" Immediately his ears pinned back. His short coat bristled and he stopped in his tracks. Aurea looked concerned. "Oh, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to upset you. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..." she faltered, lowering her head.
"Its...fine," he responded. The stiffness and discomfort in his voice was clear. He forced himself to start walking again, suddenly painfully aware of his disfigured ear and tail. The wounds reopened in his mind, spilling hot blood into the sand. "It was long enough ago," he continued "that it doesn't hurt me anymore." The lie smoothed over the worry on Aurea's face and the two walked together again. He was half a step behind, hiding the dark look on his face as she began talking about something else. He could feel himself bleeding out again. Flashes of the night where his life changed. Growing weaker and the light slowly fading. He took a shaky breath.
"I've never told anyone about that night," he said. "If I'm honest I don't think I even let myself feel it." Through momentous effort, he managed to keep walking forward. Aurea looked back at him, and realized that pain wept from every inch of him. She waited for him to catch up and let him lean into her, helping at least a little to support his weight. She gave him a reassuring nuzzle and smiled at him. She could only imagine what had happened to him, and the unimaginable horror of it all. She wished she could fix it, or better yet go back and time and prevent the horrible things from happening to him.
"Well you don't need to tell me," she said sternly. "Feel it when you're ready to feel it, and I'll be here to bandage you back up." Biros smiled weakly back at her, his expression softer and a little less painful. Maybe one day he'd be able to tell her, but not now. Maybe some time far in the future when the pain was a distant memory.
"Thank you Aurea, I really mean it," he replied softly. If Aurea had his back, then maybe one day he could face everything that had happened to him. But for now, one step at a time. They found a soft spot on the beach and sat together, watching the waves crash upon the shore. Biros could almost feel his wounds beginning to close. But he had a lot of healing yet to do.