Bronagh set her bowl to the side, having finished a small portion of the stew. With the celebration tonight, she didn't want to fill up too quickly.<br/>Her mind had been circling around Azura's mysterious words ever since the shaman had uttered them. If nothing else, her mind had been too occupied to pay much attention to the beast, which was a relief.<br/>Azura was used to Bronagh's brooding and left her to it as usual. She sat across from the young woman, playing her birdboned flute quietly, swaying along with the music. Bronagh closed her eyes and let the music fill her ears, her mind, drown out the frantic thoughts and frustration and fear. She relaxed little by little, and slowly turned her attention inward to the emptiness where her totem had been, searching, searching for the smallest spark.<br/>The music faded away as Bronagh sank deeper into herself. She cast about, searching with her ears and with her heart, wanting desperately for her totem to reach out and wrap her in his protective power once more. But she found nothing. Nothing.<br/>Bronagh came back to herself as slowly as she had gone, noticing gradually that she was hot. That was odd. As hot as the days were during the summer, the nights still brought a sharp chill, making the fires necessary for comfort. Maybe she was sitting too close to the fire.<br/>Bronagh opened her eyes and stared into the fire, which had actually died down a little. She was sitting well back from it, but her skin had reddened, as if she had been out in the sun all day with no shade. It didn't hurt, but sweat broke out along her brow and trickled down her face, and heat seemed to emanate from her body in waves.<br/>Confused, Bronagh looked to Azura to see if she noticed the heat too, but the shaman was wrapped in her fur as she always was at night, to ward off the chill. She slid further back from the fire, but noticed no difference in the temperature. Could she be getting sick? She hoped not.<br/>"Azura, what did your words mean, before?" She asked, trying to distract herself.