It wasn't a subject that had often intruded into her thoughts, but Amara had always thought that, if she ever had the misfortune to be locked up or otherwise trapped, that time would weigh heavily.  And it did, in a way, but not because it moved slowly.  No, the reality was that every second seemed to fly by her like the swiftest of hawks, and that was a burden indeed.  Every moment lost was lost forever, leaving her with one moment less to breathe.<br/><br/>She tried to calculate exactly how long it had been since she'd left home, but the exercise did nothing to cheer her, and little to distract her.  If she'd stayed, where would she be now?  Perhaps even happy, she thought bitterly, though there had never been much happiness for her there -- certainly not just before she'd left.  It had been loneliness as much as anything that had driven her to wander, but by now perhaps things would have changed on their own.  If she'd stayed...<br/><br/>She spared one more furious, wordless curse for Xavian, then tried again to drive him from her thoughts.  He was already suffering somewhere, if there was anything like justice in the world, though she was beginning to doubt that.  Perhaps at least the afterlife could boast some fairness.  Taking her down with him had done nothing to help him, so if that was what he'd hoped, at least he'd lived long enough to be disappointed there.<br/><br/>He must certainly have found some new depths of eloquence in his fear of death; he'd convinced them all utterly of her guilt, even depravity, it seemed.  And she was hardly frightening.  She was neither especially tall nor especially strong; neither so beautiful nor so ugly as to attract attention; and though she'd thought she was at least braver than most, now even that small distinction was being worn away, through waiting and frustration and downright fear.  Now she was only another dark-haired girl, wiry and tanned from travelling, facing an abrupt and shameful end far from home.  Death was also not something she often thought of, but it was hard to imagine a fate farther from the vague dreams of glorious, honorable death she'd had now and then.  It was cold comfort to think that no one would ever know what had become of her...<br/><br/>Tears made blue eyes shimmer, the blue eyes she'd once been so proud of, unusual as they were in that land.  There was no one left to remember her anymore, not back home, perhaps not anywhere....