Fulke had dropped her off, metaphorically waving goodbye after mentioning that this was the most likely path Fetch would take into the Furnace. And then she waited. And waited. And waited.

It was likely only maybe ten minutes, but it felt like forever when she didn't have anything to do. So, instead, she went down by herself. After all, Fetch might have passed by earlier and it would be silly to sit there alone with her thoughts, the quiet trickle of less-sweet water drip drip dripping like a jackhammer to her brain. She would just go in a little ways, poke her nose as it were. Treat it like a vacation, a change of scenery. She was a strong, independent Courser - if she went off on her own because it was her own choice, well. No one would be able to call her pathetic then.

She barely noticed the heat, the light, the sounds as her bloated nerves rattled in her brain. She was looking for Fetch, in theory, but it almost felt as though she was blind.

And then nothing bad happened. And then nothing happened at all. And her senses slowly returned.

The sunset puck heard voices creeping towards her, like little mites who fed on the loneliness of others. To hear a crowded room and be completely and utterly alone... it almost hurt.

And then she heard the children's words. "HEY COURSER," they started, rather tame for an insult. "NO ONE WANTED TO JOIN YOU? NO ONE WANTED TO ADMIT THAT THEY'RE YOUR FRIEND?" Well, it wasn't all that. She chose to be here. Yes, no one had chosen to follow her, but she could have waited, could have asked, could have begged! She could have looked for the ancient oak that might have been the love of her life, if only she'd been aware of it ever. She had options. "YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS, YOU ARE A BURDEN TO EVERY ONE YOU MEET. YOU'D MAKE A SAINT RUN AWAY." Well, Fulke wasn't a saint, but he was nice and he had left after it seemed like she was doing okay, but that wasn't her fault! It wasn't, probably. Maybe. Hopefully. He had other things to do, and he trusted her to not get herself in trouble again - that must mean that they're almost friends?

"NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU. AFTER ALL, YOU DON'T EVEN LOVE YOURSELF."

She had no response to that, except to pick her feet up and try to outrun it, the tiny voices grasping like tiny hands against her skin. 

It was only by luck that they didn't both go sprawling.

Somehow, Chasvla had gotten turned around enough and had gone back to the beginning of the Furnace, and there she found Fetch. "You okay?" the slightly shorter Courser said, nonplussed but with a crooked grin. "I see you found the imps."

And it was true - the grasping voices were, in fact, actual hands.

The sunset Courser looked at the sootied, took a deep breath, and sobbed, "I don't think I am."