Ocean waves and a wandering mind.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

A few days had passed since Aoife had settled into life in the capital. It was nice to be amongst family again, even if most of them were busy.  It was still kind of lonely. She still rode down to the shore most days whenever she was in need of quiet and went to the barracks to train whenever the mood struck her,. The soft lapping of the ocean brought a sense of calm to her that few things seemed to managed these days, and Aoife felt almost embarrassed that she had spent so much of her life neglecting to stop and appreciate it.

    She was in need of quiet today, so was by the sea where she found herself, Aoife didn’t have the energy to train and there wasn’t much else to do. A walk on the beach was just what she needed to clear her head, to just empty her mind and relax for the first time in what felt like forever.

    There were so many beaches to choose from in Teronna with it being an island nation, and Aoife had opted for one of the quieter ones. Dismounting by the shore, she had left her mount happily chewing on the sea grass with the salty breeze ruffling his mane. A beach ride would have been thrilling, but today Aoife just wanted to meander, to take it slow, and to sit on the beach and feel the sand between her toes.  After wandering for an hour or so, she settled down in the sand a few feet away from the waves and cast her gaze out to the horizon. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Aoife allowed herself to be lulled by the gentle sound of the tide as her mind began to wander.

[Cian DeGraff]

It would appear that the lady wasn't the only one that desired some peace and quiet. Cian felt the entire kingdom was always a buzz with constant happenings of King Allarick's war on magic, while simultaneously attempting to wed his daughter off to some foreign kingdom. It was none of his business, nor did he even care about it. These were simple rumors he had heard in passing; the first always being this Warden's top priority.

The sea was always soothing, and he prayed it would be enough to dull the headache that still lingered from slipping into the mind of a bear earlier in the day. The wilder the animal, the harder it was to get control of it...as well as remembering himself. Blue eyes were blinking constantly while fingers massaged at his temples; boots carrying him along the shore at a slow pace.

His mind was still loud and yet somehow devoid of thoughts. It was that lingering animalistic memory that stuck to his brain like clinging tendrils, something only time would ease. With a sigh, he bent mid-stride to pick up a handful of small tumbled stones before finally pausing. Drawing his arm back, Cian chucked one rock towards the gentle waves, unaware that he was now obstructing someone else's view of the peaceful ocean.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

She was quiet, even the sound of her gentle breathing was drowned by the soft lapping of the ocean. But still, Aoife was surprised when a figure intruded on her sight without so much as a nod in her direction. For a moment, she wondered if the man was blind or just plain rude. Not that she really minded, after all… Aoife had come to the shore to achieve some peace and quiet, to still her mind, so she was content to just let the figure pass with neither comment or consequence.

    Until he paused to stoop, to scoop up a small handful of the smooth stones that littered the beach. Of all the places to stop, the man had chosen the spot right in front of her. It was difficult to lose herself amongst the waves with such a distraction. The plop of the stone an unwelcome noise amongst what had been (at least until a moment ago) a soft and lulling scene.

    Her annoyance was rising, brows tilting into a frown as she squinted in an attempt to make out his features. It faded quickly however, when she recognised the man as Cian DeGraff. What Aoife didn’t recognise however, was the expression he wore… though they had only met once before, she remembered a more amiable look on his features. It seemed he hadn’t noticed her though, and Aoife toyed with the idea of leaving him be for a moment and returning to her own thoughts. Her second thought was to throw a pebble at him, to aim directly at that mass of curls atop his head… and she even collected a small stone from the sand beside her with the intention of throwing it. But instead she rose to her feet to take a gentler approach. Standing without a sound, Aoife gently dusted away the sand that clung to her skirts before creeping up to him. Without a word, she tossed her own pebble into the sea. ”Cian, right?” She said softly, not wanting to surprise him too much.

[Cian DeGraff]

Blind would have been the answer, or perhaps more like oblivious. This may have been a laughable moment for anyone who knew the man was a Warden...because he wasn't being very observant currently. It was sad, actually, and maybe a bit embarrassing if and when he realized it. This was the consequence of that enchanted power, and why he avoided it whenever he could. Why using magic, period, was a scary thing.

But it was for the good of the kingdom, right?

His mind was still a blur, empty but busy, quiet but the silence was almost deafening. It was making him uneasy and unsure, and that never ended well. What was good for the one who's quiet he interrupted was that the wildness was out of his eyes, replaced by tired confusion. So that when she silently rose, still managing to startle him with the thrown pebble, he mildly jumped instead of rounding on her in some of that residual foreign ferocity.

Blues were blinking away the remnants of that strangeness when he turned to look at her. "Aoife..." he said her name as if struggling to remember and hoping he had recalled her name correctly. In truth, he was simply trying to get a hold of himself again, and a semi-familiar face helped. A lovely face at that. Cian turned a glance over his shoulder, beginning to put things together. "Did I interrupt your solitude? I apologize. I'm...not entirely in my right mind today." Sure, something like that.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

    ”Cian.” She said with a slight smile, following his gaze over to where she had been sitting only a moment ago. Aoife couldn’t quite put her finger on what was different about the man, he seemed spaced out… as though he had gone a night or two without sleep and she had woken him from a daydream. ”Yes, you did. You’re making a habit of it.” Shrugging, she looked up at him with something akin to concern pulling at her features. Granted, she had only met the man once before, and Aoife couldn’t even explain to herself why she cared even a little bit about a relative stranger. She missed the grin he had wore on their last meeting, the awkward small talk, it had been nice. Almost normal even.

    Grey eyes left him then, finding the horizon once again. It would be so easy to walk away, to leave him in his thoughts and return to her own. It was probably the smart thing to do. But he seemed so out of sorts, almost sad even, and something about that didn’t quite sit right with her. The reason why escaped her. ”Is- are-“ Aoife began, unable to articulate what she wanted to say. Pulling her gaze back to the man who had interrupted her peaceful afternoon, ”I can see that.”. She didn’t even attempt to erase the concern from her features as she looked at him. Aoife had always been an open book of sorts. ”Should I ask? I’d offer to leave you be… but you seem as though you’re sleepwalking.”

[Cian DeGraff]

That small smile of hers was beginning to bring on one of his own. So, he hadn't forgotten. Good. Cian liked to think he wasn't that forgetful, but things were different after a connection with a beast. But the grin she was silently missing was immediately appearing with her response to him "making a habit of it".

Cian huffed out a laugh. "A habit of it?" he repeated in half disbelief. "Am I now?" He certainly wasn't offended by that, but he couldn't be completely sure whether she was or not. It had been far from his intentions to do so, but he was going to smile about it regardless. The beginnings of this conversation was slowly bringing him back to the right state of mind, and he was thankful for it...even if she didn't know it. He needed this kind of connection to forget about the other. To feel fully human again.

The Mystics and their magic...how did anyone think this was innocent or normal? He supposed he asked for this, though. Not that he would outright admit it.

When her gaze drifted to the horizon, he was looking back at her profile. He was human, he told himself. He was normal, he was Cian, and he was having a nice, simple conversation with a woman who he unknowingly made a habit of dropping in on. The Warden wanted to be sorry about that, but to be honest, he really wasn't. That thought kept the smile on his face still.

It only faltered a little bit with her question. Cian was vulnerable when he was like this, but it wasn't enough to get him to divulge in his secrets. This was only something he could speak with his brother about. The concern he noted on her features brought him pause regardless, and his expression sobered. "It's just, um...work, really." And that wasn't exactly a lie, but as far as she knew, he was in the Kingsguard, working his way up to join the Order. To become a knight.

That had been his dream before becoming a Warden, before he had witnessed the true brutality of the Mystics.

Cian had been on the trail of one magic-user, coming so close before he had been blind-sided, and thrown off the scent. He was still angered by it. "I let my guard down today and it nearly cost me." It was perhaps a bit embarrassing to admit, but again, it was mostly the truth. He was finding it difficult to fully lie to her. "But don't go," he found himself saying without completely realizing it. It was a few seconds before he actually did, and then he was suddenly a stammering mess. "I mean, not unless you wanted to, of course. I just meant that you're fine." Cian, end that sentence a different way. "Fine to be here. Though, you were here first, so..."

Maybe he should stop talking now.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

There it was, the grin she was hoping for. Aoife’s own smile grew as his did, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Still, it was a relief to know he wasn’t completely lost in the clouds today after all. ”I don’t know, you’re two for two so far… that’s either a habit or coincidence.” She couldn’t stop the small laugh that escaped her then. It was easy to drop her guard around him, even after only one meeting. Cian didn’t know much about her, only that she had been in the army once upon a time. But Aoife liked that, she liked that he didn’t look at her with pity, that he didn’t talk to her as though she was some fragile piece of glasswork that would shatter if he handled her too roughly… it was nice. It was easy. Aoife didn’t have to think or watch her words with him. She didn’t even mind that talking with him left her stomach in knots or the way she swore she could feel her heart in her chest when he grinned.

    For a moment or two, silence passed between them. Each of them returning to their own thoughts once again. The lull of the waves washing over them, calming Aoife’s mind to the point where it almost went blank… she wasn’t thinking about anything really. Just enjoying the amicable silence and the warm feeling of contentment it brought. She couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind in that moment. For her entire life Aoife had been raised to believe magic was as natural as breathing, something they only hid to keep themselves safe, it was a gift to be nurtured and protected. Granted there had been a time when Aoife had hunted down those with a gift, a time when she was the loyal little soldier… but that had never stopped her pride in her own abilities. There was something beautiful in the way fire worked, the way she could tame and bend it to her will, to lose that would be like losing her right arm.

    ”Ah…” She breathed, not quite able to meet Cian’s eyes in that moment. Aoife knew first hand how much even the smallest mistake could cost, and she certainly was not ready to even imagine him in such a position. But there was something else in his tone as he admitted he’d dropped his guard, Aoife couldn’t tell if it was anger or embarrassment. She let the silence hang for a moment, for the beating of her heart to subside somewhat before turning back to meet those blue eyes. ”I’ve got nowhere to be.” Aoife assured him gently, forcing a small smile to wipe the concern from her face. ”… I’m told talking helps, i-if you wanted to?” In the eleven months since Alasdair died, she’d not even spoken his name aloud and here she was asking the soldier to talk.

[Cian DeGraff]

And just like that, the last remnants of the wild connection had dissipated and he was his usual awkward, although grinning self. A part of him wished he could thank her, to tell her that her presence was enough to soothe the strangeness that magic left behind, but it wasn't something that she would understand...or could even know. There was so much that he couldn't say. "I suppose that's true," he said, laughing slightly. He refrained from commenting on whether it was simply a coincidence or a habit, because he couldn't be too sure. Maybe it had been coincidence at first but was swiftly becoming something else. Whatever it was, he didn't mind it. If fate decided to make him walk in front of her vision and ruin her quiet solitude, then so be it.

He certainly wasn't going to complain.

When the silence fell, he pulled his attention from her to look out at the ocean, allowing the crashing waves upon the shore to lull him into further believing that he was alright. That his mind was fully and truly his own once again. He was still holding that palm full of small stones and he'd hold them out to her while chucking another into the water. Cian wanted to cringe when she reacted to his words of near failure. If only she knew what had really happened. It was perhaps both anger and embarrassment that he felt, and he wasn't willing to admit to either.

Head canted to regard her there at his side, finding her eyes and hearing her response that followed. 'I've got nowhere to be.' The soldier was grinning at that again, the normalcy he felt deepening despite some strange, elated feeling. Aoife was willing to talk, to listen to him, and he almost wasn't sure what to even say now. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, his expression faltered a little again as he threw another stone into the churning waters.

"Do you know that feeling where...no matter how hard you try, how hard you fight, it doesn't matter? You lose anyway?" Cian was struggling to explain it without actually telling her: yeah, so, I'm a Warden and I hunt Mystics for a living and completely failed at doing so, which means the bastard could be out there somewhere hurting others. That would be a mouth full. "I can't seem to let it go." The feeling would subside, he knew, and this wasn't the first time a Mystic had gotten away...but there was something about this one in particular that felt different and wrong.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

She took one of the offered stones with a small nod of thanks, not wanting to shatter the peaceful silence that had grown between them. There was little point in saying things that meant little or nothing, even though she was glad of Cian’s company… Aoife didn’t feel the need to voice those thoughts aloud to him. Bouncing the small stone in her palm, she tested the weight and shape before flinging it towards the ocean and watching with a satisfied smile as it skipped five or six times before dropping below the surface. As a child, Aoife and her brothers had often competed on the lake to see who could skip stones the furthest. Though she had never won, (not that she ever truly stood a chance with some of the magic her brother’s possessed) she still recalled those memories fondly.

    Aoife didn’t press for details, didn’t ask him what had happened, didn’t question how exactly he had let his guard down… had their roles been reversed, Aoife wouldn’t have answered. Though whether that would be because it was easier that way or if she didn’t want to give voice to her failures would have been anyone’s guess. So, she kept her silence and let Cian speak as she regarded him with a mixture of concern and curiosity in her wide eyes. ”I do.” She said quietly, that particular feeling had been resident in her mind for as long as Aoife could remember. Instantly she regretted voicing her agreement, those two little words had left her feeling vulnerable. But, this moment wasn’t about her, so she buried it. Forcing the thought of weakness down and returning her gaze to the ocean. ”You’re alive, and you’re whole…” Speaking slowly, Aoife wasn’t sure what to say or to do… things like this has never come easily to her. Actions were said to speak louder than words, and actions came easily to her… speaking, reassuring, affirming, comforting, these were all skills she lacked, especially in moments such as this.

    How could she tell him to let it go? That it was just a mistake and at least he had survived? The words were there, but Aoife couldn’t force her tongue to form them. How could she give Cian advice that she herself couldn’t follow?

    A heavy sigh escaped her then, and Aoife finally managed to tear her gaze from the ocean to meet his blue eyes. ”I can’t offer you much more than cliché’s… you’ll feel better tomorrow, and better the next day.”

[Cian DeGraff]

Sometimes silence could be awkward. It wasn't always good. Yet, right now, none of it felt weird to him. He didn't feel pressured to speak, to keep a conversation going unless he wanted to, and her presence was more of a quiet comfort than strangeness. She wasn't impeding on his thoughts but helping them and silencing the wrong ones, making him feel normal. Cian would probably stand there throwing rocks all day if she allowed it right now.

Soft amusement curled his mouth as he watched her skip the rock. "No matter how many times I try...I can never seem to do that," he commented quietly. And as if to prove it, he gave it a shot; throwing a stone sideways only for it to skip once then disappear into the watery depths of the sea. He shook his head before turning those blue eyes to her and finding the concern and curiosity in her own. Then her acknowledgement made him pause, his own curiosity rising to the surface. Although she looked away, he continued to watch her because he couldn't help but feel like she really did know and understand. And there was something there that she wasn't saying, something he wouldn't dare ask about.

'You’re alive, and you’re whole…'
His sister wasn't alive, he wanted to say. Because his sister was gone, murdered, he joined an order that vowed to rid the kingdom of magic. Because of this, he will quite possibly damage his own mind, his own sanity with the enchantment he was given. But he couldn't say any of this. He couldn't reach out for help.

And he wanted to.

Cian was still looking at her when she glanced back to him again, and he held a crazy mixture of emotions on his face, like he didn't know which one to settle on. He was lost and confused, worried, curious, and a small part of his mind was still clinging to the comfort of this moment while the waves continued to crash in front of them. He tried to grin, but it was small. "You don't have to say anything," Cian assured her. But now, he was at a loss for words.

Finally breaking his gaze from her, he glanced down at the stones in his hand before attention flickered to the particular metal ring that never left his middle finger. The enchanted item that gave him that strange, wild power. For a moment, he thought about throwing that instead, but he took another stone and held it up in examination, figuring they both needed a change of subject. "So, how about you show me how you...do that skipping...thing." There, let's try that.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

After growing up in such a hectic household, Aoife had learned quickly to appreciate silence and to value the company that allowed it to sit without feeling awkward or forced. Though she couldn’t imagine the thoughts ticking away behind those blue eyes of Cian’s, couldn’t begin to comprehend the thoughts he was trying to sift through, she enjoyed the way his presence did not disturb her own peace. Though she had teased him about intruding on her isolation, Aoife did not mind in the slightest… She may not have been alone any longer, but the lull of the waves was still calming her mind and the soldier’s company was easy to keep. He didn’t push or press, didn’t waste time or breath with pleasantries. It was as though she had known him longer than just one previous meeting… though admittedly, Aoife knew little of his life (or he, hers), but the company was welcome and familiar nonetheless.

    ”Almost.” Her tone was warm, grey eyes watching the rock as it bounced once then sank beneath the water before returning to him with a small smile. ”You’ve got to have the right kind of stone for it.” She was relieved the conversation had moved away from failures and letting go of the past. Aoife tried each and every day to avoid walking down that particular path, from opening the door that would bring those memories rushing over her like the winter tide. You don’t have to say anything. Those words brought a second rush of relief, because there was nothing she could say that would help… nothing truly helped other than the trickling of time. Swallowing back a lump in her throat, Aoife tried to focus on the pebbles littering the beach, looking for a few perfect stones, ones that she knew would skip well. She wished she could help him, but Cian wasn’t opening up… and even if he had, Aoife wouldn’t have known what to say. Even now, her eyes were threatening to well up, which was why she leapt so eagerly at the suggestion she teach him how to skip stones.

    Perhaps it was a small distraction, but it was a welcome one.

    Spotting a few suitable stones, Aoife scooped them up and offered one to him. ”They’ve got to be flat, about the size of your palm.” She explained, bouncing her own projectile of choice in her hand. Her expression had softened somewhat, and though she wore a smile Aoife had not managed to erase the concern from her features. ”Then you just hold it, and-“ She threw the rock, watching it skip a few times, ”You just kind of flick it? Teaching was never my strong suit.” Laughing, she threw another one only to watch it plop straight into the waves.

[Cian DeGraff]

Large families were often hectic. The DeGraffs were no exception. In a sense, they were two families that merged into one after his mother's first husband had passed on. Rowan was only his half-brother, but it didn't seem to matter growing up. With seven years between them, little Cian was always following him around, always wanting to be just like him. And perhaps he sort of got his wish.

They both joined the Warden order.

At the loss of Cara, things had spiraled completely out of control for him. Perhaps it was because she had been Cian's twin...and that was a part of you that would always feel lost, a hole in one's heart that would forever feel strange and empty. Perhaps he never got over it, and his rage drove him to the Wardens. Maybe even blindly. It was a wound that might possibly never heal. Cian had just gotten good at shoving it to the back of his mind.

With the change of subject, he let out a quiet sigh of relief, managing to let go of everything that was ailing him from moments ago. If one couldn't completely forget a particular problem, they could at least fixate on something else and push it aside. And Aoife was a very nice distraction. Idly watching her as she sought for the right stones, he took one when it was offered and mimicked her by testing the weight of it within his palm.

He was turning his attention back out to the water when she threw the stone, maybe because he noted that look of concern on her face still. For a moment, he wondered if that worry was for him and he wasn't sure how to handle it if it was, or whether or not he should be glad about it. Regardless, he found himself grinning again and unable to stop while he listened to her explain how to skip the rock across the water.

Cian made the flicking motion with his wrist, testing it a few times before he actually attempted the throw...only for the stone to skip once and sink immediately. He canted his head and frowned a little before he was unable to keep from laughing. The soldier was fairly good at many things, but not this, it seemed. "I'm just a horrible student, I think," he chimed in. Lips pressed tightly together when her second stone just sunk right into the waves, as if he was trying not to laugh at her now. "So is this how you pass the time these days?" He was careful to ask, knowing she had left the military for one reason or another, and it had been a subject that he avoided asking too much about. Still, he was curious about her life and what she did while he trained mercilessly...kind of having no life.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

    She didn’t know much about the Wardens, only that they had ruined her life and caused her heart to be ripped into so many pieces that Aoife would be surprised if she would ever truly be whole again. On more than one occasion she had sought to reach out to them, to find out what had really happened almost a year ago, to get the truth. The only thing that had really stopped her was Alasdair, he had always said they were dangerous, that he didn’t like her odds against them should they find out about her and her magic. She was ready to join with him, to keep him safe when he went out hunting mystics. The two fought well together, knew what the other was thinking without saying a word. But no, he had been worried about her safety should they have found her. Aoife almost hated him for it, for being so protective. She had fought, she had insisted, but he wouldn’t even entertain the thought.

    Things might have been so different if he had just let her join him.

    The thoughts had crept so quickly into her mind that Aoife didn’t have the chance to halt them, to stop that painful lump forming in her throat and the quickening of her heart. But she pushed them down now regardless, focusing instead on the solider beside her and the stone in her hand. Grounding herself in the moment, the here and now, rather than the past she couldn’t run from. Aoife did not even have the closure to put it behind her. Blinking back the tears, hoping that he either hadn’t noticed or had blamed it on the sea breeze which whipped her hair about her face and brought a salty tang to the air.

    Cian’s grin pulled her easily back into the moment as she explained (badly) how to skim the stones, and she reciprocated with a smile of her own. ”Try again.” She said, more of an instruction than a suggestion. It had taken her awhile to get the hang of it at first too, though admittedly she had only been a young girl at the time and her brother’s were not as patient when it came to instructing her. ”Don’t you dare laugh. But see?” Aoife couldn’t help but laugh as her own stone plopped into the sea. ”Even the best fail sometimes.” The next stone skipped six or seven times before disappearing beneath the waves. ”It’s just practice, luck, and some skill… like everything else.”

    Shrugging, the dark-haired woman stooped to collect some more suitable rocks. ”Oh, yes… I spend all my time throwing rocks into the ocean.” Aoife attempted a smile but it fell short somewhat as she looked at him. ”But, no, not exactly.” Pausing, Aoife weighed up how truthful to be with the solder in that moment. She couldn’t exactly say: I spend most of my time in my room trying not to cry and reading the same sentence over and over again because I can’t focus… oh sometimes I throw knives at the wall just to break up the monotony. ”I have family in the capital, so I’ve been visiting my cousins, helping my father with his work where I can… skipping stones though is probably the most exciting thing I do.” Outwardly, she wore a small smile; inwardly, she was groaning. ”Should I ask how training is going?” She didn’t want to pry, after all, Cian had said that he had let his guard down and it was weighing on him… but it seemed impolite not to at least enquire.

[Cian DeGraff]

Cian saw what he thought were tears in her eyes when her hair wasn't obstructing her face, and it made him pause briefly in some concern. Had he missed something, had he said something wrong? Lost to what could have been going on in her head, he didn't have the time nor sense to ask her about it. Maybe that was a good thing. Her returning smile was the only thing that managed to keep him quiet about it.

As he was instructed to try again, those eyes scanned the stones around him before he bent down to retrieve one that was flat enough. And of course, he laughed when she told him not to. "Oh, so you're the best now?" he asked, his tone softly teasing. Well, she was certainly better at it than he was, but he was going to say anything to ensure he didn't see those tears again. Perhaps it was just the sea breeze...

Her next stone skipped quite a few times and that shut him up real quick; a look of surprise painting his features. If he could take that taunt back, he would have, yet now he was standing there like a fool instead. Another small chuckle, Cian was shaking his head at himself before testing the weight of the stone in his hand. Practice, luck, and skill, she said. The soldier felt like he had none right now. Still, he gave it a shot- tossing the rock towards the water where it managed to skip three times this round before disappearing into the waves. Alright, so that was better!

Grinning face regarded her once again. "That was more luck than anything," he said. Maybe with a bit of practice, he'd earn that skill she seemed to have. Stooping, he remained crouched as he sought for a couple of more stones, looking up at her while she spoke of her family and asking him that dreaded question he had no real answer to. "It's...going." Cian tried not to frown or sound annoyed. And he definitely wasn't annoyed with her or for her asking...he was annoyed with himself. "I just need to clear my head. And with some practice, luck and skill-" A pause, he was stupidly grinning at her once again, mocking just a tiny bit. "I'll be fine."

Cian stood and chucked another rock towards the water where it skipped only twice. He shrugged the disappointment away. "So, do you anticipate visiting for awhile then?" There was a curiosity on his face once more, so it was probably good that he was looking back at the water. Her presence was one of very few he was beginning to enjoy having around.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Aoife wished she could have captured the look on surprise on his face in that moment, her own expression quickly shifting to one of triumph. ”Out of the two of us? Easily.” She grinned, hands planted on her hips as she waited for the soldier to skip his own stone (or at least try to). Lee Frye’s were drawn to even the slightest challenge like a moth to a flame. More than once they’d paid for it, but they still kept coming. It seemed as though it was only Aoife’s mother who could hold herself above a challenge rather than charge head first to meet it… and that was probably due to her being a Lee Frye by name rather than by blood.

    Even as Cian’s stone skipped three times, the look of triumph didn’t falter from her features. Technically, if they were counting, she was still winning. ”Luck or not, you’re still behind.” Though her tone was light, friendly even, Aoife did not even try to stop herself from teasing him a little. Goading him to throw another one. He started it. And she had the advantage of practice on her side… but there was nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. After all, it seemed as though they both needed the distraction.

    Again, Aoife found herself at a loss for words the as Cian spoke of work and training. Even without the extra troubles playing on his mind, she couldn’t summon the words that would ease his concerns or even encourage him. Aoife knew what it was like to train hard and get nowhere, and nothing anyone had said had ever made her feel even the slightest bit better about the situation then… she didn’t expect that echoing those words to him would make Cian feel any better either. So, she kept her peace, leaving the empty words unsaid.

    But then that stupid grin was back. And just like that, all the mental fumbling over what to say (if anything) and how to encourage him was gone. ”You will.” Aoife confirmed with a sharp, short bob of her head. At least she hoped so. It was so easy for things to go wrong in the military, she had been there. She had seen it. And on several occasions Aoife had been the cause of it.

    ”We’ll see.” She said lightly, skipping another stone across into the sea. Aoife could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks both at Cian’s question, and she was glad his attention seemed to have returned to the waves. ”Honestly, I did not want to visit at all but it’s been…” Pausing, Aoife tried to put a word on the experience so far. ”… nice, I suppose.” She settled on after a few seconds pause. It had been. For the first time in months she was smiling again, talking, even finding enjoyment in somethings.