Lunari
28
Complicated
Warden Centurion/Guard Elite
Tier 1 Character
|
Post by Cian DeGraff on Aug 8, 2020 19:16:21 GMT -5
The moment he said those words, he was regretting them. He wished he could take them back, pretend like he hadn't shared this secret of his with someone who probably didn't care to know. It was too personal, and despite the time they spent together and how much he enjoyed it, their conversations never strayed to this territory. And yet, he had wanted to tell her, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was because he trusted her. Cian wanted to tell someone else that wasn't family, to vent about what happened to him. His brothers would just worry.
Still, maybe she didn't wish to know. Maybe he was just desperate to get this off his chest.
Whatever the case, Aoife was still trying to offer words of encouragement and comfort and he found himself clenching his jaw. A hand ran through his hair again, this time in slight frustration before a single finger tapped against his temple in gesture. "But there's this moment...where I see nothing but red, and nothing else matters besides-" Killing them, he nearly said.
Conflicted blue eyes rose to her face, suddenly looking like someone lost between the lord and soldier sides of him that she had seen, not knowing which side of the line to fall over. "Sometimes it scares me, like I won't come back from it," Cian confessed quietly amid the pelting rain. He should really stop talking now. But it was like he said one thing and couldn't seem to stop himself. This was a constant struggle, probably made worse with the connections to wild animals that he put himself through...and that wasn't even something he could tell her to try and further explain this.
No, actually, he should stop trying to explain.
Shaking his head, he tried to grin but it felt forced. "I'm...sorry. Not really sure where that all came from." What a way to ruin the moment, whatever that moment was, if it was even one, he wasn't sure. This is how you make things strange, Cian. Good job.
|
|
Pyxis
27
Increasingly complicated
Ex-soldier
|
Post by Aoife Lee Frye on Aug 9, 2020 4:14:37 GMT -5
Aoife had never considered herself to be one of those people, the kind people confided in. She had always felt she had driven people away rather than pulled them closer, not like some of her brothers- they could just look at you and you wanted to tell them everything, wanted to hear them tell you it was and would be okay. Aoife however, Aoife had never been the sort you asked for help when emotions were involved. Recently however, Rosemary had confided in her and now Cian DeGraff was doing the same. Had something happened to her? Had she softened somehow? Aoife was not sure but right now the woman didn’t know if she felt like a fish out of water or if she was in too deep. The rain was long forgotten as she stood there, hands lifting from her hips to fold across her chest as she looked over at him. Confusion and concern written clearly on her features. The soldier may not have wanted to tell his brothers for fear they would just worry, but he might not have taken into account that Aoife Lee Frye would do the same. Dropping his guard might get him killed, and losing himself almost certainly would. It would be more than a shame if he died, she was starting to rely on his company more than she was willing to admit. Steely eyes did not lift from the soldier’s face as he spoke, they did not flick to the mass of curls as he ran his hand though his hair, did not awkwardly glance away as those blue eyes lifted to find her. As far as emotions went, grief was one of the most dangerous. It was like a wildfire, it consumed you and everything it touched if left uncontrolled. Aoife knew that better than most. She had sought revenge, she still sought revenge to some degree. Blaming the wardens for what had happened to Alasdair, for failing to protect him. Her anger had dampened somewhat over time, Cian’s however seemed to still be burning brightly. nothing else matters besides- She did not push him to bring his thoughts to their conclusion, Aoife feared she knew where his thoughts were leading. Something about him made her soften, perhaps it was the way he seemed so conflicted, so sad, or perhaps it was the way his voice quietened until it threatened to be consumed by the falling rain. He was talking about revenge, about killing people like her, like her family. Aoife should have been thinking about Rosemary, thinking about her nieces and nephews who were just beginning to discover their gifts- instead she was worrying about the solider before her. The soldier who saw red and thought he would lose himself. I won't come back from it But Cian wanted to come back from it, that was the difference. And that was why Aoife cared, why she did not turn and leave him to his revenge. That was what made her soften. ”Cian.” Her voice was almost stern when she spoke, closing the distance between the two of them. Gloved palms found either side of the soldier’s face and, if he allowed her, forced him to meet her gaze. ”You will come back, if I have to drag you back I will- so stop being melodramatic.”Comforting people had never been her strong suit.
|
|
Lunari
28
Complicated
Warden Centurion/Guard Elite
Tier 1 Character
|
Post by Cian DeGraff on Aug 9, 2020 10:41:38 GMT -5
Cian shouldn't have said anything at all. What was he even thinking? He wasn't thinking, that was the problem. He got lost and confused there for a moment and let his mouth run off before his mind could catch up and possibly stop him.
The Warden didn't do this a lot. He didn't willingly open up to anyone that wasn't family, and even then, it was usually just Rowan. It was strange and embarrassing, and he was trying to actively avoid looking at her now while attempting to find his fallen sword again, but his feet seemed to be rooted to the muddy ground. The rain was cold now, seeping into his body further, flattening his hair, plastering his shirt against him. It felt heavy and constricting like a snake prepared to squeeze the breath from his lungs. Even the air felt colder than it really was and he constantly blinked to rid himself of the feeling.
Then he heard his name. Maybe it was the sternness in her voice, or simply hearing it spoken from her lips that had ceased all thought temporarily, but Cian turned his head in her direction. His gaze was still on the ground for he couldn't shake the embarrassment. It wasn't until she took his face, urging him to look at her did those blues finally flicker back up to her. The expression that painted his features was almost tired, but he watched her closely, listened to her...and just as his face was beginning to soften from the kindness of it, his shoulders actually shrugged up in brief, silent laughter.
Melodramatic? Thanks, Aoife.
Yet, he didn't seem to care as much for that. He wasn't offended like maybe he should be or any other person would have been. It was what she had said before it that sobered the look on his face almost immediately after. 'If I have to drag you back I will.' That wasn't something she should have to do, but damn if he didn't seem- what was the word he sought for? Delighted that she would? Hopeful?
Why?
Fingers rose up to wrap around her own, drawing one of those hands from his face just enough to curiously look down at it. Cian was acting again before his brain could function properly- gently grasping her wrist as, should she allow it, his other slowly began to slip the glove from her hand, finger by finger, until it was freed. He sought the warmth beneath, the subtle soft touch of her skin, and as he intertwined her fingers with his own in quiet contemplation, his voice broke the silence.
"I'm...not being melodramatic." At this very second, he struggled with whether or not to laugh, so a corner of his mouth simply turned up into a faint grin instead.
|
|
Pyxis
27
Increasingly complicated
Ex-soldier
|
Post by Aoife Lee Frye on Aug 9, 2020 12:40:32 GMT -5
If she paused to reflect upon it, Aoife wouldn’t have known how to feel about the soldier opening up to her like this, exposing the raw nerve that had clearly been troubling him for so long- long before he even met her. Would she have felt honoured? As though this was a side of Cian DeGraff so few were invited to see? Would she have felt burdened? As though she was now too involved to walk away from him? Would she have felt guilty? As though she should reciprocate and show him the gaps in her own armour- the wounds that were only just beginning to heal, partly due to his company. Yet, despite time seeming to pause, the rain stilling in the air as they stood there muddy and bruised, Aoife did not allow her mind to wander into that realm. There would be time to process and time to feel later. Right now, however, she couldn’t afford that weakness. She couldn’t afford to falter. Blue eyes that had so often found hers would not even look at her now. It brought an ache to her chest that Aoife had once thought she would never feel again. If she could have taken the soldier’s pain and carried it with her own, Aoife would have done so in a heartbeat if it meant he would look at her with one of those grins on his face again. When he finally did look at her, Aoife tried to summon a smile, she tried to be comforting, to be warm. But she couldn’t quite wipe the concern from her eyes or force the corners of her lips to turn upwards. He looked so tired. So defeated. Cian looked so far removed from that idiot at the beach threatening to throw her into the sea. The woman hadn’t thought her heart could break twice, but she could feel it cracking once again now. The air caught in her throat as he took up her hands. Aoife froze. The time that had seemed paused hurtled forward now. Faster than she could think. Faster than she could react to stop him. Did she want to stop him? Strong fingers worked slowly to remove the glove from her hand, but Aoife was paralysed- distracted by the warmth of his skin against hers and the electricity that danced across her skin where the soldier had touched it. She remembered the ring before Cian seemed to notice it. She remembered the promise she had made. She remembered the life that had been snatched from them. And here she was, in the rain with another soldier- becoming dangerously close to betraying the memory of the one she had promised everything to. "I'm...not being melodramatic." Aoife did not hear Cian speak. Breath that had caught a moment ago came again in a gasp as she finally caught herself. This had gotten out of hand. The moment had run away with her. Yet, Aoife did not move to take her hand back. Blinking back the film of tears that threatened to spill over, the woman looked at their hands entwined for a moment. ”I-“ The mystic began, voice cracking even with one syllable. I can explain. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t. I need to go. I can’t do this. She didn’t know what to say to him. Didn’t know what she could say to him.
|
|
Lunari
28
Complicated
Warden Centurion/Guard Elite
Tier 1 Character
|
Post by Cian DeGraff on Aug 11, 2020 8:18:54 GMT -5
Was this simply what happened when you had so much adrenaline, so many emotions rushing through you that you started to say and do things you couldn't fully comprehend? Whatever the case may be, Cian couldn't seem to get a handle on things, not even his own thoughts again, and it probably wasn't a good thing. His ignorance and stupidity had them standing out there in the rain when the weather had barely broken into spring, yet he felt like he could stand out there forever with her.
But no, he was an idiot.
Cian felt it before he saw it- the hard metal around a particular finger as he held her hand, wondering just what in all of Teronna he was doing. He was slow to realize, slow to begin putting some semblance of actual thoughts together to understand just what was going on. It was her gasp that alerted him to something being off, the way she was trying to speak and say something. When he noticed the ring, he felt his heart immediately seize within his chest and his throat closed up. It was as though someone ran a knife straight into his heart and twisted it, waking him up from this sudden dream state he'd found himself in.
What had he done?
Even still, he was slow to let her hand go. When he was finally able to, pressing her glove back into her palm so it wouldn't drop to the mud, Cian recoiled like he had been physically struck and took a step back. "I, uh...I'm sorry, I...I didn't know..." The guilt and shock were written all over his face, because he hadn't known. He didn't know any of it. He never would have let...whatever the hell just happened to happen if he had known. Suddenly, he felt vile, almost as much as he was completely confused, worried he had overstepped some sort of boundary, and disrespected her.
Why didn't she tell him?
Then something else hit him, a low blow to his pride. She didn't tell him anything, because he was the only fool that sensed something was there. It was the only logical explanation. Cian suddenly felt so ridiculous that he nearly laughed out loud over it, as if it would help smooth over the strangeness of this entire situation, but he just stood there dumbfounded in the rain. He stood there looking lost as he attempted to will his feet to move. "Forgive me, please," he heard himself muttering, his voice nearly swallowed up by the storm.
|
|
Pyxis
27
Increasingly complicated
Ex-soldier
|
Post by Aoife Lee Frye on Aug 11, 2020 11:03:21 GMT -5
Where before, Aoife had not felt the rain or at least not noticed it- she now felt every single drop as it pelted against her skin and clothes. She felt the chill in the air as though they were caught in the dead of winter rather than the beginnings of spring. Suddenly, the woman felt everything all at once. The rain, the cold, the heart pounding in her chest. Aoife felt it all. It threatened to consume her as Cian’s face briefly swam in and out of focus. She saw the guilt and shock written into his features as he stepped back, she saw that look on his face- and the knowledge that she had been the one to put it there hurt more than any blade ever could. ”I, uh...I'm sorry, I...I didn't know...” How could he have known? Aoife had never told him. Aoife hadn’t spoken Alasdair’s name aloud since she had said goodbye to him that night. Lips parted as though to speak, as though she wanted to tell him but just could not summon the words to explain. The film of tears that had been threatening to spill were blinked away, though a few escaped- lost amongst the raindrops as they slid down her cheek, falling to the mud without a sound. Why couldn’t she tell him? Again, the woman moved as though to speak. Fingers tensing around the glove as she struggled to coax the words from her tongue. I was, he was, we were, I’m sorry, Cian… not your fault… it's not your fault. There were a hundred thousand things she wanted to say to the soldier. She wanted to tell him everything. Everything about Alasdair, the Wardens, the mystics. She wanted to explain, assure him that he had no reason to apologise, assure him that she had wanted whatever had just passed between them before she ruined it. But she just could not find the words. Aoife had never told a soul. Not her parents, her brothers, not even Rosemary. She had told herself they would not understand, and even if they had- then they would not be able to help. Cian DeGraff maybe, Cian could possibly understand- after all, hadn’t he lost a sister to this war? She tried to speak once again, and again nothing but silence came from her lips. "Forgive me, please," She couldn’t bring herself to look at him any longer, couldn’t bear to see the look on his face for another moment. Grey eyes fell downwards, looking at the little band that she had promised a soldier she would never take off. Aoife kept her promises. She could hardly look at that ring on a good day, she could not look at it without seeing the stupid grin he had worn when she agreed to take it. Could not look at it without hearing the way his voice was roughened with sleep when he first awoke. She could not look at it without remembering how she felt in his arms. It was too much then, and it was far too much for her now. Clearing her throat, Aoife kept her gaze averted for fear of what she would see should she meet those blue eyes. ”There’s nothing to forgive.” She said at last, in that moment- Aoife looked so small, so broken, as though she was a shadow of the woman she had been just ten minutes ago. ”I- I have to go. I am sorry. I-“ That was where her words ran out, and Aoife turned at last to leave- forgetting her staff where it lay in the mud for now.
|
|
Lunari
28
Complicated
Warden Centurion/Guard Elite
Tier 1 Character
|
Post by Cian DeGraff on Aug 11, 2020 15:25:01 GMT -5
It was beyond embarrassing, and yet, there was something with the display of emotions on her own face that made it all the more confusing. Was she simply mortified that he would even attempt to get a little close while she was betrothed? Cian couldn't figure it out, and the more he thought about it, the worse he was making this for himself. He felt like he had stepped over a line, that he had accidentally disrespected her and whoever had been fortunate enough to put that ring on her finger. Of course, it had never been his intention. He had been blind, too absorbed in the simple idea of her and "what ifs" that he could not seem to share.
Everything he should have probably said was just drowned out by the rain. And lightning finally cracked in the sky, illuminating them in white hot light before dissipating. Briefly, he wasn't sure if she had been crying or it was just the drops traveling down the contours of her beautifully sad face. He couldn't figure it out, he couldn't take a second to try and understand what had truly happened or where he went wrong. What made him think he could assume anything?
As that heavy silence lingered between them, as she tried to figure out what to say, he simply chalked it up to the fact that Aoife was attempting to find a way to put him down gently. Which would have been ironic considering the woman had been nothing but blunt and honest in her conversation and teasing. But it felt like something was clamping down tightly around his heart, an unseen weight upon his shoulders while he stood there unable to remove those blue eyes from her face. Even if she couldn't seem to look at him. A part of him was willing her to, the part that didn't want to ignore the tug of emotions, that feeling she brought out in him even if that small band was like a glinting beacon in front of him now. It was wrong, he knew, but it was that tiny part of him that clung to a selfishness that was rarely there.
'There's nothing to forgive.' Why? He wanted to ask why and how it was even possible. Cian was willing himself to speak but his voice was lost to him as she suddenly looked so frail. And Aoife Lee Frye had never looked this way before. Not to him. She was struggling to speak again, apologizing to him before turning away, leaving him with even more questions.
His mind was yelling at him to move, to call out, to do anything. Time had seemed to slow down for him, at times so agonizingly slow...and now it was speeding up and he was falling behind. He was failing to catch up, and he feared if he didn't stop her now he'd never get the chance to know. To ask. Even if it made all of this worse.
"Aoife, wait!" His breath hitched before Cian rushed forward a couple of steps, refraining from physically reaching out for her. He didn't know if she would stop, if his voice would just get lost to the rain, but he was daring to stand strong right now instead of crumble beneath this uncertainty; waiting as blue eyes watched her retreating form.
|
|
Pyxis
27
Increasingly complicated
Ex-soldier
|
Post by Aoife Lee Frye on Aug 11, 2020 16:54:12 GMT -5
"Aoife, wait!" His voice brought her to a halt with two syllables. Though she still could not bring herself to turn and face him. Again, the woman felt an overwhelming conflict in both her mind and her heart. There was a small part of her, such a small part, that wanted to surrender it all- to turn and run to him, cling tight to his chest and tell the soldier everything. She wanted to tell him how lonely she had been, how she had lost herself in the grief that threatened to consume him too. Aoife wanted to confess to him, how she hated the crown, the unseelie, how she hated herself for letting him go into the darkness that night for a war she wasn’t sure he even believed him. That small part of her just wanted to be held, to be heard, she wanted Cian to know her- she wanted him to know what she had come back from and how he had helped to guide her back from that precipice without even realising she was close to the edge. But more than that, she wanted him. The guilt that came with wanting him was almost enough to keep her walking. It was almost enough for Aoife to will her feet to move her forward once again- away from the barracks and back home. From there, she would go home home- back to the mountains and away from whatever this had been. Away from whatever this could have been. Far away from the electricity that seemed to crackle in the air between them every single time their eyes met. And Aoife hated how much she wanted him. She hated how fragile he made her. And most of all she hated the way he had brought to surface feelings she never thought she would feel again, with Alasdair or with anyone else. It had been so simple before Cian DeGraff . She had been healing. But he had opened the wound and allowed it to start festering once again. No, she had done this. It had been Aoife that let him in, too much and too soon- Now they were both paying for it. Aoife still had not turned to face him. Still, she stood there, paralysed by his voice and by her own indecision. Despite the small part of her that wanted to go to him, to tell Cian everything and explain why she had hesitated- she couldn’t do it. The woman would not ever be able to meet those blue eyes again if they looked at her with pity. She didn’t need pity, and she didn’t want it, especially from him. Cian had been the only person in months who had not treated her as though she was a porcelain doll- likely to break if handled a little too roughly. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if he thought her fragile, breakable. Tears swam in her eyes once again, threatening to overflow with every passing second. Every moment they stood there in the pouring rain seemed to stretch for an eternity where they had passed so quickly beforehand. ”Cian.” Aoife said softly, so gently that even she could barely hear it above the rainfall and the rolling thunder. And yet, she still did not turn to face him. It was cowardly, but it was all she could manage without falling apart. ”It's best if I go home, Cian, this isn’t fair on either of us.”
|
|
Lunari
28
Complicated
Warden Centurion/Guard Elite
Tier 1 Character
|
Post by Cian DeGraff on Aug 11, 2020 20:23:12 GMT -5
Turn around. Please turn around.
The moment her name left his lips, he was anxiously counting the seconds that ticked by, praying that she stopped. Praying that she would turn around and face him so that he could try to discern his currently unspoken question. Had he been assuming? Was he just imagining things? Regardless, even if there was something truly there between them, what kind of a damn man would he be to wish for her to break the vow that came with wearing that ring?
His gut was twisting into knots, and Cian couldn't believe how easily he was getting bent out of shape over this. He was near panicking, not wishing for her to be upset or angry with him. He wanted everything else- the complete opposite of this. He wanted to pretend that ring was nonexistent...only, that wasn't who he was, no matter how much he desired it. That wasn't the type of person he ever could be, which is why he shouldn't have asked her to stop.
But he wanted to. He wanted her even when he knew he shouldn't. And when she stopped, he realized he was no longer breathing.
Please turn around. Please look at me.
The soldier couldn't bring himself to utter the words although he was desperate to see her face. Desperate to look at her and understand, or to truly realize that he was simply imagining things. He just needed to know. This already got so messed up, too deep, and there was no point in backing down.
Until she said his name. No, don't. Until she was dismissing everything before he could open his mouth. Cian had taken those few steps closer to her, nearly closing the gap in a span of a few seconds. A hand rose as if to rest against her arm, but he stopped himself mere inches away. He wasn't breathing again. He didn't know what he was doing. Whatever this was, it was confusing him and driving him mad.
'It's best if I go home, Cian, this isn't fair on either of us.'
How was he supposed to take that? How was he supposed to respond or react to any of this? He'd made a mistake, that much was clear, and he felt horrible for what it seemed to have done to her. So, it was that guilt that had his hand falling back down to his side, even if she was right there, so close that he could almost feel the heat radiating off of her. Or, perhaps, that was his own, even against the cold rain.
Unable to respond right away, his head bowed slightly while he shut his eyes, knowing he had to stand there and take this. He knew he had to let her go. Finally, his lips parted to murmur the single word that felt like another blade was just jabbed straight into his chest, "...okay." He wouldn't look up, though, because he couldn't watch her go again.
|
|
Pyxis
27
Increasingly complicated
Ex-soldier
|
Post by Aoife Lee Frye on Aug 12, 2020 3:21:07 GMT -5
Perhaps it was worse to keep her back to him, Aoife could only imagine the hurt that she would find in his eyes should she turn around once again. Or perhaps there was anger there, anger that she had lied to him without saying a word- had she led the soldier on? She hadn’t meant to. It had been so easy to let go, to be swept away with his easy company and get lost in those bright blue eyes and stupid grin. So easy to lose herself with him. To get lost in the idea that being with the soldier was right, that it was okay to feel her heart beat again, that the warmth in her chest when she thought of him was welcome. But being with Cian DeGraff felt like forgetting, and she promised herself she would not forget. He had a right to be angry, Cian had every right to be angry. But he hadn’t been. No. He had been hurt, recoiled as though she had struck him, but Cian had not been angry. Apologies had dripped from his lips as though he had wronged her. There had been guilt in his eyes, but mostly the soldier had just seemed so lost- as though he was not sure what had just happened. In honesty, neither had she. Aoife was still reeling, still scrambling to hold it all together as the torrent threatened to consume her. The mystic didn’t think she would lose the composure she had managed to cling to if she turned to face him- Aoife knew she would. If she had known the thoughts in his mind, knew he was blaming himself for this- whatever this had been. If she had turned to see the man was reaching for her, after everything she had just done to them, the guilt would have twisted inside her to the point where she could not breathe. Her head was already swimming, mind desperately trying to hold on to something… to anything. But she could not seem to cling to any one thought. Lightning flashed once again, draining colour from the world and searing the scene into her memory. It would remind her not to do this again, not to let herself feel again. Aoife had been lucky to find Alasdair, so incredibly lucky. And when he had been taken, more than just a part of herself had gone with him. The mystic had never expected to feel again, at all. Since then, she had believed her life would be hollow, empty and devoid until the end. She had been stupid. Stupid to believe, even for a second, that she could have that again. With another soldier. Not only would that be a betrayal of the first man she had loved, the man who’s ring she still wore: it was also just asking for another heartbreak. The mystic did not think she would survive losing everything a second time. "...okay." Blinking away the rain and the tears, Aoife’s shoulders shook as she finally managed to force out an exhale. Lungs burning from the breath she had struggled to take. There was nothing she could say to him, no words would undo or make up for what had transpired between them today. A thousand apologies would not be enough. And so, she headed again for the exit- the squelching of her boots in the mud drowned by the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. Her lower lip began to tremble, but she would be damned if she lost it now, she could keep it together, just for a few more moments until she reached the stables.
|
|
Lunari
28
Complicated
Warden Centurion/Guard Elite
Tier 1 Character
|
Post by Cian DeGraff on Aug 23, 2020 17:36:45 GMT -5
He wished he could be angry.
Cian was wondering why he wasn't. Maybe he was blaming himself for this, for seeing and believing things that simply weren't there. Regardless, he didn't think Aoife was the type who would have sat idly by and allowed him to step over the line. That was precisely why he could be nothing but confused, not angry. Just lost and feeling like he betrayed another he had never met. If he had known, he wouldn't have let these thoughts extend this far. He wouldn't have gotten so caught up in the moment.
Right?
Still, for her to stand there with her back to him, with her refusing to look at him seemed to hurt more than anything, because he couldn't figure out if he had ultimately ruined a possible friendship if it was to be nothing more than that. Her words felt finite, and Cian had trouble ignoring the tightness within his chest. This was it. He'd never see her again unless there was a possible, accidental run-in...and that hurt like hell. The idea was almost enough to make him reach out for her but both hands stayed at his sides. He didn't have to open his eyes to know she had finally walked away, that she wasn't looking behind her. He just knew it, he felt it.
Eventually, it was nothing but him and the cold rain.
He was slow to move after a few moments, tiredly searching for his fallen sword although he had been of half a mind to simply leave it there. Like it didn't bloody hell matter. Currently, nothing really did matter except for the overwhelming ache of his entire body, now that he was trying to focus on something else besides those grey eyes, her face, the way she had so easily made the fire inside him burn. By the gods, he was such an idiot.
Locating and picking up the discarded weapon, blues alighted upon the staff she had left behind. Maybe he should just leave it because Aoife would most likely come looking for it...but he was walking his way over anyway, drawing it from the mud with the intent on bringing it with him. Perhaps tomorrow he'd ask someone to drop it off to her, because he was damn certain that it would be far too inappropriate for him to do so. And he was sure she didn't wish to see him at this point.
Gripping it within his hand, he stared down at it before drawing in a staggering breath and left the training yard. Somehow, that hole in his heart increased but at least his mind would soon enough become numb.
[ end scene ]
|
|