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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 13, 2010 23:19:55 GMT -5
He was falling apart, ripping at the seams, and she had no idea what to do. It was like being sucked back in time, taken back to some time where he actually cared again, as though he had put his whole life, all of his emotions, on hold until he got here. The grave must have been the proof he needed, the solid, undeniable evidence that Miles was gone. It was raw and it was real, it was everything that he had been saving up as they rushed to get back here, everything that had been dwelling in his mind since getting that letter. It was as though he had just carried this on from wrecking his room in Handel, these emotions seeming to follow seamlessly from those.
Phoenix, he was still in there, and he was hurting.
She dropped her bag to the floor by her feet, moving to kneel on the ground next to him. In the time they had been travelling she had avoided all unnecessary contact with him, no hugs, no holding his hand, but now she moved to put her arms around him as though that time had never happened, closing her eyes to hold back her own tears. "Shhh, Phoenix, don't torture yourself like this." She soothed, "He knew, no matter what your last words to him were, he knew what you thought of him." She assured him, not even the slightest hints of doubt in her voice. "Some things don't need to be said out loud."
The breeze fluttered past them, stirring her hair, making the grass around the grave bend and wave. "None of this is your fault, you can't blame yourself. You can't carry the responsability for this. It was the cold, it wasn't anyone's fault."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jan 13, 2010 23:38:44 GMT -5
He didn't resist in the slightest as she put her arms around him, the thief turning to hide his face in the side of her neck, practically clinging to her as he grieved for his friend. She was something to hold on to, something to keep him from losing his mind entirely and hurling himself off the hilltop down into the sea, so he didn't have to think, or feel this way anymore. Phoenix was truly lost in his grief, but he took comfort in her words, at least. Maybe with them both here, with Miles there... somewhere... the other thief would hear the words, and he would know they were true. Phoenix didn't stand either way when it game to the matter of gods, and heaven and hell, but he still found himself hoping that Miles had gone somewhere where nothing could hurt him anymore.
He couldn't find it in himself to speak until after about ten minutes had passed, the thief taking a deep, shuddering breath and shaking his head. "It'd be easier if it wasn't the cold." he mumbled, his voice muffled and quiet where his head was buried in her shoulder. "Then I'd have somethin' to blame. I'd have someone to deal out revenge to. As it is... it's just me. It can't be nobody's fault. So if it's anyone's, it's mine. If I'd have only been here, if I'd have at least told him one more time before we left--" he broke off again, falling silent. He had to work through the 'if only's' and the 'what if's', or they would consume him just as much as if he dwelled on them too much.
"I'm sorry..." he muttered after a while, completely out of nowhere. "I've been actin' like such a dick these last few weeks. You didn't deserve any of that. I just gotta tell you I'm sorry..." he shook his head, before falling silent again.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 13, 2010 23:53:28 GMT -5
She turned her head to rest it on top of his as he hid his face in the side of her neck, rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him. "It isn't your fault." She repeated gently, shaking her head ever so slightly. "He made his own decisions, he could look after himself. It wasn't his fault either. Sometimes you just can't escape the cold." She murmured, reaching up to brush his bangs back away from his face. "What if's won't help. I know it's hard, I really do, but lingering on what might have happened will drive you mad. With hindsight, everyone would do things differently. You have to try and help the people that are left behind, who are still here. Try and think what he would have wanted you to do."
She was unprepared for his apology, not quite sure what to say. She wasn't going to tell him that it was alright, because it wasn't, but she was too happy to see some signs of the real him, it was impossible to be even the least bit annoyed with him right now. She settled for nodding to him and smiling faintly, clearly accepting his apology, her grip around him tightening a little. "We'll work a way through this, Phoenix." She assured him. "The past is the past now, we can't change it, we just have to make the future better."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jan 14, 2010 7:52:45 GMT -5
There was a small part of Phoenix, somewhere inside him, that wanted to sit up, grab Rory's shoulders and just shake her, to get angry with her and demand to know just how she could possibly know how hard this was. This was beyond hard, this was unbearable. He knew that she'd thought him dead while she was locked up in the palace, but the question was always open, there was no proof, no finality about it. Miles was right there, cold and under the ground for everyone to see. There was no 'maybe' about it. He was dead.
This flicker of selfishness inside him only lasted a second, however, before the thief forced it away forever. He was quiet as she spoke, still half curled up in her arms and clinging to her as though she was his lifeline, but his moment of hysteria seemed to be fading now. He was no longer inconsolable, nodding to her softly as she finished speaking.
Phoenix didn't move, however, for a few more minutes, eventually sitting himself up, putting his hands on her shoulders and moving back from her a little, his head bowed. "You're right." he agreed in a low voice, nodding and sitting back on the grass, wiping his cheeks with his sleeve and pushing his hair out of his face. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily, as if to brace himself, before he turned to look towards the cross that marked the grave again.
Without a word, he shuffled to lean down on one knee in front of the cross, the faintest of smiles on his face. For the first time in weeks, the expression wasn't forced. The thief reached into his waist-coat, drawing out the two black dice that he customarily kept there, setting them down among the other trinkets. They had belonged to Miles in the first place. The other thief had loved to gamble. Rubbing his eyes, he shifted and grabbed the bag next to him that he'd dropped, unbuckling it and opening it up to search inside it. A couple of other trinkets were taken out to add to the gravesite; a deck of gilded cards and a bottle of black rum, both of which were set up against the cross.
"Sleep well, Miles." he muttered, almost too quietly to hear. Then he finally rose to his feet, taking the bag with him, stepping back a few feet from the grave. He had to move forward. Rory was right. Miles wouldn't want him to sit on the hilltop forever and forget to live.
"Just a couple minutes more..." he whispered, not quite wanting to leave just yet. Miles had never liked being alone.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 14, 2010 12:33:34 GMT -5
She felt a little of the tension drain out of Phoenix after a moment or two, which was a good sign, it meant that the anger had passed now. He seemed to have calmed considerably by the time that she had finished speaking. At least his nod meant that he was listening, and the way he had calmed suggested that her words had some sort of effect on him. That was good, it was the first time in weeks that her words actually seemed to help him, which was another promising sign. She couldn't get too carried away though, she couldn't expect too much from him. Dealing with this would be a long processes, he may never be exactly like he had been before, and she needed to remember that. It wouldn't help if she kept making him feel guilty for being different.
Rory remained knelt next to him as he turned to face the grave, noting the smile on his face. He looked more peaceful now, perhaps he really would be able to say goodbye to his friend now. Suddenly, she felt as though she was intruding again, silently grabbing her bag and rising to her feet, taking a few steps back away from Phoenix to give him a little privacy, to allow him his time to say goodbye to Miles properly without her hovering over him.
She moved to stand by his cloak, glancing over her shoulder as he put the trinkets down by the grave before turning to let her graze drift out over the glittering ocean, watching a ship as it headed towards the horizon. Right now, she couldn't imagine how he felt. Knowing that someone was gone forever...she wasn't sure how she would cope with that. At least he wasn't alone. It wouldn't have been good for him to come up here alone.
The princess turned back to him as he spoke again, smiling faintly and nodding, moving to stand by his side again, her own gaze once again on the grave. Goodbye Miles, thank you for everything. She reached over to lightly take his hand bowing her head, waiting patiently for him. He could spend as long here as he wanted, she didn't mind, just as long as he wasn't shouting or stuck in a void of self hatred.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jan 14, 2010 14:11:17 GMT -5
He smiled ever so slightly as she moved to take his hand, the thief sighing deeply and lifting his head as the sea breeze ruffled up his hair. He could stand here all day, easily, if he was given the opportunity. Undoubtedly, in the future, he might just spend a day or two sat up there on the hilltop, watching the ships go by. That's what he and Miles had used to do, when there was nothing to be stolen or no other work to get on with... well, strictly that was a lie... there was always more work to do, but avoiding Layla was easier to do when you hid from her on the hill. Eventually, though, he had to turn and leave. He'd just come back. He couldn't stay here forever.
"...Let's go..." he muttered, closing his hand around hers and sweeping down to take his cloak from the floor, sweeping it around his shoulders and tugging up the hood to hide his face. He lingered by the top of the hill, looking over his shoulder at the cross for a moment or two, as if assuring himself that he would come back again to visit really soon. Then he took a deep breath and led them away again, his bag over his shoulder. The only evidence of his breakdown would be the redness of his eyes... and Rory being present, of course. He didn't think they'd be talking about that any time soon, though.
They walked back through the slums of Cressa in silence. But Phoenix felt that it was more of a comfortable kind of silence than before, it was less like they were strangers. The thief resisted a sad little smirk to himself. It would be hard for them to be strangers with how he had just been clinging to her. He wouldn't think about that, though.
Layla's inn looked a lot more inviting the second time around, but that was because he already knew, to some extent, what to expect. That, and he had gotten a lot off his chest. It would take a long time to put it all behind him, he knew that, but it was enough for now. "I wonder what happened here..." he commented quietly under his breath, the thief frowning up at the inn. "...Must have been somethin' bad."
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 14, 2010 14:30:34 GMT -5
Rory tugged her hood into place once again as they turned away from the grave. Concealing her identity again felt strange, she had been able to walk out in the open for so long without having to worry, but the charm was gone, probably still laying snapped on the floor in the Claustrum. Thinking about it made her panic, her grip on his hand tightening ever so slightly as she moved to walk with him, keeping her head down. She would need to find a way to stop people recognising her without constantly hiding under a hood, she couldn't walk around in a cloak for the rest of her life. Maybe she should dye her hair again? She didn't know where she would get the money for the dye, but it was an option.
She found herself relaxing around Phoenix as they headed back through the slums, not constantly worried that he would take a detour into one of the many taverns. She felt like she knew him again, less like she was walking along with a stranger. She didn't even think that things had been so akward between them when they had been strangers. Oh well, it was in the past, hopefully. Things seemed to be getting better, she had to hope that it kept going like that.
"I don't know." She replied as he asked about the inn, sighing as her gaze rose from the ground to take it in again. There had been a fire, it was safe to assume that, and she could probably guess who had started it too. "It was probably the Knights..." She murmured, shooting a worried glanced to him, as though she feared that the mention of the name would have some sort of negative effect on him. "At least it's still here, and Layla is still here, she hasn't had to move somewhere else."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jan 14, 2010 19:55:37 GMT -5
The thief did cringe as she spoke of the Knights, shaking his head and clenching his free hand into a fist. Talking about the Knights was guaranteed to put him in a less than pleasant mood. Ironically, Phoenix turned right back into the person who had stood amongst their ranks when he was concerned with them, even though it was because he was protecting the people he cared for from them. "Probably." he muttered under his breath, leading them to the inn and up the steps. "I'm just glad, at this point, that Layla's even alive." he shrugged, clicking open the door and not knocking this time. As he'd suspected, Layla was already on her feet, expecting it to be them. She sighed in relief that they had come back in one piece, habitually ruffling up her short hair and moving to the door, as if checking they hadn't been followed.
Phoenix tugged the hood from his cloak down once the door was closed, actually managing a faint smile as Layla briefly hugged him again. "He's popular..." he commented softly, and the girl nodded in agreement.
"Everyone chipped in." she mumbled, leading them to a table and inviting them both to sit down. They were the only ones in the inn now; Layla must have banished the very few customers she had left to the upper parts of the inn. Phoenix looked around slowly, remembering every detail and all the changes, resting one hand on top of the other to stop them from shaking. He was beginning to get withdrawal from the lack of alcohol in his system, but he was refusing to notice it. He couldn't hide it, however, from Layla.
"You've been drinking a lot, haven't you?" she commented, noticing in his posture those signs she was so used to. She sighed, and glanced at Rory. "I'll be right back. Slap him for me, will ya? Then I wanna know everything about what happened. Then I'll explain about here." she smiled to her, rising to her feet and disappearing off into the bar area. Phoenix was staring at the table now, shame in his eyes. He had acted like a fool. But he couldn't say he wouldn't have done the same thing again. At least there was a reason behind his drinking.
Layla returned a few minutes later, a small measure of whiskey in a glass. She pushed it across the table to Phoenix. "There, Red. Cut the amount down again, little by little, and you'll be fine in no time." she assured him, Phoenix wrapping his hand around the glass, though he didn't raise it to his lips just yet. "So," Layla glanced at them, looking curious, "Spill. Where'd you go?"
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 14, 2010 20:26:01 GMT -5
Rory too glanced back out of the door as she stepped into the inn, eyes scanning the street for anyone that looked out of place, anyone that looked as though they were watching them. Once she had comforted herself that they hadn't been followed, she turned and stpped fully into the inn, pushing her hood back once again. They should be alright, the only times they hadn't worn their hood ere outside of the inn and at the gravesite. Hopefully no-one had seen this, and no-one had caught a glimpse of their faces under the hoods as they had been walking.
"Smack him...?" Rory blinked at Layla, looking lost as she turned her gaze to Phoenix. Needless to say, Rory didn't hit him, she just lingered by his side, scowling faintly as she noted his shaking hands. Ah, she knew what that meant. That meant that he needed a drink. She didn't know much about dependancy to alcohol, a few of the nobles had always carried hip flasks with them to combat their alcoholism, and she certainly had no idea how to deal with it. It was a good job that they were back in Cressa, back where someone knew how to deal with this and how to talk some sense into him.
As Layla asked her questions, Rory got that feeling that this was something that she shouldn't sit in on. Phoenix needed his space, needed time to catch up with Layla, and she didn't want him missing anything out on her account. "I'm going to go get something to eat." She murmured, putting her bag down by Phoenix's feet, guessing that he would watch it for her. Chris had given her a little money to use in emergencies, this seemed like a good time to put it to use. "Would you like me to bring you something back?" She asked, glancing to Layla aswell, to see if she wanted anything.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jan 14, 2010 20:36:22 GMT -5
"Mm?" he glanced up as she announced she was going out, the thief looking vaguely confused. Oh, he understood. She shouldn't feel as though she had to sit out on every conversation he had with Layla about what had happened; she had been just as much a part of it as he had, and he wouldn't mind her input or her company. It was almost as though it made it all real when she was there to back up his points, to share the memories. "I'm okay, thanks. Be careful, okay? You don't want me to come with you or anythin'?" he asked her softly, smiling a little. Layla did likewise.
"I've got something all set up to make already for later, Rory. You go ahead." she smiled, nodding to her and swiftly turning her attention back to Phoenix, who had taken a swift gulp of his whiskey, looking suddenly a lot more relaxed. At least he wouldn't be spending tonight drunk off his face. Layla would smack him until he couldn't see if he did. He actually found himself being quite grateful of the fact. He took a deep breath and sighed, before beginning to launch into the story of what had happened upon them leaving Cressa. It was quite an adventure when he spoke about it, and he couldn't help but to smile at some parts.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 14, 2010 20:57:35 GMT -5
"No, I'll be fine. I know my way to the market." She shook her head. She had been out alone before here, and when they were in Ilyria, she could handle going to the market and back. She would probably find somewhere to sit and eat too before coming back, make sure that they had enough time to get through everything before she walked back in. "I won't be long, and I'll make sure to be careful." She assured Phoenix as she pulled her hood back into place and moved to head towards the door just as they started talking. She closed the door after herself once she had slipped out, taking a breath before heading off towards the market.
She surprised herself by just how calm she was out on her own, then again, she was far more used to cities now, and a little more confident. She found the market without any problems, locating the stall that Phoenix used to take her to when he bought them breakfast, buying herself a pastry and a warm drink before moving to sit on the edge of a dried out fountain to eat. It was nice, really, just sitting back and watching the world go by, not having to worry about anything because Phoenix was safe with Layla. Most people didn't even notice that she was there, not giving her a second glance as they passed. If anywhere was home, she decided that it was here. It was where she felt the most comfortable, and the happiest. Travelling was nice, she enjoyed the adventure, but it was good to be back too.
She probably lingered there for longer than she should have, brushing the crumbs from her cloak before rising to her feet to head back to the inn. Something on the way back wasn't right, something felt wrong. She found herself glancing over her shoulder more than once, seeing nothing and chiding herself for being so skittish. What was wrong with her? She had been fine a moment ago. She tugged her hood further down as she stepped into the alley that lead to the inn, scowling slightly. Where was everyone? There was suspiciously few people around.
Her instincts were right, something wasn't right about this scene. She was in the middle of the alley before anything happened, meaning that she was unable to make a run for it. Three dangerous looking men appeared at the end of the alley, blocking her path, and when she turned to go back she found her path blocked by a man and a women who looked equally as meanacing. Blast, she was trapped. The worst thing was that she could probably tell you who these people were before they even spoke to her.
The White Knights knew that she and Phoenix were back in town. Word travelled quickly in the slums.
"Afternoon Princess." It was the biggest of the men that addressed her, Rory turning back to face him, sighing heavily as she reached up to push her hood back. They knew who she was, there was no point in trying to deny it, that was just a waste of energy.
"How nice of you to come back to Cressa. Slipping off like that was just plain rude." He continued, his voice low and threatening. Strangely, Rory wasn't scared. She had no idea what was wrong with her, she knew that she should be terrified. She knew what these people were capable of, and yet she just stood there, watching him calmly as he approached her, a strange anger bubbling up inside of her. Now, our Princess is difficult to anger, I mean, really make mad. It was exreamly rare that she lost her temper. However, they had caught her at a bad time, and, after everything that they had done, the Knights deserved what was about to happen. These people terrorised and murdered, they had forced Phoenix to kill someone, God knew what they had done to the inn, and something just snapped inside her head. She felt it break, and all that built up anger just bubbled over.
Rory didn't think about what she was doing, it just happened. A bright light burnt in the alleyway, spilling out of either end. It was a good job that people knew to avoid the Knights or there would probably have been more casualties. As it was, the Knights were the only ones subjects to the light, which got brighter and brighter until it glowed pure white, not that they could see it by that time, not that they could see anything by that time. Rory had once warned Phoenix that she could probably blind people with her light, and here was the proof to back that up. Yells of surprise and pain filled the air, the Knights scrambling to get away, most ending up running into the walls, while Rory skirted around them to head for the inn. Inbred psychopaths wouldn't be bothering them again any time soon, not if they valued their eyesight.
Rory seemed undeterred as she pushed the door open and stepped back into the inn, pausing to glance towards the alley before clicking the door closed and shutting that all outside.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jan 14, 2010 21:54:36 GMT -5
Unfortunately for Rory, her act of bravery, courage and the undeniable power behind it would go almost completely unnoticed by the occupants of the inn.Those who had noticed the light that flashed from either end of the alleyway would put it down to being something the Knights had planned themselves other than a person doing this to them. It was quite a sad thought, really, Phoenix would probably have loved to have known what happened. He would have relished every thought of it, in fact. Either way, whether he had knowledge of the fact or not, he would undoubtedly be feeling the benefits of her actions. She had blinded the Knights' best operatives, most of them permanently. That might just serve as a warning to the rest not to pursue the Princess and the thief any longer.
And if it didn't, then Phoenix would definitely have something to say about it, even if Rory didn't.
He and Layla were still talking when she walked back in. The whiskey glass was empty, but it hadn't been re-filled, and Phoenix was giving his friend a detailed description of the snow in Handel, how it was pure white, instead of the grey slush in the slums. There were a few gifts on the table, for Layla undoubtedly, although one of them was folded over an empty chair in the form of a new dress, not that the girl had noticed very much. Phoenix was back, that was better than any present he could have bought her.
The thief actually looked a lot better for talking to her; some of the storminess had cleared from his expression, at least, and his speech was animated and lively, full of Handel's snowy scenes and the pretty houses. He wasn't thinking about how the slums had coped at that moment, and neither was Layla. It was escapism, and it helped.
He looked up as Rory walked in, smiling at her rather brightly and stood up to greet her. "Hey, you have a nice walk?" he asked softly. He still wasn't right. He wouldn't be for a while. But, comparing to his behaviour over the last few weeks, he was a completely different person.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 14, 2010 22:25:09 GMT -5
The scene inside the inn affected her more than the little scene outside of the inn had. For a moment she just stood watching Phoenix talking, smiling to herself. He was more animated than she had seen him for weeks, he seemed happier. For the moment, Miles wasn't the only thing on his mind. He looked like the Phoenix she knew, granted he still looked down, but he was there, he was actually in there, he wasn't just some empty shell. She couldn't actually put into words how relieved she was to see him like this, and he wasn't drunk. Such progress in just a couple of hours, there was hope for him, hope that the Phoenix that she knew was still in there.
Without a word she stepped forward to hug him, nuzzling her face against his neck, rather scared at this moment that she was going to burst into tears. She couldn't cry, she didn't want to make him feel any guiltier than he already did. "I missed you." She mumbled, her voice only very quite, for the moment, the princess actually clinging to him, scared that he would slip away again if she let go. This was irrational, she knew it, but she couldn't help it. After everything she was just so happy to see some resemblance of Phoenix again, she had thought that she had lost him forever.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on Jan 14, 2010 22:48:37 GMT -5
At first when she hugged him Phoenix actually thought that no, she hadn't had a nice walk, and something horrible had happened while she was gone. But that was quickly forgotten, the thief soon realising what the meaning behind her hug was, and he smiled sadly. He was such a bastard, to have treated her like that, and to have been so selfish. His arms moved around her to hug her back, the sadness in his smile fading away. "I never went anywhere." he assured her, resting his head on top of hers and brushing her hair from her face, the thief closing his eyes for a moment or so. He never really went anywhere, but it certainly felt as though he'd just gotten back from the longest journey in the world. There was the briefest sting of grief as he thought of Miles, but he pushed that to the back of his mind, for now.
Layla was watching them, stunned. Was this really the same timid Princess she'd seen leave the slums all that time ago? That girl had turned into someone much more confident, and much more easy going around Phoenix, by the look of it. She couldn't help but smile, especially as Phoenix hugged her back. Ooooh, Red was gonna get it now. He might not be able to see it, but Layla could. The thief was head over heels. She hadn't thought she'd ever see this day come. Haha!
"I'll try and be less of a dick, now." he promised her, his back to Layla so he couldn't see her cunning, pleased expression, the thief sighing to himself. "I'm pretty tired, now..." he admitted. It was already mid-afternoon since they'd arrived in Cressa, and Phoenix felt as though he'd been awake for years.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jan 14, 2010 22:58:52 GMT -5
He haadn't been anywhere? Ha, was that a joke? He had gone and left her behind, been somewhere that she couldn't follow, and she could have screamed at him for it, probably would have done too if she weren't so pleased and relieved that he had come back. He would be in trouble if he tried to leave her again, she simply wasn't going to allow it.
None of that mattered anymore. What mattered was that he was back, and she was just going to focus on being happy, which really wasn't hard. She had almost forgotten just how safe and content she felt when Phoenix hugged her, the princess blushing faintly as he brushed her hair back from her face. Rory would have been quite happy to stand there all day if he had let her, her eyes closed so she didn't notice Layla's smirk.
She nodded to him as he promised to behave now, breathing out a small sigh of relief, taking that as a promise that he wouldn't suddenly disappear again. "Tired?" Actually, thinking of it, she was exhausted. She hadn't been sleeping well at all, and her little stunt with the Knights had taken more energy than she had realised. "We can go lay down, take a nap?" She suggested, shifting a little to glance up at him.
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