Naveen

Her pushing didn't have the power to move me away but I did take a step back after her shove. "I stayed for two reasons. I stayed because I wanted to make a difference for my people and all those that are oppressed and treated like they are nothing. But I stayed for you. So you wouldn't face it alone. You have always been my friend. But out of the two of us, who has sent the other away more Rina? I have never fled, never held back, never hidden away."

I spread my arms wide, "You know the deepest secret I carry, the secret that could ruin everything I have worked for. But I am not human. I don't think like you do, I don't feel like you do. At the drop of a hat you blaze with anger, light up a room with a smile. But I am not like that. Things happen slower, because my life is so much longer."

My arms dropped to my side and I shook my head, "I have spent all this time trying to come to know you. To see past the woman who I first met keeping another locked in a cage. You've hidden things from me Rina. I do know you, but I don't think you've bothered to learn about me."

Rina:

I stared at him. It was more than insulting what he thought of me, it was wounding. It sent ice spears into my chest. “No? You don’t think I have learned about you in the time we were together? I do know your secret, but I know more than that. I know you still mourn the loss of your brother even to this day. I know, as Savien you were carefree and mischievous. You were rebellious as a child. Your father was strict. You enjoy travel and adventure,” the words were coming out fast.

“I know you bottle all of that up because you have to be Talon. You have to be your brother. You have to be responsible for your people so you betray your true self.” My throat was tight and it made my voice strained. “I know you Savien, without your armor.”

“I know this. And yet you stand here acting like I care nothing for you. Like it didn’t break my heart to send you away.” I looked down at the last words. I couldn’t stand to look at him set against me as he was. Not when I admitted something like that.

Her words stunned me. She had been paying attention more than I gave her credit for, and she was right about the majority of her words. I absorbed her rant without stopping her, without saying anything, while it came out of her faster and faster. And when it reached a head and the words were too strained to tumble out anymore she dropped the last bit of her feelings.

She cared for me? It broke her heart? "Then why did you send me away Rina?" I asked in soft exasperation. "Elves feel things slower than humans, and I'm no different. I'm over six hundred years old...and right as I was starting to figure out that I cared for you in return you sent me away." I made a helpless gesture with my hands. "I believe you care for me Rina. But I don't think you trust me."

Rina:

I looked at him again. “I trust you more than I trust anyone else,” I said and crossed my arms to hug myself. He was right though. There were parts that I didn’t trust. Like that he cared for me in the same way I did for him. But from the sound of it, he didn’t trust me at all. I didn't know how to move on from this, to get back to the way we were before.

"You have sent me away because you didn't trust me." I countered softly. The space between us now felt like an every deepening rift. "I've trusted you with who I really am. That counts you among three people who know."

Rina:

I took a step closer again without realizing. “It wasn’t mistrust. It was fear. Ever since then I haven’t doubted you. Not your actions,” I said and took in a small breath. “The only thing I doubted was your feelings for me.”

I wasn't looking at her, focused up towards the night sky. "After our first meeting, I strived to see you in a new light. You seemed so amendment that you weren't the type of person to lock someone away. And I only had what I saw before me to judge you by. Since then you became someone I trust, someone I care for." Sighing I rubbed at my face. "Then we became something more than just friends, with only two rules. First that we wont be with anyone else. And second...that there would be no feelings." I finally dropped my gaze to her. "I started to break that rule."

Rina:

I searched his face. Trying to see if he meant it and to what degree he meant it. I had known for a long time that my feelings had gone too far. But he didn’t give me any indication that he felt more. Even, no doubt, when he could see that I was half in love with him.

I took a final step closer and moved to press my lips to his.

I hadn't expected the kiss. Not even as she stepped closer. But then she was there and her soft lips were pressed against mine. For the briefest of moments I kissed back, but inevitably I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away. "I think it would be better for you to get some rest Rina...You are married..." Their was a few notes of rebuke in my tone, but the pain in my eyes said something else as I met her gaze. Before I did anything else or said another word to grow the rift between us I turned away and started to walk my route around the cabin again.

Rina:

I let out a soft sigh when he moved away from me. I wanted him badly. Not sex. I wanted to be in his arms. I wanted to feel safe and comfortable, something I had been deprived of since we last parted. But I wouldn’t chase him.

“I’m not married,” I said to his back as he walked away. I moved to the door. “William is dead.” I did feel sorrow for the loss of the man who had been so respectful and kind. But I couldn’t say I was sorry not to be married.

I went into the house without another word. I went back to Dorian and Maleen. I couldn’t find sleep however. My heart was aching for the elf outside.

I caught her words and I stopped in my walk. I wanted to turn and look at her, but she was already back in the house. Sighing I shook my head and tried to distract myself with my shift at watch. But it didn't do me any good. And when I woke up one of the elves for his turn at the watch I tried to sleep for the remaining shift but it simply wasn't to be. Instead I thought of only one thing, one person, one girl who said she cared about me like I cared about her.

Rina:

In the morning Dorian went out to see if he could get horses for the two of us so we could all move quicker.  In the last couple hours I had been able to sleep some, but my eyes still felt heavy and dry.  

I borrowed Dorian’s sword while he was away and went outside.  While in the castle I had precious little time to practice.  I was out of shape now.  Maleen took a seat on the log and watched me swing the sword around in various moves to get my body used to it once again.  Aero fluttered around, watchful of any danger.

I was up with the rest of the elves, rising and joining them as we limbered up and quietly went about our morning routines. I had one of the elves jog off with all of our water skins so that we could have fresh water and plenty if we wanted to leave soon.

With him moving on I took the time to sit in the sun in my thin undershirt and pants. I spread my gear out around me and started in on maintenance and care for the individual pieces. I oiled the leather, I sharpened my weapons, and I repaired a few bits of clothing with needle and thread. In the corner of my eye I could see Rina moving through practice with the blade.

I wanted to go over to her, but I held back. I needed time to work through my feelings and if I spent too much time with her then it would grow more muddled and confused.

Rina:

By the time Dorian returned, I had worked up a decent sweat and felt comfortable with the sword. Now it was only a matter of acquiring a sword of my own.

The elves suggested that we travel at dusk to avoid other travelers. That would give me the rest of the day to train and reacquaint myself with this life. I asked one of Talon’s men if I could borrow a bow to practice.

The draw weight was much heavier than I had used in the past, but I managed. I was used to it after the first few shots. Maleen made bubbles filled with smoke circle around me so I could work with a moving target.

The whole day I barely sat down. I didn’t want to think about the day before. Or the night for that matter. Talon was distant. We hadn’t spoken. There hadn’t been a chance for us to be alone and I would rather not try to put on an indifferent act with him. So I let him be, and I worked myself to exhaustion.

When night fell I was ready and almost eager to be off again. I didn't want to sit around and dwell, but I'd been faced with little to no choice in the matter. So I used the time to think, to plan, to remember, and to learn.

I all but ignored Rina, choosing instead to remain on my own and hardly reacting to anyone unless they communicated with me first. It wouldn't do to have my mind clouded, not if we were about to be attacked at any moment. And my solitude had offered me some headway in that regard but there was still much to work through in both my head and in my heart.

Rina:

I leaned over the table as Dorian mapped out our travel to where Brian’s camp was assumed to be. It would take two days if we avoided major roads. We would have to camp in the woods away from the road.

I was sharing Maleen’s horse as we were both smaller than any of the men and Dorian had only been able to acquire one horse. We were all wrapped in cloaks to ward off the evening chill.

I repeated the layout of the horses from the day before. One of my soldiers ahead, another trailing behind us while I rode with the girls and Dorian. The evening light was still plenty for me to see by, and I didn't stop myself from keeping a watchful eye on our sides just in case.

Rina:

We took a break by a stream to refill our water skins and give the horses a rest. It was dark now, but the nearly full moon was bright.

“Can I talk to you alone?” I asked quietly next to Talon. I didn’t want a repeat of last night. But I didn’t want Maleen to overhear our conversation.

I looked at Rina then at the others. "Alright." Gesturing for her to lead us on I had a quick word with the other elves real quick. I followed after her then, taking a moment to gaze up at the moon for strength. I didn't think this conversation would be an enjoyable one.

Rina:

I lead him away from the others and didn’t speak a word as we walked. I didn’t like the way it was between us. I would have thought that after last night he would have been at least a little more open, but he was still just as distant.

Finally I stopped and turned to him when we were a good distance from the stream. “I have a favor to ask,” I said hesitantly. “And I don’t want you to think I said things last night because I had this in mind. It’s simply me asking a favor of someone I hope I can still call friend.” I looked him in the eyes.

“I can’t keep Maleen. I can’t support her anymore in my current situation. I don’t want her to have to wander around the country, camping in the woods. She needs a place to settle down and continue her studies. I can’t give her that,” I said with a heavy sigh and looked down at my hands gripping my cloak tightly. I didn’t want to give her up, but I wasn’t in a position to keep her safe.

“Will you take her with you? There’s no one else. She needs to be with someone who cares for her. I know Dorian would take care of her, but he is not much better off than I…” There was a little lump in my throat. I was more emotional in the past two days than I had been in the past weeks when I had married, lost a husband, and been whipped.

I kept aware of the distance between us and the others and when she stopped I glanced back the way we had come then to her. Curiosity reigned in my eyes. Though that dimmed somewhat when she said she had a favor to ask.

Folding my arms I watched her closely, searching her gaze and body language as she kept going. "I will offer her a place to study and learn. I wont take her to my stronghold, I would not want to risk her life in the journey. But perhaps...perhaps she can travel among the other races and learn from them. Muich knowledge has been hidden away. It is what I was doing before I was summoned."

My expression had grown thoughtful as I regarded Rina before me. Perhaps she had changed more than I gave her credit for. Exactly what had she experienced in the weeks we'd been apart? "But I'm not the only one to ask you know."

Rina:

I sighed and looked toward camp. “I know,” I said and fidgeted with the hemline of my cloak. “Talon, she’s not going to want to leave. She’ll want to stay with us. She doesn’t care about the danger of it. But she’ll be safer with you.” And in turn he would likely be safer with her. It served two purposes. If I had to rid myself of those I cared about, I at least wanted them out of harm’s way.

"Then where will you go?" I asked softly. "It sounds as if you don't plan on sticking around." Turning my attention away from her I gazed at the moon between the branches. "I will take her with me and keep her safe. But I would like to know what you plan on doing. You don't have to tell me...but I'm sure it would make two minds rest a bit easier to know."

Rina:

I looked at him. It was the first time he expressed any interest in my current plans. “I have to talk with Brian first. If he still wants to work with me then I will go on assignments for him. And if he doesn’t want me, well, I’ll still do what I always do. I’ll go around the country helping where I can. I may not have been able to do any good working from the top. But I’m back in my element now. I’ll help individuals and hope that I can make something of an impact that way.”

A smile touched my lips at her plans, "You and Brian seemed to get along like oil and water the last time I saw the both of you together." I tucked my chin then and considered her plans, and how similar it was to what I was doing already. I had the benefit of power and position and a welcome ear. But I wasn't dealing with the main problem. It was the human leaders that I needed to talk too, not the other races. But any progress was more than we'd made in a long time. And now Rina was going to work her way from the bottom if she didn't manage to get in with Brian.