A Case of Black and White

[CastlesInTheSky]

Azaldi simply watched her walk away for a moment without another word and sat at the base of a large tree, taking some bread from his pack to eat.

While he had been by himself, all the gravity of the situation seemed to hit him again, seeming to flip his view of the situation. Perhaps it had just been temporary giddiness brought on by the fact that Azaldi had miraculously been saved from his sentence. Now, he seemed to finally see what he had done. What he had done. Everything was his fault. Everything. If the woman hated him, it was completely his fault. If Azaldi didn't look at him in the fond way he used to, then it was his fault. The guards were his fault, the bandits, god damned everything was his fault, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

As Tiraris approached, Windsor leaned away from her, his stare weary, as if he had been emptied of all the energy that had been in him before. His look was no longer observant or watchful, but dull, emotionless, and with no sign of anything else but how drained he seemed to be. Bowing his head he walked back to camp without a word. There were none of his usual words to say. There was nothing to say.

[GoblinFae]

A defeated sigh escaped her as Tiraris watched the way Windsor trudged ahead. 'Men,' she thought rolling her eyes. 'Always looking like kicked puppies when you come close to injuring their precious pride.'

His martyred silence grated on her nerves. When they finally made it back to Azaldi, she lost it. Pitying him, she went over to her pack and pulled out some bread and dried fruit. Moving to stand in front of Windosr again, she gently took his hands in her own. Placing the precious food in his hands, she silently commanded him to eat.

"Stop this, Dyre. You are going to make me regret yelling at you," she tried teasing. "You did a good deed in saving my life. That is not easily cast aside. You saved my life and continued to protect me when you did not have to and should not have. But, you did anyway, and I am very grateful for that. We are all in this together, Dyre. Right? Right?"

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor was surprised by her actions. He had questions swimming through his mind, but didn't bother saying any of them; they weren't important enough, anyway. He listened to what she said, and started to feel a bit like the old healer again. So, he had been thinking incorrectly? She didn't dislike him as much as he had thought? It put part of the weight off of him. He glanced at the food in his hand and felt some of the troubles in his mind disappear, not for what it was but rather by the fact that it had been given to him at all.

"Right." He looked up, into her eyes for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards for a moment in a brief expression of being relieved from his empty feeling of before. "But..." He frowned. "I must apologize for all unnecessary the trouble I've caused you.Will you at least forgive me a bit?"

[GoblinFae]

"Nope," she replied, settling down on the ground. "I do not just arbitrarily accept apologies. There has to actually be something to forgive for me to do such a magnanimous act. Next time, do something really horrible. If I do not kill you in the first ten years then we can talk about forgiveness."

Nodding to Azaldi, Tiraris settled down on a bed of roots and moss, pulling her cloak tightly around her. "We are going to rest here for a bit. Try not to do anything stupid." Giving one last listen for trouble, she allowed herself to settle back into a light doze. She would be ready should trouble come, but after restless and sleepless nights, Tiraris was in need of a restful sleep.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Windsor was surprised by her reply, and once he had recovered from his initial confusion he smiled a bit. She was likeable when she wasn't yelling at him and or pushing him around. He had to admit, though, there was always a reason for when she did that, and it usually ended up saving his life.

While Tiraris rested, Windsor walked over to Azaldi and gestured for him to move just a tad farther away so they could speak without disturbing the assassin's sleep. After all, she did deserve a rest from his antics.

As Azaldi listened, Windsor spoke to him about things that had happened, what his wife had been doing before he had left. Azaldi didn't say much of anything, as usual, but it calmed him to listen and it calmed Windsor to speak to him. Overall it was a good thing. Fortunately, there was no danger that appeared to them as they stayed there.

[GoblinFae]

Dreams and nightmares rarely plagued Tiraris anymore. It was rare for her to sleep comfortably and long enough to enjoy one. Her midday rest was no exception and while her return to consciousness came quickly she remained still. The assassin was listening and observing.

Tiraris could still hear Windsor talk and a smirk twitched at the corners of her lips when she realized how nervous he sounded. 'I told you not to come with us!' Feeling a bit playful, she decided to play a small prank on the young healer. After all he had recently put her through he deserved a little scare and she some retribution.

Removing her cloak, she left it stuffed with her sack and climbed up the tree. From there she made quick work of moving from branch to branch and tree to tree until she was directly above and behind the two men. Silently she dropped down and grabbed the healer from behind, one hand securing him to her across his front while the other clasped firmly over his mouth. "Now tell me healer," the assassin gruffly spat out, "what stupid thing have you done now?"

[CastlesInTheSky]

The healer was completely oblivious to his companion moving about the trees, and continued to talk to Azaldi thoughtfully. Azaldi also didn't notice, though if he would he would be amused. They were not talking about very important things at the time ahe decided to 'attack' Windsor.

Windsor jumped quite a bit when she came down from the tree. Once she began to talk, he recognized her voice and with a face that showed he was trying not to smile said, "For starters I let my guard down and was attacked by an assassin who mysteriously appeared from the trees." Azaldi found this amusing as well.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris frowned and let him go, shoving him forward with her shoulder as she walked past him. "It would not be so mysterious if you paid have as much attention to your surroundings as you do your patients," she growled out. "You talk so loud, it is a wonder I got any rest."

She smiled faintly at Azaldi and inclined her head in greeting before glancing back to glare at Windsor. "You are ridiculous. You would all be dead if things were left to you. Thank the gods they were not!" Turning around to face him she glared darkly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you really sure you are even capable of this? You are not going to get us all killed or worse, caught?"