Ihen sat across the fire from her, cleaning his longbow with a dry cloth. Neko was sitting directly behind Ihen, her head resting on his shoulder. They all sat in silence, individual thoughts coursing through them all. Insei was the quietest of all, not having spoken a single word since they first stopped at the first sign of shadows. She had an uneasy feeling, and she could not shake it off.
Insei was startled out of her brooding by a small yell from Ihen. Insei looked up, wondering why her thoughts were so interrupted. Neko, with one arm still around Ihen, was holding Ihen's cloth away from him, out of his reach. They both laughed as he pretended to be mad, trying to get his cloth back. Eventually, Ihen fell backwards, and on top of Neko, the two still laughing.
Insei growled and stood, unable to stand being near the two at the moment. She walked towards the trees at the opposite end of the clearing, wanting to walk alone beneath the stars.
"Insei, something wrong," Ihen asked before Insei disappeared all together into the darkness of true night. Neko was looking at her too, concern etched upon her face.
"N-Nothing, nothing wrong at all." She was surprised that her voice did not come out as easily, but came out in a quiet whisper that threatened to break. She turned her back onto the two still sitting in the firelight, and entered the darkness of the forest. She took a few steps into the forest, her feet snapping branches below, before she stopped and took a long breath. Already the laughter behind her had picked up again, filling the night with joyful sounds.
"You shouldn't be walking out here all alone." She immediately recognized Rinn's voice floating towards her from her right.
"I needed some time alone," she responded quietly as Rinn came into view. Rinn studied her face for a moment, searching her eyes she knew not what for.
"Follow me, there is something you might be interested in," Rinn said as he turned, heading the way he had come. Insei following quickly behind, trying to forget about the nagging feeling that haunted every step. Rinn did not take her far, bringing her to a small clearing.
The clearing was on a downward slope, with a large slanting boulder in the center. Rinn gestured towards the precipice. Rinn and Insei soon found themselves sitting on top of the rock, looking up at the sky above. Here the sky was clear, without interruption. Insei immediately saw the Star of Ether in the Eastern sky, bright and shining among thousands of other diamonds in the sky. After so many days of sadness and homesickness, she was glad to see something familiar, something that she used to see from her home in the Tower.
"You love him, don't you," Rinn asked in a small voice.
"What?" Insei began to turn red, wondering why the hardened warrior would be asking her about love.
"Do you? It's a pretty simple question." Rinn still talked in a small voice, his eyes fixed upon the stars above.
"I don't know. I truly don't know..." Insei watched the warrior, amazed at the strong difference in this man. As she watched his silent eyes, she remembered the way they looked within the Falling Stars Inn.
"Rinn, when we were in the Falling Stars Inn, what were you talking to Mareth about?"
"At the inn?" He asked confusedly, turning his gaze onto her. She nodded for him to continue. His eyes were once again filled with a deep sadness, something, which scared her. What could make Rinn, a person of solid strength, have that look in his eyes?
"She was the love of my life, the angel of my dreams," he slowly began, his voice steady, contrasting his dark eyes. "Julia was her name, and every moment I was with her, I was truly alive. But being a merc prevented me from being with her all the time. At the inn--" his voice choked, and he stopped his flow of words. Insei put a consoling hand upon his rigid arm, offering her support and sympathy.
"...You don't have to go on," Insei said in a quiet voice, not wanting to hear the strong warrior's pain any longer. Rinn shook his head, looking off into the distance once again.
"She died while I was gone. I never got to say goodbye..." Rinn turned and climbed down the rock, looking up at Insei from below. "Never give yourself a reason to feel regret, Insei. It destroys what you truly are." And with those ominous words, he headed back into the darkness of the forest, joining the shadows once more.
Our bishel dragon has come from Bishen Realm, no stealy!
Images for this dragon home were made by me,
do not use unless you ask.
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