Fall on me with open arms. Fall on me from where you are
It was not a bad start. Working together, laughing. It could have been perfect. Should have been, if not for her. The further they came from busy docks and the distracting presence of others however, the more her smile faded. A silence that ought to have been easy and comfortable weighed on her, and this was not the kind of mountain the starchild could just wish away.
When her father finally spoke, Seren's head whipped around so fast that it strained her neck. "What? No! I mean yes, I did. I do. That's not it, dad, I..." Words tumbled over one another, and fearing she would bite her own tongue she made herself stop to swallow. Taking a deep breath, she made herself slow down. "I am so sorry, father. I never meant to be gone so long. All I wanted was to see what it was like outside of Stormbreak." Looking at maps and staring out from the top of high walls had seemed so... uninformative. "I... underestimated how big the Wilds were. Or how far I could get in a day. I thought I'd be back before the weekend was over."
A royal understatement, that. It had seemed like only a quick jaunt, yet before long Seren had been lost. Carefree about it at first, but with every passing day... She dragged a hand over the face, and for once the usual smile was nowhere to be seen. A tension around her eyes told of mounting strain, of sleepless nights and fright. A still healing cut in her skin, below the hairline, suggested that it had not been the fun and game she intended.
When her father finally spoke, Seren's head whipped around so fast that it strained her neck. "What? No! I mean yes, I did. I do. That's not it, dad, I..." Words tumbled over one another, and fearing she would bite her own tongue she made herself stop to swallow. Taking a deep breath, she made herself slow down. "I am so sorry, father. I never meant to be gone so long. All I wanted was to see what it was like outside of Stormbreak." Looking at maps and staring out from the top of high walls had seemed so... uninformative. "I... underestimated how big the Wilds were. Or how far I could get in a day. I thought I'd be back before the weekend was over."
A royal understatement, that. It had seemed like only a quick jaunt, yet before long Seren had been lost. Carefree about it at first, but with every passing day... She dragged a hand over the face, and for once the usual smile was nowhere to be seen. A tension around her eyes told of mounting strain, of sleepless nights and fright. A still healing cut in her skin, below the hairline, suggested that it had not been the fun and game she intended.
Seren
