Sohalia
She really didn't mean to make him think that her sudden frigidity was his fault - in fact, that was the furthest thing from the truth. It was just that it wasn't so long ago that she'd run away from Stormbreak to Torchline to live for a brief time with Harper, her face bruised and bloodied from The Incident, as she'd taken to calling it. It had only been through her surrogate father's kindness that she'd begun to heal. Enough to brave the streets of home again, even if she still couldn't quite face the Silk Houses.
In any case, she shoved the memories and lingering pain away, locking it tightly into a little box in the back of her mind, slowly coming back to herself as the conversation turned to travel. "I'd be happy to show you sometime," she offered without thinking much of it, missing Koa's raised brow, oblivious to the hopeful look he shot her way. "I wouldn't recommend some places - the Feverlands, for example, are not my favorite - but there are so many beautiful places in Caido. Everyone should see them sometime."
Relaxed once more, she clasped her hands behind her back as they walked, happy to talk about travel and her work. "I'm a cartographer," she explained, pride in her voice. "That's mostly why I travel, though sometimes it's just to see friends in other regions." She thought of Jude and smiled fondly. "I'm fortunate that my work allows me such flexibility. The only problem I've run into is how to keep my shop running when I'm away. I've been thinking about hiring an assistant, but... I don't know. We'll see what happens." Sliding her gaze sideways to peer at Koa from beneath her lashes, she turned his query around. "What about you?" she asked. "What keeps you in Stormbreak all the time?"
In any case, she shoved the memories and lingering pain away, locking it tightly into a little box in the back of her mind, slowly coming back to herself as the conversation turned to travel. "I'd be happy to show you sometime," she offered without thinking much of it, missing Koa's raised brow, oblivious to the hopeful look he shot her way. "I wouldn't recommend some places - the Feverlands, for example, are not my favorite - but there are so many beautiful places in Caido. Everyone should see them sometime."
Relaxed once more, she clasped her hands behind her back as they walked, happy to talk about travel and her work. "I'm a cartographer," she explained, pride in her voice. "That's mostly why I travel, though sometimes it's just to see friends in other regions." She thought of Jude and smiled fondly. "I'm fortunate that my work allows me such flexibility. The only problem I've run into is how to keep my shop running when I'm away. I've been thinking about hiring an assistant, but... I don't know. We'll see what happens." Sliding her gaze sideways to peer at Koa from beneath her lashes, she turned his query around. "What about you?" she asked. "What keeps you in Stormbreak all the time?"
these aching memories still dance around me
