Left Alone

There was only so much he could do. The rest was up to her. He shifted closer to her ebony form, in case she sought to lean on his shoulder. As much as he hated hearing the saddened sobs bawl from her crimson eyes, he knew after a good cry she'd feel better. The sounds were all too familiar, and his gaze became distant as childhood images flooded into his mind. Her stammering inquiry brought him back to reality, and he looked down at the girl, allowing a quiet sigh to slip from his lips. "I'm sure they will," he told her with a weak smile, unable to stop the doubt creeping into his head. What if her father never returned from the siege? What if her mother and brother had left her? Poor thing; being orphaned at such an early age. He knew what that was like; he knew what it was like to lose everything he loved. However, he couldn't convince her that they would definitely come back, though he couldn't tell a young child otherwise. It was a tricky situation, and he decided to drop the subject before the girl could question his answer. "What's your name anyway? I'm Tinaro."