Hazy Shade of Winter

Zephyr didn't know what kind of answer he was expecting. Surely if anyone important had been found, she would've mentioned it by now. His chest felt heavy - though he knew in the back of his mind that his children had all died that night, he couldn't help but hope she said something about them. It was strange enough to know that Inverno was alive, and to know Asha was too.. and all here, no less. How would Asha react when she learned Caelum was here? The simple life that he'd built, the life of a rogue, seemed to collapse as he thought about it all. It sounded just as impossible to go back to the life he'd been living recently, as it did to go back to the life he'd once shared with Caelum. His past had come back to haunt him and he had no clue where to go from here.

Her voice sounded melodic to his ears. It was so much nicer when she wasn't arguing with him. He tried not to shake as she leaned against him and continued on. So she'd been alone, all this time? He wondered if he should tell her that he'd made a good friend, a close friend. A mentor of sorts, really. He found himself suddenly hoping that being alone hadn't been too hard for her, that she'd been okay all this time. It felt foolish to think such things, since he'd been the one to turn her away when she'd begged for him to console her and come back to her.  "That's.. good,"his voice was low as he breathed softly, inhaling again to grab hold of her scent once more.

He nearly startled when she pressed herself more fully against him, her face into the fur of his chest. It didn't take long at all for him realize that she was crying. Silently, but crying nonetheless. A slight frown touched his lips. He wished he could make it all go away. The painful, nagging feeling that she still was to blame for some of this, mingled a powerful longing for her now that she was lying against him. He couldn't do anything, not really.. not yell, not cry, not celebrate. He closed his eyes, his head moving to press her closer against him.  He lay with her for a long while after she spoke, nearly smiling at the simple words she offered him. She'd seen the biggest buffalo ever there. It seemed such a simple statement, almost like something a child might say, so innocent and untainted.

"This feels wrong," he mumbled, suddenly, without thinking. Everything seemed so unnatural, but so familiar at the same time.  "Why does it feel this way, Caelum?" His eyes burned, with tears that he fought against, and refused to let fall as they closed. He held her tight, his breathing shallow, his heart beating rapidly still.