Sweet Disaster

SHIBA KLEIN

His response was minimal, but that seemed to be his way. When she’d first stumbled on him, she had thought his lack of conversation was due to his condition, but even as his wounds healed, he remained as rigid as always. His company was not unpleasant though, otherwise she’d have left him behind much sooner. Too much time had been invested though, and now she was determined to worm her way past those walls he’d built up. He would warm up to her eventually, even if she had to light the fire herself.

"Indeed I am." She paused for a moment, thinking about how the reunion might go. It would not be the first time that she crept back with excuses for her absence, but last time she’d at least had the justification of never having known where everyone had settled. This time, all she had to show for her time away was the half-healed, scar riddled brute before her. She’d been intrigued by him enough that the time away had been worth it, but she wondered if anyone else would see it that way. Now that he was in better shape he could go about rebuilding his strength, and she was certain he could make a formidable warrior if he was willing to put in the work to regain all he’d lost. One extra body to add to Ashen’s strength could not justify what had nearly been a year's absence, though.

"It will be interesting, but they’re family. I’m sure all will be forgiven." Even if it meant it would take time for her to prove herself once more. At least this time around, she would have someone at her side who would feel just as misplaced as she did. She still couldn’t understand why she had felt so off when she returned to her family, but she supposed, in retrospect, she’d now spent more than half of her life as a loner. She’d been quite young when she’d been dumped out into the world on her own, without the comfort and protection of a pack. She’d grown so much when she finally found everyone again, and so had they. They’d grown into different people than the ones she’d known before, and she had been so caught off guard by it. It seemed almost laughable now, to think that she had once thought that she’d be able to step back into her old life when she found them, that things would even be remotely close to being as they were before.

She looked away, letting her gaze fall to the water. "I’ll search for something to help with the pain tomorrow. It might still be a few days before we head to the borders." She wanted to take a look around, and perhaps gather some useful herbs to bring home with her. Not that she thought it would make a difference, but it would at least make her feel a bit better about things. Plus, she still needed to decide if showing up with Mikko at her heel would be the best plan, or if she should go and explain things first, and bring him along later.

"Speech."