Shifting Worlds

Briar shifted her gaze away from Artorias just long enough to look past him at the cart she hadn't noticed before, her eyes widening with surprise. She hadn't known about the promise he had made, but the surprise of it made it even better. "You certainly delivered, that's for sure," she said with a grin, chuckling softly as her gaze returned to his just as his paw brushed her cheek. Even just the littlest touch or gesture made her stomach flutter and her heart skip and that showed in the adoration that filled her turquoise gaze. It wasn't like affection or kisses were new to them at this point - far from it, really - but that didn't stop the warm tingles that filled her belly as they held one another, gazing into each other's eyes with the feeling of his lips on hers still fresh on her mind.

However, they were only like that for a moment before she noticed a shift in his expression for a split second before he began to turn away, refocusing all the attention on the cart he had brought as he started talking about everything he had brought. It made her grin falter slightly, trying to focus her attention on the task at hand as well, but it was hard to not think about the conflict in his warm gaze. He was obviously trying to hide whatever it was, but she knew him too well for that to slip past her now. Her ears flicked when he said he couldn't stay long, trying to do her best to hide her disappointment. She knew it was how it had to be. He was needed in The Hallows and had an important part to play there, but it didn't mean it made it any easier on the more emotional and less logical side of her. She gave him a slightly sad smile as he finally turned to face her again as he admitted that he had wanted to see her again and how he had missed her. "I missed you too... So, so much."

She was sure that he would have liked for her to just move on and get the cart of items into the pack lands so the gifts he brought could be put away, but she also knew that if she didn't ask him what was bothering him then it would just continue to eat at her once he was gone again. Briar tipped her muzzle forward, gently nuzzling his cheek. "Did something happen? Is something wrong?" she asked softly, giving him a concerned glance, her mind already trying to jump to conclusions and guess at what could cause him to act that way.

"Briar Fatalis"