I need someone, not just anyone

Gwynevere looked up Ysmir as he hurried over to be at her side as she got to her feet, smiling gently as she allowed herself to lean into him to keep the weight off of her injured leg. She kept expecting him to draw some kind of line or decide he had done enough, but he just kept coming to her aid even when she didn't ask. He had more than repaid her for what she had done for him after the tournament at this point. In fact, she was beginning to feel as if she was going to owe him exponentially for his sweet kindness and gentleness. She would have to find a way to thank him once this storm had passed, but for now all she could think about was getting away to the sanctuary that was her room and pretending that none of this happened. She wanted to go back to this morning and change her mind on going out on her own. She should have taken someone with her or at least let Eilwen accompany her, but she hadn't and this was what happened.

At his gesture she began the slow walk toward the door, leaning against him with each step. Her leg was stiff with the bandages wrapped around it so walking was difficult and awkward, but at least the pain killers had done their job so she wasn't that uncomfortable. She brought them down the hall, through the foyer, and up the stairs, the stairs taking the longest of all with her having to pause very few steps to readjust and catch her breath. Getting to her room wasn't easy, but once she was through the door that opened to the small library she called home she was immediately relieved. The bookshelves on either side were full of old books on the top several shelves that were out of her reach, but many of the bottom ones were filled with various herbs and bots of concoctions she had prepared and was testing, all of it giving the room a very aromatic and herbal smell. In the middle of the floor was a large pallet made of furs and cushions from back when she had used this as her tiny version of an infirmary and she would use this as a bed for her patients. The far wall held a large window with a widow bench below it, the bench piled with furs and pillows that showed that was her usual bed. She didn't have a bed like some of the other rooms in the castle did, but this suited her just fine.

With Ysmir's help she went to the pallet in the middle of the room and eased herself down onto the wide spread of furs and pillows, the door swinging mostly shut behind them on its own. She sighed as she settled into the furs, laying out her leg so it could be in a more relaxed position while she propped herself up on her elbow to look up at Ysmir with a grateful smile. "Thank you," she said, feeling as if she was just thanking him again and again, but it was for good reason. He had done so much for her with nothing to show for it besides her graditute and fondness. She glanced toward the window, seeing the sun very nearly gone below the horizon with just a faint hue of sunlight still visible. It was already fairly dark and the stars were very visible. She didn't typically go to sleep this early, but as she laid here in the safety of her room the exhaustion of the day really began to catch up with her. Glancing up at Ysmir again, she said, "It's getting awfully late... Would you like to stay here for the night? There's more than enough space here to sleep or there's guest rooms downstairs across from the infirmary if you'd prefer. I'd just hate to have you walking home in the dark and... I'd like if you stayed."

"Gwynevere Carpathius"