Behind the curtain

She blinked as the exotic, unfamiliar words rolled gently off his tongue. It was enough of a surprise that her eyes snapped back to his face. Seeing the indecision and worry there. she caused that, she knew. She left him worrying about her. It was one of those many things that marked him as something entirely different from everything she had known before them. Even now, after living in the Armada for a while, and now here. Even now, it still took her breath away. How did anyone have the capacity to care so much? And about so many. She knew he would fight to the death for any members of his pack. To him, strength didn’t mean power, it meant protecting those beneath him.

She shivered, that feeling of safety settling over her, even as she felt regret for making him worry. A little timidly, in the quiet of the midnight garden, she took a liberty she might not have dared to in the light of day. She reached gently up with a paw, and touched his cheek. “I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me. Truly” she promised.

She nodded her head slowly as he spoke of the raid, and his patrols. He was concerned for them all. She wondered how often that kept him up, tossing and turning with worry for each and every one of his members. “Would you like me to rub your shoulders, Artorias?” she asked “Help you relax?”


"Speech"