Distractions

Walk | Talk | Think

She had expected him to accept her offer of company on his walk, to merely keep going through the woods and chat about pointless things, something normal and completely acceptable among friends. Instead he seemed to lose himself in thought, the cool expression about his face deteriorating by the second. It puzzled her immensely, considering she had never seen him grow flustered or nervous over anything before, and made her wonder what could have possibly been on his mind to trigger the sudden change. It was not normal as far as she knew, though he had been gone for an awfully long time during his journey to find his family. What all had happened out there? How much had he changed that she had no knowledge of?

He spoke up after a moment of consideration, stating that he had a favor he needed to ask of her. Her brow furrowed gently at his tone, the look about his face, the nervousness and embarrassment that he radiated. "Okay," she answered slowly, smiling even despite her own growing uncertainty. What could be troubling him so much to make him act this way?

And then he said it, in such a rush that she nearly did miss what it was that he was saying. The smile upon her face fell away in surprise at the suddenness to his words. Did the need to ask assistance really bother him so much, to make him blurt things out in such a childlike manner? It would have been unkind to laugh, and so she bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from doing so, but she was smiling again by the time she could speak. "Sure. Of course," she added, knowing she had no other answer to give him, though she continued to peer at him curiously. "My den is always open to you," she stated, almost without thinking, and hoped once she realized what she had said that he might not read too heavily into her statement. Regardless of how true it was.