Reconnaissance

Mariah's heart clenched at the sight of her unshakeable brute crumbling under the weight of his guilt. Her silver gaze softened, her own pain reflecting back in his emerald depths. Dare she speak and shatter the heavy silence? Or merely offer her silent support, her presence the best thing she could offer him? That was what she felt he needed the most, someone there so he didn’t have to be alone to his own devices. So, she listened- her gaze panning around the space as he spoke. Observing the mess that his despair had created, her heart ached for him.

"Returning home is a step. But it won't scrub away the memories." Mariah's voice was soft, threading its way through the stillness of the den. Her piercing silver eyes gazed steadily at Caedes, their familiar bond and unyielding determination reflecting in their depths. The stillness of the room seemed to hold its breath as they spoke each word, the weight of poisoned memories hanging heavy in the air.

"You're not just a boy, Caedes," she whispered, her voice barely audible against the cold stone walls of the den. "You're a warrior...standing tall despite all the unspeakable atrocities that have befallen you." Her heart swelled with empathy for him - for the deep-seated pain etched in his every movement, for the terror that lingered behind his eyes, for the raw vulnerability he exposed in this moment.

Mariah reached out, her slender paw gently unclenching his from the dirt. Her touch was light, but it carried a firm resolve. She listened to him as he tried to reduce the event down to its smallest components. The finest details. Why had it triggered him? Was there one simple aspect to blame? Only he could possible have the answer to that question, even if had yet to discover it. Slowly, she guided his trembling paw towards hers, intertwining their touch in the gentlest of ways. "Do you want to try and figure out why, together?” she asked, her voice steady and clear despite the tremor of emotion beneath. She didn’t know how they could achieve it, but perhaps if they talked about it- retraced his steps, that could help?

As he explained the reason why he begged her to leave, she heard him, but would not accept the inclination that she was meant to just abandon him here to handle this alone. “Because I won’t go about my life afraid of what may or may not happen.” She said lightly, holding his gaze a few more lingering moments before moving forward. There was a working surface that had been flipped over near her- one that she moved to straighten. If they were going to straighten things, they needed to get started. And rather than getting lost in the daunting task of processing the situation, she adopted the assumption that the best course of action was to simply begin. “Now are you going to help me, or shall I do it alone?” Mariah said firmly, without glancing back to see him. There were several scattered parchments that had laid strewn about the floor- things she thought could have likely sat atop the table when it had been thrown. Of course they could get everything properly sorted once things were picked up. But for now … it was just a start. They just had to start.

"Mariah Mendacium"