Indigo didn’t often nap during the day, but he was exhausted today. He’d been all over Boreas and spent much time with Aslatiel and Duchess. Now that he returned to the Hallows he had thrown himself back into his duties and responsibilities. Especially looking after Gypsy. She had been sleeping when he came back to the rooms and when Indigo lay down beside her sleep swiftly overtook him. He’d curled around her snuggled into the prime furs he’d given to her for her bed. The soft cushions and plush furs assisted in Indigo's swift trip into dream land.

The castle was quiet during mid day everything was warm and comfortable and a soft breeze gently disturbed the air. Indy didn’t often dream, or he didn’t remember his dreams. When he did he wished that he hadn’t remembered them. On that pure peaceful day Indigo would descend into dreams. At first everything was beautiful, exactly like he wanted. Vibrants green leaves and beautiful flowers everywhere. Indigo’s huge form raced through a flower field, all the faces of those he loves surrounding him. Happiness filled him.

In an instant everything changed. A shrill scream filled his senses and all of the color drained from his surroundings. All through the screaming his gaze shifted to each loved one to the next and as his gaze rested on their features cracks filled the image and blood seeped from within before they crumpled. The screaming continued until Indigo realized it was him screaming, and suddenly he woke up.

While she slept a form had settled around her. Gypsy instantly tensed, her breath catching as she was thrust into wakefulness. The smell of his road worn coat and the warm skin beneath told her that this was Indigo. It was not her father or anyone else coming to hurt her and that realization calmed her. Having spent time with Duchess, the tiny woman was feeling a little better about her current position. Duchess assured her that Indigo was a kind man and though Gypsy didn't trust any of them fully just yet, the beginnings of ease were starting to build. With that in mind, the small, brightly colored fae settled back into the embrace of the man around her and went back to sleep. Thrashing and screaming pulled Gypsy from a dreamless slumber and panic surged through her. Was there danger? Who was attacking them? For a moment the thrashing stilled, only small twitches coming from the massive man around her. Then he began to thrash and call out again. A dream. Indigo was locked in the throes of a nightmare. What should she do? Gypsy had been the recipient of many a nightmare during her hellish existence. No one had been there to comfort her. Instead, she usually received hard words, a kick or a bite. She knew the mental anguish that he was suffering through. No one deserved that and so she sought to comfort him. Gently, Gypsy felt about with her paws, working her way to Indigo's massive skull. The tiny woman was a fraction of his size, so she curled her body around his head. One paw stroked lightly from between his eyes to just behind his ears. Her soft tones hushed him and at first it seemed to work, but then he began kicking and screaming again. She would have to resort to other methods. Inhaling deeply, Gypsy began to sing. There were no words to her song, but the angelic tones didn't need words. The notes were clear, the pitch perfect, the vibrato sublime. Gypsy was small. She was abused. She was blind. The one thing that she had going for her was her voice. Over time, she had worked hard to turn her vocals into sheer perfection. She had no other skills. Just her voice. The acoustics of the stone castle amplified the radiant, otherworldly music and no doubt the entirety of The Hollows would hear her song. Gypsy would stay curled around Indigo, his head pulled into her lap. Her soft, pink pads would never stop the gentle, soothing stroking as she sought to pull him back from his nightmare and into the waking world with her. "Gypsy"

Were it not for his sense of smell Indigo would have been incredibly disoriented on the moment he woke up and sucked in a surprised breath. He didn’t realize where he was or what was going on as he blinked back the light and stirred slightly. Only to realize that Gypsy was holding his head. The soft sooth rhythm of her paws and the incredible sound of her voice. The song was unlike anything he’d ever heard, and Indigo could do little more than relax into her embrace and let the sound ruch over his body. He closed his eyes again as his emotions were drawn from him by the song, every dreadful memory of his dream coaxed away and he was left with a sad sense of peace.

His heart settled and his body stilled, he leaned only slightly into Gypsy’d soft fur and her kind embrace. Despite her fear and traumas she still wrapped herself around him and tried to sing his nightmares away. Indigo felt another flood of emotions through him, most strongly was how grateful he was to the girl who held him. She had been forced to endure so much and yet she could still find it in her heart to help him when he desperately needed her. Indigo didn’t want her song to ever end. He said he wanted to help her, no strings attached, but now he wanted to listen to her sing forever. She touched his heart when her song caressed his ears. Even a continent away he felt the magic of her lullaby.

Indigo tried to swallow back his emotion but tears still welled up in his eyes as he lay there with her. He’d heard her tune the first time they met, it was what led him to her. This song felt so much different, like it was meant just for him.

She could feel when he woke. The rise and fall of his giant body changed and he seemed to curl into her. She could feel the heat of sorrow fill his body and the little gasp of breath belied the emotions that rose within him. Gypsy... felt a sense of power as she sang for him. Knowing that she was making this massive man feel such emotion... it was interesting. Yes, she'd sang for others many, many times, but she'd never been in physical contact with them to know how much it affected them. In time, Gypsy's song came to an end and an emptiness hung in the too silent air. She focused on Indigo's breathing, noting that he was still awake. "Are you okay now?" The small woman's tones were barely above a whisper and were more breath than speech. She didn't move to extract herself from his grasp, but her body was tense. Now that they were awake, she needed to go outside. She was getting better with the stairs and had counted them, but she would much rather have someone else lead her down them. "Gypsy"

He didn’t know how long she sang for but it wasn’t long enough, he didn’t think it would have ever been long enough. Her lyrics were soft, sweet, and sad. Exactly what he needed to hear after such a terrible nightmare. She sang away the worry and anxiety his waking self took from the dream, and he felt refreshed. The imagery remained with him though, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the faces he lost. They came rushing back as Gypsy quieted, and Indigo both grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. She spoke not long after, her voice barely above a whisper. So much different from the amazing song she had sung for him.

”Yes, thank you, Gypsy.” He didn’t want to let her go, but he felt how uncomfortable she was in his grasp and reluctantly pulled away from her. Indy shook out his mane, and bright eyes fell to the floor. Looking somewhere beyond the furs and pillows. He took in a deep breath and sighed, letting the dream and all its contents leave him. It was easier to cope when he was helping someone else. ”Good morning,” he joked lightly as he yawned. It was getting into early evening now, but he needed the nap after his long trip home. ”Can I do anything for you?” He went on as he stretched his front legs out, lowering his chest nearly to the ground. He stretched liberally before bright blue eyes returned to Gypsy’s features.

As if sensing her discomfort, Indigo peeled himself away from her. Part of the woman felt a little sad that he was no longer beside her, but a larger part felt the relief of his absence. For her entire life, physical contact came with a price and she was always the one that paid. Indigo's sigh brought mismatched ears back against her crown. Had she displeased him? He had thanked her though. Gypsy was confused. The man's joking tones were so vastly different from the sadness moments prior that Gypsy's blind eyes widened for a moment. She nodded and lowered her face again. Social situations... she was really, really bad at them. Not being able to see, Gypsy missed a lot of the social cues that came with sight. A switch from one emotion to the next might go smoothly and make sense to someone that could see the shift in features, but for her, it was sometimes a shock. Indigo then asked if he could do anything for her and she could hear his big body shifting. Stretching, perhaps? "Could you take me to the courtyard?" She still didn't want to venture out of the safety of the castles stone arms. Gypsy also hated having someone lead her outside every time she had to relieve herself, but how could she broach the subject? Gypsy didn't ask for anything. She wasn't allowed. If it was given to her, then she had it. If it wasn't, then she lived without. Duchess assured her that this was a new life and that she was safe here, so perhaps she would try? Taking a tentative step forward, Gypsy still looked at the floor as she spoke. "Indigo could I... have a space on the ground floor for myself?" Again her ears tucked back and she lowered her head submissively. "I don't want to be an inconvenience to you and Duchess when I..." she trailed off, a little embarrassed to be bringing up such a topic. "Gypsy"

Burying his feelings, forgetting his nightmare, anything for him to be able to think clearly. He shoved the emotions down and buried them with his sudden turn to joking around. It wasn’t really like him, he wasn’t truly himself these days either. All of his fumbles and the obstacles he faced would catch up to him, he was just staving off the day he had to deal with his grief. He realized how swift the turn around had been as Gypsy was taken aback by him. Dark ears lowered to his ears and he looked away, not that he needed to. It was easy to forget she couldn’t see. That there was so much of the world she simply couldn’t experience.

He quieted himself, resolved to be as patient, and neutral as possible. Too much excitement, too quick of mood swings… He was going to test himself in helping Gypsy, he was going to have to work hard to be effective. She was worth it though. Indigo kept his head low, closer to her height. ”I will,” Indigo agreed softly, ready to lead the way. She took one step forward, but stopped and spoke again. Dark ears perked and fell as she asked him for a place on the ground floor.

He didn’t want to, not at all. Having her so far away from him… But this was what she wanted, this was what she worked up the courage to ask him for. He was proud but he tried to keep himself even tempered despite the whirling emotions within. He wanted to scoop her up and tell her how proud he was of her steps forward, instead he spoke softly, and remained where he was. ”Of course, Gypsy. You can have whatever you want.” He reminded her quietly. If she wanted the sky he’d do whatever it took to weave it into a blanket just for her. ”You’re free,” he hoped his voice could convey the smile on his lips when he said it. She was free of her father and Indigo would do anything to keep it that way.

”You can inconvenience me anytime, for whatever reason.” He told her as he took a couple steps towards the door, ready to touch his tail to her shoulder when she was ready to go. ”When we’re done in the yard we can find the perfect spot on the ground floor. No more stairs.”

Indigo agreed to take her down the stairs and Gypsy perked up a bit, though she would probably never take on the happy go lucky appearance of a well raised wolf. She perked up even more when he agrees that he could find her a place downstairs. Still, she felt bad for asking. In her mind, she should have been happy with what she was given and mentally berated herself for requesting that Indigo go out of his way to resettle her. He assured her that she could have anything that she wanted and that she was free. It hurt. Those words hurt her. Not because he was cruel, but because he was far too kind. Gypsy didn't feel as though she was deserving of his time and generosity. No one had given her anything in the entire two years that she'd been alive, so why was he so different? Why did he care? His kindness brought tears to her unseeing eyes, but she didn't let them fall. The milky surfaces just got a little more glassy than usual. Indigo went one step further and promised that she could inconvenience him whenever she wished. Gypsy frowned, but nodded, not able to make herself produce any sound. When they were ready to move Indigo assured her again that they would find somewhere suitable for her once they came back in from the courtyard. She stepped up beside him, used to the feeling of his tail on her shoulder to guide her. It was as good as the tether that she'd grown up with. Even though the leash was gone, she still couldn't take off the collar. It was a part of her by now. As she followed Indigo carefully down the stone steps, Gypsy's stomach growled loudly, echoing in the cavernous space. She may as well have roared. Instantly she stopped, ears tucking as embarrassment surged through her. When had she last eaten? "Gypsy"

He wasn’t trying to keep his eye on her, but he realized she couldn’t even tell if he was staring at her anyway. She grew quiet and Indigo turned one red marked eye towards her as she hesitated after him. Gypsy looked overwhelmed, like she couldn’t even comprehend what he offered her. Indigo had no doubt she was a complete stranger to kindness, she’d always been treated like a possession. Indigo wanted her to see herself as a real wolf, he knew there was going to be so much work to get her to that point. Indigo had every intention of seeing his work through, Gypsy was worth every moment.

He didn’t say anything more, he already thought that he was overwhelming her. Maybe she didn’t appreciate his offers, but they were still there whether she took advantage or not. Indigo vowed to be there for her, to give whatever she needed whenever she needed it. He promised to protect and to look after her, no matter what it took. He wore a small grin but didn’t press any further as he led her out of the castle. He added in his vocal cues as well and had he not been touching her she would have looked like she was sighted walking down the hallways. They hadn’t gotten very far when sounds of her stomach filled the air.

”Are you hungry?” He asked her quietly as they arrived at the courtyard. He knew she wasn’t comfortable with the castle really, but they wouldn’t be here forever. He led her out onto the grass as he debated their next move. Maybe she’d enjoy having a meal with him. ”We can eat before we look for your new room.” Indigo offered easily as he averted his gaze to allow her to her business.

Once they were outside, Indigo asked if she would like some lunch. The small woman nodded her head in agreement as she picked her way across the stone courtyard. By now, she had an idea of where she was going. None of them liked to relieve themselves so close to the castle, so she continued on a ways, following Indigo. She didn't mind his presence as much as she had initially. He was becoming familiar to her. She was letting her guard down around him. Enough so that she'd made her request and he'd agreed. It was a huge step for the tiny fae. Indigo was an anomaly. He was the most patient man that she'd ever met. When they were together, she could feel how much he was holding back. He wanted to be affectionate with her, but she just wasn't ready. The fact that he was giving her the time and the space that she needed meant more to the pallid fae than she could ever express. Coming up to a set of stairs that would lead down to a lower field of grass, Gypsy followed Indigo carefully. She wasn't careful enough, however. Her paw slipped and the small woman found herself airborne, a cry of panic pulling from her. Not being able to see, she didn't know what was below her. Gypsy could be falling over a cliff and into the ocean for all she knew. Anxiety struck and the world seemed to slow. "Gypsy"

Gypsy accepted his offer of some lunch with a polite nod, and even if she couldn’t see it Indigo grinned slightly. She wasn’t quite so jumpy around him anymore, she seemed content with his agreement and silence fell over then as everything was settled. Indigo took note of his different her gait was now as opposed to her first few steps into the castle. He knew it wasn’t ideal, but he did feel proud of her progress. Indigo practiced his patience with her, and his efforts were paying off. Just as he thought the first day, only time and repetition would bring her round. He had to continue to prove his words to her. Every day.

The pair continued onward through the courtyard, Gypsy was at his hips. She seemed to find her place perfectly beside him there, his tail helping to guide her. Not that she had much trouble anymore. She learned more quickly than she gave herself credit or, and Indigo could see her doing a great many things even if she couldn’t… see it.

Just as the thought to her credit entered his mind Indigo glanced back at the tiny star marked girl, and saw her begin to tumble. She cried out, but Indigo was there, ready to catch her delicate form. Gypsy fell forward and landed against Indigo’s thick mane. One massive red slashed arm pulled up immediately to help steady the small she wolf. Indigo stilled, providing support so that she could regain her footing with much more grace than had she hit the ground. ”I’ve got you.” Indigo assured her quietly, resisting pressing his nose to the soft fur behind her pretty pink ear. She was so close, but he didn’t act. He didn't move beside helping her to the bottom of the stairs.

The world dropped out from beneath her and she was falling. Would she break a leg when she landed? Would she snap her neck? With Gypsy's luck, that was how her life would end. Killed by stairs after all of the pain and suffering she'd been through in her short life. Perhaps it would be a blessing really. She could stop being a burden to Indigo and Duchess. They wouldn't have to look after her like she was some sort of newborn. And then Indigo was there. He moved just right and caught her against his thick mane. It cushioned her fall and a moment later his thick leg was wrapped around her, holding her to him. Keeping her safe. Gypsy gasped, her little heart thudding against her rib cage. The adrenaline of the moment surged through her and she didn't even register any discomfort or anything of the sort. Only thankfulness and relief. Gypsy didn't immediately extract herself from Indigo's hold once her paws touched the ground. Instead, she stayed leaning against him, her forehead pressed against his thick fur. The woman's blind eyes had drifted closed and she breathed him in. Indigo had brought her fear initially. Now, he brought her comfort. It was a surprising revelation. Never would she ever have believed that a man would be able to bring her comfort. Men had brought her nothing but pain. There had never been a positive feeling associated with males. And yet here was this giant, kind man. Gypsy wrapped her slender legs around one of Indigo's giant limbs and squeezed him to her as though he was her lifeline. In a way, he was. The tiny woman's whisperish tones quavered. "Indigo, if my father ever finds me, please don't let him have me." If possible, her voice became even softer as she begged and pleaded. "Please..." She could never go back to that life. Not after knowing the kindness and the patience of this giant, sweet man. It would kill her. "Gypsy"

He figured she was ready to go use the potty after a long morning alone, but even as he caught her Gypsy seemed to relax against him after being startled about being caught to begin with. She hadn’t expected him to be there, but after a quiet gasp she leaned further against him. He was surprised when she didn’t pull away, he’d been decent at predicting what she was going to do but this was new and Indy felt uncertain. Not that he let anything show, he remained her silent support as she closed her eyes and accepted him and his assistance. Indigo thought he was blessed with the sweet moment, but she shifted.

Indigo would have gotten out of her way, but her tiny white marked paws wrapped around his massive arm and pulled him closer to her. This was the first time she would want any kind of physical affection from him. Indigo remained cautious, but he moved with her and let her hold tightly to him. Indigo leaned back on his haunches so that he could bring his other arm up around her shoulders. She whispered to him softly, her voice full of worry as she spoke about the man who had abandoned her.

She was given a glimpse of what life should be like and she was begging him not to let her go back to that life. Indigo would never allow her back with that man, he’d give his life to keep her from that monster’s grasp. She was Indigo’s, and he wasn’t going to let her go. ”I won’t let him touch you ever again.” He promised her just as softly as he carefully lowered his muzzle to her ears. Very gently he nuzzled against the soft fur. ”I promise. You’re safe with me.” He whispered quietly, over his dead body would she return to being used as an object. ”You’re free.” He reminded her. Indigo felt possessive over her, but he knew if he went too far he wasn’t any better than her father. ”I’m here for you as long as you want me.”

As the soft behemoth wrapped himself protectively around her, Gypsy didn't shy away. She was quickly becoming acclimated to his presence, his touch. She was accepting the fact that he meant her no harm. It was a foreign concept, but it was becoming her reality. Indigo wasn't in league with her father. If he was, he was a terribly good actor, but in her soul she believed that he was true to his word and he meant her no harm. Indigo assured her that he would never let her go back to her father and that the horrid man would never touch her again. He went a step further and told her again that she was free. As Indigo gave her a choice as to the length of his time with her, a soft sob pulled from the woman's throat. "What did I do to deserve this kindness?" She continued to hold fast to one giant leg, further sinking into the man as he enveloped her. Indigo's lips gently brushed her white tipped ears and it distracted Gypsy from her grief. It wasn't an entirely unwelcome feeling, but it did raise unwelcome memories. The only thing that kept her from pulling away was the fact that she knew he would stop the moment that she asked him to. "Thank you, Indigo," she whispered, sliding her silken cheek gently along his trapped foreleg. She still hadn't released her grasp on him and didn't feel as though she would want to any time soon. "Gypsy"