~:RAWR:~

Giant Swingset

Still grinning, Lizzy looked over at Fulwah. He was just standing there, letting the group get reacquainted with one another before they left. Luckily they all got along. This made her feel that they could be depended on during their journey.

As if reading her thoughts, the older Spreekalin clapped his hands together and beamed at them all. "Today you will all start the trek towards The Islands. Chala, Seryn; you both know where to go." He bowed to the group. "Leave now, before the others awake. They will cause you distraction and delay your journey."

He clapped his hands again and the two brothers rose to their full height. Chala grinned widely and picked Lizzy up by the back of her shirt and plopped her down on his back, where she hung on giggling. Seryn was more somber about it, turning so that his back was facing Night, allowing him to reach up and clasp his hands over the Spreekalin's shoulders.

Seryn was first to grab hold of the nearest vine. Chala, of course, jumped to one that was ten feet away and swung about as he laughed uproariously with Lizzy joining in.

"Good luck young ones!" Fulwah said loudly enough for them to hear as they quickly swung away.

Lizzy was still smiling broadly as she looked back at the elder, only to see an odd expression on his face. She tilted her head to the side for a moment before turning back around at burying her face in Chala's fur. She would tell them about it later. For now she just wanted the first part of the journey to be fun for all for them.

Time passes too quickly

"I already knew that, silly." she said while grinning at him. "Ever since we've been together you've made sure I was safe. You're like a...," she paused… "You're like a big bear." Night wasn’t sure how to take the analogy but he supposed that her knowing she was safe with him meant that he was doing his job right and that he didn’t have to worry about her coming to him. He did, however, worry about how she ended up in Troubles lap! He looked down into her eyes with a deepness that stirred his soul. He felt like a whirlpool had started in his chest and sank all the way down.

Whatever day dream Elizabeth had slipped into, as he noticed that she often did that, she shook herself from. She caught Night’s gaze as she came too and he sat quietly, watching her beautiful face. She leaned in a little closer with an almost entranced gaze upon her face and Night watched her with unobvious curiosity. He didn’t blink as she watched him watching her but he could feel that she was looking right through him. He wondered the power she had and he wondered what good he was for her. Her eyes grew slightly wider and she realized she had been staring. She snapped out of it and smiled, not realizing how long she’d been falling into his gaze.

Night wouldn’t have let her do anything she didn’t want to… He wondered what she thought about him and even though there were times when she seemed so childish, she wasn’t. He wanted to say that he treated her like a little sister but he didn’t. He didn’t want to admit that he felt more for her than a family member, but he did. He kept it all buried deep inside, as best he could and he wondered if they were in different circumstances, that didn’t involve them having to rely on each other to make it out of here… Would she accept him? Would she touch his heart the same? He didn’t know and so kept it hidden… and he hoped that she wouldn’t find out. Whatever was to happen between them, if anything at all, it would be her choice.

"Anyways... I wonder when Fulwah will be coming for us." She asked out loud. Night watched as she looked out the window to see if he was in sight yet. He was somewhat surprised when she returned to him and laid in his lap. She stared up at his face and watched his eyes. He watched her yawn and start to drift off, he hoped that he hadn’t kept her up last night… she looked as though she was going to fall back asleep and he’d hold as still as he could for her so that she was comfortable. He'd hold her for forever if she never wanted him to let go...

"Getting sleepy again, young one?" They heard a voice speak from outside the curtain of vegetation. Lizzy sat up quickly and almost fell out of the bed. Night reacted quickly, more quickly than he could ever remember being able to react and caught her with his arm around her waist before she could fall. Night paused afterwards to contemplate this reaction. He let it go just as quickly as not to be rude to Fulwah’s appearance.

Fulwah stood in the doorway and watched the two for a minute before chuckling to himself. Night was slightly confused as to why Fulwah had such a strange look on his face. "I see you have both eaten your fill? Was it to your liking, I hope?" Fulwah commented. "It was, it was!" Lizzy happily squealed. "I couldn't eat enough of it! Night helped me open some of the more difficult ones and of course those were the tastiest." Nights arm around Lizzy’s waist loosened up at all of her bouncing around. There was a moment in his mind where he’d wished that Fulwah hadn’t shown up…

Fulwah smiled and glanced at Night who was silent. "You are rested also, yes?" Night just nodded in response, not wanting to sound rude when it wasn’t Fulwah’s fault for bad timing. "Very well. Then if you would, follow me, please." He gestured towards the door. Lizzy and Night followed and Night could see the sudden alertness in Elizabeth once he had been touched by the suns warmth. He watched her excitement, like a busy bee in a garden of roses.

Two Spreekalin appeared on the ledge after waiting a few minutes and they looked fairly pleased to be of service. Lizzy, with her new found energy, ran over to the blue one and hugged it. Night was still a little cautious and couldn’t wait to get his feet back on the ground. The green one seemed to be as cautious as Night was. "They will get along great. That one there, Chala, loves finding things out just as much as your little one appears to." He settled himself into a crouch, still looking at Night. "I am Seryn, his older brother. I am sure we will get along well." Seryn raised his tail towards Night and Night continued to stare at it blankly. Seryn burst into laughter at his own mistake and all eyes turned towards them.

"I had forgotten. Your kind, they do not have tails, no?" Night shook his head. "Then why not we try your way of things?" Night’s smile crept into a grin and felt a bit more comfortable about this one rather than the other ones he’d had to deal with. They took each others forearms in a grip and shook as they did in the old days. Night couldn’t help but laugh knowing that these creatures size made him feel smaller. That was something that didn’t happen every day.

Lizzy giggled off to the side. "Close enough! At least it gives a new way of doing things!"

**********

I tried to keep this a bit shorter but there was no way around that, lol!

Another Handshake

“I will never let harm come to ye.” he said to her. The way his face looked... It was so... warming. Lizzy lightly blushed as she tilted her head to the side.

"I already knew that, silly." she said while grinning. "Ever since we've been together you've made sure I was safe. You're like a...," she paused, trying to find he right word, "you're like a big bear."

She grinned even more as she imagined Night turned into a giant bear. It was definitely an interesting mental image. She fazed out for a few moments, imagining Night stomping around as a bear. It strayed towards him trying to climb a tree for honey which made her giggle.

Shaking herself from her imagination, she looked into Night's eyes. They were pools of liquid silver. She noticed how easily she could become entranced in them. Lizzy's eyes grew big as she absentmindedly stared into his eyes. After a few moments she shook her self a bit and smiled.

"Anyways... I wonder when Fulwah will be coming for us." She looked out the window before leaning into Night's lap and rolling onto her back so she could look up into his face still. She yawned and blinked up at him. Night's scent was starting to lull her into sleepiness. It was kind of woodsy with a hint of fresh grass and the tang of the sea.

"Getting sleepy again, young one?" A familiar voice said.

Lizzy sat up in a flash, almost falling out of Night's lap in her haste. Fulwah chuckled as he studied the two then nodded slowly, as if confirming something.

"I see you have both eaten your fill? Was it to your liking, I hope?"

"It was, it was!" Lizzy happy squealed. "I couldn't eat enough of it! Night helped me open some of the more difficult ones and of course those were the tastiest."

Fulwah smiled and glanced at Night who was silent. "You are rested also, yes?" At their confirmation he continued. "Very well. Then if you would, follow me, please."

He gestured towards the curtain-like doorway onto the ledge outside. Lizzy became excited all over again. The light from the sun put an entirely new look on everything outside. The plants looked even greener and the flowers that were scattered over everything seemed to soak up the sun's ray and highlight their vibrant colors.

Lizzy gasped in delight and looked everywhere that she could. Night looked down at her, happy at her excitement. Her new eyesight allowed Lizzy to take in so much more than she could normally. It was almost overwhelming, but she could stop looking at all the new things. would she ever grow used to it?

After waiting for roughly five minutes, the two young Spreekalin hopped up onto the ledge. They had large grins plastered onto their faces, their eyes twinkling in merriment. Lizzy bounced happily and ran towards the blue one and hugged him. He looked shocked for a moment, but that disappeared as Lizzy started firing off random questions.

The green one looked over at night and sort of hopped towards him. He tapped him on the shoulder and gestured towards the other two with a nod of his head.

"They will get along great. That one there, Chala, loves finding things out just as much as your little one appears to." He settled himself into a crouch, still looking at Night. "I am Seryn, his older brother. I am sure we will get along well."

He smiled as his tail rose up and extended towards Night, pointing at his chest. Night stared at it, unsure of what in the blue world he was supposed to do. Seryn looked like he was waiting for something, and after a few moments he burst into laughter, causing everyone to look at the pair.

"I had forgotten. Your kind, they do not have tails, no?" Night shook his head. "Then why not we try your way of things?"

This made Night grin. He could tell this was a creature to be trusted; along with his brother. He reached his arm out, towards Seryn and waited. the Spreekalin grinned and wrapped his large hand around Night's a shook them side to side.

Lizzy giggled off to the side. "Close enough! At least it gives a new way of doing things!"

Promise

Elizabeth leaned up against Night, to his surprise and she sat silently for a moment. He looked down over her little body and fought his straying mind. "Night... What do you think will happen today? He's making it seem as if it won't be bad, but if it won't, then why is it us who are only able to do it? I'm so confused..." She sighed after she spoke. Night looked into Lizzy’s eyes and studied her worried and confused expression.

"And something else? What do you think is that one guy's problem? The white Spreekalin. He seemed so... icy towards us." Lizzy burst into giggles. "Ahaha... you get it? Icy? And he's as white as an iceberg?" Night’s somber expression broke and he wanted to slap himself. He smiled and laughed anyway at Elizabeth’s cheesy joke. It was comforting that even when she was worried she was still positive. He leaned over a tad and poked her in the side as she always did to him and he laughed again. He leaned back against the head board, crossed his legs over and laced his fingers behind his head, giving Liz enough room to use his massive frame as a pillow. He was starting to find it amusing at how much smaller she was than he.

After a moment of silence he exhaled and spoke. “Elizabeth, I know not what awaits us. I suppose yeh Spreekalin friends know. Fulwah sees things that have not happened yet, sees things that we cannot...” He looks down at her from his lax position and studies her a moment. He sits up and shoves a thick hand through his dark hair. Lizzy sits up from the comfortable position she had been in, resting against him. He takes her by the arms and sets her next to him, lifting her with ease and yet a gentle giant. He takes her face with his hand and looks her in the eyes. “I can promise ye one thing though Elizabeth.” A moment on intense silence passes and her face searches his for what he means to say. Night’s eye lids grow heavier and he says softly “I will never let harm come to ye.”

Lunch Time!

Lizzy plopped down next to Night with a huff. She was so full from the gargantuan amount of fruit she had eaten. She still wanted to eat more, but just couldn't. None of them had been the same at all and each one had a sort of surprise to it.

By far her favorite had been the scary spiked banana shaped fruit. It tasted of banana, with hints of vanilla ice cream and some other very sweet flavor that must have been close to what Night said was a Lychee berry. She completely agreed with him, though. It seemed sinful to be able to eat those wonderful delicacies.

She leaned over onto Night, her head against his side as they sat there. She didn't mind the silence. She was full and just wanted to sit there for a bit while they waited for Fulwah to come and gather them for their next step in the quest.

"Night... What do you think will happen today? He's making it seem as if it won't be bad, but if it won't, then why is it us who are only able to do it? I'm so confused..." She sighed after she spoke.

"And something else? What do you think is that one guy's problem? The white Spreekalin. He seemed so... icy towards us." Lizzy burst into giggles. "Ahaha... you get it? Icy? And he's as white as an iceberg?"

She made an excited face at him, waiting to see if he did.
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(Face is this one: O3O)