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