"I don't think any of us could." A soft little nod as she allowed herself to turn, sliding backward so she could lean against the wall beside him. "Everyone here would die to keep her safe-- except maybe Viktor, and that's more than she's going to get anywhere else." As far as Winter was concerned, especially after Zelly's mother could barely be bothered to step out of line for her daughter. Something that Winter simply couldn't understand.
"I guess that means we all have to do our best." She murmured gently, her gaze sliding down a little as she thought things through. "Though, I'm sure we already are." A little puff of a laugh at herself. "I don't really know what else to say, Gareth." She turned a gentle smile on him. "I just hope at the end we're all where we want to be."
He turned his head towards her as if he was startled when she leaned back beside him, even though it was hardly a major shift. But it was closer than she'd been before, and it was something he noticed. Perhaps he was becoming oversensitive. Meeting Winter had made him very different indeed.
"It is," he agreed. "And I certainly would." He didn't have to wonder if Winter would lay down her life for Zelly: he knew it already and would have known it even if Winter had never even mentioned it. In fact, their most recent--and first--argument had been about that very fact, in a way. Gareth still wasn't happy about it but he had decided to hope it would never become relevant.
"I hope that too," he said softly. "Maybe that's all that really needs to be said." He hesitantly, gently set a hand on her shoulder, turning his head so he could look her in her eye. "And... I'm glad you're here, Winter. Wherever we end up, I hope I'll end up near you." What else could he say, when she smiled at him like that?
"If you want to, you will." And that's all she had to say on that, for the moment. It was hopelessly optimistic, at the very least, but Winter liked to imagine they would all make it out of there with the world open to them. Had to believe it because otherwise she wouldn't be able to keep pushing forward. She needed that optimism to keep her moving. And it had worked so far. Only on the coldest, darkest nights did she allow herself to worry otherwise. The truth was her heart couldn't take that kind of thought for very long. So she would cross her fingers and her heart that they would all end up where they wanted in the end.
"But," she paused, letting the moment hang briefly before she nodded firmly. "I hope the same, I really do."
Gareth smiled faintly, mostly because it was what seemed to be right. He felt a little sad, a little empty, but it didn't last too long. As soon as she said those words, I hope the same, he grinned just about as broad as he could. What did he have to be disappointed about? And if anything had been sinking his heart like a lead weight, well, it was gone now. "Good," he said, and it was just about all he could muster. Again his eyes were getting misty.
After a moment, and one last squeeze, he took the hand away from Winter's shoulder. Inside his clasped hand he could still feel the cool of her skin, the smoothness of her icy scales.
"I suppose we'd better get some rest before we have to move on," he said reluctantly. "Shall we head back?" He didn't want to--but he knew they had to. Whatever was coming next, it was big.
"You're probably right." She found that without proper sleep she wasn't able to get as much done as she wanted to. Always felt overly tired and like her magic wasn't quite doing what she wanted it to do. That wasn't the worst of all things-- but she always wanted to do her best, to be on her best for the people she wanted to help.
A softer, thoughtful smile focused on him before she allowed herself to give him a light thump on the chest. "Perhaps the Orcs will be sleeping deeply enough by now that their snores will not wake the dead, and all of us." A small titter of a laugh before she took the lead, her steps intentionally light, quietly leading the pair of them back toward the sleeping area. She didn't want to wake anyone, Zelly least of all. IT had been a long day and they all deserved their rest.
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"I guess that means we all have to do our best." She murmured gently, her gaze sliding down a little as she thought things through. "Though, I'm sure we already are." A little puff of a laugh at herself. "I don't really know what else to say, Gareth." She turned a gentle smile on him. "I just hope at the end we're all where we want to be."
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"It is," he agreed. "And I certainly would." He didn't have to wonder if Winter would lay down her life for Zelly: he knew it already and would have known it even if Winter had never even mentioned it. In fact, their most recent--and first--argument had been about that very fact, in a way. Gareth still wasn't happy about it but he had decided to hope it would never become relevant.
"I hope that too," he said softly. "Maybe that's all that really needs to be said." He hesitantly, gently set a hand on her shoulder, turning his head so he could look her in her eye.
"And... I'm glad you're here, Winter. Wherever we end up, I hope I'll end up near you."
What else could he say, when she smiled at him like that?
no subject
"But," she paused, letting the moment hang briefly before she nodded firmly. "I hope the same, I really do."
no subject
"Good," he said, and it was just about all he could muster. Again his eyes were getting misty.
After a moment, and one last squeeze, he took the hand away from Winter's shoulder. Inside his clasped hand he could still feel the cool of her skin, the smoothness of her icy scales.
"I suppose we'd better get some rest before we have to move on," he said reluctantly. "Shall we head back?"
He didn't want to--but he knew they had to. Whatever was coming next, it was big.
no subject
A softer, thoughtful smile focused on him before she allowed herself to give him a light thump on the chest. "Perhaps the Orcs will be sleeping deeply enough by now that their snores will not wake the dead, and all of us." A small titter of a laugh before she took the lead, her steps intentionally light, quietly leading the pair of them back toward the sleeping area. She didn't want to wake anyone, Zelly least of all. IT had been a long day and they all deserved their rest.