ENDLESS JOURNEYS (O/A)

[PixelMuse]

Trinity placed her fork down and rubbed her stomach, "Well I'm done." Her eyes looked around to see if the others were ready.  

[Nova Blancke]

Nova continued to browse through the book. He seemed to have eaten the food in record time while studying the book carefully. A bit distant he replied.

" Huh? Ah yes, sure, I am ready. Hmm maybe..." The last part he muttered to himself as he continued to study the book.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec nearly makes eye contact with Kerana, but stops himself before getting lost in her eyes. "I'll come with you. My equipment is with yours." He stands and follows his friend up the stairs.

He is a bit nervous as he follows her, unsure as to whether or not she was wanting to initiate the conversation that would have to come sooner or later.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec can literally hear his heart beating inside of his chest. His hands clasp to his book so hard that his knuckles turn white. He simultaneously wants to know what she has to say and dreads it. He considers letting her speak, but feels that he may never get this opportunity again. Before she can complete her sentence he interjects.

"I'm sorry Kerana, but please let me speak first. I have a confession to make. I have been lying to you for a long time...keeping something hidden. I am sworn to be loyal to you, and honesty is part of that. I...erm...as you, uh, know...have difficulty s-speaking sometimes when I'm n-nervous. S-so I will let this speak for m-me."

With a deep breath, a hard swallow, and his already pale complexion becoming worse he uneasily holds his book out to her. "After you have s-seen what is inside...you may do with me as you wish. S-such is our pact. I j-just can't l-lie to you anymore."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec knows that sigh. Disappointment flashes in his eyes but for a moment. He knew this was the most likely outcome. Falling back into his defensive mechanism he hides behind his hair. This makes it easier for him to speak clearly. He speaks softly but with the up most sincerity.

"I'm sorry. My bottled up emotions and dependence on that book put you in danger last night. I knew that we could never be, so I treated those contents as though they were the most precious thing to me. But it's paper bound in leather, and nothing more. It is you who is most precious to me."

"I am aware of the grave danger this puts me in, and the risk posed to you, so If you deem it necessary to have me removed as your guardian then I will send word to have someone else in my pack meet us on our travels and relieve me."

"You've always been kind to me...really the only person that has treated me like I am worth anything...and..." His hands tangle within themselves as he musters up what to say, wishing he had taken more time to think of what would come out of his mouth. "and I understand if you don't share my feelings...I realize I can't offer you much, but I just can't lie to you anymore."

He moves as though to kneel before her. He stops midway and rights himself, remembering how much she disliked being treated as a superior by him.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec returns her gaze through his hair until she breaks contact. He gently lays his forehead against hers and sighs softly, "I know...I knew...thank you."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec stands for a moment dumbfounded, surprised at the sudden change of topic. He realizes what she is doing quickly, though. If they were to keep each other safe, they had to pretend like what just happened never did.

He picks the notebook up and looks at it while Kerana gets her stuff together. It felt lighter; less of a necessity and more of a memento. The corner of his mouth curls into a sad smirk as he takes it and places it into his own bag as opposed to his breast pocket where it normally was.

Following her example, Alec changes the topic once more. "So what do you make of all this? Do you think that the necromancer has corrupted the very essence of Gaia?"  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec hadn't thought of it before. "I feel a lingering sickness. It just now occurred to me that I have for a while. I thought it was just anxiety. But now that I think about it I realize it is more than that."

"I tried to put up a brave face for Trinity earlier, but I'm really scared Kerana. I think one of those wells is located in the ancient woods where my pack first made contact with the wolf goddess. We haven't lived there for a long time, but if something happens to her..."  

[Nova Blancke]

"Hope those two work it out without it turning into a disaster." Nova said as he closed the book. There was something familiar about those ruins in the book. Nova had a theory about why it did but kept it to himself. There were still plenty of things he was not sharing with the others simply because there was no need to. A sudden violent cough interrupted his thoughts. Lasting only a few seconds, he shrugged it off. Or at least he pretended to in front of the others.