RumpleLover
Emerald Sparx
Gems: 3067
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#25 Posted: 23:26:17 01/02/2014
Lillian hurried past her house, her need to know that everyone was safe more urgent to her than dropping off the ore she'd collected in her exploring. She hurried past the market and up the incline behind. Glancing at the Gildergreen tree blooming beautifully before her, she took a quick right and hurried up to jorrvaskr and rushed inside. Farkas, who was on his way to the training yard behind, was clearly shocked to see her as she burst full force inside. "Lillian," he said, the shock evident even in his voice. He turned to her, seeming somewhat hesitant. "What are you doing here?" She hadn't thought this through. Of course she'd be questioned. She was a part of the Companions, but had been avoiding them since she was invited to join the inner circle. She glanced around, choosing to ignore Farkas's question. "Is everyone else here? They're all alright?" "Of course," Farkas responded, still seeming hesitant to approach her. "Why wouldn't they be?" He stopped and a frown creased his brow. "And why would you care? You haven't been here in months. Almost thought you'd abandoned us." She turned to him and she couldn't ignore the hurt hidden in his eyes. "I wouldn't abandon you..." She replied, pausing in unsureness. She really couldn't answer why she'd avoided Jorrvaskr for the last few months, nor why she'd bought her own house when she could easily have stayed there for free with her new family. "I... I just needed some time away, to stretch my legs, and," she shrugged, "do a little exploring..." She caught his eye and he didn't seem to believe her hasty response. "We have work here that could have sufficed." She shrugged again, turning away, not wanting him to see her face. "Ah, the work was keeping me close to Whiterun, and I got sick of the repetition." She started away, not wanting to continue the conversation and wanting to check for herself that everyone was indeed here, even those she didn't care for too much. Farkas surprised her by grabbing her arm. She turned back. "Not all contracts keep you close to home. You've earned the right to go further out," Farkas said, then paused, studying her. She tried not to shrink back under his gaze. "But I'm not buying your excuse," he continued. She sighed, turning away. She really didn't want to get into this. He leaned close to her, whispering. "Is this because of what happened in Dustmans Cairn?" "What?!" She was shocked, turning back to him. "Of course not! That has nothing to do with anything!" "Yet right after you're invited to join the Inner Circle, you leave?" "Well, this is a big decision, and I have to weigh my options. Maybe I just needed to clear my head and think for awhile?" "Then why didn't you just tell me that?" She glanced around the room, lowering her voice, as he continued to study her, trying to read her. "Maybe I don't want everyone knowing I was invited to join the Circle. Njada already hates me." "She's like that with everyone." He paused, smiling before going on. "And everyone already knows Skjor's seen something in you and has invited you into the circle." Lillian frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. This discussion was getting them nowhere. "Fine. So everyone knows. Maybe that's a good reason for me to stay away, then." Farkas nods. "A good reason, yes, though I wish I knew the real one." She met his eyes again, feeling his sincerity. "For now, know that it's nothing to do with you." She glanced over her shoulder, around the room they were in, before continuing. "Nor anyone here... This is a new land to me, and I long to explore it at length. I can't be tied down. But this will always be my home, and I'll always return to it." Looking into his eyes for a bit longer, she turned away, lest she say more. She hadn't meant to get so ridiculously sappy, and wasn't sure why she had. Before Farkas could stop her again, she hurried to the lower level of the building. She'd planned to go to the practice yard, but knew that's where he'd been heading. To her great relief, he said nothing more, nor did he pursue her. She hurried downstairs, thinking about what she'd told him. She wasn't sure if it was entirely true, but knew that it was at least partially so. Her need for exploring was something that could never be quenched. But she also knew there was more to her staying away, and she often wondered if it had to do with The Circle and the secret they possessed. Kodlak had called it a curse, and she was inclined to agree. But regardless, it would never change her love for her friends of the circle, especially not Farkas. She'd liked him since the moment she met him, and though she'd been taken off guard by his sudden transformation, she'd never change her opinion of him. He was a nice guy, and a good friend. They all were. Good friends, at least. She smiled as she thought of Skjor and his rough manor. Even Vilkas had been harsh to her at first. With these thoughts on her mind, she hurried to find these men, wanting to see for herself that they were, indeed, alright.
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"How you can see the man behind the monster, I will never know."
"But that monster's gone... The man beneath him may be flawed, but we all are."
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