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THEY WALKED BACK IN NEAR SILENCE, spare the awkward and somewhat painful small talk Lajfen and Beatrice attempted to provide. An unspoken tension hung in the air between the girl and her friend, although unbeknownst to him that was not the reason for her muteness and dazed expression.
As her adrenaline subsided and her brain caught up to what happened the whispered words of the fire echoed in Serena's ears. Words she hadn't pieced together in her hurry that now demanded her attention as they ran laps around her mind. Anxiety replaced her confidence and her disregard towards her father's personal belongings now dangled over her head like a heavy sword tied to a fraying rope.
Her father was going to kill her! If not him then somebody else! Serena felt her throat tighten as it grew progressively more difficult to breathe, her spit refusing to go down her throat as she seemingly forgot how to swallow.
Was she going insane? Not only had the flames spoken to her, but they had also called her the Dragonborn and warned her of a gruesome death! Her death!
Serena felt the familiar burn at the back of her throat as she suppressed her desire to cry, batting back the wretched tears while attempting to ignore the bottomless pit that had taken residency in her stomach upon realizing her life expectancy had frighteningly dwindled.
"Forseti wants to kill me," The words fell out of her mouth before she had the chance to realize it. A low mumble that spilled past the fingernails she hadn't noticed herself nibbling.
"Hmm?" Her eyes snapped to Lajfen as he looked down at her with a curious expression, "What was that?" He hummed softly, his voice only meant for Serena's ears.
She shook her head, "My feet are killing me."
Lajfen looked down at her bare feet, then to the hand carrying her shoes. "Would it help if you wore them?" He teased, motioning to the shoes. Shrugging she tossed them on the floor before slipping her feet in and continuing the walk back in silence.
It was almost as though nothing had happened as the trio reentered the party, the only change being the song emanating from the live band. As Lajfen muttered something about telling Ivar they had found her, Beatrice replied saying she needed another drink— to which Serena strongly agreed.
Snagging the warrior by her sleeve Serena caught her attention immediately. The woman raised a brow questioningly prompting her to speak, "Do you think I could try some of that drink now?"
Beatrice laughed heartily, head tipping back slightly before dipping back down as she began nodding her head. "Stop letting them treat you like a kid, you don't need to ask my permission."
