Swords and Staffs

8. Falling for you

Alistair:

After calming Arlene down, I carefully placed her off my knee and onto the bed beside me. I began to speak.

"Do you wish to discuss as to why you are upset?" I questioned.

What if she wasn't comfortable enough to share personal things with me? But then again maybe I should know. Maybe she had no choice. This was a relationship now, wasn't it? It was all too overwhelming to think about.

After a few seconds she nodded her head once. She crossed her legs and began to stare at the wooden floor below us with her (now almost back to royal purple) eyes.

"My mother. She...died a few weeks ago and my father believes that it is my fault. He doesn't talk to me anymore and...." you could see that she was trying so hard not to cry.

She continued with a wobbly voice, the royal purple fading a small gradient every word she spoke.

"He lashes out on me for nothing all of the time. Not that it is his fault, I mean he drinks a lot now. I guess it is kind of a medicinal thing, a way of mourning her death. The problem is, I generally do feel that it is my fault." she stopped there.

"Why does your father believe that your mother's death is because of you?" I asked, not trying to seem intrusive in her personal life.

"It was late at night. My mother and I were preparing dinner for father's return from a small battle that he had started up with the Templars. When one of them... one of them invaded our home. He smashed the door down, and I didn't know what to do. So, I ran and hid in my closet, leaving mother downstairs with him. I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't think about the possibilities of what would happen if..." she sniffled as tears began to gradually drip down her colourless cheeks, each one falling and sinking into the floor beneath her.

I hated to see her so upset. I put my arm around her, and she lay her head on my chest.

"It's ok Arly, it wasn't your fault. You didn't have time to consider the options available. I'm glad that you were able to tell me." I gently kissed the top of her head and lay mine on top, the scent of her silky black hair filling my nose, making my eyes water.

"I've been wanting to tell someone for ages," she smiled warmly at me, "I'm glad that you understand," she gazed into to my eyes as I did hers and then I finally answered.

"I will always understand, no matter what," I said sincerely and placed my lips on her tender velvet-reds for the last time before we set off out of the camp and into the woods.

Arlene:

We continued to walk through the forest hand in hand, trying to find the bench where we were hidden from the judgmental, cruel world. While on our hunt I tripped over something invisible and fell into a bush alongside the trail.

"Arlene! Are you okay?" he exclaimed as I fell into the prickles and thorns.

"Ouch!" I yelled, several thorns pressing through my body. My sudden cry was till echoing throughout the trees when Ali grabbed my hand and pulled me out, several thorns pinned to my skin.

"What happened?" he asked, laughing as he did so. His laugh was so musically mellifluous, like wind chimes.

"It's not funny!" I said with a stern face, embarrassed and irritated at the same time. He laughed again.

"Why are you so clumsy?" he chuckled, dusting me off and carefully pulling out the odd thorn.

"Must be a mage thing," I answered, giggling along with him this time.