Pieces of Eight

Chapter 18

Packing took them the barest few minutes; Areli had precious little to gather up. Goodbyes took about the same amount of time; Areli only wanted to say goodbye to Phoebe and Mimi. Tobias had remained standing at the doorway while Areli let himself into their house and gently woke them, explaining what had happened and what he planned to do and begging his daughter's forgiveness. Mimi had quietly assured him that she would care for Phoebe as her own, and tried to convince him that, while his decision was difficult, it was made out of love for Phoebe, and that was all that mattered. Phoebe aggressively told her father over and over again that she loved him, refused to allow him any guilt, and promised to keep in touch if she could and hide if she needed to. When Areli stood up and rejoined him outside, Tobias found him distraught, but with a strength and steeliness to his bearing that hadn't been present before they'd come here. Once again, the elf marveled at the bond between Areli and Phoebe.

Returning to his own home, Areli ducked inside, grabbed his single pack, and just as quickly stormed back out before Tobias had even gotten his boots off. "We have another hour or two before dawn," Tobias stated lamely, pausing halfway bent over to stare as Areli brusquely marched past him and back out into the frigid chill of the deepest hours of the night.

"I know," Areli grunted, consenting to stop and turn to face him. "Plenty of time to get my horse and be waiting at the gate when Sam marches up."

Tobias slowly straightened, brows furrowing as he considered Areli's intentions. It would certainly make a statement...it was bold, though, enough to be too bold. There was potential for backfire. It also eliminated any possibility of the elves being able to shield Areli. Perhaps Urai was not so foolish as to threaten them with harm?

Areli must have sense his entire train of thought behind the single moment of hesitation. The look on his face was something like scorn or disdain, but Tobias knew him well enough by now to understand that it was merely frustration with the entire situation, and nothing personal. "She'll kill you," he stated bluntly. "All of you. Burn this entire place to the ground. And you won't have even slowed her down. Let me take control of the situation."

Tobias disagreed strongly with Areli's assertation that Urai could steamroll them that easily, but understood that there was no point to debating it. The decision was Areli's, in the end, and he needed to respect that fact. Advice could be given, but not forced.

Wordless, Tobias fell into step beside Areli as the Gryphon definitively marched off to the stables at the end of their path. His little bay horse was dozing in his stall, back leg propped and lip hanging; he pricked an ear and stirred slightly at their entrance, but only deigned to fully rouse when Areli stepped into the stall and scratched under his chin. A handful of oats in his bucket made him happy enough, and Areli took to saddling the gelding while the horse nibbled his breakfast. Tobias once again settled in the doorway and watched silently, marveling at Areli's resilience. There wasn't a single hitch in his movements, not a single sign of pain, nothing to indicate the dire state in which he had arrived. Every motion was practiced, fluid, and confident. In less than ten minutes, Areli had knocked the mud from his horse's coat from where the gelding had taken a roll earlier, gotten his saddle on, and secured each of the bags that attached to it. Leaving the horse briefly to retrieve his bridle, Areli finally paused to let the horse finish eating.

Seeing him stop, Tobias was able to get a good look at his face. There were signs of uncertainty in Areli's face now that he could see him properly and knew him well enough: for all his rigidity and ferocity earlier, he still had doubts. It almost reassured Tobias to see some trace of humanity in Areli. "It'll be alright," he murmured, drawing a quick and sharp glance from Areli. Pushing off the wall he'd been leaning on, Tobias stepped closer to where Areli stood on the opposite side of the stall door and reached for him. "I think that you are doing the best you can with what you have," he continued, taking Areli's free hand and gently coaxing him to come closer until he could put his arms around him properly. "I'm with you," he promised, "each and every step. And when I cannot walk beside you, I will walk beside your daughter."