01-01-2020, 05:52 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-01-2020, 05:53 PM by Mockingjay00.)
Akran now worried himself with how to approach the girl. He wished to ask her so many things, but always fell short of asking as he would pass her by. His heart ached to know what happened to Temerity, but something about knowing scared him even more.
He began to forget his intentions as time passed, though his eyes would always alight at the girl’s passing, even if only for a moment. It would be a day in late fall that he was approached while slumbering underneath a tree, and the evening was becoming dark. Her small form shrinks even smaller at approaching him, but she tugs on his sleeve nonetheless.
“Sir?” She asks tentatively, uncertainty in her voice.
Akran lazily responds with a grunt, slowly removing the book from his face. He contains a startle at seeing the girl, and part of him wonders if he were dreaming.
“Sir, it’s getting late, and it’s a little dangerous to be out in the dark now.” She notes softly. Surely she had been alluding to the activities in Moonfall, which had been increasing in savagery as of late. Even Penelope seemed disturbed, which was impressive given her fortitude against such things.
“Oh.” Akran responds dumbly, carefully closing his book. As he looked out and around, it had gotten quite dark. It was getting close to winter by now, and the air carried a chill as it blew past them. The girl shivered, though she was warmed by an enormous shawl that she draped around herself like a blanket.
Despite every question on the tip of his tongue, Akran stands and offers the girl a hand.
“Here, let’s walk back to the city together.” He offered.
The girl looks at him with uncertainty, but her hand eventually touches his with a soft grasp. They walk at a slow pace, slower than what’s comfortable for Akran, but he keeps the pace for the sake of the girl who makes small, slow steps.
“Are you a magi?” She asks softly after a time, her words hardly louder than a whisper.
Akran is surprised by the question, tilting his head at the girl. “Why do you ask?”
She’s quiet for a time, before she answers. “I feel the mana in you. It’s bigger than normal people.” She notes softly.
Akran arches his eyebrows in surprise. Reading was a fairly base-level skill, but for her to be able to measure it? He was impressed.
“I am.” He answered.
The girl remains silent now, seeming satisfied by the answer. It’s somewhat awkward as the city walls come into view, but Akran wished the way were much longer for the sake of being able to talk to her more.
He had to know her name at the least.
“What is your name?” Akran asks.
“Irrin Greengrass.” She offers in return.
Akran seems surprised at this, as Temerity had no surname. It stood to reason that it may be because the girl had been adopted, since Temerity had been missing for many years now. It then began to dawn upon him, a certain fear:
What if the girl didn’t know what happened to her? What if she’d been too young to know?
“What’s your name?” The girl asks Akran, despite his internal worrying.
“Akran Moore.” He responds in turn, carefully guiding the girl up the stairs to the city walls. He wished he knew time magic, if just to stretch out the time with her a little longer.
They went in through the gate, and the girl paused in front of him. Akran couldn’t believe his poor luck that she lived so close as she explains,
“I live near here, so I’m going to go now.”
Akran’s heart sinks and he’s uncertain how to respond. He wanted to talk to her longer, but it was already late, and it would be strange of him to keep her any longer.
“Very well Miss Greengrass,” he puts on a front of friendliness despite the despair that rested behind it. He offers her a polite bow, and to his surprise, she responds with a curtsy.
“Be safe Mr. Moore. Goodbye.” She even adds a little wave before she flutters away, like a leaf on the wind.
Akran doesn’t stay to watch which way she goes; let alone what house she stops at. He already knew what he was doing was dangerously close to stalking, so he goes home to Penelope who dotes on him for being out too late. When he goes to sleep, he dreams dreams he hasn’t in a long time.
He dreams of Temerity, who rests at his side instead of Penelope. And he dreams of the little girl with green eyes, who looks back over her shoulder at him.
Irrin Greengrass.