Desert

Anxiously he gazes on as the pale faced beauty continues to fight whatever turmoils it is that had confined her in darkness and pain. Despite the hardness of his heart, he cannot help but to will the turmoil onto his own shoulders if nothing but to prevent her from shouldering the burden alone. Seconds tick by slowly. In what feels like hours, finally the fluttering of her pale lashes and the twitch of her muscles indicates that she is beginning to return to the world of the waking. He releases a silent sigh of relief.

He takes a step backwards as she struggles to rise into a sitting position, tilting his head curiously as the venom that had only moments ago laced her sweet tones disappears. ’I am?’ there is a thick question and insecurity in her voice. Ever so slightly he nods his broad head. Reaffirming his own decision to himself as much as to her. Yes, he would keep her safe.

The next words to fall from her lips freeze him into place. ’Do you know who Mirella is?’ Mirella. Sweet, gentle, Mirella. She may have forgotten who she was but at least she had not forgotten their daughter. ”Mirella….” the name replays on his own lips like a forgotten record. An almost gentle smile tugs at the corners of his whiskered lips as he bobs his head gently. ”Of course I know her. She IS my daughter after all.” he murmurs, dark ears rotating forwards as emerald green eyes watch for the reaction to cross her pale face. Would she remember that?

’Help me somewhere to rest?’ she inquires and the tension and fear that she might flee, even in her worsened state, begins to ebb away. Silently he bobs his head in agreement and shifts his position to give her space to rise. He keeps himself close, making sure to be the solid weight that she could lean against should the weight of the world and the pain that grips her be too much. ”Come. This way.” he breathes, rubbing his graying muzzle against her own pink lips in gentle encouragement. ”There is a path further down the beach that is not nearly as steep as the one we took only moments ago.” he murmurs, a wry smile ghosting momentarily across his lips at the memory. As fleeting as it had been, it had been fun and he only hoped that there would be more time for them to enjoy each other’s company in wild races in the future, at least, without the debilitating painful consequences.

His ears fall back as he clenches his jaw together in silence for a moment. ”I’m sorry if I caused you to over exert yourself.” he murmurs, emerald eyes gazing at her curiously. He had not meant to cause her harm but at the very least, at least this might open them up to conversation as to what might have befallen her since the last time he saw her beautiful head disappearing above the rolling waves of Atlantis.