dahlia nearly snaps, as he questions her… at first it is just surprise that crosses his features, a soft look of vulnerability flashing before her, but then it morphs into something else. the ever-present frown returns, reminiscent of the scowl she half expects…. but it passes like a quickly blustering storm. a shadow of that earlier softness returns, bringing with it the warmth of his eyes… his apology is genuine, soft… it causes her own show of confusion, a subtle tip of her head as she studies him… a quiet ”thank you” falls from her lips as she tears her gaze away from him, out into the meadow beyond. it would be the ultimate embarrassment, she fears, to let silent tears fall now… not because she was worried for her mother, because having smelled both her mother and shamwari, she had a good idea that petal had maybe returned home… the embarrassment would be in that the tears were for herself. they would be tears of frustration… frustration that she couldn’t seem to say the right thing to him… that she kept making him angry…. that for some reason she wanted to be met with his approval and could not seem to earn it. the threat of tears is quick to pass though, as they both stare out into the beautiful star-lit meadow. the rippling indigo-green grass tipped white by the moon is too distracting, the handsome masculine presence beside her, however unaccepting, still prompts something within her very being that causes her to be more forgiving of both their failures to communicate properly. his voice is quiet and clear in the evening, and before she can let herself overthink anything, she nods, replying with her soft shy voice. ”yes, raziel” she surprises even herself then, taking a tentative step closer to him, nearly brushing his side, and then a few steps past out from the edge of the trail. she stops then, waiting for him to join her and offers the hint of a smile. the moon silhouettes her, edging her bronze-gold body with white and it shines brightly down at raziel, bathing him in a soft blue-silver that brightens his already brilliant eyes. dahlia avoids looking at them, knowing she finds it hard to stop. |