[ He may not be surrounded by a whole host of loved ones, but he has Estinien, and he has the household steward and maid that have served his family for years. So he is not entirely alone, although it certainly is true that he has very few friends outside of those three individuals. They help when they can, but he would not ask them to give up more than they already have in order to assist with his adjustments to everything that has happened. And he has begun to believe that he could not ask for outside help, because who would answer even if he did reach out?
In all honesty, Lantaa's willingness to assist with his injury and her apparent eagerness to remain by his side has taken him by surprise. Not only is she a witch, but she is, as they both have noted, a stranger to him in this life. She is under no obligations to assist him or to be this close to him, and yet there is a part of him that wishes to believe she would do so without having to be compelled.
And because of that, he resolves to never compel her to act again, unless it is somehow in her best interests. And it well may be, given how she seems unable to freely speak about the things that trouble her or about things she wishes to say. Perhaps in that sense, they can help each other, although he would much prefer it if she spoke of her own accord and not because he was influencing her actions.
As before, he responds to her touches by going slack beside her, as if the feeling of her hands in his hair has released some sort of relaxation mechanism inside him. He is still present with her, but he is feeling a kind of contentment that he has never known before. Or if he has, it has been some long years since he felt anything remotely like this.
But just as suddenly as it started, he hears what she is saying and his posture stiffens by just a fraction. That she needs to further tend to his wound does not trouble him; instead, it is the notion that he must eat that gives him pause. Of course he needs to continue regaining his strength for the journey ahead and for anything that may come after, but this is one area in which he still has difficulty accepting. ]
Of course. Of course I need to eat, and I will. But not from you if I can help it. I will not risk bringing you harm.
[ He can appreciate her willingness to help, and of course he has relished the taste of her blood, but he does not wish to let that door open once more. She is not a fountain for him to help himself to, after all. ]
Surely there are small animals that roam around the outside of this cave. If I can find one or two, or even a handful, that will be enough.
[ And, at the last moment, he finds he cannot help but add: ] Am I your love now? [ It is the closest he has come to offering a tease, and she might note the way his eyes briefly light up with something resembling amusement. ]
no subject
In all honesty, Lantaa's willingness to assist with his injury and her apparent eagerness to remain by his side has taken him by surprise. Not only is she a witch, but she is, as they both have noted, a stranger to him in this life. She is under no obligations to assist him or to be this close to him, and yet there is a part of him that wishes to believe she would do so without having to be compelled.
And because of that, he resolves to never compel her to act again, unless it is somehow in her best interests. And it well may be, given how she seems unable to freely speak about the things that trouble her or about things she wishes to say. Perhaps in that sense, they can help each other, although he would much prefer it if she spoke of her own accord and not because he was influencing her actions.
As before, he responds to her touches by going slack beside her, as if the feeling of her hands in his hair has released some sort of relaxation mechanism inside him. He is still present with her, but he is feeling a kind of contentment that he has never known before. Or if he has, it has been some long years since he felt anything remotely like this.
But just as suddenly as it started, he hears what she is saying and his posture stiffens by just a fraction. That she needs to further tend to his wound does not trouble him; instead, it is the notion that he must eat that gives him pause. Of course he needs to continue regaining his strength for the journey ahead and for anything that may come after, but this is one area in which he still has difficulty accepting. ]
Of course. Of course I need to eat, and I will. But not from you if I can help it. I will not risk bringing you harm.
[ He can appreciate her willingness to help, and of course he has relished the taste of her blood, but he does not wish to let that door open once more. She is not a fountain for him to help himself to, after all. ]
Surely there are small animals that roam around the outside of this cave. If I can find one or two, or even a handful, that will be enough.
[ And, at the last moment, he finds he cannot help but add: ] Am I your love now? [ It is the closest he has come to offering a tease, and she might note the way his eyes briefly light up with something resembling amusement. ]