Steam floated off of the surface of the water, the highlander soaking inside of the tub unmoving except for the slow rise and fall of his relaxed breathing. Warren's eyes were shut as he tried to will the tension out of his bones and muscles, finally feeling for once that he could let his guard down.
It felt like it had been a lifetime since he last had no worries on his conscience. His current awkward steps forward with both Sei and Howl, preceded by Howl's prison and his brother's death, preceded by trying to make amends with Sei and make it up to Howl following his confession of the true nature of his relationship with Coatleque Crofte.
Even prior to that, Warren had carried the weight of their business in Coerthas. His hands were stained with the blood of a heretic, spilled during a long search that had eroded parts of Warren's morality in his lowest points. The search had been kicked off due to Sei going off, giving up, losing herself to the whispers of a madman and throwing as much of herself away as she could. Howl went after her and Warren had been left alone with the bill of his deeds; His inadequacy drove her off and his inability to move on set him after her.
Before even that, his tensions with Howl. It was an abusive relationship and he knew it, and that haunted him. Howl had freely given devotion and love and admiration, and Warren returned his kindness with ice. Howl's tribe, little as it was, had been eradicated because of his choice to remain by Warren's side. He still thought of the little girl and her stuffed dog, probably one of Ace's younger brothers, and he tried not to think of Ural turning his staff on her and immolating her.
And even before that, trying to deal with Sei's departure in the first place. The bits of it he could remember through the constant haze of drinking were lonely, quiet scenes. Running before dawn. Keeping long shifts in loud places to drown out the words and memories. Before she left, there were the tense times, the foreshadowing.
Things seemed better for him now. Howl was free. Sei would return to him. The three of them were bound, would be bound, and he was sure of it. The highlander sat in steaming water with his eyes shut and let go of his worries, let go of the world behind him, and he looked to the future, at beaming faces of adoration and love. There wasn't any way to move backwards, no direction to go except forward.
Ever onward.
It felt like it had been a lifetime since he last had no worries on his conscience. His current awkward steps forward with both Sei and Howl, preceded by Howl's prison and his brother's death, preceded by trying to make amends with Sei and make it up to Howl following his confession of the true nature of his relationship with Coatleque Crofte.
Even prior to that, Warren had carried the weight of their business in Coerthas. His hands were stained with the blood of a heretic, spilled during a long search that had eroded parts of Warren's morality in his lowest points. The search had been kicked off due to Sei going off, giving up, losing herself to the whispers of a madman and throwing as much of herself away as she could. Howl went after her and Warren had been left alone with the bill of his deeds; His inadequacy drove her off and his inability to move on set him after her.
Before even that, his tensions with Howl. It was an abusive relationship and he knew it, and that haunted him. Howl had freely given devotion and love and admiration, and Warren returned his kindness with ice. Howl's tribe, little as it was, had been eradicated because of his choice to remain by Warren's side. He still thought of the little girl and her stuffed dog, probably one of Ace's younger brothers, and he tried not to think of Ural turning his staff on her and immolating her.
And even before that, trying to deal with Sei's departure in the first place. The bits of it he could remember through the constant haze of drinking were lonely, quiet scenes. Running before dawn. Keeping long shifts in loud places to drown out the words and memories. Before she left, there were the tense times, the foreshadowing.
Things seemed better for him now. Howl was free. Sei would return to him. The three of them were bound, would be bound, and he was sure of it. The highlander sat in steaming water with his eyes shut and let go of his worries, let go of the world behind him, and he looked to the future, at beaming faces of adoration and love. There wasn't any way to move backwards, no direction to go except forward.
Ever onward.
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
