He had tried to remain home the night before, but the walls, the memories were far too strong. What little he needed, Iron had packed up and departed the home of his companions, the place that Natalie had dragged him off to when she learned of him sleeping out in the sands.
How ironic was it that he would return to that same locale? That under the stars the big man sat perched atop a dune with that parchment held within his hands. He had cried, publicly broken down. He had prayed, for the first time acknowledging a higher power in some hope to just feel his words had reached her....but that night had ended and given way to a great void within his heart the following day. There was no comfort, there was only a wracking guilt and a searing sting that he would never see her stupid face again. That he would never spend an eve goofing off and playing along with her antics...
He remembered the previous week. He recalled the image of her standing by that pillar in the Quicksand in her armor just like the first eve the spoke. His lips trembled at speaking the same words he had to her that first day, jokingly and her playing along.
A gust of wind let the sands wash over his side, pulling him away from those thoughts. Eyes lingered on the words written about him, and with a groan the big man crumpled it up within his hands, dropping it to the earth.
"Stalwart indeed......protector......don't mock me in death lady. Had I been anything of the sort.....you'd still be here with me..."
And with that spoke, he lowered his head to his hands.
How ironic was it that he would return to that same locale? That under the stars the big man sat perched atop a dune with that parchment held within his hands. He had cried, publicly broken down. He had prayed, for the first time acknowledging a higher power in some hope to just feel his words had reached her....but that night had ended and given way to a great void within his heart the following day. There was no comfort, there was only a wracking guilt and a searing sting that he would never see her stupid face again. That he would never spend an eve goofing off and playing along with her antics...
He remembered the previous week. He recalled the image of her standing by that pillar in the Quicksand in her armor just like the first eve the spoke. His lips trembled at speaking the same words he had to her that first day, jokingly and her playing along.
A gust of wind let the sands wash over his side, pulling him away from those thoughts. Eyes lingered on the words written about him, and with a groan the big man crumpled it up within his hands, dropping it to the earth.
"Stalwart indeed......protector......don't mock me in death lady. Had I been anything of the sort.....you'd still be here with me..."
And with that spoke, he lowered his head to his hands.
