82 Dreaming Peacefully

The coffin hastily made from the Ice Fir trees wasn't overly ornate or beautiful. The inside was lined with a simple cloth as the act of creating took an enormous amount of energy and it was the easiest thing for Paoxiao to conjure.

The underside of the coffin's lid had the arrays from that alcove carved into it. Xianmei, after all this had been completed, was carefully laid to rest in the coffin while still in that room to prevent the spell preserving her body from breaking. The coffin had then been carried up by Paoxiao and Hui Se Ying to be placed in a large, person drawn, cart.

The cart had been something found in the underground facility. After placing the coffin inside of it there was a small amount of space left. Seeing that space and getting an idea, Hui Se Ying reached for Nastasia but she shrunk back; startled. Letting his hands fall back to his sides due to her reaction, he nodded toward the cart.

"Not only were you injured and are still recovering, but you also suffered from being kidnapped. Having a bit of a rest would do you some good."

Delicate, soft, fingers touched briefly at her neck but didn't venture anywhere else. Even though her hand didn't touch on either side of her neck, Nastasia could still feel the bite of that man on one side and the bite of the creature on the other, pulsating painfully.

She was exhausted. Both mentally and physically. However, as her gaze slanted toward Paoxiao, she couldn't bring herself to take up the offer. From the moment Hui Se Ying convinced him to dry his tears, Paoxiao had been both silent and withdrawn.

"I-" she bit back a yawn, "I'm not suffering all that much. I'll be fine to walk. Rather, Paoxiao should sit there to keep his sister company."

After receiving an odd look from Hui Se Ying she realized a moment later that her reply had been made in English. After speaking with that man so long, as well that English came to her naturally, her words reverted back to her default language. Correcting them to Chinese, Nastasia was interrupted on the third to the last word.

Paoxiao silently stole behind her to effortlessly lift her into the cart, carefully, beside the coffin. "I don't need such consideration. I wasn't the one who was injured and suffered until I was rescued. Besides, I'll make the cart too heavy for Hui Se Ying to pull." After saying these words, Paoxiao walked ahead to lead the way through the mists.

Honestly, after everything that happened, he needed silence to digest the reality before him. Though, even if he didn't, he would have still insisted that Nastasia rest in the cart for all that she had been through. So, he forced his way ahead, leading them out, while his mind tried to grasp at the fact that he would never again be able to see his sister's smiling face.

As he walked, his breath shuddered as it passed out his nose and mouth. His eyes burned and overflowed with tears. His mind traveled down all sorts of memories he shared with his sister. All the while his teeth bit into his lip and his nails bit into palm flesh; using the pain to surmount the agony of loss that opened a hole in his heart.

It was difficult for Paoxiao to accept.

That his strong, kind and cheerful older sister was dead, was something he couldn't wrap his mind around. Cold and buried beneath the earth didn't suit her warmth, her sunflower-like smile. Paoxiao swallowed hard and tried to control his sadness.

Once they left the Ice Forest, he would take his sister home regardless of Li Yu Rong's permission. Xianmei deserved to be laid to rest in her homeland, within the family tomb so that she could carry with her all its comforts into the next life.

Nastasia watched as Paoxiao strode away, his back ramrod straight, as he tried to affect a strong front. Her face couldn't help but melt into a worried frown. Hui Se Ying seeing this, reached out to pat her head in comfort but pulled back on remembering her skittish behavior earlier.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. He just needs time to morn by himself." Hui Se Ying then tossed his outer robe over her as he joked in his usual rakish tone. "Well I wouldn't mind trying a frozen beauty, I don't think master would appreciate it all that much, so use this to keep warm."

Pulling the robe from her head, she wrapped it around herself with a grateful nod in his direction. Though she was trying not to give it notice, the air was bitingly cold that her body couldn't help trembling despite her will for it to do otherwise. Hui Se Ying acknowledged her nod with a grin before he picked up the handles of the cart and began following after Paoxiao at a steady pace.

Using her arm as a pillow, Nastasia settled in as comfortably as she could. Though it was still a bit cold, it wasn't as terrible as it was before. Lying between the coffin and side wall of the cart also helped to block out the chilly breeze. Eventually, cuddled up like this, she started to feel rather warm and cozy.

As she began to enter a light doze, she reflected upon the long day she suffered through. She didn't focus for long on the time she was trapped and ruthlessly played around with. Instead, Nastasia thought about her gratitude toward both Paoxiao and Hui Se Ying for coming to find her, for saving her.

She was incredibly thankful that, though it was dreadfully apparent the type of torment she underwent, neither of the two questioned after the details. Hui Se Ying said nothing when she shrunk back from his touch and even -because of such skittish behavior- began to treat her with a careful consideration.

Her heart couldn't help but feel warm.

At the same time, Nastasia was thinking of ways to comfort Paoxiao. She knew from experience that the loss of a loved one never completely healed. That it wasn't something that another person could easily help you overcome. Still, she wanted to do something for him as he had helped and doted on her so much, treating her carefully, like a younger sister.

Sleep descended heavily over her brain and limbs, it weighed down her eyelids until she could no longer hold them up. The thoughts running through her mind began to crawl along sluggishly.

Her last coherent thought before sleep finally claimed her from wakefulness was a desire to see Li Yu Rong. She craved his warm embrace and comforting touches. As she remembered what that man had done, she felt all the more that she wanted Li Yu Rong beside her, along with all the loving care he offered.

Nastasia's breaths evened out with a smile playing across her lips as her dreams displayed his image in the way she imagined he would hold and console her. Although she muttered some very telling words in her sleep, Hui Se Ying didn't bother with waking her. Rather, he took down each and every word he could make out accurately to record it mentally.

After all, he thought with a bit of deviousness, this was information he could use to extort some benefits from his master.