173 Summerfell I

They stayed together like that for a good half an hour, Li feeling the rhythm of her breathing as she leaned into him. He could sense her heartbeat, how it beat fast at first, wrapped up in emotion. But as the minutes passed, it slowed, and her breathing became more even, more calm, more collected. 

The hurt had come and passed, and quick, too. Sylvie, despite being a young girl, was one who had faced many hardships in life, fought many battles with her life on the line, and, as a result, though in love she had not had time to become experienced, in processing pain, in understanding and overcoming hurt, she was a veteran.

Li had to acknowledge that even if he did think of triple threat as essentially children to protect, they were not fragile flowers liable to scatter in a strong breeze. They had strong roots, strong wills, and they could do what it took to survive and see another day.