Chapter 19

He stopped and turned to her.

"I'm heading to Castle Morne," he said, his tone more measured than before. "There's something I need to take care of somthing there. You should stay here."

She froze, her heart skipping a beat. Her gaze hardened, and a sudden knot of unease formed in her chest. "Stay here?" her voice barely above a whisper, as though the suggestion itself had rattled her more than she cared to admit.

He nodded. "yeah like i think i can easily handel it..."

Her jaw tightened, and her breath caught in her throat. There was something in his eyes—a protective concern that made her want to refuse him on principle, but the thought of being left behind, of staying in this cold, empty place without him, gnawed at her in a way she hadn't expected.

"I'm not some fragile flower that needs to be sheltered, you know."

"Your injuries aren't fully healed," he pointed out, his voice steady. "Staying here would be better—for you."

"I've had worse," she replied, her tone laced with defiance. "I'm not going to sit around and play the delicate damsel while you go off on some mission."

He sighed, glancing at her in a way that suggested he knew she wouldn't back down. "You're relentless, aren't you?"

"Relentless enough to keep you on your toes," she shot back. "If you think I'll stay behind without putting up a fight, then you don't know me nearly as well as you think you do."

A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "Alright," he conceded, relenting but not without a final jab. "But if you start slowing us down, don't expect me to carry you the rest of the way."

She scoffed, stepping past him. "I'd like to see you try."

He shook his head.

As they prepared to leave Fort Haight, he glanced at her again.

"So, what work exactly you have to take care of in this Castle Morne?" she asked, her tone casual.

He hesitated for a moment. "It's… unfinished business," he said finally, his expression unreadable. "Nothing glamorous. But it needs to be handled."

She nodded, seeming to accept that answer. "Well, then. Let's get it over with."

He shot her a sidelong glance as they made their way down the path from the fort. "You're pretty eager for someone who just insisted on coming along."

 "I'm just eager to make sure you don't get yourself killed."

He let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "And here I thought you'd be bored."

"Oh, I would be."

"But someone has to keep you out of trouble."

They fell into an easy silence as they traveled. Occasionally, he'd glance at her.

After a while, he broke the silence. "You know, you didn't have to come."

She met his gaze, unflinching. "Maybe not," she said. "But I'm here. So let's get on with it."

They mounted their horses near Fort Haight as the misty morning light bathed the land in a soft glow, then set off toward the Weeping Peninsula.

He broke the silence first, his voice calm but curious. "Nyra, how long do you think you'll keep guarding the Deathroots?"

She glanced at him. "Is that your roundabout way of asking when I'll stop babysitting you?"

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Not exactly. But you've been at it a while. Don't you ever think about doing something else?"

"And what would I do, exactly? Knit scarves? Take up farming?"

"I don't know," he replied, feigning thoughtfulness. "You might make a decent merchant. You're stubborn enough to haggle anyone out of their coin."

She laughed softly, the sound brief but genuine. "Nice try, but I'm not the type to settle down. You of all people should know that by now."

He nodded. "I do. But it's not about settling down. It's about… choosing what you want. For yourself."

"And what about you? What is it you want, really?"

He hesitated, the question hanging in the air like a weight. "I suppose I'm still figuring that out."

Their horses carried them further down the path, the quiet stretching between them again. 

"Hmm... you see, I have no purpose other than protecting the Deathroots," she said, her voice soft but resolute. "No friends, no ties—just that one purpose, carved into my existence."

She paused, her gaze shifting from the path ahead to him, her eyes steady and unwavering. "But," she continued, her tone taking on a rare vulnerability, "I think I might have found another purpose."

"Another purpose?" he asked.

She nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah," she said.

"You."

The word lingered in the air between them, charged with a meaning that felt far heavier than the morning mist surrounding them. 

"Nyra..." he began, unsure of what to say, but she cut him off with a raised hand.

"Don't overthink it," she said lightl. "Just keep moving forward. I'll be here to make sure you don't trip along the way."

He couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "Relentless, as always."