-Don't Leave Me Yet ((Open))-

[Mama Z]

It was the final step toward recovery.

The final step in moving on.

She could do it. She knew she could. All she had to do was breathe and let it go with her breath. So why did she hesitate now? Her hands were trembling, her knees shaking slightly in the warm water. The waves that rushed toward the shore pushed into her, threatening to make her go tumbling if she didn't watch herself. The wind whipped around her in a fierce gust, all of it rushing to shore with the tide. It blew the soft tresses of hair from her face. They felt like whips as random strands hit her face. More than once she had to close her eyes to prevent them from blinding her.

The sky overhead was overcast. Each thick cloud that loomed overhead threatened to burst in a moment's notice. Even in the horizon one could smell the rain over the thick musk of the ocean. Already sailors were coming in with their large ships, docking. Even from here she could see them rocking with the waves. The men were shouting, giving orders and commands to one another. Working together so they didn't lose their lives, their ship, and their jobs. Neglect was one thing none of them could afford so each job was done with a precision and efficiency any businessman could adore.

The gulls called out with the sailors voices. They were coming in as well. Waning to rest their weary wings from days at sea. Here they could feed themselves one hundred fold and be fat and happy till the next day. Then they would become a pain in the rump like they normally were. She watched them for a moment, soft blue almost white eyes fixated on their pale white wings against the darkening of the sky. What would it be like to just fly away? To ride on the currents they did, to eat what they wanted, when they wanted.

She felt a strong wave surge against her half way submerged body. She needed to get this done. Needed to move on. Her grief had lasted a full year since his tragic passing. His the day her life came to a screeching halt. He wouldn't want her pinning like this. Wouldn't want her crying over something that couldn't be helped. Eyes traveled to look down at what was in her hands. It was a single flower, a white rose, resting in a little toy boat. The flower was tied to the haul with a black, well worn leather strap. His formal leather strap he had used to tie back his hair.

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she observed the small shrine as another wave bumped into her, causing her to take a few steps back. What did this look like to passer-byers? She was a young, some say pretty, thing with hair that rolled over her shoulders. The color a pale blond that seemed almost white at times. And here she was in waist deep water of the ocean that surrounded the town. The tide was rolling in and her long deep blue dress trailed behind her. Her black cloak had been left on the shore near her horse that was tied to a drift wood log. He knew better than to run away and she knew that he wouldn't anyways. Thunder loved her. Her fiancé used to say that if she wasn't to be married to him, the horse would surely be next in line.

Another tear as she recalled the memory and heard Thunder whinny in the background, obviously anise about the approaching storm. She suddenly clutched the shrine tighter, pulling it to her body in a tight hug. Sobs rolled through her, causing her shoulders to jerk slightly. She couldn't do it.

She couldn't let him go.

Not yet.

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[ulrica]

<sup>Time is an interesting thing. It can heal wounds, win battles, build empires and tear them down. It can grow forests, drain oceans, create lakes, crumble mountains. But the one thing time cannot do, is mend a broken heart. Sure it may numb the hurt, give one the ability to forget about that agony for a brief moment, but when you least expect it that raw pain will come welling back to the surface with furious vehemence. This was the situation Assyrian found himself in on what had begun as a wonderful day. He had gone riding with Misae and Della, taking them to a small brook he knew of where the fish swarmed around midday. But now, as their mounts clopped along at a brisk walk, memories of his past tormented his thoughts. Usually, the pain was bearable, but for some reason today it decided to strangle the breath in his throat and choke back his words. Every once in a while, Misae would risk a worried glance at him, her violet eyes strikingly inhuman and yet the sympathy there more humane than any son of man could ever wish to muster. "It's because she knows what you're going through." Della's familiar voice said in his head, the telepathic link they shared revealing her own concern for him. "I'm sure it would be easier to deal with if you would just talk to someone." Assyrian sighed and rolled his eyes before shooting a glare to his soulmate who currently walked beside Shadowfax's hooves in the form of a shorthaired pointer. "You know I really wish you would stay out of my head." He snapped back just as silently. Della whimpered quietly and hung her head, but the link was severed just the same.

Assyrian didn't enjoy hurting Della's feelings, but he wasn't exactly in the best of moods at the moment. Almost as if his inner turmoil controlled the weather, the wind began to pick up and clouds rolled over the graying sky. The seemingly young man looked up, a scowl on his youthful face. Damn this day... And dam- "Assyrian." Misae's voice cut off his mental damnation of the world without warning. If he hadn't been surprised by her sudden demand for his attention, the shapeshifter probably would have been irritated. As it was, he was simply curious. There wasn't a long wait before she continued. "Supposing a woman was in danger...would you be the monster to rescue her?" The dragoness asked, pulling her mount to a halt and looking out over the beach toward something in the distance. Ignoring her insult and instead turning his own head, Assyrian spotted a horse that appeared to be tied to a log of drift wood. Shaking his head in sight confusion- "Misae that's not a-"- he would have lectured the woman riding with him about playing games had his gaze not fallen on the figure of a young woman standing in the ocean's surf- "Oh... I suppose you both expect me to do something then, huh?" He replied, almost sounding glum. Only Della could sense the true anxiety he felt.


Assyrian had been silent for a while now, as had Della his companion. Misae was about sick of it. Her mood had been steadily decreasing when a figure revealed itself to the dragoness. At first, she only saw a horse, but almost instantly after she saw the young woman standing waist deep in the swirling waters. She appeared to be clutching something to her chest, but from the distance Misae remained at she couldn't tell what. Quickly, the dragoness voiced her findings to Assyrian though in a way that insured he would actually look rather than just answer as if it were a simple question. The man, or rather creature, pulled his stallion beside her own mount and turned his ever-changing gaze out toward the ocean. Surprise turned his eyes a hazel color, replacing the misty gray that sorrow had held them as, when he finally saw the woman. "Oh... I suppose you both expect me to do something then, huh?" He said, sounding bored to the dragoness who then rolled her eyes and gave an annoyed sigh. "Yes you fool of a man. No, you're not even a man!" She replied bitterly, having had enough of Assyrian's attitude. "You stay here and play the idiot and I'll go see why it looks as if that girl is about to kill herself!"

Spurring Suntaria forward, Misae left the road and steered her mount toward the beach. As she suspected, Assyrian quickly came along beside her with Della loping at Shadowfax's heels. For such large mounts, the two Friesians were surprisingly stealthy and quiet in their movements. The only noise their hooves made being soft thuds. Though I suppose that's from the sand more than anything... The young woman silently decided as they drew near to what she assumed to be the woman's mount. The horse in question let out a whinny as Misae pulled Suntaria to a halt, Assyrian doing the same with his Shadowfax beside them. Sliding from his horse's back and tossing the reins at her in a huff, he straightened his vest of throwing knives and hung his father's dagger over the horn of his saddle. The man's eyes were a strange forest green as he looked up at her over the stallion's back.


"Cover yourself and be sure not to draw too much attention." Assyrian commanded before striding off toward the woman half submerged in the ocean. Della was quick to follow, her tongue lolling from the side of her mouth and a cheerful glint within her warm, chocolaty eyes. "You're doing a good thing. Even if she doesn't need your help, you're being a gentleman." Della spoke in his mind, a note of glee playing in her silent voice. However, she became nervous when Assyrian didn't immediately answer. "Assyrian, you will be gentlemanly correct?" She prompted sharply, sounding like a disgruntled hen. "Assyrian?!" A smirk slid onto the man's lips as he severed their connection.

"Excuse me ma'am. Spare some change?" The shapeshifter asked as if having simple conversation. "That is if you were planning on, you know, going under any time soon?" His sarcasm was more easily noted now, but there was a small smile playing on his lips that almost hid it. Assyrian knew that behind them, Misae would be smacking her palm against her face in exasperation. He almost turned around just to see if he was right, but common sense held his gaze on the woman. "Chivalry died with you..." Della thought with something akin to disappointment, however, she couldn't hide the fact that she had expected such behavior from her soulmate. "Oh you don't know the half of it." He replied wryly through their mental link she insisted on keeping intact while pulling his cloak tighter around himself in order to better hide his throwing knives. Della simply fell back on her haunches in a huff, quietly panting.


Sorrow was on the air. Misae could sense it just as easily as any other beast, maybe even more so. And that fool of a man was ignoring this woman's pain and instead trying to be clever. Even from the distance she stood at, her hearing was so acute that even the moaning whistle of the wind wasn't enough to cover Assyrian's words. "Fool..." She hissed under her breath while watching him pull his riding cloak tighter about himself. The dragoness almost hoped the girl would slap him for being so inconsiderate.</sup>

[Mama Z]

The waves were growing stronger by the moment. The approaching storm much more evident now. Rain would fall till it would flood the town and just when the dreariness would begin to become oppressive, the sun would come out and dry the world with a warm hand. It was an endless cycle. The little toy boat was clutched tightly to her as she looked over the horizon. White sheets of sails stood out starkly against the gray of the clouds. A flash of lighting could be seen as well.

She was unaware that she had visitors drawing near. Hell, maybe if she had known, Sybil wouldn't have cared. This had been her one moment of peace and she had ruined it by her own selfishness. She shifted her position, feeling the sand slowly wash away underneath her slippered feet. The waves sloshed around, covering the sound of the man approaching. ANd when he spoke she was truly startled.

She jumped part way, rocking backward as a strong wave hit her at the same moment. Her balance teetered for a moment, but then that was all it took. Another wave rushed forward, tackling her down. The gowns she wore were heavy already and she couldn't find her footing. Down underneath the waves she went, mouth filling with the heavy taste of salt water. Even though the waters were shallow, she tumbled and for a brief second lost which way was even up.

Body hit the shallower part of the shore first and that was when she could breathe again. She coughed and spat, though her mind was still tumbling around with the waves. Sybil looked up, confused about where she was at, what had happened even. Hair was plastered to her, clothes sticking close to her like a second skin. She coughed again, spitting up just a small bit of sea water.

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[ulrica]

<sup>The girl jumped as Assyrian had expected, however, he didn't expect what would happen after. The man turned to look out over the ocean, not seeing as the girl fell prey to a merciless wave. "Assyrian! Pull your head out of the clouds and pay attention!!" Della screamed in his mind as she ran up and down the shore line barking her head off. "Della, what is it- Now hold on a second where did she go?!" Assyrian replied, a frantic note in his voice which only his soulmate could hear. The same soulmate which then proceeded to drag the man as close to the ocean as she could go without actually touching it, and bark madly. "She's in the water you idiot, gods! GET MOVING! NOW!!!" Della screeched, using her front paws to give Assyrian a shove toward the foamy water. "Oh just hold on a second!" He bellowed out loud as he ripped off his traveling cloak and tossed it back toward the shore, doing the same with his vest which held the throwing knives.

The angry water attacked his legs, threatening to throw him off balance and send him into the water as well. Assyrian struggled to reach where he had last seen the girl, digging his hands through the water as if that would help him to see. "Come on... Come on!!" He snarled, the sound oddly feral. Finally, she came up about a yard behind him and to his left. Swiftly turning, he reached a hand out for her, as if to offer stability. Just before his hand would close around her arm, a sharp whinny cut through the air and Assyrian looked up to see Shadowfax's broad chest cutting easily through the wild surf.


"Gaah!! Assyrian move!!" Misae screamed, though she knew Della's barking would take precedence. If she was saying something to him, that man would pay no attention to the rest of the world. But the woman didn't have time to think about that as at the moment she yelled, there came a hard tugging from her right hand. "Shadow hold!" She cried, desperately trying to better her grip on the stallion's reins without falling from her own mount. "Steady Shadow steady!!" With a deafening roar, the war horse yanked his reins from Misae's hand and thundered off toward his master. "God their both fools!!" The angry dragoness hissed into the wind whipping about her person and playing angrily with Suntaria's mane. "Assyrian look up!!" She screamed, even though he still wouldn't pay attention to her, instead giving it all to the girl still beneath the surf.


Shadowfax tossed his head, his mane sending drops of water flying in every direction. "Grab on to him!" Assyrian ordered, offering his hand to the woman in order to guide hers to his mounts long mane. The large charger slowed to a halt as he drew alongside the woman, lowering his great head to make it easier for her to find a hold on him. The shapeshifter took up a position on the left side of the woman so she would have a 'guard' on both sides, his arm still held out for her should she need or want it. If the girl would cooperate then all she would need to do is simply let the horse and his master lead her onto the shore. Assyrian would save his tirade of questions until they were all safe.

For a brief moment, his dirty emerald eyes met with the chocolate ones of Della. Her mouth hung open in a doggy grin with her tongue lolling from the side of her mouth. Looking up, he saw even Misae wore a small smile on her lips. "You're a good man Assyrian...Even if you don't want others to know." Della teased lovingly, a small smile creeping its way onto the man's scarred and tattooed face with his soulmate's words. "But you really should hurry. You might be able to play human, but Misae would be executed without a doubt." Assyrian nodded and once again turned his attention to the woman, their conversation taking no longer than a few seconds.


Pulling her cloak tighter about herself and making sure her wings were still hidden, the dragoness watched with some amusement as the large stallion sprayed them all with water. The woman's spluttering coughs audible as Assyrian reached her side. His concern reached her acute senses with force. From the anxiety in his voice, to the protective way he took up a stance at the woman's side. She smiled slightly, though not enough for her teeth - and fangs - to show. Violet eyes watched everything, the eternal sentinel.

Suntaria's warm sides slowly expanded and contracted with her slow breathing. Misae patted the filly's thick neck, looking out to see the ships coming in to dock for the night. A small trill of fear sent her heart racing, but she quickly slowed the organ and sent her thoughts out to Della. "We should go before this becomes too...public." The woman cautioned, anxiously looking out to the approaching vessels. Death was only too real of a future if their identities were learned in this town. Stupid Assyrian... Why do you always chose the worst places to stay?! She grumped sourly, once again turning to watch the progress of the three making their way out of the water. "Hurry...." She breathed, willing them speed. In this city, her gift was her curse.</sup>

[Mama Z]

She could hear the rushing sounds of water still in ehr ears and shouts. But everything sounded muffled and all came together. Sybil tried to focus her attention on something. All she was aware of though, was how cold it had become. Her teeth chattered and she shivered. A horse was moving toward them, the mans hand on her arm to steady her. Shaking she reached for the horse then paused.

The realization of what had happened slammed into her like the strong winds of a hurricane. She was unaware of their dilemma,the fact they needed shelter. All she knew was the reason why she came here, the little toy boat, was no longer in her grasp. She reached up, pushing wet strands of hair from her eyes as she frantically looked around. When had she dropped it?

'Where is it?' She asked looking briefly up at Assyrian then back across the ocean. No. It couldn't be gone. She wasn't ready to let it go, let his memory go. Weakly she attempted to step away from the Assyrian, wanting to look for her current obsession.

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[ulrica]

<sup>"Where is it?" The woman asked, briefly looking up at Assyrian before trying to step away. There was a franticness to her actions that made the man question her sanity for a moment before he tightened his grasp on her and attempted to pull her toward the shore. "Come on girly you need to get out of this water!" He yelled over the wind and pounding waves. Shadowfax churned the water with a stomping hoof, his eyes rolling back in fear of...something. The stallion squealed in terror, just as Della spoke. "Assyrian... Assyrian move..." The shapeshifter looked up to see his soulmate shivering in horror, her speckled fur soaked as she stood up to her elbows in the water. "Della? You're in the water..?" He thought to her bewildered. Nothing could get her in any body of water, not even a puddle. Nothing except... Assyrian spun, his eyes widening and changing to the palest of blues. A wave was coming toward them and if it hit while they were still in the water...he didn't even want to think about what would happen.

"Come on! What ever it is I'll get you a new one!" The man yelled, his hands numb from the frigidness of the ocean. Fear consumed the shapeshifter and he felt his tattoos burn as his other form threatened to show itself. The monstrous beast that was his second body...that was his curse. Forcing down the shift that seared hotly beneath his skin, Assyrian forced his leaded legs to move. I'm not gunna die. I'm not gunna die! He told himself, absently aware that Shadowfax had moved behind the woman and was trying to push her toward the shore line. Good horse... He encouraged silently, attempting another yank on the girl's hand. Della's urgent bark rang in his ears, his dark hair whipping about with the violence of the wind. If they could just reach the shore line then they would safe...


Misae's eyes widened with horror when she caught sight of the wave, she slowly shook her head in denial. "No..." She muttered, refusing to believe that in seconds, her best friend would be gone. A hand fiddled with the tie of her cloak as she struggled with the decision of his life or hers. The woman tried turning back, she was acting as if she had lost a child or something. Assyrian tried desperately to pull her toward the shore. Della even dared venturing into the water as the wind tossed her about like a rag doll. She was unable to take a larger form at the moment and the thin fur of a shorthaired pointer wouldn't be enough to keep her warm in that water. Already, Misae could see her small body beginning to shiver. The large war stallion moved to try and shove the woman toward the ocean, no doubt under Della's instruction. "Come on Assyrian... Get out of the water..." She pleaded, her hand ready to pull the tie on her cloak if the woman lingered much longer.</sup>

[Mama Z]

To her the most logical thinking was that her boat was some where nearby. That like an obedient dog it wouldn't trail far from her. It had to be close by. He was saying something but over the wind, her chattering teeth, and the rolling waves she couldn't hear a single word. His grip though was strong on her arm and with her emotional state, he was that much stronger.

The wave was approaching hard and fast and she looked at him for a second as he finally started to pull on her. Why was he in a hurry? He hadn't lost anything! Sybil opened her mouth to protest him further, to yank her body free. But finally something caught her eye and her mouth hung open as she turned to look.

Sybil wasn't sure how to react to it. Fear initially paralyzed her. They had lingered for far too long. Reaching down she grabbed the sopping skirts and hiked them up as far as she could manage. Spinning she turned to rush as fast as she could back toward the shore. Of course, being weighted down with water and clothes, not to mentioning the water that was falling back toward the ocean. It was difficult. She was in survival mode though, just as the others would be in this case.

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[ulrica]

<sup>The woman lunged forward, finally having seen the wave rushing toward them. Assyrian released her in order to slap Shadowfax on the rump and send the faithful horse splashing for the shore. Then he hurried after the woman. Finally, the sand was dry beneath his feet and Della was there waiting. Scooping his soulmate into strong arms, the man jogged to where Shadowfax stood waiting. A sense of deliriousness came over the shapehsifter then as he grasped his mount's reins, watching the wave crash upon itself directly where they had been standing mere seconds before. He laughed, a mad broken sound, and his knees threatened to buckle beneath him.

Della leaped from his arms, shaking water from her fur and sending it flying everywhere. "Assyrian I'm cold." The soaking creature whimpered softly in her soulmate's mind. If Assyrian had been acting like a fool before, he was the exact opposite now. Remembering his discarded vest and cloak, he turned back a few steps to retrieve them. Hastily slinging the vest over Shadowfax's saddle, he wrapped the shivering Della in his cloak and began to dry her off. The girl was forgotten for a moment at the prospect of his sweet Della getting sick. "You were in the ocean Della... You went in the water for me." He said silently, their link revealing the gratitude and surprise Assyrian felt. The small pointer, however, only nodded her head and whined quietly as her soulmate worked to warm her up.


Assyrian seemed to have forgotten the girl as he knelt to fuss over Della. Misae sighed and shook her head at his behavior, though relief flooded her system and allowed her heart to beat without feeling as if a vice was constricting it. Turning her eyes to the horse she assumed the girl would head for, she urged her own mount forward. While the girl was making her way up to them, the dragoness could untie her mount and perhaps bring him over to his mistress.

When the shapeshifter was about a yard away from the horse, she slid gracefully from Suntaria's wide back and landed lithely in the sand with her long skirts swishing around her feet. She strode toward the beast with the manner of royalty. There was an aura around her, one of regality and honor, of wisdom and age. Her lack of true humanity was obvious for a brief moment when a gust of wind lifted her cloak and revealed the pearly wings beneath it. The dragoness gasped with shock and instantly yanked back her hand which had been reaching toward the horse's reins to jerk the garment back around herself. Violet eyes turned to look at the woman, Misae's heart pounding with anxiety. Even Assyrian had noticed her mistake, and he was oblivious to the world on most occasions. If there is a god listening...save me... She pleaded silently, frozen in place as the wind attacked her.


Della's sharp eyes had seen Misae's wing first, a yelp escaping her black muzzle. "Oh no..." She breathed in Assyrian's mind. Looking up, his heart stopped when he saw his friend hurrying to conceal the spiked wing back beneath her dark cloak. His eyes melted into a navy blue as he looked back at the woman, wondering how much she had seen.</sup>

[Mama Z]

The wave crashed down angrily. Almost as if it was pissed that it had missed claiming a few more lives. Sybil had turned to watch the waters for a moment. Easily they ascended toward the shore line, reaching with foamy fingers before seeping backward. Tide was coming in and it was promising to destroy everything it touched.

A visible shiver ran her body and she wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't care about the turbulent tides or the mad waters. It was gone. The last piece she had and had selfishly kept was gone. Another shiver and she turned. Numb from feeling, both of the physical and mental sort. The man was forgotten, his dog forgotten, his horse. None of that matter at the moment. Thunder was pacing slightly, upset and wanting to get out of the wind.

Sybil was barely aware that the second party member was making her own way toward the horse in hopes of meeting them half way. The gritty sand clung to her dress and her hair stuck to her face. A harsh gust of wind broke through, sending another spine chilling cold through her and kicking up the others cloak. That's when she finally paused.

Blue eyes regarded the other quietly, searching for something. She was certain as to what she saw. The color of pearl and something not human at all. Wings? Maybe. A sword? Who knew. She blinked and swallowed. She was too tired to run, too tired to ask any questions. It was none of her business. What did she care? Maybe hell finally came to earth and demons and angels were starting their war.

The young woman took in a breath and moved the rest of the way toward Thunder. She patted the horses snout with a snaking hand for a moment before bending over to fetch her heavy cloak. She made no move to put it on, she wasn't cold and if she got sick so be it. 'There's an inn on the outskirts of town toward the west. The owner is very good at keeping his mouth closed.' She spoke down, as if to her clothing, her voice quiet and almost mechanical. Maybe she was finally losing it. Sanity could be over rated anyways.

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[ulrica]

<sup>The woman stopped, her eyes searching Misae's figure as if unsure about something. The dragoness's breaths came in short bursts now and she quickly left the girl's horse to retreat toward her own. Suntaria's sweet breath blew a cloud into the air as the female shapeshifter climbed onto her wide back, right leg dangling over the left side and skirts falling a few inches past her boots. She made sure her wings were clamped tightly against her back, her right bent in a way that ensured it wouldn't show beneath the edge of the dark riding cloak. Misae knew she couldn't risk another sighting. However, the woman went on as if she hadn't seen anything. Either that or she simply didn't care enough to do anything. Or she's a very good actress... The dragoness knew it couldn't be that, no human had ever been able to fool her intuition. There's a first for everything.

With obvious anxiety Misae turned her gaze to Assyrian, practically begging him to do something; anything that might ensure her life a short while longer.


A pause, maybe a slight stiffening in that slender figure, and then she continued on as if nothing was amiss. Assyrian let out a sigh of relief, Della too relaxing. Upon reaching her horse, the girl patted his nose and stooped to pick up her cloak from the sand. Misae glanced at him pleadingly and he shrugged, making a 'what am I supposed to do' gesture. Her venomous glare encouraged him to figure something out rather quickly. Scurrying along after the woman, the man would take her cloak from her hands and drape it about her shoulders if her grip didn't tighten around the cloth as he went to remove it from her hands. "If she doesn't hit you on the nose you mean?" "Oh shut up!" Della snickered wryly, but fell silent as asked.

The shapeshifter listened closely while the girl spoke of an inn as he would adjust her cloak about her, something about the way she said the owner kept his mouth closed making him wonder if she had seen more than she was letting on about. Still, he would play it cool until forced to do otherwise. "Milady," Assyrian began, reaching out a hand as if to brush the strands of hair from her youthful face before yanking it back as if thinking better of it, "if you were intending on staying at this inn as well, I would be more than happy to pay for your stay. It would seem as though you've had a rather...eventful day." He raised a hand and absently scratched behind his head, looking down at Della as if she would offer something insightful to say. However, she only sat back on her rump and scratched at a velveteen ear with her hind leg. "A lot of good you are..." He grumped to her silently, scowling slightly. She however merely gave him a doggy grin with her tongue lolling from the side of her mouth. "Oh you don't know the half of it." Della replied wryly, echoing his words from earlier that day. "Uh..." Assyrian quickly searched for words, finally jumping back into a graceful bow and extending his hand to the lady. "Might I help you on your horse miss?" He offered, a kind smile on his lips though not enough that his fangs would show.

"Why I'm surprised at you. First you go swimming, now you're taking a ride, and you've both still got your clothes on." Della said with mock surprise, her chocolate eyes watching him with an innocence that hid her devilish attitude. "Oh shut up!!" Assyrian almost screamed back through their link, amused and insulted at the same time. "I'm not nearly as terrible as you think I am!" Della rolled her eyes before yawning and stretching, ending up in a standing position. "Of course not. Even so, I wouldn't try anything in front of Misae. She won't put up with that behavior like I do." She mentioned as if having simple conversation. Then, she trotted daintily over to stand by Suntaria's hooves. Assyrian didn't worry, he knew she was only playing like she was angry, but he still didn't like the distance between them. However, he needed to pay attention to the woman now. His eyes shifted into a reddish violet as he turned them onto her sorrowful visage. You're pathetic... The man's subconscious said with disdain, for this color was one of empathy.</sup>

[Mama Z]

She was surprised when the heavy cloth of her cloak was removed from her hands, yet she made no move to get it back. She watched carelessly as he moved to drape it over her shoulders. Was it so bad that she couldn't feel the warmth of it? Finally he spoke, calling her by the formal name of the times and asking if she was staying there. If so, he would gladly pay for her stay. Why he would bother with such a thing was beyond her. She hadn't done anything to deserve the kindness. Then again, when one was being sympathetic it didn't matter. The word eventful didn't nearly cover it either. The entire day had been heading up to this entire moment and it was washed away with such ease, it felt wasted.

Tenderly, she shook her head. 'My home is on the north side of town.' No need for her to have a hiding spot within the town any more. He stepped back then bowing and giving tight lipped smile, offering for her to get on the horse. She looked at him for a moment, fingers playing with the loose strands of thread on the inside of her cloak.

She didn't answer his question right away. Rather, Sybil looked to the others he was traveling with. The one other human looked ancy, the way her body was moving the way she was so stiff. Finally she looked back to Assyrian and shook her head, 'You need to get going. I'm sorry for you getting wet.' She hadn't meant to bring others down with her. This was meant to be done alone.

Looking up at Thunder, she took his reins and slowly turned to lead him back where the main roads were.

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[ulrica]

<sup>Her voice broke something within Assyrian. The sheer sorrow in those tones amazing him. As if everything has been ripped from her. He thought sadly, perhaps some of it showing on his marked face. "It's the same voice you used after..." Della let the sentence drop, her meaning clear. The man's head drooped as the woman turned to walk away, disappointment plain on his face. He couldn't compete with her ghosts, that much was clear, but he also couldn't let her walk home alone. His conscience wouldn't allow it. Assyrian reached out a hand in an attempt to take hold of her arm and halt her movement. "Wait.." If she looked back, the lopsided smile on his face might reveal the hope that she would listen, and perhaps the pain he still felt at times. But who could read him that well other than Della and Misae? "What kind of a man would I be if I let you walk home alone?" He said gently, releasing her if his grasp had found her arm. "Be careful of the games you play youngling... She's already broken enough." Della cautioned silently, her cold wet nose suddenly nudging Assyrian's hand. The man simply patted her head, no visible evidence to their conversation. "This isn't a game. I just don't want to see someone go through the pain that I did... That kind of suffering is-" "Natural, love... Natural..." Della cut him off softly, her chocolate eyes looking up at him as she whimpered and gave a small wag of her tail.


Agony, sorrow...lifeless.. This was the woman's voice as Misae heard it. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly and she looked out over the ocean. She was a foreigner to such complete pain, but seeing this girl trying so hard to conceal it brought out the sympathetic side of the dragoness. Assyrian... Is this what you were like back then..? Back when she had left you? The seemingly young woman wondered silently, turning her gaze to stare at the ground where Della had been sitting just seconds before.

Seconds passed and she still starred at the ground, no longer paying attention to Assyrian's conversation, when suddenly her ears popped faintly...and repeatedly? Violet eyes flew wide with shock and even Della's head seemed to turn toward the noise. Two shod horses were coming down the road, possibly carrying two armed officers just itching for some action. She gritted her teeth together, once again tightening her cloak around herself and praying that Assyrian would hurry up with his talk. Misae didn't care where they went, he could walk the woman to the end of the world as long as they got the hell out of there quick. "Della is there anything you can do?" She pleaded with Assyrian's soulmate, anxiety clear in her mental voice. "I can try..." She replied, though her tone didn't sound very confident.</sup>

[Mama Z]

They didn't take the advice to head out toward the Inn, a place that was going to offer shelter from the storm. Sybil stopped as she felt the pressure once again on her arm and looked down at his hand before looking back up at him. He wanted to walk her home and she was unsure of that. Not only was it not proper, he was a stranger. They were strangers. They could be nothing more than thieves.

Maybe she was just being overly cautious. They could take what they wanted. There were valuables but nothing that wasn't replaceable. But Sybil knew that wasn't the case. There was something in his gaze, something that just said that he could relate to this pain. How any could relate to this misory was beyond her. It just seemed so horrible. She wasn't in the mood for company but maybe it would provide some distraction then later that night she could mourn in her dreams.

She looked toward Misae, 'You both are welcome.' She offered, then took a step back, hoping to break free of his grasp. She turned then as she heard the approaching horses for a moment before looking back, 'Lets go.' The last thing she wanted was questions about all of this. Shivering she moved to Thunder's side and easily mounted onto the side saddle.

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[ulrica]

<sup>"Della are those...hooves?" Assyrian asked his soulmate silently, though his eyes never left those of the woman. "Yes Assyrian... Misae-" "I know, I'll take care of it." The man replied sharply, cutting Della off as the woman's eyes turned toward the dragoness in question. For a brief second Assyrian feared that another gust of wind had blown her cloak aside and revealed the obviously inhuman wings beneath it, but when he too turned to look he realized that wasn't the case. "You both are welcome." The girl said, her monotone voice unfeeling and uncaring as she stepped out of his grasp. "Let's go." Assyrian nodded, remaining by her side long enough to ensure her successful mounting of her horse before rushing to Shadowfax's side. The stallion was smart in these situations and had already wandered closer to his master so he was only a few yards away when the man turned to move toward his side. Thinking better of donning his knife vest, the shapeshifter stuffed it deep inside his saddle-bags as well as his father's dagger which had somehow remained slung over the saddle horn through all the hubbub of the day. Seconds later and he gracefully swung into the saddle, his feet not touching the stirrups until he was sat squarely in the seat.

Shadowfax began moving without having to be told. Assyrian was still adjusting his cloak when they drew aside the girl. "Right, um, lead on." He said, hoping he didn't come off as rude. Behaving civilly just wasn't his forte, but with Misae around he didn't seem to have a choice.


Finally they were moving! Misae's heart leaped to her throat and she spurred Suntaria toward the others. The filly danced and tossed her head anxiously on the right side of Shadowfax, sensing her rider's fear. However, with a sharp bark from Della, she calmed down quickly and shaped up for the walk to the girl's house.


"Assyrian... I'm cold..." Della said quietly, in Assyrian's mind. She looked up at him on his mount and whimpered slightly, her chocolate eyes as watery as a doe's in that moment. "Don't worry, after we drop this girl you can come sit with me." The shapeshifter promised, glancing down at his soulmate. His lips thinned into a tight line and his jaw hardened at the pitiful sight of her shaking figure. "Just a little while longer ok?" Her timid reply came a few minutes later. "Hurry..."</sup>

[Mama Z]

Sybil waited for them all to get themselves organized and looked back across the way. They were in a hurry and it would take more time to convince them to leave her alone than it would be just to take them with her. As soon as they were ready, which was indicated by them drawing closer to her and Thunder (and Assyrian telling her to lead on) she nodded. Squeezing her thighs, Thunder moved forward. Easily the horse made his way through the sandy dunes, something he had been doing since he was a young folly.

She was in no suspicious hurry. A crash of thunder sounded over the sound of the rushing waves and she looked up then back out to the ocean. Her fiance's small shrine was gone and she felt her shoulders slump in defeat. Like with him, she never had her chance to say goodbye. One moment he was there, the next he was being ripped from her arms. She must be terrible at holding on.

Right now though, she had to focus on her guests and getting them situated. No, she wasn't going to thank them for intervening. It had been her business to begin with and her own life was her own concern. She owed them nothing as far as she was concerned. She clinched her teeth, trying to prevent them from chattering around like some sick joke. Reaching behind her she pulled up her hood to help keep more warmth inside. 'Where are you from?' She finally asked. Not truly curious, but it was conversation.

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