Ah, his smile. Something she had secretly cherished before. Never would she have admitted to wishing, hoping to catch a glimpse of his smile, just for one moment. The joy that he brought to her chased away the blistering cold of the snowy night and filled her with a feeling of peace and warmth unlike anything she had ever known before. Not even the glory of her own precious fire, that she held so dear, could even begin to hold a flame to the splendor of his love.

As he moved, the feathery-soft lull that had enveloped her began to fade away. Replacing it was the harsh sting of reality. Thankfully his words brought her a bit of comfort, but her overly vulnerable state did not help matters.

She clung to him now, her refuge, her rock. Oddly he held her fast, not only physically but emotionally as well. He was the cool refreshing water that kept the roaring blaze at bay. Within, she could feel it, welling up inside her like a powder-keg ready to explode! A moment’s weakness and it would consume her, along with all around her. She could not allow this, would not allow this. Such power was increasingly hard to cage, but it must be done! Only when she had complete control could it be tapped into and used properly. Tis why his presence calmed her so. If anything were to go awry, -he- would be the one capable of standing against it.

What was this? Worry? For her? Ah, but was that not part of love? She owed him something, something vaguely resembling a response. Words came so hard at this point, gathering at the back of her throat, but never escaping. Finally she spoke, soft raspy whispers, barely audible. “You worry too much, my Love. I am.. Fine.. Honestly.” Such a blatant lie, but it was not all falsehood. There was no pain by this point, the cold saw to that. “You need not apologies to me, dearest one. Never for the truth. We are...both not quite ourselves, and yet more so than ever before. Honesty flows forth from both our lips, and I feel these are things which should have been said years ago.”

At the corner of her mind she felt a tugging. More souls had gathered at the Seven Roses than she had anticipated. A slight panic flashed in her core, and her piercing gaze peered into the distance, now barely making out the shape of the bar through the trees.

Fearing what they might find ahead, the Lady began to blurt out a stream of flowing monolog, pouring out her heart to the man who held her safe in his arms. “This feeling...this love, it is consuming. Since the day we parted ways, you have been all I can think of. The thought of seeing you again kept me going these past six years. I knew you were alive...and well. I could feel you within my heart. There is a bond between us that I cannot explain or even begin to comprehend, but I thank the Gods above for this gift.” A burning sensation, a knot in her heart, and finally the tears began to trickle down her ivory cheeks as the emotions overtook her. “I love you, Keovari Seriph. I shall cherish you all of my life, and all the lives here after.”

Instinctively she hid her face from view against the bend of his neck. To her, crying was a sign of weakness, but in this case it showed her overwhelming bliss. The worry of the newcomers became a minor nuisance. She could feel that Faye was stabilizing and that was reassuring. Anything else that came their way, they would take on together from here on out.