The suddenly stern tone made Enya tilt her gaze upwards from the ground. Her ears perked forward, shock evident in her face that he would speak to her with such a tone. Could he not read body language? Could he not see that she was miserable with this conversation? Her mind suddenly took control, and she saw a sudden flashback of them, back in Vrolga, back in the Kayok Jungle, back when he’d looked just as miserable as she felt. Back when he had given up, and when she had gotten stern with him. This wasn’t exactly the same situation, but her mind drew enough similarities to help her realize that he had taken up such a tone simply to help her. His figure softened as he went on to explain, to help her see that what he had proposed to her was simply a different way of searching for those she loved and cared for. Hearing Ridley’s name made her heart clench. Her beloved son. The only child of hers who had stuck with her through her life. He had twisted the story into a narrative she could agree upon. It wasn’t giving up. It was offering them a place of safety, a place of love and affection, should they find their way to her. To him. To their home. His paw slamming on the ground startled her. It had been an unexpected action, causing her to sit up stronger, to watch and listen. He spoke further, and a fire twinkled in her eyes. She could do that. She could build up a place of safety, a place where strays could settle and make a home. She had tried before and failed. That didn’t mean she was a failure. It just meant that she knew what not to do for the next time. Was that next time now? With a slow and meticulous movement, Enya lifted herself up and stood, pulling herself from her slumped sit and standing tall and proud. Her tail flagged behind her. Her ears pricked forward as she stared at Caedwyn’s paw. The soil had parted where he had pressed hard. Enya placed, deliberately, her own paw beside his, touching her fur against his own. There was a seriousness on her face that would tell Caedwyn that he’d helped her see the light. It wasn’t going to be as easy as he made it sound, but then, since when was she the wolf to take the easy route? Never. Her eyes glowed as she stared at their now touching paws. Ice appeared first around her paw, encasing it, and then moved to snake over Caedwyn’s. The two would be frozen together as Enya nodded her head, finally shifting her gaze upwards to meet Caedwyn’s. She held it for a moment, took a large breath, then said firmly, “I will stay. We will do this. Together.” The icy grip around their two paws suddenly evaporated into a cloud of steam. She could do this. She could do this, because she wasn’t alone. [EXIT ENYA] "Speech." |
A Small Flame Burns a Bright Candle