Colin waited an hour before checking back on Ren's room. He couldn't decide if he was jumping the gun or giving her too much time. Paranoia could err towards hastiness, but it could also mean she'd want to be extra-sure no one was checking on her.
To his great pleasure, she seemed to have bolted almost as soon as he'd given her the news. Whose dumb idea had it been to give her a room with a window? At least Gareth couldn't have fit through the damn thing even if he'd broken it open. Obviously the little sneak could break out at a moment's notice. It was only the fear of dying that kept her put, so all it took was the fear of dying to send her running for the mountains.
He picked up the coin she'd left on her desk and inspected it, then set it back down with a smile.
Even with the time he'd given her to run, even with the time he was going to take before he left, he was going to have a head start. After all: he'd been a knight, once. And he still, despite it all, had a horse.
There was a horse approaching from the castle, and so Gareth took a break from fixing his roof to greet whoever it was. He had to assume it was important, if they hadn't sent Pudge back, and if it was important—
As there be clouds above, let it not be Ren. Bridget was supposed to be watching her for the day, wasn't she? Ren wouldn't have tried something with Bridget watching, would she? She'd been so all over the place since the day she'd been poisoned—
—his poison, because he was a fucking idiot who couldn't clean up after himself—
—and he found himself worrying, often, if it could have done something to her that couldn't be fixed. If the sight of someone coming to meet him from the castle had him worried, it was with good reason. Particularly when it took hours to get to his house on horseback. That was why Gareth had Nighthoof, so he could live this far away without spending more than a couple of hours a day traveling.
Seeing that it was Colin didn't ease his anxiety, but it was tempered with a kind of angry confusion. "What the fuck are you wearing?" Gareth asked as Colin dismounted.
It was a stupid question. He could see very well what he was wearing. His old armor, his old sheathed sword. Gareth hadn't seen anyone wearing that armor in years. They didn't keep many knights around. The King was a fucking dragon.
Colin pulled off his helmet. "She escaped."
"What?" The wind was picking up, noisy through the trees.
"Ren," he said. "It looks like she escaped once she found out you had the day off."
Gareth's heart sank. That would explain a lot, wouldn't it? Why she didn't seem to know her own feelings, whether she hated him or not. If she wanted to escape, it'd be easier to hate him. Her freedom had always been important to her, more important than a roof over her head and whatever meager affection he had to give. He didn't know if he could talk Avi into forgiving this.
"I thought you'd want to be the first to know," Colin said, shifting in his armor.
For the first time, Gareth felt something like gratitude toward the man. The right thing to do would have been to report it immediately, but if he hadn't, then maybe there was still time…
To find her on his own, maybe. Or else to give her a headstart, and let her go.
Thick clumps of snowflakes started to fall, whipped against them by the wind.
Shit. Fuck. If she was out here in this, she was going to freeze. He couldn't count on assuming she'd have the sense to find shelter. Knowing her, she'd cover herself in some kind of fucked-up ratsuit and try to fight through it for the headstart it would give her.
"Will you help me find her?" Gareth asked.
"Of course," Colin said, with a firm nod.
That was something. That wasn't nothing. "Thank you," he said, holding out his hand. Colin took it for a proper manly handshake. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." He let him go, turning back toward his cabin. "I'll go get a coat, then we can figure out where to start looking."
The wind was loud, and maybe that was why he didn't hear it, when he'd once been so attuned to the sound. Or maybe worry and years of middle-management had made him sloppy.
There was a sudden, sharp pain in his everything.
He tried to take a breath as a reflex, but it hurt worse. The step he'd been taking failed, crumpling to his knees instead. He looked down at himself, and the dark blade jutting out from between his ribs.
Colin was already getting back on his horse, spurring it back down the road.
Gareth's exhalation felt torn out of him. His next inhalation was shallow. He touched the blade, and it felt hot against his skin.
"… hhhn. Don't like that."
To his great pleasure, she seemed to have bolted almost as soon as he'd given her the news. Whose dumb idea had it been to give her a room with a window? At least Gareth couldn't have fit through the damn thing even if he'd broken it open. Obviously the little sneak could break out at a moment's notice. It was only the fear of dying that kept her put, so all it took was the fear of dying to send her running for the mountains.
He picked up the coin she'd left on her desk and inspected it, then set it back down with a smile.
Even with the time he'd given her to run, even with the time he was going to take before he left, he was going to have a head start. After all: he'd been a knight, once. And he still, despite it all, had a horse.
There was a horse approaching from the castle, and so Gareth took a break from fixing his roof to greet whoever it was. He had to assume it was important, if they hadn't sent Pudge back, and if it was important—
As there be clouds above, let it not be Ren. Bridget was supposed to be watching her for the day, wasn't she? Ren wouldn't have tried something with Bridget watching, would she? She'd been so all over the place since the day she'd been poisoned—
—his poison, because he was a fucking idiot who couldn't clean up after himself—
—and he found himself worrying, often, if it could have done something to her that couldn't be fixed. If the sight of someone coming to meet him from the castle had him worried, it was with good reason. Particularly when it took hours to get to his house on horseback. That was why Gareth had Nighthoof, so he could live this far away without spending more than a couple of hours a day traveling.
Seeing that it was Colin didn't ease his anxiety, but it was tempered with a kind of angry confusion. "What the fuck are you wearing?" Gareth asked as Colin dismounted.
It was a stupid question. He could see very well what he was wearing. His old armor, his old sheathed sword. Gareth hadn't seen anyone wearing that armor in years. They didn't keep many knights around. The King was a fucking dragon.
Colin pulled off his helmet. "She escaped."
"What?" The wind was picking up, noisy through the trees.
"Ren," he said. "It looks like she escaped once she found out you had the day off."
Gareth's heart sank. That would explain a lot, wouldn't it? Why she didn't seem to know her own feelings, whether she hated him or not. If she wanted to escape, it'd be easier to hate him. Her freedom had always been important to her, more important than a roof over her head and whatever meager affection he had to give. He didn't know if he could talk Avi into forgiving this.
"I thought you'd want to be the first to know," Colin said, shifting in his armor.
For the first time, Gareth felt something like gratitude toward the man. The right thing to do would have been to report it immediately, but if he hadn't, then maybe there was still time…
To find her on his own, maybe. Or else to give her a headstart, and let her go.
Thick clumps of snowflakes started to fall, whipped against them by the wind.
Shit. Fuck. If she was out here in this, she was going to freeze. He couldn't count on assuming she'd have the sense to find shelter. Knowing her, she'd cover herself in some kind of fucked-up ratsuit and try to fight through it for the headstart it would give her.
"Will you help me find her?" Gareth asked.
"Of course," Colin said, with a firm nod.
That was something. That wasn't nothing. "Thank you," he said, holding out his hand. Colin took it for a proper manly handshake. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." He let him go, turning back toward his cabin. "I'll go get a coat, then we can figure out where to start looking."
The wind was loud, and maybe that was why he didn't hear it, when he'd once been so attuned to the sound. Or maybe worry and years of middle-management had made him sloppy.
There was a sudden, sharp pain in his everything.
He tried to take a breath as a reflex, but it hurt worse. The step he'd been taking failed, crumpling to his knees instead. He looked down at himself, and the dark blade jutting out from between his ribs.
Colin was already getting back on his horse, spurring it back down the road.
Gareth's exhalation felt torn out of him. His next inhalation was shallow. He touched the blade, and it felt hot against his skin.
"… hhhn. Don't like that."
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Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-01-2019, 11:13 AM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-02-2019, 08:55 AM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-02-2019, 09:34 AM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-02-2019, 10:54 AM
RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 12-02-2019, 11:10 AM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-02-2019, 02:33 PM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-02-2019, 03:25 PM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-02-2019, 11:14 PM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-03-2019, 04:36 AM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-03-2019, 10:38 AM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 12-04-2019, 10:01 AM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 01-01-2020, 01:56 PM
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RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by Tindome - 01-31-2020, 11:34 AM
RE: Beg Forgiveness [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 01-31-2020, 03:27 PM