Among Friends [Riley]

[Mali]

The way that he stated that he didn’t go easy on anyone sounded sinister in a way. It sent a shiver up Ana’s spine. She’d never seen this side to Riley before. Even though it probably wasn’t anywhere close to what she assumed to be him on an assassination mission, it was still odd to hear that tone from him.

Jumping a bit, she was shocked to feel his palms touching hers. Was he teasing her? Telling her when he would move or not? She wished that she could feel this for longer but knew eventually he would pull away and try to hit the backs of her hands. And just like that, she felt his hands move from under her own and she pulled back as fast as she could, clenching her eyes shut tightly.

Opening her eyes, she looked at her hands and the lack of contact that he had made with her skin. Looking at Riley, she grinned from ear to ear. “So, now I do what you were doing?” she was bouncing from the excitement running through her. When she won at cards, she knew it was because her parents sucked at playing cards. However, this game Riley had played before and she would assume, for a long period of time. To win on her second time was something big for her.

However, this next bit was tricky. She wanted to get him again, twice in a row, like he hadn’t been able to do to her and yet she doubted that he would move slowly. She also doubted that she could guarantee that if she made contact with his hands, that she would be as gentle as he had been. “I don’t know if I can be as gentle as you...” she held her hands under his, her palms touching his for the briefest moment before pulling away to hover there. She was worried that she might hurt him, even if it was just a small slap.
She stared him in the eyes, waiting for her moment before she moved her hands up and over as fast as she could. What she didn’t know was that she gave away her timing with a simple blink. She blinked while staring into Riley’s eyes but she didn’t believe it would cause too much to be given away to him.

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[Riley]

Riley smiled and nodded, glad she had been able to win. And that she was so excited. "Yes, do what I was doing and try to keep winning." He listened and chuckled when she said she wasn't sure if she could be as gently as him. "Don't worry about it too much." He was proud that she managed to beat him at this, it was something new for him to be beaten by a human. He smiled at her again, "I'm proud of you." He said aloud, putting his hands over hers. He was glad that she let her hands touch his for the few moments she did, it was a good way to calm them and continue the game.

Riley kept his eyes on hers, being slightly distracted by her amber eyes. He didn't notice when she moved, not soon enough at least. He pulled his hands back, but not soon enough her fingers grazed his as he pulled them away. He smiled, knowing she had won this one fair and square. "You're a natural at this Ana." He said with a wide grin, happy for the challenge. He held his hands back over hers, lowering his palms to hers for a few moments. He straightened his face, slowly raising his hands from hers and holding them just above hers.

Riley took a few breaths, leaving his hands over hers, resisting the urge to lower his hands onto hers. Just yet at least. He winked at her, keeping his hands firmly in place. A plan started forming in his mind, one he knew would be interesting for Ana as well as for him. He kept it in his mind, not wanting to forget about it and miss his opportunity. He was sure that Ana would be surprised when he finally got it, though he would have to win for his plan to really work. Especially if he could get some help. He stretched his mind out, waking up a few woodland critters and communicating his need in the ancient language. They started to work at once, moving to help him.

[Mali]

Ana’s chest swelled as Riley said that he was proud of her. Feeling bashful at the praise, she wanted to state that it was only two wins against him and they hadn’t been playing for a long time yet but she refrained from doing so. She just blushed, still smiling from the praise. It felt nice to hear those kinds of words from Riley. Ana didn’t quite know why though, it was just a few simple and kindhearted words. Why should they make her feel the way she did?

She grinned. “Thank you,” her frustration hadn’t been in vain as she was no winning with a score of two to one. She felt his palms against her own again. Would they do this every time they were going at it during the game? Maybe he was trying to distract her.

When he winked at her, Ana knew that he was trying to distract her. Blushing, she continued to stare into his eyes, trying to figure out the right moment to move. She was confused however, how this distraction could possibly help him win. If he were the one hitting, then it would make much more sense. However, she was hitting while he was pulling. It didn’t make any sense to Ana. Unless that was his goal; to confuse her and hope that she would hesitate, allowing him enough time to move out of the way?

Thinking about it, she felt that Riley wasn’t that kind of person to be so analytical about such a simple game. It was then that she moved as fast as she could, trying to catch him again. She hoped that the score wouldn’t tie at two to two.

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[Riley]

Riley smiled as she blushed, getting more comfortable with her. He kept his hands flat and straight, staring her in the eye without blinking. Or winking again for the moment. With his mind, he kept an eye on his furry friends, keeping track of their progress and giving them nudges when needed. It was harder than he thought it would be, their minds were simpler than humans, but didn't understand speech as well. He was forced to use a combination of the ancient language and images to communicate. It was very nearly too distracting for him, almost. He still heard her speak, "I speak the truth Ana." He replied softly, a small smile spreading across his lips.

Riley kept his eyes locked on hers, his mind working overtime now. He kept his conscious mind on the here and now, focusing on the game as best he could. However, he left part of his mind with the animals, leading them as needed. He also focused on his body, the sense of her hands barely not touching his, his eyes staring into hers. The sound of their breathing, he paid attention to it all. A heightened sense of things, something that he normally only felt in combat. Why was he feeling it here? Why was his breathing funny? And why were his cheeks burning? Well, that one he could answer, though the other questions he had..

Riley felt Ana's hands move, she was fast. Probably faster than he was, though he did have experience on his side. He pulled his hands back, this time however he managed to not get touched. He smiled at her, knowing that it was just luck this time. "I got lucky, you're faster than me. I almost didn't get my hands away in time." His furry friends managed to find what he had asked for, and one of them was on his way back. And almost home. Riley placed his hands under Ana's, smiling softly to her. Quietly, a squirrel jumped out of the forest and stopped in between the two of them. It held a flower up to Ana, Riley moved his hands up to Ana's, holding them lightly. "I got you a flower." He squeezed her hands lightly, smiling softly at her.

[Mali]

Ana had been waiting for her moment to strike when Riley spoke again. He said that he spoke the truth and she couldn’t help but allow her blush to darken. “Oh, thank you.” she said it with more meaning this time, staring straight back into Riley’s eyes. Shaking her head, she needed to focus if she was going to win here.

Ana noticed that Riley’s cheeks were red now and she wondered why. Had she done or said something that would make him blush. He cheeks looked like they were burning almost and she was tempted to reach up to touch them, to see if there really was heat there. However, she refrained from doing so. It might be a trick to help him win, to distract her. Once she started playing games, she was enthralled with the moment and didn’t take chances when it could mean losing. She could really be a sore loser sometimes.

That was when she didn’t catch him off guard again. Ana let her wings droop downward as the score was tied two to two. She had wanted to win this one. Three in a row would have been nice and all, but she wasn’t that sore a loser. She could be at times and depending on how hard she tried to win, but she wouldn’t let Riley see her being a sore loser. That would be embarrassing.

She beamed at his appraisal, about to comment when something moved close by. Thinking it was a wild animal about to eat them, she was surprised when a squirrel emerged. It was holding up a flower to her and she looked at Riley. Now she did feel like a sore loser. He had won while using his mind to do other things. He hadn’t even been paying complete attention to the game and he’d still beaten her. However, she was too happy with the flower to dwell on that thought now.

Taking the flower from the squirrel, she sniffed it before looking down to the squirrel. She ‘awe’d aloud before picking up the squirrel and scratching under its chin. It chattered before hopping out of her arms and off into the bushes. Looking back to her flower, Ana sniffed it again. She blushed. “Thank you Riley, it’s beautiful.” she held it close to her chest before thinking she should thank him more than just that. Blushing, she hesitated before leaning in and kissing his cheek gently. It was a brief peck really, and she pulled back after a few seconds but the sentiment would still be there.

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[Riley]

Riley smiled, watching her take the flower from the squirrel then 'awe' and hug the squirrel. "I'm glad you like it Ana." He said softly, glad he had learned how to perfectly split his focus. Though his mind had been more on reflex than control. He had been more focused on their game. He smiled wider when she kissed his cheek, nodding as she said thank you. "It made you smile." He said softly, his body relaxing from how tense it had been. Riley hadn't even realized that he had been so tense while figuring out if she liked the flower. Why was he so tense just for a flower? He pushed the thought from his mind, knowing why but not wanting to admit it yet.

Riley leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek now. "Though only you get one." He moved, sitting next to her, partly to be closer to the fire. But mostly to be closer to her. He put his arm around her lightly, holding his other hand up to the fire. He smiled, keeping Ana's smile in his mind for as long as he could. He watched the fire for a few seconds, not wanting the moment to end, but knowing that it would. "You know..." He began, leaning on her a bit. "I plan on keeping you warm again tonight." He blushed, but didn't turn away, not minding if Ana saw him blushing right now.

Riley let his mind wonder, though he did keep it away from his darker thoughts. Instead he let it wonder over the good he had done, noting that it was few and far between. At least the big things, there were many of the smaller things that mattered. He needed to change that, increase the number of the bigger good things. Make up for some of the bad he had done, he almost shuddered at that thought. Not liking to remember that, for the moment, he focused on Ana and the feelings they had for each other. This confused him, no one had cared about him like this for several years, it was new to him. Especially when she knew what he did for a living.

[Mali]

Ana stared down at the flower. Even though it was a small gesture, it was a sweet one. She felt like this was somewhat stereotypical though, as the guy brings his woman flowers. At that thought, Ana felt her face heat up. She wasn’t his woman or anything like that. They were just travel companions. Still, the flower made her smile when looking at it. She wondered where and how he was able to get the squirrel to get it for her. Even if he were able to touch their minds mentally, she assumed that animals didn’t think the same way that humans did. It must have been difficult for him and made the gesture matter that much more.

Ana stared into Riley’s eyes as he moved in and kissed her cheek. She looked down after the touch of his warm lips left her cheek. Why did she have this feeling as if she wanted that feeling to stay? She knew that it wasn’t something normal, since he wouldn’t stay with his lips pressed against her cheek forever; she just thought the desire to be odd. He would look funny, having his lips lingering on her cheek for such a long time. Wait, why was she thinking about his lips so much now? She placed the flower behind her ear, pushing her long, wavy hair behind it to keep the flower in place.

As his arm came around her shoulders, Ana could feel his heartbeat against her side. She closed her eyes, leaning against his side more; Anaria rested her head against his shoulder, feeling content. She could hear his heartbeat; strong and constant reverberate through his entire chest. Listening to it was very calming. Ana glanced up at Riley as he started to speak. What could he have to say, would it ruin the moment, what if he was uncomfortable? Those thoughts and more ran through her mind as she waited for him to continue. As he said that he was going to keep her warm again tonight, Ana felt her face blush before noticing that Riley was blushing too. And he was showing her that he was blushing. Did this mean that he didn’t care about hiding it this time?

“That sounds good,” She snuggled against his side a little bit more, feeling comfortable. Ana started to think about what her decision was but wanted to push the thought aside. Did she really have to think about that now? Apparently so, as her mind pushed the decision to the front again. She needed to make a decision and soon. She felt herself falling for some reason and the butterflies in her stomach weren’t helping her conclude a decision. Should she allow herself to fall for him, accept him in everything that he was or should she part separate ways once this journey was over? Should she trust him even though his gentle hands had killed men before? She was confused.

Anaria lifted the hand up, examining the palm of the arm around her shoulders. She turned his hand in hers; examining it as if it would give her the answers, she was looking for. His hands confused her so greatly. She decided . . . she didn’t know. She wanted to trust him that nothing bad would happen but she was doubtful about it. Ana decided to remain undecided. “This is comfortable,” Ana mumbled before feeling her eyes growing heavy. Slowly and gently closing her eye lids, Ana felt herself falling asleep against his chest. Shifting a bit, she was now pressed against his side as she fell asleep. They could continue talking in the morning, right before he had to examine her memories and before finding this possible informant.

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[Riley]

Riley laid down with her as she fell asleep, covering them both with a blanket. He stretched his mind out, staying out of Ana's. He didn't fall asleep, not that he ever slept for very long, instead focusing on keeping animals away. A few larger ones smelled their dinner and wanted it, he kept them away with nudges and words from the ancient language. He thought about Ana, wondering if she could really live with him and what he had done. He had killed, though she had said that his arm being around her was comfortable. He didn't know what to think, or how to go about anything. Riley guessed that all he could do was move forward, try to make her want to stay with him. Though why she would want to, he wasn't sure.

Riley finally fell asleep close to midnight, his dreams conflicted about what he had done, and the feelings he had for Ana. He did his best to ignore them and not let them effect him, but he was sleeping and had little control. He drew back into himself, closing his mind off to everything for a few hours. Letting him get some good sleep for a change. He moved closer to Ana, sighing softly as he drifted off into a deeper more comfortable sleep. He slept quietly and peacefully for a change, not having nightmares or flashbacks.

Riley woke up first, carefully getting out of the bed they had, covering Ana so she would stay warm, and starting on breakfast for them. He smiled at the memories of how they slept as he cooked breakfast, doing what he could with what they had. He set a bowl down by her, the scent from the oatmeal and fruit drifting toward her. He set down a cup of tea, the last of what he had for the time being. He poured his own breakfast and tea, setting them down and waiting for her, not wanting to be rude and eat without her. He sighed happily, stretching and popping his back and shoulders.

[Mali]

Ana had a nice and warm dream that night. She wasn’t putting anything together or taking anything apart. Instead, she was sitting around a fire singing songs with Riley. For some reason, her father and mother were both there singing with them? And then Riley leaned over and kissed her, with her father cat calling in the background. It was a strange dream, but a nice one nonetheless.

She felt the warmth leave her side but there was something still covering her to help keep her warm. Anaria didn’t sleep for much longer as she smelt food cooking. As she did back home, Ana would always wake up at the smell fo food. She would come rolling down the stairs at the smell of bacon. It was a fond memory of hers.

Sitting up slowly and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Ana looked around warily to find Riley. He was sitting with the food in front of him, as well as what appeared to be tea. She folded the blanket up and placed it back into it’s proper place before moving over to Riley. Sitting down right beside him, Ana nudged his side before turning to kiss his cheek again. It was her thank you gift for making breakfast.

“Looks good. Were you waiting for me?” Ana picked up the bowl of oatmeal, waiting for him to pick his up before she started to eat. It was really good.

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” she asked in between bites. Lifting her tea to her lips, she gently took a sip, not wanting to burn her tongue. But just her luck, she did. Setting the cup down, Ana squirmed around, trying to position her tongue inside her mouth, in a spot that wouldn’t hurt any more. Stupid hot liquids. It was then that Ana remembered that they hadn’t shared her memory yet. She really didn’t want to do it yet. It was scary to think that Riley would be able to get that deep into her mind. What id he say more than just that memory?

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[Riley]

Riley smiled at her, leaning over and kissing her on the lips. He might have stole that one, but he sure as hell wasn't going to complain. He doubted he would hear one from her either. Though he had been wrong on a few occasions in the past. However, he had only rarely had the occasion to do this, so he had little experience to call on. He hadn't really pursued anyone since he became a mercenary, less so after he went on his own. There was always something else going on for him, something to risk the woman's health. What then, made him risk Ana? He pushed the thought away, knowing that he could protect her. Maybe he felt safer, knowing he hadn't been attacked in so long.

Riley smiled at her, "Well, it should be good." He said after a few seconds, then started considering her next statement. They both knew he needed to examine her memory, though that could be done later. And it wouldn't take too long. At least he didn't think it would. He looked at her for a few seconds, then finally answered after a few bites of his own breakfast. "We'll head into Carvala. Get you a horse, and get the supplies we need." He smiled at her, offering her support as best he could. "Then we'll go and see my contact, get the information we need. Maybe we'll stay the night, get an actual bed."

Riley continued to eat, nudging Ana lightly, letting her know everything would be ok. He knew he needed to examine the memory, but that could be done later. After they had found a place to stay for the night. He thought that would be best, they could do it in comfort, and it would give Ana plenty of time for her to prepare herself. Riley smiled at Ana, again taken by surprise at how he felt about her. He realized only then that how much he was falling for her. He pushed the thought from his mind for now, knowing that they would both have to face the choice soon enough. That was when they would know how they felt about each other. Fully and completely.

Riley smiled at Ana again, leaning over and kissing her cheek softly. "How did you sleep last night? Warm and comfortable I hope." He blushed lightly again, thinking of the previous night and scooting closer to Ana. "I slept great.. One of the best nights of sleep I've ever had." Riley admitted, smiling softly at her. He was able to fully be himself around her, something he didn't have with anyone else. She had even given him reason to get out of his current line of work, and get into something better. Something that would help people immensely. He would have to find a way to let her know that she was the reason for the changes he was going through.

[Mali]

She hadn’t been expecting him to kiss her on the lips. She felt her eyes widen from their sleepy state and then close gently as she pressed her lips back against his own. Her wings were in a drooped position mimicking that of a fly and only seemed to drop further the longer their lips were touching. As soon as it had started, Riley had pulled away and it ended. Sitting there with her eyes still closed, a faint blush tinting her cheeks, Ana opened her eyes and blinked once, twice before shaking her head. She shouldn’t let a simple kiss get to her like that.

Smiling, she took note of the smugness in his statement. She knew it would be good since Riley was a decent cook. The fruit in the bowl of oatmeal only added to the fact that she could say that he was decent cook. A decent cook would know to add more flavour with what they had available and that had been via the fruit. There were so many things that he could do other than having to kill people for a living. Although, she had to admit that that wasn’t the only thing that he did for a living. However, it was the biggest reason that she wasn’t able to make up her mind about whether she could trust him or not yet.

Ana nodded his head not looking at Riley as he said that they would get her a horse, some supplies and then go see his contact. She knew that the actual bed comment was supposed to cheer her up but it wasn’t working so well. She was still very nervous about sharing her memory with him. She didn’t even remember it that clearly, so what if it didn’t help him at all? Of course, the memory would allow him to see what the man looked like and what had happened until she blacked out, but what if it wasn’t of any help to him?

Feeling the nudge, Ana started to eat again. How did she sleep last night . . . Thinking about it made Ana blush. There was that slight smugness again. He knew that he was the main source of heat last night and they shared body heat and yet he brought it up so casually. Ana had to wonder how he could talk about it so casually. He was even blushing and wasn’t turning away. When Ana blushed it was partly because of embarrassment and it made her want to turn away from him. Yet he was able to show her his blush so easily.

“Yes, nice and warm, very comfortable,” she smiled over at him briefly before looking down. She was still anxious about sharing her memory. Placing her now empty bowl on the ground, she turned to face him completely. Her hands rested on the tops of her knees as she sat on both of her legs. She was looking down, biting her lips as she tried to get it out.

“Um, can we . . . just do . . . um, the memory thing?” she spoke hesitantly. She wasn’t ready to do this but she didn’t want to make Riley wait any longer. She may not even be ready after they got a room and before they saw his contact. So waiting for her to be ready was pointless since she had no idea when she would be ready. “Please?”

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[Riley]

Riley smiled, continuing with his own breakfast. Nodding and smiling wider when she mentioned how well she had slept. "Good, I'm glad you slept well." His mind shifted to the way they slept last night, not fully understanding what he was feeling. Riley looked to her as she spoke again, putting down his own mostly finished breakfast as he considered it. It would be best if he did it now, then he could think about it and consider it. However, he wanted to wait until they were more comfortable. Though he did acknowledge that it would be best if it was done sooner rather than later. It would be out of the way and be one less thing to worry about later. "Alright, we can do it now."

Riley sighed and moved around, kneeling in front of her. He took one of her hands in his, his other hand moving up to her cheek and holding her lightly. "All you need to do is focus on the memory, I'll take it from there." Riley said softly, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. "You won't feel a thing, and it will be over quickly. I promise." He squeezed her hand, moving his other hand into her cheek gently. He looked into her eyes, not sure of the effect this was going to have on her. He did know however, that this was not going to be easy on her. He would have to memorize everything he saw in the memory, so she wouldn't have to show him more than once.

"I will memorize everything, so that you do not have to show me again." Riley swore in the ancient language, then repeated himself so she could understand him. Then he took a deep breath, and stretched his mind out to hers slowly. The moment his mind touched hers, he altered the way his mind felt, making it as calming as he could. "Whenever you're ready." He sent to her, his eyes now closed as he focused on her mind and his more than his body. He squeezed her hand again, holding onto her tightly.

[Mali]

“Me too,” she was glad that she had slept well. She usually slept well however last night’s dream had been different and calming in an odd way.

As soon as Riley said yes that they could do the memory thing now, Ana smiled up at him slightly. She reached forward as fast as she could to take the hand that had been headed toward hers. She took her other hand and placed it against the hand on her cheek. She needed all the comfort she could get right now. She wasn’t ready to be doing this right now but she didn’t know when she would be ready. There was no guarantee that once they got somewhere more comfortable that she would be ready then either. It was better for her to get it done and over with.

Nodding her head, Ana took a deep breath before closing her eyes. Hearing that foreign language and then the translation after, she nodded her head again. “Okay,” She squeezed his hands tightly, taking both of his hands in hers as she felt him openly speak into her mind. It tingled a bit as he did so. Squeezing both hands tightly, Ana leaned forward, resting her forehead against his as she brought the memory up.

+++

It was cold tonight. Ana had been out longer than she normally was when her mother or father brought her to the lake by herself. It was good though since it gave her enough time to go see about this person. She sat in her wheeled chair, wingless in comparison to what she would look like the following day. The chair was big and bulky in comparison to her small frame. Only the best made by her father.

She wheeled herself over the bumps with ease before reaching the tavern that this miracle worker was staying at. Opening the door she noted how it smelled musky inside the tavern. She had no idea who she was looking for as she looked back and forth between the patrons inside the building. She soon settled on a brightly dressed man and wondered if this was the eccentric man that she had heard about.

Wheeling herself over to the man’s table, running over a drunk’s foot as she did so and apologising quickly, ana stopped at the table and examined the man closely. He had bright, flaming, red hair with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen before. He was wearing odd clothing for this region as it was spring time and he was dressed in winter attire. Where had he come from in such brightly coloured clothing?

Ana cleared her throat and the man looked at her with a grin. ”Hello, and how may I help you?” he sounded casual if a little drunk as he set his stein on the table. Ana gulped nervously, shifting in her chair for a moment, too shy for her own good. She didn’t say anything for the longest time and the man quirked his eyebrow at her. ”Is that your problem? You can’t speak?” he chuckled a bit, taking a sip of his beer.

Shaking her head, she knew that she had to tell him. “Are you the miracle worker I’ve heard about?” she blurted out in a rather quick and nervous way. His grin seemed to widen at her words, if only Ana knew why.

”What if I am, what would you like help with my lady?” My lady? Ana had never been called a lady before other than when her father used the term in a joking manner. Ana fidgeted again before murmuring, ‘my legs,’ She cleared her throat again, feeling as if it were dry and closing up.

“I can’t walk and was born this way. Please, you have to help me, I can pay anything you want.” Ana took out a bag of money that she had been saving from tips while working in the forge. He shook his head, finishing off his beer before paying for his food and drink. Standing up, he held his hand out to her. ”I don’t need your money, I’ll help you, but there may be side effects to the magic, are you sure you want to do this?”

Ana didn’t need to think about it, she nodded her head and he sighed before rummaging through his bags which were as brightly coloured as he was. He pulled out a bag before moving around to the back of her chair. ”Any place in particular you want to do this?” Ana told him where her mother would be picking her up and the man wheeled her away and back to the spot in front of the lake.

It was a full moon that night and cast an eerie glow against the lake. The man set up a circle of sorts which looked like alchemy which was believed to be false magic. He then told her to close her eyes. Doing so, Ana felt a tingle in the air as the man started to speak in a foreign language which was the ancient language. It wasn’t long after he started to speak that Ana blacked out.

The next part of the memory was waking up in her bedroom which was cluttered with all the contraptions that she had made over the years. Pulling her chair over to the bed, Ana walked into it half asleep before realising that she had walked into the chair. Running over to the mirror, she saw that she was standing and running, and was lifting her legs up. It was then that she noticed her wings. Stunned for a moment as the sunlight coming in from the window cast lights around the room, Ana screamed.

+++

Ana squeezed Riley’s hand tightly as the memory ended. Feeling tears running down her face, she pulled away from him and covered her face. Why was she crying, it was only a personal moment that she had shared with him. An embarrassing personal moment that she hadn’t even told her mother about. She moved without thinking and fell against Riley’s chest, pressing her face into his chest and crying, her wings shivered as she started to sob. “I’m sorry, So, sorrrrrrry Riley, re-he-eally,”

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[Riley]

Riley watched the memory unfold, memorizing every detail of it. He paused the memory when he first saw the area she was in at the start, looking around. He then let it unfold, following her as she went to the miracle worker. He paused it again, memorizing the man's features, nothing escaped his sight. He then let the memory move again, memorizing the man's voice and body language. He paused the memory again, walking around the man and examining him. Something didn't seem right, it was unfortunate that he couldn't look into the man's mind. He'd traveled all over Alagaesia, never before had he seen clothes like these. He didn't like it, but he couldn't do anything about it now. He let the memory move forward once again.

Riley followed them through their trip to the lake again, once again, he memorized every detail. He paused the memory again when the man finished drawing the circle. He examined it carefully, questioning every detail. He stepped around it, memorizing it, burning the circle into his mind for future reference. Riley stood and looked at Ana again, moving to the center of the circle with her. He looked around, then focused on the man again, wondering what this was about. He had only rarely heard of spells that required things like this, and the ones he had heard of were written in the ancient language. Not circles like this one. He let the memory play, again listening carefully when the man spoke in the ancient language. This he played through a few times, memorizing the words carefully. He made sure he had everything right before he let it play.

Riley looked around as Ana passed out, despite her not being aware of it, she still knew what happened around her. He stepped over to the man, listening further as he chanted the spell. Mutated magic? Wasn't that what Ana had called it? He turned and watched Ana, stepping back to her and kneeling down by her. He watched the effect the spell had on her, still memorizing the man's words. He played through certain sections several times, not wanting to miss a single word. He paused the memory and sighed, standing and turning to face the man again. He had heard several words pronounced wrong, that was more than enough to set the motion for the magic to mutate and give Ana her wings. He shook his head and let the memory play, turning and following a woman, her mother he assumed, took her back to their house.

Riley watched as Ana pulled the wheeled chair to her, then walked. He looked at her face, a small smile appearing on his lips at her joy for walking. Then she saw her wings, and both their smiles faded as she screamed. He caught one last glimpse of her as the memory faded, drawing his mind back into himself. He built up his mental defenses again, taking a few breaths as the world flooded back to him. It took him a few moments to fully come back to himself, Ana pulled away from him, covering her face. Just as he was reaching out to her, she fell against him, still crying. Riley wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "It's alright Ana." He whispered to her, kissing her head softly.

Riley held her tight, rocking back and forth and letting her cry. He rubbed her back softly, his other hand moving to her head, running his fingers through her hair. He held her close to him and let her cry for as long as she needed, whispering comforting words to her every now and then. Riley kissed her head softly, "It's all right Ana.." He repeated, rocking her gently as he held her. "I'm right here, I won't let anything happen to you." He spoke in the ancient language, making his voice as comforting as he could.

[Mali]

Ana sobbed while holding onto Riley. She could feel the gentle rocking motion as Riley rocked her back and forth whispering to her that it was alright. He was right, it was alright, there was no way that that man could hurt her again, that he wasn’t there, she was just reliving the memory. However it wasn’t alright, not completely. She was embarrassed and doubted herself and who she was. She doubted that if he were to bring up the memory again that she wouldn’t start crying.

Calming down as she listened to his heartbeat, lulling her to a gentle and slow pace, Ana calmed down enough to the point that she was just hiccupping and sniffling now. She didn’t know what it was that he said in the ancient language, but she knew that whatever he said, he couldn’t lie about it. The comforting tone suggested that it was something to comfort her and she’d ask about it later. Right now she didn’t want to talk about anything. She needed to calm down before she could talk about anything.

Taking a few deep breaths, Ana slowly sat up, her wings shivering once as her face was tear stained and red from crying. “Thank you Riley,” her voice was a little shaky but fine other than that; she wasn’t hiccupping or sniffling anymore. Ana still had a decision to make as well, whether she should trust him completely or whether or not it would be better to part ways after this adventure ended. She wasn’t thinking about it right now, but she still had to make a decision and so far, everything that was happening between them was only adding confusion to her decision making.

“What did you say, in the ancient language?” She sat up straighter now, wiping at her red eyes. She smiled to him faintly before realising that she was sitting in his lap now. She blushed, only making her entire face appear red. She shifted a bit before shaking her head. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that either.

“So, any ideas about finding him? What did you get, from the thing?” she didn’t want to bring it up exactly, but she needed to know what he thought about the memory. Whether he was able to help her or not. There was no point continuing on a journey together if he wasn’t able to help her. He had already taught her enough to pay her back for the bracers, so if he couldn’t help her, their journey together may end. Unless, they had other reasons to travel together.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Riley]

Riley let her pull away, though kept his arms around her, noticing as she did that she was on his lap. Like her, he brushed the thought from his mind. Now wasn't the time... Later though, he knew he would call these memories back. He nodded after she thanked him, "Of course Ana." He whispered in reply, smiling softly at her. His smile softened further after her second question, "I'm right here, I won't let anything happen to you." He translated his words to her, still smiling at her. He held onto her his breathing and heart rate relaxing more now that she was moving and talking again.

Riley considered her third question carefully, examining it from every angle he could see. They could definitely find him easier now, especially since he could show the image of the man to his contacts, get information on him. And hopefully a location. "Yes. When we go to see my contact, we can get better information now. And I know what went wrong with the spell now. It was several mispronunciations in the ancient language. Poor word choice. If I had more skill, more power.. I could do something for you.. I might still be able to." Riley nodded after a few seconds, running his mind over the man's spell. "In fact.. I know I can if I can get enough power."

Riley's mind ran over the rules of magic again, a subject he had taken care not to forget. Then he looked up at Ana and considered everything. It would take a lot of energy, he would need to find ways to collect it, and to store it. He might be able to do that while they looked for the man, he knew it would be best for the 'miracle' man to alter the spell. Though, considering he knew the exact wording of the spell, and could guess at the intention, he should be able to alter it enough to get rid of the wings. Or at least, he had enough confidence in his knowledge of magic to perform this feat. "We have hope Ana." He promised her, offering her a smile.

[Mali]

Ana stopped everything as he told her what he had said in the ancient language, including breathing. She held her breath in as she let the words burn their way across her mind, making the back of her throat ache. He had said in a language that he couldn’t lie in, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She didn’t know if that only referred to right this moment, but it was concrete, He would never let anything happen to her. Did this mean that her decision had been made for her?

Coughing, Ana smiled back to him, and covered her mouth briefly to hide the silly grin that came to her face. She looked like a fool, grinning like an idiot, as she felt ecstatic that her decision had been made. She could trust him. Nothing bad would happen to her while he was around. “It’s decided,” she mumbled quietly to herself, smiling wide and beaming.

Listening to what he said about helping her get rid of the wings, Ana had to think. The wings were the side effect she had to receive to be able to walk. What if by getting rid of her wings, she became paralyzed again? “What if by reversing the wings, I become paralyzed again?” she didn’t mind the wings if it meant she could walk like a normal person. They were only a small hindrance to her in comparison to being in a wheeled chair.

Taking his hand, she held it up to her cheek, closing her eyes briefly before taking a deep breath. They did have hope now. “Yes, we do,” she giggled, lowering their hands before moving out of Riley’s lap and standing up. Offering a hand to help him up off the ground, Ana considered things as they were. Everything seemed perfect now that she had shared her memory with him.

“Shall we head into Carvalla now?”

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Riley]

Riley wondered what had been decided, but seeing as how it made Ana laugh and be happy, he didn't mind too much. He considered her next point, taking his time before he finally answered. "Well, I can take my time and prepare the spell... Not only that I could run it by the Riders in Ilirea, and make sure you are still able to walk after." His mind wandered over magic again, taking her hand and standing with her. Smiling, he leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. He considered it again, remembering various elves who had altered their appearance without adverse effects. Maybe he could try something like that, the spell would be easy enough to put together. However, he would still need a large amount of energy.

Riley pushed the thought from his mind, then nodded and smiled at her. "We shall." He squeezed her hand and offered her another smile, then he reluctantly let go of her hand and started packing up camp with her. Packing Claudia's saddle bags carefully. He picked up the remainder of the deer, still on the spit. Carrying it into the forest, he dropped it. "Oh forest animals! Please wait until we leave, after we leave you can have this beast!" He called out, stepping back and translating his words for Ana. He packed the deer meat he had dried, then strapped the saddle onto Claudia's back.

Finally Riley sighed and stretched his back. "Alright, we are ready Ana. Do you want to ride?" He asked, not particularly wanting to himself. He turned to face her, smiling and taking the reigns in his hands. He waited for her reply, reaching out and taking her hand in his, squeezing her hand lightly. He considered everything he knew about magic, about himself, about her. This was going to be an interesting adventure they were on together. And he didn't mean finding the miracle worker that used horrible magic either.

[Mali]

Ana nodded her head. “I mean, they’re not that big a hindrance, not being able to walk is a bigger one. I can’t go places when I can’t walk,” that was the biggest thing that mattered to Ana. She didn’t want to stay in one place forever because of such a restriction. She wanted to be able to go places and see things, like all the things her father had seen on his travels. She wanted to see the world, and possibly see it with Riley. She blushed at the thought.

Ana started to pack up the camp with Riley. She was happy, thinking about her decision. She had decided that she would trust him and that she could trust him. Nothing bad would happen to her while she was with him. She just wondered how Riley felt about her. She had never met a young man such as himself before. The only men who she’d met came into the forge for her services.

How did he feel about her? She wasn’t really paying attention as Riley explained to her what he’d said in the ancient language. She was too focused on her thoughts. She wanted to know if he had any feelings for her. Since she’d never interacted with a guy before, she wondered if all the kissing meant anything. Maybe it was a custom back in his hometown? Or maybe it was something he just did with good friends? Ana wasn’t sure but she wanted to ask.

Looking up at him, she didn’t hear what he’d asked. “Yes?” Nodding her head in reply, Ana felt herself being pulled up and onto the horse. She was in the passenger’s spot and assumed that she would be riding into Carvala while Riley led.

She looked at Riley’s back as they started to move and she wondered if she should ask. But how should she word it? “Riley, I have to say, you’re my first real friend and the first guy I’ve ever really talked to, aside from at the forge,” that was a good start, right? She should be fine to continue with her train of thought.

“So I was wondering, is it customary to kiss good friends?” she blushed, holding onto him as he rode.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Riley]

Riley smiled as he aimed Claudia at Carvala, starting off at a slow trot. He kept Claudia from bouncing too much, not wanting to jar Ana too much. "Don't worry about it, I'll make sure you can still walk. And I won't do anything without talking to you about it first Ana." He leaned back against her lightly, being careful not to push her. "I'll make sure you can still walk, I promise you that Ana." Riley turned to face her, leaning back and kissing her softly. He lingered, his lips against hers for several seconds. Not wanting to pull away, though he knew he would have to. And of course, the moment came, and he pulled away. Smiling at her before he turned to face the road again.

Riley almost made several comments as she asked him her next question, then stopped himself. It would be wrong of him to say such things without thinking. Instead he remained quiet, thinking over what she asked him carefully before answering. "No, it's not. There are customs that involve kissing, but most of them that I know of are not between good friends." Riley leaned against her lightly again, being careful not to push her. "I don't kiss just anyone Ana.." He whispered, feeling his cheeks burn again. He moved his hand over hers, squeezing her hand lightly, considering his next words carefully.

Riley took a breath himself, then started speaking again. "There is one custom I want to pursue with you.." He felt his heart skipping several beats, his breathing caught in his chest. This feeling confused him, he was used to combat, he was used to conflict, but dealing with women? That was new for him. "I-It's called courting. It's us getting to know each other.. while we decided if we want to.. get engaged.." Riley felt his face turning red, "I-I-If you want that is.." He barely managed to stammer out, hoping that he hadn't done something stupid. He held his breath, waiting to see her reaction.