The Shining Knight (Ell)

[Lyrt]

The golden sun beat down mercilessly onto the sandy beaches of the western coast of Alagaësia. Splintered planks littered the white sands sticking up haphazardly among torn sails and smashed cargo. It was as it appeared, the wreak of a ship scattered in the sand the waves gradually wearing them down little by little. Almost no signs of life seemed to exist among the wreckage. Yet somehow...

A small form stirred on the sand the waves crashing over the small body having been carried gently up onto the shore. Large silver eyes peered about the desolate beach covered in ruin blinking rapidly in confusion. With much effort the child took hold of a nearby board and pulled herself up to her feet letting out a soft squeak of pain as her stiff limbs ached from the strain.

In the distance she spied some trees far off where the sand slowly turned into grass and dirt seeming to move towards them before staring back out at the vast sea that had brought her there.

Where was the ship? The crew? Creus!? She started to tremble where she stood turning on the spot looking for any signs of familiarity. "Creus!" she cried out in a high and parched voice forcing her battered and sunburned body to run about the wreckage looking for any signs of her sibling she treasured so much. "W-where are you?! Luex...Luex is scared!"

She pressed her trembling lips into a straight line trying her best not to shed a single tear. If her brother would she that she was crying he would tease her. She would not be teased! She would make him proud along with both Mama and Papa!

Expression blended with determination and fear she stared up at the faraway trees the gears in her young mind turning slowly. She was awfully thirsty, her throat felt like she had scratched it over and over and her usually pale skin was now an angry red and hurt when she touched it. Worst of all her tattered clothes felt so stiff and heavy, rough against her newly sensitive skin and delicate wings bandaged to her back.

What was to be done? The seawater was not safe to drink, she had learned it from one of the crewmen on the first day that they had been on the boat. She did hope that they were all alright, the men looked scary but they were all truly kind and played all sorts of games with her to keep her occupied. Clasping her hands together she uttered a silent pray to the spirits of the water and ocean for all their safety, especially Creus. If he were there he would tell her it was like they were in one of his adventure novels. She was sure of it!

Giving a determined nod she started to walk slowly with careful steps towards the small wood. Maybe there was water there, the heros in all the books her brother had read her had always gone looking for water first. There were three 'S' words that they always looked for. Shelter, Survival, and...and...Suistanance! What Suistanance was she did not know, but if it was one of the 'S' words it must be important. Water started with a 'W', and there were only 'S'...maybe water was not important. Yet she was thirsty, if she saw any she would take a drink.

After nearly a half hour of walking Luex finally reached the wood and took refuge in the long shadows cast by the branches. The sun was slipping down beyond the horizon setting the waters aglow like liquid fire.

The shade felt good on her heated skin and she took a seat under a tree peering out at the sunset. She had made it this far already, Creus would find her and then he would take her back to their home praising all the while what a smart girl she had been to take care of herself.

The thought flickered before her eyes and then vanished as her senses slipped back to her. The palms of her hands stung from various splinters and her knee was skinned. Her skin felt as if it was burning and no matter what way she sat it was the same result. Soft hiccups began to overtake her the girl laying back against the tree as the darkness creeped closer. "S-scared! Luex is scared!" she cried a horrible headache adding to the list of her sorrows. She was not alright, she was not alright at all. Everything hurt and night was coming "CREUS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs tears beading up in the corner of her eyes.

[Elloria]

Raiden shivered, despite the heat of the sun’s golden rays beating down relentlessly upon his form. He had finally reached the coast. The Spine now stood between him and the rest of mainland Alagaesia – and most importantly, between him and Malandra. He had escaped…but he had no idea how. His seemingly endless imprisonment had been nothing but a haze of pain and darkness. He was fairly certain he had been allowed to escape. Not even Teiris had had an easy time of escaping. Was Raiden being tested? Or rather, was the Hand testing what it had done to him? What it had done to his blood…to his mind?

It was those thoughts, circling in his mind, that were sending shivers through him. The fear that they would soon decide the test was done and would come swooping in to catch him was what drove him to the shadows of the Spine – a place where even Paladins were wary of treading. Fear now kept him in sight of the shadows that had always been his companions while the perpetual chill of his body drove him into the sunlight. This was no way to live. How had Teiris endured this for so many months?

Raiden sighed. At least last night’s storm had washed away all traces of his trail. There hadn’t been much of a trail to begin with, but any advantage was nice. Even if Teiris was probably correct. Even if the Hand could use magic to track an escapee using the person’s blood… He stomped down on that thought. Negativity would get him nowhere. It served only to cloud his thinking and clouded judgment would inevitably lead to one’s demise. He had no intention of dying just yet.

He paused and took a good look around him. The landscape was finally familiar. He had been taking a primarily northwest path since his escape, heading deeper into the Spine once he had entered its forest until he found a reasonably passable section and crossed the mountain range. He had recognized nothing before today and had spent the entire journey praying that Yawata no Kami would safeguard his passage. Fortunately, Yawata no Kami was kind and he had met with little trouble. And with even greater fortune, Raiden had been delivered to an area not too far from Teirm. He had, in fact, buried many a would-be assassin’s body out here during Kazan-sama’s reign. Perhaps another two or three days- Yawata no Kami willing – and he would be back in Teirm. He would be back at his lord’s side, where he belonged, and he would never leave on his own initiative again. Thank Yawata no Kami for the Academy and his family’s training, otherwise he would have died long before now. If the experiments hadn’t killed him, starvation and dehydration surely would have. He shivered again and resumed his trek.

Several hours later
Well, this was an interesting sight. A shipwreck lay strewn across the beach just ahead of Raiden. He cautiously approached it – there was no point in being stupid and getting killed when he had been doing so well thus far – but nothing leapt out at him or shot at him. Satisfied that he was in no danger and assuming there were no survivors nearby, he began poking through the wreckage. It was entirely possible that there was either something salvageable or that would identify who this ship had belonged to. He found a loose-fitting shirt that was in better condition than the rag he currently wore and a knife that had survived the sand and salt water quite well. It was even snugly tucked within its sheath and after a bit more rooting about he was fortunate enough to find a length of rope that could serve as a temporary “sword” belt. That was about it for salvage. What food he found was spoiled, the other cargo was broken or useless to him, and the rest was just splintered wood and torn cloth.

And yet despite the boons that Yawata no Kami was granting him, Raiden couldn’t help but frown. Wreckage was not uncommon along the coast, particularly after a storm. But he had lived in Teirm for over ten years now and had seen just about every type of ship imaginable passing through the city’s harbor. It was one of the largest port cities in Alagaesia, if not the largest. All manner of vessels passed through. But even so, Raiden could not remember ever seeing a ship or cargo with markings even vaguely resembling the ones he had seen on the sails or some of the scraps of clothing he had found – including what looked like a coat of arms on the knife’s sheath that was completely foreign to him. So who had this ship belonged to? As he pondered this, a miserable scream echoed across the beach which caused him to jump and whirl in the direction of the sound.

“CREUS!”

There was someone in the woods directly across from the wreck. How had he not noticed? There was always the possibility of survivors, but he hadn’t expected any to stick around. He frowned. By the sound of it this possible survivor was young, thirsty…and probably female. That would explain why he hadn’t been attacked. His general experience with women was that their primary focus after a tragedy was to seek shelter and not think about any potential enemies or threats until shelter had been secured. Barring that, they cried – a lot. This one was probably doing both. He should have known that Zhayu would not allow his journey to continue without any obstacles. That was not Her way. No, She would find some way to distract him and keep him in danger and chaos for as long as possible. So he was faced with a quandary: should he help the survivor, taking up precious time and energy while simultaneously putting himself at greater risk of capture; or abandon them to their fate? He smacked his hand against his forehead and pulled it down his face slowly. He already knew what he was going to do.

With a deep sigh, Raiden made his way toward the woods. “Hello?” he called as he went. “Is anyone there?”

[Lyrt]

The small figure shook in fear her eyes wide and brimming with endless fright. She was alone, all alone with no one to taker her away from this horrible land. Whimpering softly she felt the wind blow up around her in an almost comforting manner. A soft whisper comforted her as the spirit of the winds moved about her shaking form softening the pain for a moment with a cool gust. Letting out another loud hiccup Luex rubbed at her eyes and squeaked softly. She was...she was a priestess...and the spirits would protect her as their own. Yet even with that reassurance int he back of her mind terror flooded her veins.

Suddenly the wind changed a voice carrying over to her ears “Hello?” She froze a hiccup caught in her throat in her surprise, was there someone about? Or was the distant trill of the waves playing tricks on her. The child lay down on her side and pulled her arms up over her head for protection. Creus would come, he would always come to save her eventually. Big brother was the strongest! He would never lose to the water.

“Is anyone there?” She jumped letting out a loud whimper, someone was there! She pushed herself up into a sitting position, her muscles screaming in protest all the while. Slowly the child crawled through the leaves peering out from behind a tree. Was it Creus? It didn't sound like him...

She spied a stranger and jumped letting out a loud cry and scrambling away on her hands and knees to hide behind a tree leaving an obvious trail in her wake. Shoulders shaking as fresh tears started to well up the child covered her mouth with her filthy stinging hands trying her best to silence her cries. It could be a bad man! He...Creus always said that she shouldn't go with strangers. She pressed back against the trunk of the ancient oak the corner of a crumpled wing poking out through the back of her tattered dress. "Creus...creus...Luex is a good girl right...nothing bad happens to good little children...you promised..."

[Elloria]

He had been calling at intervals for nearly ten minutes and he was already at the edge of the woods. So far no one had responded, though Raiden was positive he had heard someone. He sighed. He wanted to just let it go and leave. He had been gone from Teirm for too long – or had he? It had been impossible to keep track of time in the underground hell that passed for a laboratory for the Hand. Who knew whether Kazan-sama had returned by now? His lord had been anticipating an extended stay, but for how long?

The assassin shook his head. He couldn’t leave this alone. It would be stupid to leave someone behind him without at least ascertaining if they were a threat or not. And he had a knife now. Not many were better with a knife than he. So with a sigh he started poking through the undergrowth and trees, still occasionally calling out, “Is anyone there?” He paused when he thought he heard a whimper. But when there was nothing more after several moments, he resumed his search.

He was interrupted by a loud cry to his left, causing him to wrench the knife from his sheath and whirl to face the source of the noise. But there was nothing there. The only proof he had that something had been there was the sound of scrambling in the same direction as the cry, the sound slowly growing more distant. He moved forward silently and with caution, almost immediately finding the trail of whoever had cried out. Keeping the knife out, he followed the trail and the faint sound of crying until the trail stopped. The crying, however, did not cease; it was merely stifled, as though the person was trying desperately to not be heard. It was definitely a girl, then, or perhaps a very young boy. Raiden was inclined to believe it was a girl.

“Creus…Creus…Luex is a good girl right…nothing bad happens to good little children…you promised…”

Raiden sighed quietly. Judging from how she had run, how she was struggling to keep quiet (and failing miserably at it, he might add), and how miserable she sounded, the girl was probably the only survivor. Or if she was not, the storm had swept away others from the ship – perhaps this Creus she was talking about? She was no threat to him, though. And there was probably no threat in the vicinity other than the wildlife. So, going against all his training, he sheathed the knife and made a bit of rustling as he moved around the tree to find exactly what he had expected – a terrified, dirt-covered, crying little girl. And were he anyone else, Raiden might have expressed shock at the sight of the poor thing. She was deathly pale, with the strangest pale eyes and white hair he has ever seen…and there even appears to be a wing poking out through her dress. The dress was odd, too, but years of living in Teirm and Alagaesia had essentially inoculated him against the strange fashion of non-Itasans. Yawata no Kami, but she was tiny. He would easily have almost two feet of height on her if she was standing and she was so petite, she almost looked scrawny. Simply put, she looked utterly pathetic. What in the name of the gods was he going to do with that? With another sigh, he squatted down beside her so that he was closer to her eye-level. He hoped she understood Broddring Common because she certainly wouldn’t know Itasu. “Do not be frightened,” he said, his voice more thickly accented than usual and gravelly due to uncounted days speaking and screaming in his native tongue. “I will not hurt you. I am Raiden. What is your name, little one?”

[Lyrt]

Luex continued to cry endlessly, her face buried into her skinned and bruised knees as fear coursed through eh body at the sound of footsteps growing closer. Who was it? Would it hurt her? Would it try to take her away from her brother forever? She wouldn't let it! She would bite it and scream and ask the spirits to spank it for being a bad person. That would teach them!

The thought filled her momentarily with confidence that quickly faded as the footsteps drew even closer her shoulder shaking in utter terror. Raising a pale hand to her lips she sank her teeth into a finger trying to quiet herself but only succeeding in letting out a loud cry of pain from the bite.

And yet the steps drew ever closer filling her with dread to her sorry fate, spirits protect her and whisk her away to Creaus's side. Soon the steps were right behind her, seeming to pause momentarily as she tried to hold her breath and stay as silent as she could.

With a rustle of leaves from the bush to her right the steps moved around the tree and stood before her. An eerie silence followed, the person in front of her not making a sound or move until...

With a soft shuffle she felt him draw closer and only then did she raise her eyes to stare at him begging the spirits to save her all the while. The man looked ragged, travel worn, and most certainly tired. Yet her heart sped up at the sight of another human and she let out a loud wail fresh tears paving new tracks down her dirt stained cheeks her head thrown back.

“Do not be frightened,”

The spirits whispered to her as the emotions plagued her, only ones of kindness whisping about him clearly. There were others too, darker ones with bad heart wrenching feelings, but none of them spoke to her as clearly as the kindness and confusion.

“I will not hurt you. I am Raiden. What is your name, little one?”

"L-...Luex" the child hiccuped staring at him for a moment before running forward to cry into his chest. The spirits said he was nice, so he had to be so! Her small arms wrapped as far around him as she could the priestess taking refuge against the warm man too tired to acknowledge the pain coursing through her limbs.

[Elloria]

(OOC: Raiden’s “singing” will be a link to the song as performed by Brian Stokes Mitchell.)

“L-...Luex”

And just like that, Raiden suddenly had to stagger for balance – no mean feat when you’re squatting and tired – because this Luex decided that his chest was perfect for bawling into. While he couldn’t say it was the first time a female had cried in his arms, it was the first time as an adult that a young girl had done so. Why did he have to seem like such a nice guy? He was an assassin, for kami sake! He actually enjoyed his work, too! Some days it was just not worth being able to easily beguile a target so that they never saw it coming when he stabbed them in the neck – or was it the back? Whatever. The point was that he was hardly in the mood to comfort a terrified, sobbing little girl.

With yet another heavy sigh, he moved the girl’s arms so that they were wrapped around his neck and then scooped her up in his arms. He tried to be gentle because he suspected she was sunburned, not to mention tired and probably thirsty and hungry. Rising from his squat, he started off towards what he knew would be the edge of the forest. He knew there was a stream not far to the north where they could get some water. And there were probably some fruit-bearing plants somewhere along the way that he could have her eat. But the first goal was reaching the forest’s edge so that he could better plot his path…and making the girl stop crying. She was probably making a mess of his new-found shirt. He soothingly stroked her hair. “Now, now, there is no need to cry so wretchedly. Our tears do nothing but make the gods themselves weep for us. You are still alive, are you not? That is a blessing and reason enough to dry your tears, little Luex.” As he spoke, he eventually reached the forest’s edge. Stepping out only briefly into the sunlight to ascertain where he was, he retreated somewhat deeper into the woods while keeping the beach in sight. Turning northward – and finding that the girl was still crying, albeit with less “enthusiasm” – Raiden wracked his brain for something to distract her from her misery. He supposed he could sing. Hiroshi sometimes said he had a pleasant bari-tenor to listen to. And who would know that better than a child raised on Fukarudus? It was at least worth a shot, though he suspected his vocal chords would despise him for it. Taking a deep breath, he began singing a tune he remembered from his childhood:

“A single thread in a tapestry, though its color brightly shine,
Can never see its purpose in the pattern of the grand design.

And the stone that sits on the very top of the mountains mighty face,
Does it think it’s more important than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man.
You must look at your life…
Look at your life through heaven’s eyes.

Lai-la-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-la-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai

Lai-la-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-la-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai

Lai-la-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-la-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai

A lake of gold in the desert sand is less than a cool fresh spring.
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy is greater than the richest king.
If a man lose everything he owns, has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man, in wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come…
The answer will come to him who tries to look at his life through heaven’s eyes

And that’s why we share all we have with you, though there’s little to be found.
When all you’ve got is nothing, there’s a lot to go around.

No life can escape being blown about by the winds of change and chance.
And though you never know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance…
You must learn to join the dance.

Lai-la-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-la-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai

Lai-la-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-la-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai

Lai-la-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-la-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-li-lai-lai
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai

So how do you judge what a man is worth by what he builds or buys?
You can never see with your eyes on earth, look through heaven’s eyes~
Look at your life.
Look at your life~
Look at your life through heaven's eyes~”

The last note faded away, but only for a short time. Benzaiten seemed to think that his plan was brilliant. As soon as the first song ended, another one immediately sprang into his mind and he didn’t even pause to think about that. He simply moved smoothly into the first verse, an even older hymn than the first that sung the praises of Yawata no Kami and Zhayu. He continued walking at a steady pace, keeping his voice relatively quiet so as to not attract undue attention. It took nearly an hour to finally reach the small stream he had been thinking of – a trip greatly extended by his own fatigue, hunger, carrying what was essentially dead weight, and singing as well. But there had been something satisfying about just moving from one song to the next without thought. And he felt a little saddened when he reached both the stream and the end of his song.

But all good things on earth come to an end eventually and so he set Luex down beside the stream – or rather he attempted to as she was clinging quite stubbornly to him. “Luex, we have reached a stream that you can drink from. So you really must let go now.”

[Lyrt]

Luex clung tightly to the Raiden's neck and continued to cry her misery out to the world. He was warm though, and didn't smell as horrible as she had been told all commoners did. Her knight Ninthi didn't smell bad either, but a knight was different than a commoner, they had to be after all to be a knights. They were the strongest and the kindest and the most handsome of them all! The books were always right! They were books, and written by scholars who stayed locked up in the library all the time.

“Now, now, there is no need to cry so wretchedly. Our tears do nothing but make the gods themselves weep for us. You are still alive, are you not? That is a blessing and reason enough to dry your tears, little Luex.”

The kind words only succeeded in quieting her for mere moments, the heart wrenching wails resuming almost immediately with new vigor. Creus was alive too! Not only her! She didn't want to be alone! "NO! C-creus....Luex can't be alone!" she screamed loudly her small feet striking Raiden's side as she started to flail.

Then he began to sing, the rich voice overtaking her shrill shrieks with an apparent ease. The words were not those that she could understand, yet the tone was so light and cheery there was no room left in her mind for the horrible thoughts that had clustered them.

Her pitiful flailing instantly ceased as she stared up at him bright eyes filled with wonder at the meaning of the words. She lay against him softly, small chest still heaving from her terror stricken wails. Fatigue at at the corners of her mind, yet sleep at such an important moment would be...tempting. It beckoned with cloud covered fingers of sunshine and flower filled fields, although something pulled her away, the spirits whispering warnings in her ears.

Raiden walked on through the woods, his songs pushing away her pain and terror for only the moment. She took the time to stare at him closely, a pretty man under all the scruff and dirt he was caked in. Every once in a while she would reach out and prod his cheek curiously, trying to see if it would come off in a lump on the tip of her finger.

Soft words slowly faded into a silence and she was left clinging awkwardly to his neck as the kind man started to pull her towards the ground. A new wave of tears started to rack her lungs while fear overtook her senses. "Luex, we have reached a stream that you can drink from. So you really must let go now.” His words wounded her, was he to leave her by the stream? She did not want that, the beasts of the forest would come and th-

Their voices overtook her mind once again urging her to do as he asked, the water only to be beneficial to the child's wilting health. With much caution she let herself be placed back down on the cursed earth, her once blooming cries silent. "T-the birdspeech was pretty...Luex finds it much so, as do they. Please do it again Sir Raiden!" She tried her best to give him a smile, yet it almost seemed as if her cheeks were frozen in place. "W-where is the cup?" the child asked in confusion as she stared out at the moving waters. How could she drink without one, the water would just swim away.

Two small hands grasped Raiden's, slender fingers lacing with his own and pulled him along, she didn't want to be alone. It was reassuring to have someone right by her side, even if he was no Creaus. She was sure he would forgive her for causing him to feel such jealousy towards Raiden.

"Luex does not see a cup" the child confirmed as she searched the area hastily with her eyes "is the cup hidden so animals won't take it?" Careful not to upset her wounds she knelt down by the waters and hung off of Raiden's arm for balance. "Luex needs a cup.." she squeaked, embarrassment flaring up in her cheeks of the limited knowledge of such commoner customs that the child possessed.

[Elloria]

(OOC: Yawata no Kami no Chuushin-bu means Heart of Yawata no Kami)

Raiden chuckled as the girl asked for him to do his “birdspeech” again, though he wondered who the “they” was that she referred to. Her eyes were remarkably pale, even for a non-Itasan, so he wondered if perhaps she was gifted with some sort of sight like the Yawata no Kami no Chuushin-bu. He would have to ask Hiroshi about the possibility – as he recalled, she had a cousin who belonged to the mystical order.

But his thoughts are pulled from this as he is pulled towards the stream. “Luex does not see a cup.” The child’s eyes scan the area hastily, seeking the implement in question. What does she need a cup for? She has hands, does she not? “Is the cup hidden so animals won't take it?” He just stared at her as she knelt beside the stream, her weight forcing him to bend over. “Luex needs a cup…” His stare turned into a baffled gaze. She genuinely thought she required a cup to drink. By Yawata no Kami, what did foreigners teach their children?

He gingerly knelt beside her. He tugged his hand away from her and scrubbed his hands clean in the stream. As he did, he said, “You have a cup, Luex. It is called your hands.” Once his hands were clean, he pulled them together so that they formed a cup underwater. Lifting the “cup” up carefully, he leaned forward and drank the pure-tasting water out of his hands. Finished, he turned to her. “Now you try.”

[Lyrt]

Luex whimpered softly as Raiden pulled his hand away from her, fear flaring up in her mind. Was he leaving Luex?! She had been a good child so far, and hadn't done anything wrong. Her petite form shook in terror and anticipation as the pale eyes watched him closely. What would he do? Where would he go? Would she follow after him if he did leave?

But low and behold he stayed, kneeling beside her and cleaning his hands in the stream, the dirt drifting off into the water. He then pressed his hands together in an odd shallow bowl-like form and lifted it up out of the water. She expected the water to spill through immediately, but it stayed! Just like a cup!

Her eyes widened in amazement as she watched him drink from such a vessel. Never before had she seen anything like it in all of her years, and she had seen much for a girl of her age! She read books after all, the large ones with bindings as thick as her leg.

"Luex is amazed!" she chirped happily as the young girl watched him "She never had though of such a cup of flesh to be used like so. Raiden is amazing to have come up with a such a method!"

The child bent forward and held out her hands to imitate his motions, carefully lifting her hands from the water and drinking from the small pool that welled up in between them. It was clean and cool, the silky water stroking her throat gently. She formed the cup again and again, drinking her fill of the sweet water. Simple water had never tasted this good before, maybe it did taste better simply in this land compared to her own.

Slowly she turned her head and gave a shy and weary smile to Raiden as she slipped from her kneel and onto her bum. The wounds still burned, and she tried her best to be strong in front of the nice man. A Priestess could not cry as much as she did, she had to save a little face. Though Creus would just laugh and tell her that she was acting like an old woman. Luex was not an old woman! He was so rude! But....she missed him. Quickly she rubbed at her eyes and tried to hide her tears from him as she shoulders shook "L-luex...thanks..."