There was a time still vividly remembered in her memories where they had found comfort even in the silence, calmed by the presence of one another as they’d huddled over a campfire. Perhaps that’s why the silence currently stretched over them was almost maddening. It gnawed at her insides, made her stomach flip in ways Mahsa didn’t appreciate or cared for, and it was only rivaled by the deafening thrumming of Mahsa’s heartbeats against her ears.
He surprised the Kazelrrian just as she’d been thinking it might’ve been best to cut her losses while she was still
technically ahead. Her shoulders had tenses in the moment, though it was impossible to know if it was due to her initial thought of leaving or suddenly hearing his voice, as spiraling waves of deep amber began to pool at the ends of her curls.
"A s-story…?" Vibrant streaks of citrine brightened her complexion, a sharp contrast to the hesitation in her voice.
Mahsa had always been the one to regale him with imaginary tales, the very ones from the book that had slowly morphed into whimsical blends of experience and imagination as she’d sought to keep Dara guessing every time. Never had the Firronthix shared one of his own… until now.
She listened without another sound as Ayhan spun his words, curious to know what type of story he had for her tonight.
It wasn’t long before her mind started to connect the dots as his tale continued, the Kazelrrian realizing this wasn’t something he’d made up on the spot to try and ease the awkward tension between them. He’d never spoken about his time in the Cage before her arrival and, while she had shared her own, Mahsa had never pried into it either.
Her mind knew there would be no happy ending to be found, and yet a small part of her had still hoped beyond hope that the brown wolf could’ve been saved. A mixture of navy blues and emphatic coppery streaks swirled around her curls as the story had continued, picking up the subtle ways his voice shook and strained on occasions.
The chill breeze that rustled through the balcony felt colder than the winds of
Ilum, and the curious spark in her eyes had morphed into one of sorrow and concern as they studied every inch of his face. A hand hovered in the air for a fraction of a moment, almost as if she would reach out and touch him again, before being withdrawn back into the safety of her lap.
"S-She…" Her voice faltered against the conflicting whirlwind of emotions within her chest, unsure if he would’ve preferred for her to remain silent instead.
"It s-sounds like the brown wolf really cared for the s-silver wolf a lot…"
And it was crystal clear that he had cared for her, too.