I was tired. I was sore. My legs were screaming at me to stop walking, to just stop and rest for five minutes. I had long since forgotten how aggravating it was to have to actually walk somewhere with a purpose. For so long if I had needed to get somewhere quickly, I just used the Bonfires to warp there. But here in this world, I had nothing with which to speed my progress yet.

But I kept walking, pressing on, because I had somewhere to be. A month and a half. Forty five days. Forty five days of keeping a rude, near-emotionless woman busy, as she gave me tasks to do. From the time we killed that damn thunder bird onwards, she had had things for me to do, people to kill - it seemed that she was working on rebuilding her organization, and she'd been ecstatic to have me around for the process. As muscle. But now, I had finally been freed for the time being, and I was on my way - not home, because we didn't have one.

But back. Back to Camille, back to Nikita. I hoped that in my prolonged absence they hadn't gotten fed up with waiting and left - if they had, I doubted I would ever be able to track them down. And not seeing her again sent a pang of unease running through me - she'd told me she'd been broken before, and I hoped she didn't think I had done the same, and decided to leave, because I hadn't. By the Flame I hadn't abandoned them, and I was so past ready to see my tiny… Girlfriend? Was that what she was to me?

I couldn't tell. I didn't want to call her more than that because I still felt that Nikita just thought I was good to have around to fuck, and nothing more, and I didn't want to contemplate more of a life with them until I knew. But despite that - hah, despite that, I had taken this job solely for the purpose of helping build a nest egg for a life together. Putting the cart before the horse, that. But I couldn't help it - I'd stayed pretty much alone for only the Flame knows how long, and been with only my mount with me for even longer. The idea of someone wanting to stay with me - with actually being attracted to me? It was bizarre and I did not want it to end. Scarlet was…..decent, but a bit unhinged for now. I'd need to get her to accept jolly cooperation before she could actually think of being with someone.

No, I was quite alright with getting away from the Abyss tainted woman and returning to the woman I cared for. We had been apart for - well. In terms of my life span, a brief passing moment, but for her, who had been heartbroken before, this length of time must have been hellish. So I ignored the screaming in my legs as I walked on. No one needed to know I'd been walking since Salvar.

The town of Stonevale loomed ahead of me. I felt a tremor of anticipation, worry, fear, hope, mingling inside of me. It was an odd cocktail, and at the least, a bit unpleasant. But until I had that sweet woman in my arms again, it was my burden to bear. I joined the crowd of people, the evening rush in and out of the mining town. One of the guards recognized me, nodded to me as I passed - it was odd, to be known. I'd been Nameless for so long… I shivered. The press of people was almost too much for my rather frayed nerves at the moment, but I wasn't going to slow down, not now, now that I was almost back to her.

I pushed into the Inn, and the keeper glared at me. Well, that bitter shrew hadn't changed any. I ignored her, and took the stairs two at a time, hope burning in my chest. Please, let her not have given up waiting. Please. I fumbled the key, nearly dropping it, but managed to kick it back up into my hand. With a deep breath, I opened the door.

My heart beat slowly enough that it took me almost a minute to realize it hadn't beat again. I thumped my chest, softly making it resume. She was still there. She was curled on the bed, and had a paper nearby - a paper that, even in this faint light, I could see was covered in a series of small marks. She looked so small, so - so afraid, and alone.

Finding a way of moving faster was paramount. I could never do this to her again. I slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently began running my fingers through her hair.