Stitches. He was back in Bree-land, while Dru was on her way to Gondor. It was as if fate was ever telling them to stay apart. As if some force continued to separate them from each other. She had given her word, and even his return could not bring her to break it. Especially not to break her word to Davamir. Not when he looked up to her as he did. And she knew that she truly did care about what happened to Dav.
He was different when first she saw him standing upon the steps before the Pony, staring down at her and Balnirar.
Balnirar had been playing music, after speaking to her of being "involved" with Dav. As she rode beside Dav, she wondered if Balnirar was right about him. She shook her head. "Best hope for Dav's sake he is not," she thought silently as she stole a glance at the young man. How much trouble that would cause the poor boy if it was true. She couldn't allow him to throw himself away for her. "Is that not what you are doing this very moment?" The thought struck her unbidden, and she huffed. "Shut up, Dru," she thought aloud.
Fortunately, Dav was rather good at not hearing Dru when she spoke, by now.
Her mind turned back to Stitches after a moment, both frown and smile fighting for her mouth. The frown had wished to stay, and could not bear the things he had been through all for her sake. The smile was at the sheer joy she had had, seeing him. She never remembered being so happy and relieved to see someone. She had cried silently as she wrapped her arms about him tightly. Balnirar hadn't liked that. One might have thought him mean, the way threatened Stitches. But she knew it was out of the loyal desire to protect her.
She had promised to help him regain his memory as best she could, and if not that, then to help him find himself and see him as she did. But now he seemed to hope his memory never returned, and to see himself as simply a killer. He'd said she had been his conscience at first, before he forgot everything. She'd told him thinking of him saved her when she was being tortured, and he'd said the same of her. Except she helped until she didn't. She hadn't found him, and he'd practically gone mad. He did not recognize her at first when she'd said his name..but seeing her and speaking to her brought himself back, he'd told her.
She'd kissed his cheek again, as she had so many months before. It was as if it took a moment for her actions to register, when they did he cleared his throat and said he'd forgotten what that felt like. She was slightly embarrassed for being so impulsive, but she wasn't going to dwell on that.
More words were exchanged before she embraced him again, this time with him wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. She had not felt in danger before...but she felt safe like this. Protected. Cared for. When had she felt that, since she was a child? After this, he had escorted her home, as he had before they were torn apart in months past.
She glanced at Dav again. Would hugging him feel the same? She wrinkled her nose. "What a ridiculous thing to wonder about." He'd hugged her before...but that was from behind and was simply him being a fool. Her mind had been wondering of a sincere hug. She shook her head firmly, and promptly told herself to shut up again, as her mind was jumping about in circles and she grew disgusted with how pathetic her own memory and thoughts were.
