Furley sat down shortly after they left, sighing as he mentioned how worn out the danger earlier had made him feel. And she, Daphne, could see that on his face as she bent to take her helmet from the ground.
Though she had told him more than once during their conversation that he should remove thoughts of what happened from his brain until morning, and to rest, she couldn't calm the tempest of emotions and thoughts. If even half of the thoughts would make sense she could work through them. But some thoughts didn't even have words, and these were the thoughts which somehow frightened her more.
She couldn't bring herself to sit down. Both for fear the weariness which seeped into her own bones would cause her the inability to stand again that night when needed, and for the feeling that she had to be alert. No, she couldn't sit. She was too restless.
"Daph?" He was now standing again, placing a hand on her helmet as if about to take it. She needed to keep hold of it, for something for her hands to do, or she felt she would only latch onto him again, which wouldn't do. "What is it?"
She sighed, hating herself for allowing just how shaken she was to show through. Here she had thought she was being discreet. They had moved on from the topic of the ambush, but it was, none of it, sitting well with her. "I don't know. The feeling I could have done better...the idea we probably have a traitor...the thoughts and fear..." She had trailed off, looking down at her sword. What would have happened had she killed the man who held a blade to her neck? She knew she would have died, and probably taken Furley with her.
He placed his other hand on her helmet as he spoke.
"There was nothing you could have done better. You got us all out alive, while I could have gotten us killed. Now, Ana isn't here for you to talk to, so I guess you're stuck offloading your thoughts to me, but don't let them drive you crazy. And stop blaming yourself. You saved us both." She almost snorted. He was feeling guilty when she was the one who nearly got him killed?
Not only that, but she could talk to him more than she could to Ana. He had been there beside her. Ana hadn't. She couldn't go into all of it. She just couldn't do it. Yet, she couldn't exactly tell him everything either. But she would speak of what she could.
She released her helmet to him and brought her hands up, pressing her fingers against the sides of her head as if to push away the ache caused by a frantically racing mind. "Hardly what I call saving," she muttered .
He smiled at her. "It was an impossible situation, and it could have ended very differently." She knew that. "Besides, for once in my life, I don't feel overwhelmed by the situation. We're going to make it through. We will beat this," he'd said genuinely, not simply to ease her mind. She looked up at him and wondered when their roles had switched.
The resolve in his expression and tone caused her to smile. "I told you that you never needed to stand on my shoulders. You're strong. The leader. You never needed me." She removed her hands from her head and rested one upon his shoulder.
"It's nice hearing those words from your mouth for a change. You're right, we will. I just don't know how yet." She had paused for a moment before adding, "You really have come a long way."
He smiled wider. "We both have. And don't worry, we'll think of something. We don't have all the details yet, but we have enough to begin working with."
"Aye, we have I guess. If I had been in that situation with the me I was before the Company, I would have gotten myself killed. So really what's changed me for the better has been the Company, Ana...you." She shook her head for a moment. "I know you'll come up with a good plan. You always do, when you're level-headed."
They continued speaking, until Ana came to them and pointed out the lateness in hour and asked if she might do anything for them. Ever the supportive person, she was, and Daph loved that about her. But when Furley mentioned he would go rest then, all of her fears began to bubble up again. She felt almost panicked. She forced herself to be silent and still. She knew it was irrational, but the moment he disappeared from her sight, her restlessness came back full force.
"Stop being such a child!" But it wouldn't leave, even as she spoke with Ana.
Ana seemed to sense at least some of this and offered her chocolate as they spoke. Though, as always, it worked wonders...it didn't near so much this time.
"Do you hear voices?" Daph paused mid-sentence at Ana's question. She sighed deeply. "Okay, look, it was a hard situation. But I promise I'm not going insane!" Ana had laughed at that. " No, you plum! I mean voices of someone nearby." Just then, Daphne saw a small group which contained two Elves she recognized.
"They're back!" She said excitedly as she made her way over. She hadn't known them long at all, but Ithilwe and Amathlan, she viewed as friends somehow. She'd been worried when they went in search of the hunter, but didn't allow her mind to touch that worry until she was back. However, when she made it to them, she saw another form she recognized.
"YOU??" She pointed at who she recognized to be Ioranir. She had not only seen him fall, pierced by goblins, but the hunter had mentioned his death. He looked at her, shrugged and said in his most obnoxiously nonchalant tone, "Am back."
She gave a helpless laugh as she nearly fell to her knees. "Maybe I am insane, Ana," she said in a quiet voice. The stress and weariness of the day suddenly began to catch up with her all at once.
Ana helped her to the inside of the headquarters, but she couldn't think anymore. "Sorry...can't.." She stumbled into her room and closed the door.
She had somehow managed to remove her armour, she found when she woke up the first time that night wearing nearly nothing, her hair loose and clinging to her sweaty form. Unbraided, though she always braided at night, but also not in the usual bun. She had essentially passed out as soon as she could.
She woke up several times that night, covered in sweat and every muscle aching anew. Her dreams were of what had happened and how differently it could have gone on so many counts. Finally, after the fifth time, she rose, donned a robe, and went out to sit before the waterfall again, hoping to clear her mind at least a little.
"I hope he doesn't dream about whatever fire he mentioned," she said quietly, for the ears of the breeze only.
