Will you go with me?
Liffey's gaze was far away as she stared into the night. I'll go with you, she had said.
She heard the hooting of an owl in the distance, and the returning call of another. Rising, Liffey very carefully and very quietly dressed before crawling out of the tent. Very light rain was peppering the ground, hardly more than a sprinkle. The moonlit air kissed her skin as she walked away from the small camp.
It had been years, years, since her mind had felt so calm. She did not feel the constant buzzing underneath her skin, nor was the wind pushing her or pulling at her hair, telling her to run.
Will you go with me?
Liffey climbed the steps before turning around to look over the quiet landscape of Ost Guruth. She could see the tent nestled in the back, tucked into a secluded spot. Instinctively, her gaze shifted upwards and scanned the dark sky, but Liffey did not see the glint of beady black eyes or hear the flapping of wings above her. Whether because it was too dark or because he was right, and the bird didn't follow him here, she did not know.
Turning, she continued on her journey, walking until she stood at the edge of the fortress ruins. She stared across the landscape in front of her, though she could hardly see it in the dark. She sat down, her legs dangling over the side, and she leaned back on her hands. She felt like she was breathing for the first time in a long time.
Liffey could have sat for a long time, until the sun began to rise in the distance or until the sprinkle turned into a downpour and soaked her to the bone. She thought she could have sat for years. But she rose, brushing herself off, and made her way back to the tent. The sun still was far away, and the wind and rain were picking up, and Liffey suddenly felt her heart clench when she stopped just before entering. What if she opened the flap and no one was there at all? What if she opened it and she woke up from a terrible dream?
But she did so anyway.
I'll follow you anywhere, she had wanted to say.