He wasn’t sure what it was that woke him up, but something in his gut told him that something was wrong. Sitting up silently, he let his eyes adjust to the dim room as he swept them across the space, trying to pinpoint what his instincts had told him. Eril and Ara were sleeping peacefully, exhausted by the tension of the day, but the final spot was empty.
His body immediately tensed up as he continued searching the space, but with no luck. Felcryn was not there.
Moving carefully, not wanting to wake the others just yet, he left his cot and stepped outside, hoping that she had only gone out for air.
He saw her almost as soon as he stepped out. She was sitting at the edge of the short bridge, her feet dangling over the edge, her head bent down towards the water. The tension immediately flowed out of him. She was there, she was safe. He was just about to head back in, giving her the quiet moment, when he saw something that made him pause. She was not just sitting there, enjoying the calm of the night. Her shoulders were shaking, and the way she kept her head down seemed off.
He drew in a sharp breath and cursed himself silently. With everything that had been going on, he hadn’t checked in on her before they went to bed. The past week had been rough on all of them, but her most of all. And he hadn’t thought to make sure that she was okay.
Making a snap decision he walked slowly out on the bridge, making sure that she heard his footsteps. He saw her tense up, her shoulders stilling as if she was forcing herself to stop crying. It broke his heart. Without a word, he walked up and sat down beside her, keeping his eyes on the sky above them. He could feel her relaxing as she realized who it was, and a moment later, she leaned her head on his shoulder, accepting the silent support.
“Did I wake you?” she asked softly.
“Not really,” he assured her. “I just woke up feeling like something was off. And when I couldn’t see you, I just wanted to make sure that you were safe.”
She nodded slowly at that, and a companionable silence fell over the night. He stayed silent, and just waited.
It didn’t take long. He could feel the trembles starting through her head on his shoulder, and a moment later, his arms were around her as she sobbed into his chest. He didn’t say anything, just held her tight, letting her get everything that had happened and been revealed over the past week out of her system.
When her sobs slowly quieted to soft sniffles and hiccups, he loosened his grip slightly, allowing her to pull away enough to look up at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she seemed much more relaxed.
“Sorry about that,” she whispered. “You always seem to be the one to pick up the pieces of my breakdowns. I tried to hold it back, but I just couldn’t… Just… Sorry…”
“Hey. No.” He looked down at her with serious eyes. “None of that. You don’t have to apologize for breaking down. You are allowed to. Shit, I would be more worried if you didn’t break down after a week like this! It’s how you heal. And I am more than happy to help you though it if you let me.”
