and then there were two // ayara

[Ayara]

Ayara didn't say much as Rwaht talked. Blinded like this she could easily pretend the rest of the world didn't even exist. It was just her father and her. The only people in the world.

Once upon a time she'd been a little girl who blushed and smiled and giggled every time her father called her pretty despite the changes she was going through. As the years went on it became harder and harder. The handful of times she'd been discovered or had revealed herself she'd been met with near-universal revulsion. What would Rwaht know about whether she was pretty or not? He still had all his limbs and could smile without making small children cry (most of the time).

She had measured herself up against the rest of the world and found herself wanting.

What Rwaht said next surprised her. "What? People do that?" She clung to him with sudden intensity. The world became a scarier place. "And they get away with it?"

No. Of course he wouldn't get away with it. Not anymore.

She made up her mind. "Well... We'd be going to Castle Town anyway to replace my glasses. It's just a couple of weeks. I can tolerate her that long."

[rwaht]

x x

Path of Honour

Rwaht's heart was breaking in turns.

Just seeing that poor girl, lying there, knowing what had very likely happened had been more than he could bear. With Ayara clinging to him like that, so plainly wanting protection from a world that had rejected her so roundly. This was really why he'd taken Ayara away, why he'd fought so hard to keep her safe. If men like that one got wind of Ayara, they would hurt her terribly. And he was no longer the sort of person who would put criminals down. He did not believe in that any more, though when something like this happened ... it was hard to distance himself. As he held Ayara in his arms, it was hard not to think of raining holy fire down on every evil man who would hurt her. He found himself thinking of Origin, lying in a secret, hidden place, far away. He pushed the thought away. That blade could do no good.

"We'll go soon. Not tonight. Our young companion is too tired to do much of anything, I think." He wrapped an arm around Ayara's shoulder and smiled. He pushed those dark thoughts out of his head, and focused on the good things in life. He focused on the fact that his daughter had never had to deal with anything like that. She'd had to deal with her own nightmares, of course, but Rwaht would protect her from what he could. Though he did sometimes wonder if he protected her too much. It was painfully obvious that Ayara knew next to nothing about the world outside of their small camps and caves. "Thank you, Ayara. I know you don't like being around people, but ... give this one a chance. She seems sincere. One day, I won't be around to keep you safe all the time. And I'd hate to think that you'd be alone forever. You deserve to have companions, friends, and ... well, you deserve better than loneliness." Rwaht didn't want to admit the possibility that Ayara might ever get romantically involved with someone, but ... it was probably going to be a reality sometime soon. She was at that age--hell, Rwaht had done much more by the time he'd been sixteen--and whether or not her unique biology changed her adolescence remained to be seen.

"Promise me to try, Ayara. I just hate the idea that you'll be alone when I die," Rwaht said softly. His voice was as emotional as it could get, which wasn't very much, but Ayara would know the difference. She was the only person alive who really knew him.

[Ayara]

Rwaht was more emotional than Ayara had ever seen him. It scared her. It scared her to the bone. She didn't want to think about these things, about what she'd do when Rwaht died, about Rwaht dying at all. "Don't say that. Please. I'll try. I promise I'll try. Just don't leave me."

She leaned into him, holding on for dear life, trembling and feeling more helpless than she had in a long time. She was just a little blind freak and he was all she had in this world. She was so alone she wanted to cry.

She would try. She would try very hard. "But how do I do it? I don't know how to talk to someone like her. She's so... exaggerated. What should I do?"

[[Last post in the thread but not really an EXIT so more like a FIN or a FADE OUT or possibly a THAT'S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES]]

[rwaht]

x x

Path of Honour

Rwaht wasn't sure what to say.

When he thought of telling his daughter what he suspected, what he feared ... for the only time in his life, his courage failed him. He couldn't bring himself to let her know what might happen, and happen soon ... perhaps that was why he was so eager to embrace the idea of another companion travelling with them, whereas before he would absolutely reject the idea. He recognized, too, that he had raised Ayara in far too closed an environment, and had perhaps done her as much harm as good. At the time, he hadn't known how else to protect her from the harsh, cruel world. Perhaps he had too readily seen his wife's weakness in the faces of others.

"Don't worry about doing something right or wrong, Ayara. If she's really worthy of your friendship, she'll be happy with you being simply who you are. Certainly, I am. You are the most amazing person in this world, Ayara," Rwaht said, hugging his daughter one last time. He stood up and looked at the moon. "And I will always love you."

[FIN]