The Bonds That Tie Us

It was the crystal Ara had been holding when Isaac had first found her. He had forgotten all about it. Isaac reached out to take it carefully, transfixed by the gentle glow. "Thank you," he said sincerely. He remembered how protective Ara had been over the crystal earlier that day. She mush have been loathe to release it, and the realization of how much she trusted him made something tighten in his stomach.

"What, uh, what is this, if you don't mind me asking?" There must have been some sort of magic involved, and not only because of the crystal's strange glow. As Isaac took it, he felt more at peace, like the world was coming into balance. Where had Ara even gotten this? She said she had only been released a few days prior, but there was no way she would have been allowed a source of magic or a source of comfort like this during her captivity.
 
That was a tough question and not just because she honestly had no idea what this glowing object was. Her sister had left it out for her before she left but... was she ready to tell him about her sister? He would think her so childish, running away like a stubborn teenager. It wasn't like that, Ara knew her sister didn't want her around, she was just a burden to her. Although if this stranger found it in him to care for her, perhaps her sister also simply cared, and not because she had to. It couldn't be so, because if it was, Ara would have to feel the wait of guilt for leaving a sister who simply loved her. Who was happy to have the last of her family returned to her.

...Perhaps she was just a reckless, selfish child.
And maybe she owed the truth to Isaac, who cared, who stuck with her knowing what she was.
"I-erm... I don't know what it is." She said finally, breathing in some much needed air and fiddling with her scarf, "I took it... I was- my sister, she left it and I took it with me..."
Ara knew she had chickened out. It wasn't a lie, but there was no telling information there as long as he didn't push. For all he knew she took it from their childhood home. She'd tell him, she would. It was late now though, it could wait. It wasn't important and they needed rest and really, he didn't need to know and it was her life, not his and there was plenty of time to tell him. The excuses raced through her head calming her conscience.
 
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Isaac nodded, accepting the answer even though he still didn't understand. So the stone had been her sister's, it made sense it would be important to Ara. How had she managed to hold onto it for all those years locked away, though? That was magic in itself. Surely the Mage Towers offered little privacy, much less a place to hide magical contraband. And what had happened to Ara's sister in the first place, that she 'left' the stone? No, Isaac stopped himself there. Ara didn't need an interrogation from him about things likely left buried years before. She had shown him a kindness, and he would not repay it by forcing her to reopen old wounds any more than he already had. "Thank you," he repeated, clutching the stone tight as Ara settled in to sleep.

What was it like, he wondered as he sat his watch, having a real sibling? The way Ara spoke of her sister, Isaac could tell their relationship had been different from his with Carson in a million ways. Carson had never been a brother to him in anything more than name. Isaac tried to remind himself that he had seen this coming, he had prepared, he had been ready for it. It didn't take away the sting of his only remaining family betraying him the first chance they got.

Looking over at Anna to be sure she was asleep, Isaac rubbed his face tiredly. His eyes were stinging like he was about to cry, but all he felt inside was empty, drained from the emotional and physical demands of the day. He felt like a child again, insecure and lost, scared out of his mind. He wanted Pa.

That was the thought that broke him. He wanted Pa. He wanted to be held close and have his back rubbed and be told everything was going to be alright. Isaac bit down on his fist to keep quiet even as he allowed himself a moment of tears. It wouldn't do to make noise that would draw attention to their hiding place, or to wake Ara early. There was no shame in his grief, Isaac knew, that wasn't the issue. But he didn't want to force Ara to comfort him. She had enough to worry about, he didn't want to add to it.
 
Valerie could feel the sweat dripping down her brow, the salty droplets of perspiration doing nothing to cool the flustered heat which had made her face a bright rosy hue. She had been running for what felt like hours through the tunnels few knew about below the city, her heart beating wildly against her ribcage from the fear and adrenaline pumping through her. She was gasping for breath, her thoughts a jumble of confusion and chaos while the torch in her hand flickered wildly, casting it's orange light against the stone walls.

She had to stop, her lungs feeling like they would pop if she didn't wait a moment to take in some breaths. It was a mistake for her to do this since her mind flashed back to how she had gotten here, crawling around in the dark like a mole.

"Go, now, quickly.... You need to escape or we're all doomed. There has to be at least one left. If you can get through this then there's hope for the future. Get through the tunnels, then go into hiding after fleeing through the forest..." Atylis had said, withdrawing his sword and stopping at the tunnel entrance. "But... what about you? I can't do this alone!" She had protested, urging her tutor, mentor and protector to follow her. He had been with her all her life since her parents had died, the male named her guardian once her elemental skills were fully discovered shortly before her mother and father had passed. "You're ready, Valerie. As long as you live after this, then I can die victorious and at peace."

The enemy troop's running steps were getting closer, their swords and other weapons already covered in the blood of other nobles.

Atylis urged her on, looking at her sternly but with a glossy loyalty shining in his eyes. "Go on now. Keep alive and keep your nobility mark wrapped around your forearm hidden. I hope that the moon and sun goddesses keep you safe in their light." The tears were already streaming down Valerie's face when the old man touched his vaguely wrinkled forehead to hers, a traditional greeting and farewell among her people. "Stay safe, Val." He said, his own eyes teary as he turned to face the oncoming troops that were coming for her.

She had fled, fighting her desire to stand and fight with the old man. She knew he was dead by now, even if she didn't want to believe it.

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Valerie looked back to the steed she had purchased with some scraps of gold she had earned, not wanting to part with her elven currency just yet. The girl hated losing anything that reminded her of the home she had left behind. She was waiting outside in a short queue, standing behind a line of people wanting to be allowed entrance over the border before het designates by a tall fence. She was nervous although tried to hide it as well as she could... flying under the radar meant keeping her people's hope of a peaceful future alive.

It had been weeks since that tragic parting, the world outside of the elven kingdoms a little bit different and stranger to how Valerie had imagined it to be. Definitely more lonely and troublesome too. Her scratchy cloak hood was drawn up over her head and her sleeves pulled down to her wrists to hide the nobility mark, the constant tugging down of the material near her wrists being a habit she had formed. She didn't know where enemy spies could be and didn't want to slip up after her mentor's sacrifice.

The memory of Atylis sent a sudden pang through her chest, the pain of his death quickly followed by a lust for revenge. She pushed these thoughts aside though, not wanting the scowl she was sure had formed on her delicate features to influence the border guards decision. She knew that she would need to find illegal means of crossing into Braedon if she was rejected entry, but this would cause her more problems and unwanted attention than necessary.

It was almost her turn, the Lorrite before her stepping forward confidently to have their traveling manifesto analysed and themselves inspected. Her stomach was already twisting into knots, the desert in her throat making Valerie feel like her voice would crack when she tried to speak.
 
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Feeling relieved that Isaac didn't push for more to the tale, Ara curled into a ball, ready for sleep to claim her. Once she was sure Isaac's attention was elsewhere she reached into her satchel once again, pulling out an small mangled doll, very clearly old and well used. She held it close to her, making sure it could not be seen. She knew she was too old to feel attached to a doll, the guards had often mocked her for it but they allowed her this one grace. Not that they hadn't tried to take it from her when they first discovered she had managed to smuggle it in, after her reaction though, they did not risk it again.

As Ara drifted off, she found herself reliving memories she refused to remember while awake.
The flames surrounded her as the screams tore through her throat. She could hear people calling to her, trying to calm her, to wake her of this nightmare but she couldn't break out, and the heat felt too real, it hurt. She could hear their screams, then the shouts of others joining the commotion. When her eyes finally shot open the flames refused to leave with the disappearing images of her nightmare. They were not just of dream but reality and she had fueled them. Her head spun and she could barely see, barely think. Fear still fueling her magic. She wanted this to stop, wanted her Mother, wanted reassurance, she wanted to be held. When arms did find her, they were anything but gentle. They were strong rough and unfamiliar. Ara struggled in them, her magic bursting uncontrolled, unable to be channeled in a helpful way. Glass shattered and flames rose but the man remained firm. Ara clutched the doll she had been sleeping with, unwilling to let go of this last bit of comfort.
"She is a Devil child! Take her!"
The familiar, cold voice of her father shook her and she saw a quick flash of his hard eyes from across the room before there was a painful crack on the back of her head and she saw nothing.

Images followed then, this time not spawned from memories. An adult Elise lay on her bed in the apartment Ara had run from. The
apartment itself was a mess but Lis seemed even more so. She looked exhausted and miserable, her eyes locked on an emerald ring... The ring Ara had left.
The image changed and she saw her sister forcing her fist hard into a counter while yelling at an old Halfling lady.
Then she saw Lis frantically searching the streets of Braedon calling Ara's name, she looked panicked and desperate.

When Ara finally awoke it was with a gasp for air. She sat bolt upright trying to remember where she was.
 
A few hours into his watch, Isaac saw Ara shifting restlessly in her sleep. She seemed to be muttering something, though he couldn't make out what it was. Should he wake her? He had never been in this situation before and wasn't sure what to do. When Ara let out a truly pained-sounding noise, he could no longer sit by and watch. Awake or asleep, he couldn't simply ignore his friend's suffering.

His decision made, Isaac tried to lay a gentle hand on Ara's arm, only to be hit away as she started to struggle. That had been a fantastic idea, he berated himself, especially knowing her history. He rubbed his jaw where she had made contact, backing off to give her as much freedom as he could in the cramped space. "Ara- Ara!"

At his hushed but urgent call, Ara awoke, scrambling up so fast Isaac was glad he had given her room or he might have been hit again. "Ara, it's okay. It was a dream, it wasn't real. You're safe." He hesitantly reached out to press her crystal back into her palm, closing her fingers around it. The stone was still warm from his own body heat, and he hoped it would help ground her as he'd seen it in the past. "You're safe," he repeated again, quieter this time.
 
Ara felt herself calm somewhat, the thrum of the crystal placed in her hand, doing wonders for her nerves. It was a dream, Isaac was here, they were safe for now.
She felt her breathing slow and her heart quieten. The images were simply formed from an anxious mind. Her sister couldn't be that desperate to find her, surely. Still, she couldn't help but feel guilty. The images had felt strange and unlike a normal dream. They were vivid and felt... alive.

Turning her attention to Isaac who had been watching her, she attempted to shove her small doll discreetly back into her satchel.
"I'm sorry." She blushed.
How childish to have woken up from a nightmare. Then again, perhaps she should simply be grateful that she hadn't burnt them both alive in her sleep. Thanks to whatever the Mage Hunters had done to her to stop her magic, no harm had been done.
Still, she couldn't forget the images of her forlorn sister nor the terrible night she was taken.
"Is it my turn to keep watch?
She knew from experience she wouldn't be able to find sleep again that night.
 
"It's no bother, you didn't wake me." Isaac made a small joke of the unnecessary apology, hoping to set Ara more at ease. He hated that she seemed to feel the need to walk on eggshells around him, but he knew it couldn't be helped. "I was going to give you another hour or so," he added, to answer her question. "Are you alright? That looked like some dream."

When Isaac had been a child, he had had awful nightmares, ones that woke him up screaming nearly every night. Now, he couldn't remember them hardly at all, but he knew there had been fire and screaming. And he knew that in the dream, it had all been his fault. His Pa had always seemed to be there right when Isaac had needed him, a constant to ground him to the world when everything fell apart. All Ara had was Isaac, and he didn't think he could compare. Isaac silenced the cruel voice in his head that reminded him Pa was gone, and all he had was Ara.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Isaac asked, pulling out his waterskin once more and offering it to Ara. "You don't have to, but sometimes it helps."
 
Ara remembered her Mother telling her similar things as a child, and it used to help calm her and her magic to speak softly about her dreams as her mother soothed her. Maybe she should speak to Isaac, he seemed genuinely willing to help her and Ara wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon.
They sat in silence for a fair time before Ara finally found the courage to speak.
"I was dreaming of the night I was taken." She said softly, barely loud enough to hear, "I had a nightmare when I was 8 and... I couldn't control my magic. Everything was on fire and my Father, he called the Mage Hunters."
She paused again then, deciding that there was no use for secrets anymore, he was all she had now and it felt so good just to speak aloud.
"I told you my house burnt down, well, that was me. I'm a monster, or else I have a monster inside me, I don't know, but my mother tried to stop them and.. they killed her."
She couldn't help the tears from flowing as she brushed angrily at her cheeks.
"I didn't know, I didn't know what happened to any of them until I came home to our ruined house. I just wanted life to go back, but it can't, even if she wants it to."
Ara's eyes were glued the the glow of the crystal barely aware of Isaac anymore.
 
While the investigation had started well it had quickly deteriorated into an exercise in futility. The first of the possible suspects was nigh impossible to find. No known associates of substance, no known locations or haunts, nothing except a drawing and a few unsolved crimes attributed to the ghostly individual. Normally he'd have dismissed her as a suspect considering such a careful individual would not be so careless but there was something about his theory that had resonated within himself.

The more Stavros thought about it the more he found it odd that a young girl, a known Mage with crimes in her name, would be released so suddenly without clear reason. It was against protocol and more so considered Braedon's Chapter was know to be particularly harsh on Mages. In short it didn't add up. The questions he had posed to sentinels and Mage Hunters in the Tower had provided limited descriptions and a vague idea of the young girl. Left with few options the Mage Hunters had set on questioning the guards posted at gate houses to see if any had seen the released Mage, this would at least indicate weither the girl had left tow or not, if she did her sister would certainly not be in the city... Or so Stavros deduced.

*******

After glancing somewhat lazily at the documents of the traveler in front of Valerie the city clerk informed the man of some additional taxation on his merchandise as he was not affiliated with any known Guilds within the city limits. The discussion raised was for naught and eventually the man payed his dues and was allowed entry into the city, cursing at the bureaucratic nonsense that had the city in its grip.

The clerk then took a note on his piece of paper and nodded to the guards assisting in his duty, one of the armored humans yelled loudly. "Next!!!" he then looked at the lithe elven woman and waved her over with some urgency. "That means you luv, come on we don't Ave all larkin day..."

The clerk was a thin man with a long gaunt face and receding hairline, a pair of spectacles resting on his long hawk like nose. His bland robes were immaculately kept but entirely bereft of any fantasy or embellishment that would make the human more approachable. The man looked up with a jaded expression at the elves maiden, giving her the same range of attention he would a concrete wall. He inhaled and delivered his well rehearsed and routine declaration and inquiry in one breath as he did hundreds of times before. His voice was a monotone colorless tone that lacked any form of charm or emotion

[Clerk] "You are about to enter the City Limits of Braedon under rulership of Baron Vetrius Furtensthäl III, please present any and all documentation of identity or titles, all permits of travel, commerce or magic must be presented at this point to be given validity and thus be recognised by local authorities.... "

The clerk gave a miserable sigh and looked up at Valerie expectingly. .. Well, somewhat...
 
As Ara poured out her story, Isaac listened without interrupting, wishing he had some way to make things better. He wanted to offer comfort, but he wasn't entirely sure it was in his power to do so. Any action on his part might make an already bad situation worse. Then again, though, would Ara think he was rejecting her if he didn't reach out? He decided to put a gentle hand on her knee, silently showing his support as she continued to talk.

What had Ara meant by that last comment? 'Even if she wants it to.' Who was 'she?' Isaac didn't think Ara had meant to let that slip out. She seemed out of it, not entirely aware of what she was saying. He would ask about that later, though. For now, there was something bigger to address, if he could figure out how to say it.

"You aren't a monster," he finally said, once it seemed like Ara might actually hear his words. "I know I haven't known you long, but I can promise you, you aren't a monster. What makes someone truly evil is the choice to hurt others, and you never made that choice." His grip tightened slightly on her knee. "A monster is someone who locks a child in a tower to be tortured for something she can't control. Or someone who kills a mother for trying to spare her child years of hell. It's your choices that make you who you are, not a power you were born with or a mistake you made."

Isaac was sure he was rambling now, and he didn't know if anything he said was actually sinking in, but he kept going anyway. "Look... if you're a monster, I am, too, alright? I-I..." He gave a tight smile, pulling his hand away. "I killed my mother, too. When I was born. The midwives had never seen anything like it, everything seemed fine with the pregnancy up until the very end. Once they had delivered me, her heart just stopped. The only explanation I've ever been able to come up with is that it was because of me, because of my magic." Isaac took a moment to steady himself. He had never told anyone what he had guessed before, he never could. He hadn't planned on telling Ara, either, but in that moment, it seemed to be what she needed. "I have to believe we're okay," he said finally. "If I don't, I'll drive myself insane."
 
Ara was speechless. There was more still in common with this boy, but instead of feeling comforted she was filled with his sorrow. He had lost his mother and had being carrying the guilt for so long. Just to add insult to injury, he would now be blamed for the death of his Father as well. All he had left in the world was a brother who seemed to hold nothing but animosity towards him. At least she had a sister who didn't hate her. At least she had someone to return to if she was desperate. Again the images of her sister sad, alone and searching crossed her mind, but she shook it out before the guilt could take hold. The moment was not about her, this young man's family is gone and his life was changing before his eyes. Far too much for one person.
Completely at a loss of what to do or how to help and comfort, she shifted her body closer to him bit by bit before gently guiding his hands to join her hold on the crystal. It could have been her imagination but she would have sworn it was glowing just a little brighter under both their touch. Hesitantly, Ara rested her head on his shoulder, soaking in the comfort from him and hopefully offering some back in return.
"I don't think you killed her." She added simply
 
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@Scalerender

She was caught in her own world, thinking about possible escape routes when she was called forward by the stoic man with his stiff upper lip and unusual accent. Valerie looked to either side of her when the voice suddenly startled her, realizing that the man was talking to her. She gulped quietly, trying to hold her head high and confidently as she scuffled over to where the clerk was inspecting those wishing to cross the border.

As soon as she was close enough he began to harp on in a long, monotonous speech. She almost couldn't keep up, the female feeling her attention slipping away vaguely, until she heard the request for papers.

Her heart constricted slightly, the girl resisting the need to chew on her lower lip as she tried to remember if she had any of those things. She had never tried to cross the border...there had never had the need too with her never leaving her region. It was considered too great of a risk because of her elemental status among her people. The female tried to remain calm, clearing her throat to buy her some time while she thought about what to say.

Her magic. Was...was it not allowed here?

She sighed mentally, scowling and trying to not cuss. Atylis would have known how to handle this situation without a doubt and this was one of those times in the multiple times of the last few weeks that she longed for him to have been able to stay with her.

"I....I am a refugee. There was a coup in my region, I left in too much of a hurry to get the paperwork you require. Is there any sort of asylum I could seek perhaps? Some mercy that could be shown towards me? Once I get across, I'll come back with the items you need within a week. Unfortunately, my contacts who can help me get such things are inside Braedon." She was nervous about what they would say, her hands itching as her magic pulsed through her because of her nerves.
 
@MJK2431

The clerk watched her with dead eyes even as the guards flanking him seemed to be a little moved by the desperate plea of the fair maiden. With a sigh expressing his annoyance the clerk opened a ledger, wet his index finger with a flick of his tongue and leafed through a few parchments before taking out a document with a pre-written text and various seals, the document was designed so that both the literate and illiterate guards could recognise it according to the specific markings. He closed the ledger, moved it back to the side of his "desk" and readied his quilt pen next to the ink-vial. His voice came out monotone and even as usual, masking any and all emotion or sympathy he may or may not feel towards the young elven woman's plea.

[Clerk]"The Kingdom of Lorr has no dealings with unstable foreign nations, since you can not present any valid documentation I can write you a standard Declaration of Admission(**) which is given to foreign entities. This document is valid for one month and can be renewed at the end of every such period with additional taxation of 2 gold Deneer. Failure to pay this fee will result in an immediate retraction of your admission and you will be banished from the city limmits. The standard administrative fee for this document is 10 gold Deneer."

By the frowns and bloating of cheeks from the two guards the fee was quite steep, golden Deneer being the highest existing currency used in the kingdom. The clerk looked up at her from the document and for the first time seemed to actually "see" her. He frowned, eyes only half open as he sighed wearily once more.

[Clerk]"Any further declarations? If not then please pay the fee or offer goods of sufficient value....If you can not, leave..." The clerk interlocked his fingers and rested them on the surface of his desk, slightly bellow the document he had ready to fill in. The clerk made no mentioning of Magic or otherwise, his previous mentioning being the first Val had heard concerning the arcane arts in the region.

The two guards glanced at one other, one snorting a little as his glance travelled down at the clerk. The other one looking at Val and shrugging a little helplessly.

**(Making this up as I go, just bring it up in OOC chat if this is a problem)**The heavy taxation existed to allow foreign travellers into the city and earn greatly on their stay while also rejecting people unable to pay it and burden the city with their presence. The document was generally given to non humans and obvious foreigners, such designation completely up to the clerk writing it. Humans of the kingdom generally had some form of identification , written or otherwise (small wooden seal or such) to identify themselves as taxpaying subjects but not necessarily by name, only nobles carried written declarations of tittle.
 
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@AJPhips

"Maybe it wasn't." Isaac wasn't used to this much physical closeness to another human being. The slightly stifled feeling was much outweighed by the novelty of someone listening to what he had to say and caring that he said it at all. "But I can't prove that, not even to myself. If her body grew accustomed to my magic during the pregnancy, it could have been a shock to her system to finally deliver. And if it wasn't my powers, maybe it was whatever caused me to be born like this." He gestured slightly to his feeble legs. "Pa- Pa never treated me badly because of it. I know he loved me. But Carson blames me for Ma's death. It's one of the reasons he hates me so much."

Isaac closed his eyes. He hadn't expected it to be this exhausting talking about himself, but he felt stripped bare, emotionally drained. A part of him was glad to have let someone else in to his secrets, but at the moment, all he really wanted was sleep. He didn't think he had ever been this tired in his life. "Always wished I coulda been normal like him," he mumbled, already half asleep against Ara's side.

Before the darkness fully claimed him, though, Isaac remembered something that woke him up, at least enough for him to sit up and open his eyes. 'She.' In trying to console Ara and letting her in on more than he had initially meant to, he had forgotten about the strange comment. "Ara, wait, before I forget. You said something earlier, something like 'I can't go back, even if she wants me to.'" His gaze was intense and focused, sleep banished for the moment. "What did you mean by that?" He didn't dare to assume, but something about the longing way Ara had said the word made him think there was something he was missing, something he should know about.
 
@inkdragon

The shared moment didn't last and Ara's head jumped straight up at his question. Had she said that? She wasn't thinking straight, caught up in her nightmare. She had been opening up to Isaac but she hadn't meant to let that secret go yet. Still, he had opened up on his greatest fear, there was no way she could lie to his face now. Once again her heart began to speed up with anxiety. Why was it so hard to say it out loud? It should be a far easier thing to talk about than the death of her Mother and yet this seemed a far worse thing to admit. What did she fear exactly? He had already accepted her despite the fact she was a monster so surely he'd accept her decision to leave her sister. Perhaps she was just afraid that if she said it aloud, she'd feel the shame and guilt she had been holding back since she left.

"I didn't mean to say that." Ara admitted finally, "My sister isn't dead, she found me in the graveyard soon after I was released."
Ara didn't know how to explain her decision for leaving, she barely understood it herself anymore, but she'd try even if it was just to convince herself that it wasn't a terrible one.
"I couldn't stay, I'd just be a burden. She has a new life and she doesn't need me in it. I'm sure she'd resent me for taking it from her if I stayed."
She couldn't help the images swirling in her mind, reminding her that her decision may have been a foolish one.
"I dreamed of her too, she was searching for me." Ara's eyes were glued on the crystal, unwilling to make eye contact, "she looked so miserable. But I doubt that's true. She'd just be relieved."
 
@AJPhips

"Ara..." Isaac didn't know how to respond to the confession. He couldn't promise Ara her sister didn't see her as a burden, he didn't know the woman, and he knew better than anyone that blood did not equate to loyalty. Maybe Ara's sister blamed her for the accident that had torn their family apart, as Carson blamed Isaac. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

But Ara seemed to have no recognition of the kindness and love people could show each other. Would she have recognized it if she had seen it? Her sister could be frantically searching as they spoke, devastated to have regained a beloved family member only to lose her again immediately after their reunion. And if that was the case, Isaac couldn't in good conscience, take Ara with him to live the life of a fugitive beyond the borders of Lorr. Ara had officially been released, she herself had no reason to flee. If she had a real family here, she should stay, no matter how scared Isaac was to go on alone.

"When your sister found you, how did she react?" he asked, realizing he had let the silence stretch too long. He didn't want to make Ara think he was angry with her. "I don't mean this badly, Ara, but are you sure she wanted you gone? You don't trust people's kindness, and I understand why, but sometimes it is real. What did your sister do to make you think she wanted you gone? Did she say you were a burden, or was that something you decided yourself?"
 
@inkdragon

Ara's anger rose immediately in defence of her shame. He wasnt right. Ara wasn't a child and she could tell when she wasn't wanted.
She knew this would happen, she knew he would judge her.
"She did! She wanted me gone. She didn't say it but I could tell." She defended hotly, unwilling to admit that she may have been wrong.
"I'm a burden, I am."
Ara was almost pleading with him, avoiding his questions, to which she had no convincing answers to. There was a long pause and she risked a glance towards him. Isaac's face was filled with pity and doubt. He clearly was not convinced. She didn't want him to pity her, to think her too foolish to understand the world or to make decisions for herself.

"You don't understand!" She started again, much louder now, caught up with the whirlwind of stubborn emotions.

"I couldn't even tie my own shoes!"
Ara spoke this, as if it was the profound statement to convince him, the big confession and Ara's cheeks burned with shame accordingly.

She didn't want people to think they had to take care of her, as much as she longed for the childhood comfort of knowing someone was there to protect you and look after you. She was an adult and she couldn't force that burden on others. So much of her learning had ground to a halt at the age of 8. There was so much to learn that she had missed and it was humiliating to be an adult and yet be so unequiped for the world.
 
@AJPhips

Ara was getting loud, and Isaac couldn't help but glance around the grove nervously. He doubted anyone would happen to be there in the middle of the night, but if they were, the shouting would surely give them away. The more he tried to hush her, though, the angrier she grew, and eventually Isaac gave up and let her shout, though he winced visibly each time her voice rose.

"I don't understand?" he scoffed, much quieter than she had been but clearly incredulous. "Do you truly think I don't understand what it is to feel helpless? You can't tie shoes- I couldn't walk. I watched my family's farm go down the gutter and spiral into poverty, and I couldn't work the fields. I couldn't go out hunting with Carson and Pa. I could barely go from my room to the kitchen until Pa finally saved enough for a decent pair of crutches, and that took him years. Say what you will about me, Ara, but I understand being helpless. I'm not entirely stupid." He knew she hadn't been thinking when she spoke, but the words stung like ice water in his face.

The more defensive Ara grew, the more sure Isaac was that her decision had been borne not from necessity but from fear and shame. The idea hurt, on a number of levels. The unfairness of it all, the unnecessary heartache, the frustration of trying to talk to the woman beneath Ara's twisted worldview formed by years of captivity. More than anything, though, Isaac hated that he would have to go on alone. He had already factored Ara into his decisions, he was counting on having a partner for these lonely, dangerous weeks. Now, he had to rethink everything and go on alone. The idea made him feel sick, but this wasn't all about him. If Ara still had a real life here in Lorr, he wouldn't let her give it up so he could have the companionship he selfishly craved.

"I'm not trying to call you names or accuse you of anything," Isaac sighed, forcing himself to release the hurt and frustration of Ara's careless words. "And I know trust is hard for you, I know you don't see how anyone could care for someone like you. But Ara, don't you think your sister at least deserves a chance before you run from her to flee Lorr with a stranger? And an unregistered mage with a bounty on his head, at that. If you have a shot at a real life here, you should take it. Not for my sake, for yours. And your sister's."
 
@inkdragon

Ara felt the frustration and hurt radiating from him, and if it wasn't for her extreme stubborn nature she would have folded in an instant. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She hadn't been thinking. Of course he knew what it was to feel helpless. She hadn't meant to imply he didn't but in her careless words she and not only angered him but hurt him too. Maybe even with her power contained she was a monster...

Yet, her stubborn side refused to listen to his logic regarding home and the more he pushed the more she felt determined not to return to get sister. She could make her own decisions and some boy who barely knew her wasn't going to tell her what was best.
For once she was making her own decisions and going out into the world. Seeing more than just her backyard or the walls of a cell. Already she'd seen more of the world in the last day than she had seen in her whole life. She was fine on her own. She didn't need family and Lis had survived this long without her, she could survive this as well. After all, Elise hadn't exactly tried very hard to find her in the first place. She had been in Braedon the whole time Ara spent imprisoned and had never come, despite her pledge to protect her.
No, she would not change her mind. Not now.

Ara took the crystal into her lap and out of Isaac's, as if to make a point, pouting slightly.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, but you can't make me go back so I suggest you get some rest while I keep watch. "
 
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