Under The Full Moon

Worried Soul

Broin and Gale returned to the fire after a little while, Broin holding Gale's hand gently in his own. Sitting down beside Toby, Broin let go of Gale's hand and softly brushed his fingers over her hair. Smiling a little, Gale could feel the blush returning to her cheeks. Toby chuckled some, returning his attention to the venison he had been preparing over the fire. "Breakfast should be ready soon," Toby spoke up after a few minutes of silence. Gale nodded, shifting a little to fold her legs beneath her. She brushed some of her hair back behind her ear, a soft sigh leaving her lips. Broin didn't say anything, but he could tell that something was on her mind and he was sure he knew what exactly it was that was bothering her. 

He reached out and rested a hand softly against her back, the young woman turning her head to look at him some from the hair that had once more slid from behind her ear and over her face. Broin moved his hand from her back to try to return it to its place. "I think it's going to be alright. Here, let me see if there is any way to take it off," He said, shifting a little to move. Seating himself behind Gale, he waited until she had pulled her hair forward over her shoulder to begin inspecting the collar. He ran his fingers over the smooth gold, trying to find a clasp or a space to insert some kind of object to release it. When he found none, he frowned heavily. Gale, noticing his inspections had stopped, turned a little to look at him over her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" She asked, a worried tone to her voice. Broin shook his head. 

"I can't find any way we would be able to take it off physically," Broin sounded annoyed with this fact, his expression giving this away as well. He ran a hand back through his hair as he sat back. Gale turned around to face him, her expression becoming more worried by the second. 

"Broin... if this can't come off..." She started, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't..." She whispered, looking away from him. Broin furrowed his brow a little before he sat forward again and reached out to her. Drawing Gale into his arms, he spoke softly to her.

"We will find a way, Gale. We went through all of this to get where we are now, it will be alright," Broin rubbed her back tenderly as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. He stared into the fire as he rested his chin on Gale's head. He was certain there was a way to take it off, but it might have to be something Wysteria did. Closing his eyes, he nested his face against the side of Gale's head, taking in the soft scents of the young woman before he sighed. The two stayed this way for a few moments before Toby cleared his throat. He hadn't heard much of what was said, but he had seen Broin looking over the collar. 

"Breakfast is ready if the two of you are hungry," Toby informed the two, though he himself hadn't yet eaten anything. He had gone to tending the soldiers and villagers that were still hurting from the battle, taking the ones that could still eat at the time, their breakfast. Broin looked at the prepared venison, then back to Gale. She had been lost in thought, her gaze off to her right. The far-away look on her face made him worry for her. 

"Gale, do you want something to eat?" He asked her, though she shook her head a little. Broin shifted in a way that made Gale sit up from where she had been rested against his chest. when she looked up at him, he met her eyes with his. "You need to eat. If we are going to figure out how to get this thing off of you, you need to be able to keep up your strength. I don't want to see you suffer more than you already have," Gale didn't respond for a moment or two before turning her gaze away from his. "Gale?" 

"Alright," Gale responded, her voice barely a whisper. Broin watched her before he moved to get her some of the venison. When he handed it to her, she didn't start to eat right away, seeming to contemplate the meat that she had been given before she finally began to eat. Broin didn't do so himself until he was sure she had eaten. Sitting down with his own after a minute, he began to eat as well. Once she was finished, Gale stood, Broin's gaze following her. She gave him a brief glance before she started toward the lake. He didn't move to follow her, wanting to give her a moment to herself. She knelt down to wash her face, cupping the water and bringing it up to run it over her skin, wanting to wash away the ill-feeling she was getting. The collar almost seemed to feel heavier, the burden of getting rid of it making her more aware of it being there. 

Once she had finished washing her hair, Gale sat back drawing her dress up to set her feet in the water. She looked up when she heard someone walking up to her. Wysteria offered her a gentle smile as she sat down beside her, placing her feet in the water as well as she made herself comfortable. "Broin said you would be out here," She said softly. Gale nodded once, looking back toward the water. 

"We were talking about the collar," She said softly, one hand subconsciously reaching up to rest on the large gem in the center. Wysteria's soft smile faded a little as she watched Gale. Gently, she reached to take Gale's hand in her own. The touch made her look to the young sorceress again. Neither of them said anything right away, Gale wasn't sure what exactly there was to say. 

"There has to be a way to take it off. My father has a reason for everything he did. Your collar, I'm assuming, was to control you. Since he is no longer here, and the staff was destroyed, that control no longer exists," Wysteria finally began to speak after a few minutes, placing her free hand over Gale's as she held her hand lightly in her own. Gale felt a little bit of weight lift off her shoulders at hearing this, though it wasn't really enough to completely comfort her. 

"Is it possible that it will make me change? That is what worries me the most..." Gale flicked her gaze back to the water. "I don't want to be home and have them chase me out because..." She stopped herself there, closing her eyes. Wysteria shook her head. 

"I don't think so. However, Broin mentioned you staying in his village with your father until we know for sure. I think that might be a wise choice. I don't want to say it's not possible and see you go home to suffer that fate. However, I do have doubts that it will happen," Wysteria's voice was soft, comforting, though Gale didn't really feel comfortable. She simply nodded, leaning to rest her head against Wysteria's shoulder, closing her eyes. Wysteria set an arm around the young woman, rubbing her arm softly. She wished there was more she could say to settle her mind, though she knew it wasn't exactly that easy. Gale was under a lot of pressure. She wanted to go home, and with the unknown surrounding the collar, she could understand why it worried the girl so much. Watching the water, Wysteria began to try to think of what it might have been that had made the collar as it was.