[closed] it's not the long walk home that will change this heart

[onlyhymns]

WHO: Cade, Nari, a healer at the end (Sam?)
WHAT: a camping trip turned awkward family reunion
WHEN: sometime in Guardian w/e
WHERE: the easternmost edge of the Planasene forest
NOTES: warning for violence, discussion of self-harm and sexual abuse of a child

Between the flu, the fire, and Kit's passing, things have been rough lately. One of the few boons of Cade's excommunication from the Templars has been an abundance of freedom, with which, until recently, he had no idea what to do.
But sometimes one just needs to get out of the city. Not on a special mission or anything serious, just a little hunting trip, a pocket of time spent in the quiet isolation of nature. It's the one thing he missed from his time in the Hinterlands, and perhaps it's time to do it again.

Nari is invited, for her particular losses, and for her help throughout the flu. She looked out for him, and he's worried what she might do if left alone in the wake of her grief. Perhaps it's best if they both remove themselves for a while.

In separate tents, of course.

It's on the edge of the Planasene where they finally make a less temporary camp, setting up to stay for a few days by a small creek in a grove well-insulated from the still sharp winter winds. It's early morning, and the horses are lazing tethered to a tree, content to spend the day eating grass and rolling in whatever dust is nearby.
Cade is preparing for the day, sitting by the fire and sharpening his arrows, waiting for Nari to join him so they can cast out.

Comments

[nadasharillen]

Nari snorts a laugh through her nose at the jest and tugs the chair she's leaning on around so she can rest her arm on it, her head on her arm, content to relax now that danger's past.

"What about you, Sam?" she asks, peering up at him seriously, "How are you holding up?"

[samahl]

Cyril happens to come back home at this moment so the front door opens and he enters. He usually seeks out Sam when he comes home to see what the mage is doing, and this time he happens upon this interesting scene.

He pauses, looks between Nari and Sam, and then to Cade who is very unconscious.

He puts down his bag. "What happened and how I can help?" he asks. It looks like Sam is already got things handled but he still doesn't want to be a bother. Even if helping is staying out of the way, he wants to do what he can.

[el_tybs]

"How am I doing?" he repeats, letting out a huff as he considers that. He supposes the last time they had talked there was lightning crashing down and shocking them. Fun times. "I'm-"

The thought is lost though when the door opens, and judging by how easily it had mean that it was Cyril. Sam sort of freezes where he is as his lover comes walking onto the scene, not sure how he's going to take it.

Well it seems.

"We'll need to make a place for Cade to sleep?" Probably down here where it would be easier to get to the washroom and not having to worry about Cade falling down stairs if he managed to get up on his own at some point. As for 'what happened', Sam looks at Nari on that.

[nadasharillen]

Nari, for her part, looks up at Cyril with a weary half-smile and the same ‘I give up’ look on her face that she graced Sam with earlier, wonders how many more times she’ll have to say: “One of your new clanmates, who is now no longer your clanmate—albeit not because she got at a shem’len—shot him twice. He’s okay. Or he will be. Just needs rest.” And then, somehow both genuine and droll, “Thank you for your hospitality, lethallin.”

Shifting to look back at Sam, she says “I’m sure the cot would be fine. We could move him to the couch now that he’s not like to bleed on it, but that’d mean waking him up, and I’d soon as let him sleep. He’s had a couple of days.”

So had she, to a far lesser degree, but Nahariel wasn’t in the business of caring for herself.

[samahl]

Cyril comes closer and puts a hand on Nari's shoulder, trying to give her some comfort. He has a lot of questions but he doesn't voice them just yet. He also bites back the knee jerk reaction to point out that he isn't sure he has a clan anymore. He doesn't want to make this about him. Instead, he makes sure she's uninjured and looks between them again.

"If he wakes and can be brought upstairs, he can have my bed." A pause. "Though I'm not sure how comfortable with that he will be."

[el_tybs]

Sam sighs and rubs the back of his neck as he considers their current situation.

"We'll keep him on the cot for now and let him sleep. Eventually we can move him to the couch where it's more comfortable; it's warmer here by the fire. If he ends up needing to stay here for an extended stay... we'll figure the bed situation at that point based on Cade's comfort level." In general Cade might not be comfortable with either of their beds.

"And what about you, Nari?" he asks. "We have space if you want to stay."

[nadasharillen]

Nari angles her head to touch Cyril’s hand with her cheek to acknowledge the comforting gesture. “I’m... I’ll be fine here,” she says. From the floor. “I can sleep anywhere,” she continues, twisting slightly where she is to stretch. “A gift. Isen used to make fun of me.”

Sam and Cyril seemed the type to insist on further hospitality, however, which meant that her attempt to be less trouble would cause more consternation than she’d like, so she casts her eyes around the room. “If you’ve an extra blanket I’ll take the couch.”

[samahl]

Cyril raises his brow a bit, though it's a teasing gesture more than anything. "Would you be uncomfortable in my bed too? I promised I washed the sheets."

He isn't going to push more than that, though, and the comment is more lightly than stern. He knows Nari probably wants to stay close to her friend.

[el_tybs]

Well he had meant if she wanted to stay in the house in general seeing as he wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to her own residence or anything. But it sounded that she had already planned on staying while Cade was present, which was fine.

He knows what Cyril says is only meant as a tease, but something about it seems to remind Sam of something. "... I do have an extra mattress that we could bring down as well."

[nadasharillen]

“I don’t have the willpower to fight the both of you,” Nari chuckles, sitting up and raising her hands in good-humored surrender, “put me where you like, as long as I’m—” a brief pause, as she purses her lips, scolding herself inwardly. He doesn’t belong to you, Nahariel. Any friendly face is as good as yours. “—as long as someone’s here, in case he wakes up in the middle of the night somewhere unfamiliar.”

Something was at her like a sore tooth; and like a sore tooth the more she poked at it, the stranger it felt. Maybe she should sleep somewhere else.

“...I’ll take your offer then, Cy. Since you cleaned especially for me,” she says, the corner of her mouth twitching up.

[samahl]

Cyril nods at that, offering her a comforting smile. "Why don't we let Sam take care of Cade and you and I can go check out my room? See if there is anything else you need for it?

[el_tybs]

Looks like he was getting volunteered, but it made sense; he was the healer. That and he supposed Cyril had questions for Nari.

"Sure. Guess I'll watch him for a while."