[1] WEEPING MONK // you're not what I was looking for

34| Brothers {Part Three}

[TW// mild grief/retrospective grief]

Lancelot is reunited with someone thoroughly unexpected from his past. Ari also receives something quite unforeseen.

Ari walked through the camp quietly, observing the humans and the Fey and how they interacted at peace with one another in a way that had not occurred for decades. The day had been dry and many were out laughing, eating and drinking around their campfires. Her eyes cast over to a smaller fire at the edge of the clearing, and it was there where she saw Lancelot and Hector talking... calmly. Hector's hand stretched out to his brother's shoulder as Lancelot bent forwards to rest over his knees. She stopped her feet and watched them for a moment, how their faces looked similar under the light of the flickering embers as they spoke to one another. The resemblance wasn't too strong but Ari knew Lancelot well enough to see it. It was in their eyes, their hair, the colour of their markings. Lancelot broke into a timid and stifled chuckle at something that Hector said and Hector smiled in return. The strings of Ari's heart danced as she watched the pair together. The man that she wanted so desperately to hold in her arms was finally finding a little peace.

"I have seen how he cares for you," The Red Spear bent over her shoulder unexpectedly and whispered to her ear.

Ari twisted, surprised by the sudden brokenness of her reverence. "Who?" Her face shifted away from her smile, feigning ignorance.

The Red Spear came around to in front of her, tilting her head towards the side of the clearing, "The monk."

Ari rolled her eyes, brushing it off. The woman was not wrong, but she didn't need to know that.

"He's handsome," Red deadpanned, turning her back to the large fire pit that they were stood relatively close to. She examined the Fey queen, watching for if her strong demeanour would crack under pressure.

Ari huffed, "Don't tell him that, he might burst into flames," she joked. She remembered his blush which hadn't gone unnoticed as she told him to not listen to Squirrel's remark regarding his looks the day before. Ari brought the half cup of wine she was grasping up to her lips, turning herself so that her back was partially to the fire pit as well, one eye keeping on Lancelot and his brother in the corner.

The Red spear laughed, "So you do not disagree?" She asked inquisitively as her head cocked, something of a wry grin making its way onto her face.

Ari glared at the raider from over the rim of the cup. They had not spoken much, and their first meeting hadn't exactly been warm, but she saw something of herself in the woman, so she played along. Ari agreed, definitely agreed... but again, the raider did not need to know that. She started to wonder where this line of inquest was going and it must have shown on her face when she lowered the wine cup down.

The raider laughed again at her look, "Do not worry. I am not interested, you can keep him." Ari rolled her eyes slowly, keeping silent and bringing the cup back up for another sip. "But," the woman leaned closer to her, their shoulders almost bumping, "I wouldn't mind hearing the details."