[2] WEEPING MONK║you're not what I was looking for

45| Silver and Gold - 𝐈

═ 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥 ═

Squirrel's persistence could land Lancelot in trouble if he takes a risk, and Ari's suspicions towards a particular Fey rise.

❖
thought I couldn't want you more than I did before
but every day I love you a little bit more
❖

The next few days dragged on and the fear for attack settled in the murky air, unrelenting overcast clouds offering no sunlight to brighten the forest. The whole camp felt like they were lying in wait for whatever was to come. Nobody knew what or where or how many, just that nothing about the shadows in the evening and early morn felt right. Ari did not pull back their people from the edges of the forest, more and more stepping forwards and volunteering for the outlook shifts. She herself was out there most of the time and Lancelot was growing increasingly worried about her. Each time that he saw her there was a greater darkness beneath her eyes than there was the hour before. He would not ask her to stop her own alertness, he knew that he could not ask her to when these were her people that she was protecting. But he knew that she was not sleeping like she used to. The one time that he had practically begged her to take some rest was the convenient moment when one of the Fawn scouts bounded into the camp saying that something had been spotted moving across the glen, and Ari, stepping out of herself and into her crown, did not head his word and left on her horse. He gathered Goliath from the paddock and followed too, only to find that the brief alarm had been of no consequence. It was not Paladins on their horizon but simply an honest farmer and his small family who had come seeking shelter.

The Red Spear made few appearances out of her corner of the camp. Healers had worked their magic and saved most of the raiders who had returned with the more threatening injuries, and only two succumbed to meeting their Gods. The unfortunate were given a burial, a ceremonial pyre within an unused part of the forest. Ari attended to pay her respects but that was all, for her friend was refusing to meet her eye and she knew exactly why. They had not spoken to each other since that night. Waiting for the raider to come to her was the road that Ari was taking but it was proving long, and she was close to giving up. But whilst there was still a questionable doubt as to the forest's safety, she pushed their grievance to the back of her mind, only able to deal with one problem at a time.

~•~

"Please Lancelot?" The boy begged, making tracks where he paced back and forth before the Ash man perched on an upturned log outside of the armoury, which seemed to be his new domain.

There were more than enough people milling about as usual around him this morning. The chill in the air did not give in and the forest was faced with another cold day. Many were most likely moving around just to keep themselves warm but Lancelot was used to the harshness of winter.