Time heals all wounds or so they say.
Druig felt at peace with his choice, eventually. The anger turned numb and he created a safe space for those that followed. It was only after a human girl stumbled upon the secret society after escaping a broken...
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The sudden darkness enveloping Gabriella as she found the moon sit motionless behind her, made her nervous. Feeling Druig standing close behind, he gently squeezes her hand to express his confidence in her and to urge her to push on deeper into the shadows. The echo's of shuffling feet mixed with the muffled sounds of wind in the trees outside, broke the silence as Gabriella focused on her breathing. A small sigh mixed with frustration and uneasiness, escaping her lips let Druig know she was anxious.
"How much further do we have," Gabriella suddenly questions, her words much louder than she meant as she stretched her free hand nervously before her, "and really, must we walk in the dark?"
"Isn't it more exciting in the dark?" Druig's voice filled with sarcasm as it bounces off the walls, his free hand finding her shoulder as Gabriella rolls her eyes, "Besides, we don't have much further to go."
"Exciting? How is walking in a dark tunnel, exciting?" She continues her questions slowing to a halt as Druig follows her movements so he doesn't run into her, "what should I be feeling for a door? A hole? Are you sure there isn't another cliff or ledge? Could I fall?"
"Gabriella calm yourself," Druig whispers with a chuckle moving closer to her, feeling her tremble slightly as she felt his breath on her neck, "I've travelled this many times, you are safe. You'll start to see a faint glow soon, once you see it, move towards it."
"So that's it? Straight line? Just continue forward?"
"Yes," Druig replies softly as he gently pushes her to continue once more, "don't worry, I'm here, so nothing will happen. Trust me."
"I do."
Not feeling very confident despite Druig's best attempt at reassuring her, Gabriella slowly continued forward. The path felt endless as the earthy aroma from the forest was replaced by stale air and wet stone, the walls damp with what she hoped was water. Gabriella was surprised that the path seemed clear as they moved through the tunnel, only shifting rocks from time to time. Druig mentioned that he used to travel to this place often but from the time she found the compound, it seemed like he barely visited it.
"Druig," Gabriella utters through the dark as her steps became more confident, the less she thought about where she was, Druig humming in response, "why did you stop? If you cared so deeply about it and made it's location so secret, why did no longer visit this place?"
"This place, used to be somewhere I could hide," Druig's voice sounded distant as if he was once again thinking of a past memory, "but that changed when you arrived. I didn't feel the need to hide, to run away."
"It's because of me?"
"Don't make it sound so bad," Druig responds with a chuckle as Gabriella glances down to where her feet would be if they were not covered by darkness, "I just meant, because of you I felt whole again. I didn't feel like I had to be alone."
