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

55 | A Blind Eye - 𝐈

═ 𝘈 𝘉𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘺𝘦 ═

Ari makes a decision to follow her heart.

[TW// Moderate Panic. Mentions of injury, fire]

❖

hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone
engage with the pain as a motive

❖

Pieces of parchment scorched to cinders fell from her hands, leaving the Fey aghast as their queen, in her own horror, stalked off into the woods, barely breathing.

"Did she just—" Arthur gasped.

"I think she did," Elyan answered, stamping out the flash of flame in the grass.

Kaze snapped herself from staring at what was once a letter and went to follow Ari, yet was stopped by Gawain's outstretched arm.

"Lancelot." The Knight gave a sharp tilt of his head off towards the disappearing figure, ignoring how Kaze was looking at him as if he'd produced fire from his own fingertips. "You know her best, go," he said.

Lancelot stood still. Gawain's suggestion came as something of a shock to the others. Questioning eyes turned to him but none offered a dispute to the fact that yes, he was the one closest to Ari. Though he had no idea of what he would say.

Forgetting his pains, he strode to follow after her, picking up speed as he forced the dull aching of his side to the back of his mind. There was no clear path to follow through the trees and bracken, only footprints and the scent of her. The camp became a speck within the forest behind him when he finally caught up to Ari pacing at the edge of the stream. His worry rose when he noticed how close she was to the water. The dirt embankment was slippery, she could fall at any moment if she placed a foot wrong.

He let his voice simmer gently through the air, being mindful of his approach and that dagger at her hip. "Ari, slow down—"

"I've ruined it," Ari muttered, her lips dry. "Every plan that we made just went up in smoke and it's my fault. I — I lit the flame." She couldn't catch her breath.

Giving her space, Lancelot stood a couple of paces away and grounded his composure. "No, you have not."

Her boots barely touched the thin blades of grass as she moved back and forth. "I don't understand why Uther would reject us. I gave him everything that he'd ask for within reason."

Her pacing was nearly making Lancelot dizzier than he already were and he did not think that she was listening to him. "It was the best offer, you have done nothing wrong," he said nonetheless.

"I didn't do enough, clearly!" Ari snapped herself to face him. "He will not fight with us." The letter had been very clear on that. She fixed on Lancelot with hot tears in her eyes. "I have killed Paladins. I have killed Trinity guards — I have declared war."