ā Ā you can sense it. you already know youāre going to lose. Ā ā
āĀ did you want to be alone?Ā ā
ā Ā you wouldnāt be so eager to speak with me if you knew me. Ā ā
ā Ā that will draw attention. we wonāt have this place to ourselves for long now. Ā ā
ā Ā itās a world worth fighting for. not just here. everywhere. Ā ā
ā Ā trying to live up to glorious pasts has a way of getting people killed.Ā ā
ā Ā never celebrate a victory before itās earned. Ā ā
ā Ā i crave vengeance. do you?Ā ā
ā Ā my comrades werenāt so lucky. i might shed a tear, if they werenāt all cutthroats and cheaters. Ā ā
ā Ā iāll always have a minute for you. maybe even two. Ā ā
ā Ā you walk on the edge of life and death. i can tell.Ā ā
ā Ā what is a gift but an award you did not earn?Ā ā
ā Ā so many voices to listen to, it must make your head hurt. i promise my voice will be soft and soothing.Ā ā
ā Ā i wish i could borrow some of your courage now.Ā ā
ā Ā iāve always wondered. are all your kind hunters and fighters, or just a few?Ā ā
ā Ā no one doubts your determination. but you need to rest. Ā ā
ā Ā a bold claim. i wonder if youāll live up to it. Ā ā
ā Ā why would someone name a knife?Ā ā
ā Ā so youāre alive ! we should celebrate! drinks on me!Ā ā
ā Ā try not to forget me, while youāre out there saving the world. Ā ā
ā Ā when we spoke earlier, you winced, then looked like you were in pain - or frightened. Ā ā
ā Ā iām really not one for crowds. Ā ā
ā Ā so - how are we gonna do that? oh, wait, i forgot. we wonāt. i do all the dangerous stuff.Ā ā
ā Ā i knew there was something about you. hammered from the stuff they make leaders out of. Ā ā
ā Ā no matter what happens, i will not intervene. do you understand? you are on your own.Ā ā
āĀ itās always a pain in the neck when you show up, girl, one way or another. Ā ā
āĀ youāre bleeding, let me have a look. here, hold still. Ā ā
ā Ā just donāt think this means i enjoy it. Ā ā
āĀ i donāt want to jinx it, but we might be in the clear.Ā ā
ā Ā when i start a fuss, i like to finish it.Ā ā
āĀ i promise to look solemn at your funeral before i hit the bar. Ā ā
ā Ā what could go wrong? turns out, a lot. Ā ā
ā Ā let me come with you! i wonāt be a bother. i know how to stay out of sight. Ā ā
ā Ā now iām supposed to fill ____ās shoes. and instead, here i am, stumbling around in them.Ā ā
ā Ā we need to talk - alone. and you need to pull it together. Ā ā
ā Ā i guess growing up means putting what you should do in front of what you want to do, right?Ā ā
ā Ā oh, are you going to shut your mouth now? because that would be a surprise.Ā ā
āĀ i will come to you in secret. no one will see me, so i wonāt get in trouble. Ā ā
ā Ā it looks like something chewed you up and spat you out. Ā ā
ā Ā these are the true wilds, with threats unlike any you have ever faced.Ā ā
ā Ā that moment the door opened and you were standing there, and the way you smiled⦠i had to look away or you were going to see. on my face. what had just⦠blossomed inside me, you know?Ā ā
ā Ā iām not afraid of you - iām not afraid of anything. Ā ā
ā Ā stop being evasive? you might as well tell me to stop being charming. itās impossible. Ā ā
ā Ā what a waste. at least he died better than he lived. Ā ā
ā Ā iāve been looking up at the stars a lot, and the only story i see written across them is that we are small and insignificant and will soon disappear with hardly a trace left behind. itās a hard story, and i donāt like it much.. Ā ā
ā Ā if iām going to stand for something, itāll have to be something i believe in.Ā ā
ā Ā the strength to stand alone, is the strength to make a stand.Ā ā
āĀ soon itāll all seem familiar. like home.Ā ā
ā Ā now i see that i was just lucky to get a minute of your time. Ā ā
ā Ā i know my duty to them - and to you. iām here. and wherever you goā¦i will follow. Ā ā
āĀ youāre really good at making it impossible to like you. Ā ā
ā Ā iāve missed our little talks. Ā ā
ā Ā will change happen at all, while men live in palaces?Ā ā
ā Ā confidence is quiet. youāre not. Ā ā
ā Ā youāre not a very convincing liar. Ā ā
ā Ā i already have all the friends i need. i donāt need the bother. Ā ā
ā Ā all right, cool your fire. i got nothing to hide. Ā ā
ā Ā i see you donāt recognize me. well, it was a long time ago. Ā ā
ā Ā you will turn back - or bleed. your choice.Ā ā
ā Ā when we met, i thought i was a big shot talking to a pretty girl hidden away in the middle of nowhere. Ā ā
ā Ā you would speak ill of the dead? truly you have no shame. Ā ā
ā Ā truth is, i get lonely once in awhile. there. i admitted it. donāt think less of me. Ā ā
ā Ā do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?Ā ā
ā Ā but i donāt know anyone here. Ā ā
ā Ā come on, stop. youāre going to make me tear up.Ā ā
ā Ā i feel like i should drop to my knees and worship you.Ā ā
ā Ā think iām done? think again. iāve gotten out of worse scrapes. Ā ā
ā Ā itās hard to imagine where weād be without you - and i donāt want to try. Ā ā
āĀ if weāre to fight together on the brink of life and death, iād prefer to do so with your forgiveness. Ā ā
ā Ā trust is for fools. it shifts and crumbles like sand.Ā ā
ā Ā what will you do while i risk my life?Ā ā
ā Ā you can smile, canāt you? ā¦no, thatās a grimace. Ā ā
ā Ā you killed that demonā¦pulled its guts from the carcass!Ā ā
ā Ā the sooner youāre gone from here, the better. Ā ā
āĀ for now, all you need to know is that iām a whisper of reason in this howling pit of insanity. Ā ā
ā Ā i heard the rumors, but i didnāt know for sure until saw you just now. iām glad to see youāre okay. Ā ā
ā Ā no barrier can now stay you from your sacred task.Ā ā
ā Ā i wonāt deny i risked your life. but it was the only way.Ā ā
ā Ā they canāt shoot if theyāre dead. keep them busy, iāll find an angle. Ā ā
ā Ā comforts are weakness.Ā ā
āĀ as for honor, sacrificeā true sacrifice, the kind rulers know nothing of ā itās all a fat joke. Ā ā
ā Ā iāve been sharpening my blade, anticipating the scent of the fight. Ā ā
ā Ā youāre not just a traveler. that armor was fitted for you. and the way you hold your bow⦠ ā
ā Ā iād expect to see some tomatoes fly, maybe rocks. hopefully not spears. in any case, be ready to duck. Ā ā
ā Ā iām not here for the price on your head.Ā ā
ā Ā for a moment, i was a child again, rapt from stories told by hunters at the campfire. Ā ā
ā Ā thisā¦attachment to me will only hold you back.Ā ā
ā Ā whatever you do, donāt let their shabby looks fool you! theyāll kill you as soon as look at you.Ā ā
ā Ā iām doing what i love. and what could be wrong with that?Ā ā
ā Ā when the arrowhead passes between armor and skin - thatās the place i belong. Ā ā
ā Ā right. why would i expect an answer? itās so much more exciting to keep it all a mysteryā¦Ā ā
āĀ oh, itās a story all right, but it takes a while to tell. maybe another time, over a drink or three?Ā ā
ā Ā why are you talking like weāll never see each other again? Ā ā
ā Ā iāll wager you donāt scare easy - itās a good quality. Ā ā
ā Ā there will be people celebrating, and feasting. more than youāve ever see in one place.Ā ā
ā Ā i didnāt bring you here to answer questions. i brought you here to deal with that.Ā ā
ā Ā ā¦youāveā¦put a lot of thought into this.Ā ā
ā Ā i do not want to hear this talk from you again. doubt is heavier than a weekās snow.Ā ā
āĀ bandits are drawn to here like infection to a wound. Ā ā
āĀ i guess youāre doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Ā ā
ā Ā i thought you and i were agreed: only enjoy the killing as much as the challenge. Ā ā
ā Ā rumors spread like blood. Ā ā
ā Ā they would steal from us, chase us through the night, laughing. Ā ā
ā Ā leave it too long, your fingers itch for the bowstring. Ā ā
ā Ā youāre strong, shrewd, capable⦠i could use someone like you on my side. Ā ā
ā Ā you defeated it? alone?Ā ā
ā Ā grasp your grief. and kill it.Ā ā
ā Ā at least iāll have a fire to keep me company.Ā ā
ā Ā only survivors scar. after everything youāve been through, you keep going. Ā ā
āĀ just stop being evasive and tell me who you really are.Ā ā
ā Ā i donāt mind putting my worthless ass on the line. but not yours. Ā ā
ā Ā iām not here to intrigue you. Ā ā
ā Ā how about you? who do you think i am? what will you remember of me? ā
ā Ā everything freezing. the ground, the air⦠me.Ā ā
ā Ā you lost someone you care about. that leaves a wound. the sort of wound a lot of people donāt recover from. Ā ā
ā Ā the only thing i know iām still fighting for isā¦you.Ā ā
ā Ā i didnāt earn this mercy, but i will die to make myself worthy of it. Ā ā
ā Ā to say you have my gratitude feels woefully insufficient. you saved my life. Ā ā
ā Ā makes you wish you could kill them more than once, doesnāt it?Ā ā
ā Ā why did you act so strange when we spoke earlier?Ā ā
ā Ā being smart wonāt count for nothing if you donāt make the world a better place.Ā ā
ā Ā to serve a purpose greater than yourselfā¦that is the lesson you must learn.Ā ā
ā Ā if a big, meaningful talk is what youāre after, move along. Ā ā
ā Ā that carcass! what sort of beast was that?Ā ā
ā Ā what are you doing out here all alone? where are your men?Ā ā
āĀ youāve obviously heard of me. you know what iām capable of. why do you think this will turn out well for you?Ā ā
āĀ thereās so much to discover before the world ends. Ā ā
ā Ā i couldnāt wait to see you again. itās likeā¦iām dead and only come alive when iām here with you.Ā ā
ā Ā some even say you have a conscience. how extraordinary! Ā ā
ā Ā do you always accuse people youāve just met of lying?Ā ā
ā Ā if you ever visit, look me up. iāll show you around, make introductions. itād be a whole new life, if you want it. Ā ā
ā Ā it had a name once, not that it matters now. i was born there. Ā ā
ā Ā i always knew you were different⦠i think youāre a blessing. Ā ā
āĀ no one hears your prayers anyway. Ā ā
āĀ this place is difficult even for the prepared. Ā ā
ā Ā i underestimated you. i wonāt make that same mistake again. Ā ā
ā Ā oh. is that supposed to sound scary or something?Ā ā
āĀ look, maybe i shouldnāt say this, but itās obvious that you donāt belong in this⦠backwater.Ā ā
ā Ā were you kept hidden away? did you have overprotective parents or something?Ā ā
ā Ā hmph. donāt go soft on me. Ā ā
ā Ā i prefer the company of spirits. or my own. Ā ā
ā Ā blood spilled calls for blood spilled! if the ground is cursed, then let our vengeance sanctify it.Ā ā
ā Ā so many people here, all talking at once. how does anyone think?Ā ā
ā Ā why is it that every time something bad happens to you, someone else tells you something bad that happened to them, as if that makes it any better? Ā ā
ā Ā iāve never seen armor like yours. Ā ā
ā Ā the wrongness here jags at me like an arrowhead.Ā ā
āĀ when you found me, i was trying to eke out a glorious death. but now a glorious life seems more preferable.Ā ā
ā Ā tomorrow, may the sun rise on the world.Ā ā
ā Ā you saved my epitaph from beingĀ āa fine soldier but a fool of a manā.Ā ā
ā Ā i donāt think i know you at all. but iād like to.Ā ā
ā Ā i donāt like this. it feelsā¦wrong.Ā ā
ā Ā oh, iām grateful for this wound. itās a lesson i wonāt forget. Ā ā
ā Ā youāre a clever one. but not so clever as to heed my warning, i see. Ā ā
ā Ā not everyone follows the law like you do.Ā ā
ā Ā how many times have i pulled you from danger by your neck? made excuses for your behavior?Ā ā
ā Ā for what itās worth, iām glad youāre coming with me. Ā ā
āĀ what have i ever given you but struggle?Ā ā
ā Ā itās starting to feel real, you know? that we might actually get out of this place.Ā ā
ā Ā iāve never been part of anything. i serve my own interests. always.Ā ā
ā Ā i apologize for myā¦behavior. i thought i was dead. Ā ā
ā Ā look, i donāt even know your story. must be a good one. if you ever feel like telling it, look me up. Ā ā
ā Ā when my anger has thawed, i will feel nothing. Ā ā
ā Ā i canāt remember when i had this much fun! i should be thanking you!Ā ā
ā Ā you gave him a quicker death than he deserved. Ā ā
ā Ā thatā¦could be the last creepy thing youāve said to me. Ā ā
āĀ somethingās really bothering you. if you think iām gonna abandon you, youāre wrong. Ā ā
āĀ surprised you saw me, the way you keep looking every other direction to make sure no oneās watching. careful there, or youāll sprain your neck. Ā ā
ā Ā remember how the blood pounded in your ears? theyāll ring later, in the calm. itās a call to arms, from your inner desires. Ā ā
ā Ā ___ās dead. i was ready to go through anything to make that happen. and i did. Ā ā
āĀ is there a reason why youāre acting so cranky today?Ā ā
ā Ā you hold your grief close, like a tailsman. Ā ā
ā Ā i hope you can find peace. Ā ā
āĀ you donāt know who i am, do you?Ā ā
āĀ you know thereās always been dirt on my hands. now thereās blood too. Ā ā
ā Ā i want to be strong like you. butā¦Ā ā
ā Ā i hadnāt given up on hope, but iāve forgotten the taste of it. Ā ā
ā Ā justā¦donāt start singing again. Ā ā
ā Ā youāre sparing me? after all iāve done?Ā ā
ā Ā i donāt intend to die today.Ā ā
ā Ā it will take many good deeds to make up for the crimes youāve committed. Ā ā
āĀ but why should you have justice, and not me?Ā ā
ā Ā such a voice⦠aĀ cold, awful jangle that scrapes your bones and hollows your guts. Ā ā
ā Ā one more word, and iāll throw you in jail myself.Ā ā
ā Ā only in the struggle against death do we find, even for a moment, the spark of life.Ā ā
ā Ā the war changed you. changed us both. weāre not kids anymore.Ā ā
ā Ā i canāt sleep, i canāt breathe knowing you could be out thereā¦hurtingā¦Ā ā
ā Ā now iām left to wear my sins. for me, at least, they hang heavy. Ā ā Ā Ā Ā
ā Ā but what does a girl like you know of loss?Ā ā
ā Ā itās a good thing youāve got brains. because your personality could use some work. Ā ā
ā Ā i was going to ask you to leave with meā¦to go somewhere out in the sun where no shadow could reach us.Ā ā
āĀ they didnāt need to disgrace my name. i did it myself, serving a rotten throne. ā
ā Ā you donāt approve? well, i have a secret for you. neither do i. Ā ā
ā Ā perhaps you are not an evil man. just a weak one. Ā ā
ā Ā losses can feel⦠overwhelming. but they remind us of our connections to others.Ā ā
ā Ā i donāt exactly see anyone beating down the door to spend time with you. Ā ā
ā Ā if i had known, i would never have spoken to you. Ā ā
ā Ā forge a new life. one of better make. Ā ā
ā Ā impossible odds, fine company, killing without consequence ā how could i resist?Ā ā
ā Ā look at me. i canāt imagine how youāre feeling, but you donāt have to go through it alone.Ā ā
ā Ā i wish i had known, all this time, what you were going through.Ā ā
ā Ā iām with you. until the end.Ā ā
ā Ā i thought you just wanted to have tea and conversation! is there a battle coming? i wasnāt informed!Ā ā
āĀ weāve only met a few times, and yet you know me so well.Ā ā
ā Ā are you going to drive me off, too? itās okay. iāve dealt with worse.Ā ā
ā Ā now i know the kind of person i want to be, watching you.Ā ā
ā Ā itās soā¦bittersweet. like a smile through bloodied teeth. Ā ā
ā Ā i swear i saw my ancestors⦠they said: āweāre not surprised to see you hereā. Ā ā
ā Ā more mercenaries? what kind of person sells their loyalty?Ā ā
ā Ā keep moving or youāll die!Ā ā
ā Ā this is the kind of place youād take someone if you want to lose them forever. Ā ā
ā Ā if thatās destiny, i wouldnāt wish it on anyone. Ā ā
ā Ā iāve thought about what you said. every time, the wound you gave me caught on my ribs.Ā ā
ā Ā iāve never seen such disregard for personal safety. Ā ā
ā Ā the most important thing is what youāre not like - your father. Ā ā
ā Ā iām never lonely where thereās killing to be done. Ā ā
āĀ my past - and my secrets - are my own. youāll do well to remember that.Ā ā
ā Ā only to you do i extend the courtesy of a warning. Ā ā
ā Ā if the warās not over, iām not done. Ā ā
ā Ā a long kiss, the best kind⦠i can still remember the feel of your hand on the back of my neck. Ā ā
ā Ā it would be a worse fate to bow our heads to the challenge and say,Ā ātoo muchā.Ā ā
ā Ā letās not say farewell. iāve had enough of that to last me a dozen winters.Ā ā
āĀ have your wounds even had time to heal?Ā ā
āĀ you can stop worrying. the secretās safe with me. Ā ā
ā Ā just to be clear, i have no plans to murder you, alright?Ā ā
ā Ā youāre an idiot. a dangerous idiot, but an idiot. Ā ā
ā Ā iām kicking myself for not seeing your potential from the beginning.Ā ā
ā Ā for your sake, you must go where you will never find me. this is goodbye. Ā ā
ā Ā so thatās what this is? a tantrum? a cry for attention?Ā ā
ā Ā change wonāt come in a single sunrise.Ā ā
ā Ā this place may not seem like much, but weāll make the best of it. Ā ā
āĀ no murderers here, if thatās what youāre asking. Ā ā