#freespirit.interactions

Mahina pulled Rowan into the couch with her after dancing to the bride singing her karaoke. Her laughter loud as she laid her head back and tried to catch her breath. "I've missed this." She smiled at Rowan, "I've missed having fun like this. Are you having fun?"

"I'm so excited for this! I've always wanted to swim with dolphins." She said as she practically shook with excitement, there was still a good bit of sadness in her from what she had caused with Rowan and Jacen but she wanted to try to prove she was back and trying to be active for Noah and herself. She was trying to do better than crawl in her shell. She needed it for herself. "How have you been Damien? Are you excited about this?"

“Hey!” She called after him before covering her mouth at how loud she had called, “sorry, I just wanted to catch up and talk. I always see you around... I mean you are Rowan’s bodyguard, but I’ve never really got to know you.” She shrugged, “and seeing how she’s one of my best friends you’re her best friend... I though it only fair we get to know each other a little better than... well me just being Rowan’s friend. If you want to. If not... then... I don’t know what, I guess.” She laughed nervously. 

Mahina had been in Southland for nearly a week and she didn’t really want to leave. It was always sad leaving but it always made her happy to return home again. Her mind had been off wandering as to what had happened at home while she was gone. She hadn’t meant to be so distracted that she invaded someone else’s time to themselves, “I... I’m sorry. I thought the garden was ​empty. I was just getting my last walk in before I start back home.” She smiled, “Lady Rowan and Southland never ceases to amaze me with how beautiful it is every visit.” 

Mahina was overly excited to go on this sleigh ride. She had heard the stories of the ​thestrals. She grabbed Damien for it because he was the closest to her at the time and smiled, “will you please go with me.” She pouted at him not at all wanting to go by herself. “I just wanna see them once in my life. After that I’ll do whatever you wanna do. Fair trade.” She nodded sternly looking between him and the sleighs. If she was going to go by herself she would but she really didn’t want to and going to find Jacen was not going to be something she wanted to do right now either. The line was short, who could blame her?

The first person Mahina saw when she came back to spread the news of what her and Clarae had just witnessed was Rowan. ​The tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn’t voice what she had come to announce. Even though she knew Rowan could tell something was deeply wrong and could probably hear her thoughts all Mahina could think about was how she could have done more. 

Her throat was tight as she stood there with more faces gathering around to stair at her and the blonde and she wanted to shrink into the ground and never come back. Big tears streamed down her face as her stayed on Rowan, I could have done more. I could have tried harder. She thought standing there frozen, but I was a coward. 

It wasn’t until the panic of the crowd started that she could even make her way over to the Queen of Southland. Her eye contact dropping to less with every step. Rowan could hear her, but she couldn’t hear Rowan. What if she reprimanded her? Or called her out on her thoughts confirming what Mahina already felt like, a coward. “I..” her jaw trembled and her head stayed bowed, her curls hiding her eyes, “I could have helped them. I could have saved them.” 

Mahina had watched it all unfold. Every inch of her telling to help but the other telling her it was too late. Just like it had last time with her parents. She stared at the spot for a good while before noticing the blonde that had also watched it all. She took a deep inhale, before letting out a shaky exhale, “I’m sorry, we didn’t do more.” Her eyes flicking to the blonde beside her before going back to where they had last seen the hydra. “I... I should have tried to help you do more.”