lคץ ๓є l๏ฬ

[assassinrue]

"You can stop." Cassius smiled deeply at her. "You'll need your upper body strength for tomorrow."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Averyl relaxed her muscles and gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I hardly feel like I did anything, but I'm exhausted."

[assassinrue]

Cassius placed his hand on her shoulder with a smile. "You did more than you think."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Averyl blinked at him. "How so?"

[assassinrue]

Cassius shrugged. "Each day you try this, weather or not you succeed, you have done something, you have made progress."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Averyl stared for a second and then looked back at the target, her face wistful. "I wish I could believe that. Here, and anywhere else in life."

[assassinrue]

Cassius suddenly felt a servant who had stepped out of line. That was technically who he was but he felt it more so now. He lowered his head, his body instinctively going passively rigid. He wanted to ask her, to care, but it wasn't his place.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Let us return to the palace," Averyl said, her composure returning. "Before people begin to wonder why my morning ride is taking so long."

[assassinrue]

"Ya ma'am." Keeping his he's bowed, Cassius gathered the archery things and hid them as I he were storing china.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

With one of her trusted knights, Averyl returned to her horse and began her ride back to the palace. She pondered her time with Cassius today as she rode. She'd never felt so... free around anyone, especially a man.

[assassinrue]

Cassius walked back. He liked the time it gave him to think and to be alone. His mind wandered from the surprising day he had had today, back to his wife and child. He had never moved on. Not really. He wondered if they would've wanted him to.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

For the rest of her day, Averyl performed her duties as the Lady of Karhold. She would have much rather been spending time with Cassius, or simply alone, but with her position there were things to be done, things that could not be avoided. Such was life.

[assassinrue]

Cassius spent his day standing against walls and in corners with his head lowered, not showing that his arms ached from holding trays out. He avoided Kaleb at all costs, and when he couldn't avoid it, Kaleb gave him large, knowing grins.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

When the day came to a close and the sun sat low on the horizon, Averyl returned to her chambers for a nice, quiet dinner.

[assassinrue]

Cassius sat in the kitchen, poking at his food with his fork, his appetite not coming to him.
"What is it with you?" Kaleb asked.
"I think I need to learn to move on."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

When Averyl was done eating, she surprised her handmaiden--her normal one--by telling her to change her into comfortable riding clothes instead of her nightware.

[assassinrue]

Cassius remained in the shadows. He knew well how to stay hidden. It was a talent. Sometimes he thought he'd make a brilliant spy. Right now, he was just trying to hide from Averyl and Kaleb

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Averyl left her room with one of her most trusted guards and went to the stables. The groom saddled their horses without question and the two of them left as the sun sank behind the horizon.

[assassinrue]

Cassius, just like the rest of the staff, heard the whispers about the Lady having left the grounds. Cassius relaxed, and strode boldly through the halls, patrolling, when he heard a commotion in the kitchen. He ran towards it, his heart pounding, he recognized those souds even if he didn't want to admit it.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

With her hood up against the cold wind--and to hide her face--Averyl rode into the town not far from Karhold. Her guard stayed by her side, but he looked more like a companion than a soldier guarding his lady.