Chapter Text
I flinched and looked away from the shimmering rift that was about a hundred feet from us. We had trekked the few miles out of the way to find the rift. Harding wasn't particularly pleased, but then again neither was I. Why? Why does this have to happen to me? I flinched as metaphorical ball of needles in my brain shifted around a bit.
As we had approached my headache had grown significantly with each step. Now that I was looking right at it I had to fight the urge to throw up and curl into the fetal position. And based on the concerned looks I was getting, I looked about as well as I felt.
We had stopped at a good distance to avoid being spotted by the demons yet. Our illustrious leaders were discussing assault tactics while I leaned heavily against a large rock, covering my face and trying not to collapse. I was already seeing floating black spots in my vision and the pulsing spike through my temple got worse whenever I looked at the rift. So for now I looked the opposite direction when I was looking at anything at all.
“You alright, Echo? You aren’t looking too good.”
I moved the hand that had been covering my eyes and peeked at Varric through my fingers. He was holding Bianca ready, but his eyes watched me closely.
“I’m fine, Varric.” My voice came out shaky and strained, with a nice undertone of annoyance. The skeptical quirk of his lips told me he didn't believe me for a second. But I wasn’t going to argue that point with him while it felt like I was being stabbed in the brain repeatedly. I pulled up my hood and closed my eyes, pressing the heel of my palms into them. Varric shifted around on his feet, but remained close by and silent.
After a little time, Solas and Harding walked back to us, and I heard shuffling footsteps gather around them. I was only slightly outside the small circle, but really didn’t care. I would be able to hear what was said, and I wasn’t looking around anyways.
“Okay,” Harding started, “so from what we can see there are two terrors, a despair, and a rage over there. Not to mention at least a few wraiths. So, here’s the plan. Marden, first I want you laying down an area spell. Doesn’t really matter which. Just something big and fast. Once that has cleared then Luc, Bull, and Rand will charge in. Lamaya and Tammen will follow them, using speed and stealth to take down who you can when you can. You’ll want to focus on keeping them off Shae. Varric, Alamen, and I will give archer cover. And Marden, after your first attack, I want you focusing on dispelling and healing. Make sure as few demons come through this rift as possible.”
There were some assenting noises and more shuffling of feet. Harding was really different when she took charge. None of the friendly, joking manner she normally had. It made it easy to see how such a small, friendly woman could command the loyalty of hardened soldiers like Luc and Rand. And all of the rest of us just fell into line behind her. It was pretty impressive.
I clutched at my face as a new wave of pain hit and my nails dug into the skin of my temples. The small distraction was not enough, but it did help, even if only for a moment. But it was like rain on the ocean. Ripples that couldn’t affect the unimaginable depths of pain below. Solas started speaking, drawing my attention back.
“Shae and I will be focusing on the rift itself. Once the spirits that linger here have been eliminated, the rift will go into a dormant state until more approach from the Fade.”
There was some more shuffling.
“No disrespect, but why are we even doing this? Don’t we normally just map ‘em and avoid ‘em? We can’t close it and she looks awful.” Marden asked.
I peeked through my fingers again and saw him looking from me to Solas with confusion. We never had explained the whole memory thing I had going on with the rifts.
“It’s an experiment.” Harding said shortly. “I know this is different than what we are used to. This isn’t our normal scouting expedition. But they,” she gestured around at Solas, Bull, Varric, and I, “are on a different mission. And while we are together we will help them. You can ask more about this later, Marden. For now we need to move out.”
I watched as Marden looked a little sheepish and nodded, and Harding threw him a tiny smile to show she wasn’t upset. Everyone drew weapons and prepared for our assault. I pushed away from the rock, unable to keep myself from glancing out of the corner of my eye at the pulsing green window to the Fade.
When my gaze fell on it directly a new sharp spike of pain stabbed through my skull, and I stumbled, trying to hold my head together. I felt large hands catch me before I fell, holding me up and keeping me steady on my feet.
“You sure you’re up for this, Shae?” Bull spoke quietly to me. He probably had noticed me flinching at every sound that was above a whisper, and compensated so as not to hurt me. For once I loved his whole ben-hassrath thing.
“I have no choice.”
I looked up into his face, towering above me. He looked unhappy, and his eyes searched mine. I lowered my gaze, afraid he would see something I didn’t want him to. I smiled.
“I’m fine Bull. This was my choice.”
He chuckled at that.
“Well, I have to hand it to you. You’re damn stubborn.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but flinched as Lamaya started griping to Harding about how much she hated demons in a very loud manner. I glared in her direction and she completely ignored me, probably completely oblivious to my pain. I lost my irritation as Solas appeared by my side. With a brush of his fingers to my temple, I felt the tingling cold settle over me, numbing me for a moment and I almost melted into a puddle on the ground. Bull was still holding me steady though, and he chuckled again when he felt me go somewhat limp against him. Bull jostled me slightly, encouraging me to stand on my own. I grumbled slightly but regained my footing. He winked, patting me heavily on the shoulder before he walked away.
Solas eyed me carefully as I shielded my eyes from the sun again. His healing had taken the edge off the pain, and allowed me to focus again. I glanced at him, and noticed how closely he was standing to me. It almost felt like he was simply laying his hand against my face. Focus! This is not the time!
“Shae, the memory was triggered when you lost consciousness?”
I nodded at him as he considered. The movement caused his fingers to brush gently through some of my hair that was framing my face. To my shame, the feeling caused me to lean into his hand. I blushed and almost jerked away when I realized, but didn’t want to give up the magic that was keeping my headache at bay. Solas’ eyes flashed to mine, but he made no comment or movement in response to my behavior. I felt a blush spread up my ears. I really need to have him teach me this. Or maybe I should just try to figure it out myself.
“You lost consciousness when the rift was at its weakest. We can only assume that it will be the same. However, there is a chance that your memory was only triggered by the actual act of closing the rift. If that is the case then we will rejoin the Inquisitor and try this at a later time.”
I nodded, concern coloring my own thoughts at the danger I was putting everyone in just to get a few memories from Lethanavir. My expression must have shown my thoughts because Solas put a comforting hand on my shoulder, still pouring healing into me with the other hand. He gave me a small smile when I met his eyes.
I was nervous. The last memory had been brutal. Seeing the war and living it. Being shot and poisoned. The shock of experiencing someone else’s thoughts. I had been shaken for days. Now I was willingly going to subject myself to this again? Solas saw through my trepidation and squeezed my shoulder gently.
“I will help you. If we can keep you conscious this time, then there should be no more concerns about your ability to assist the Inquisition.”
I nodded and tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. The whole group had moved forward into position, hiding behind rock outcroppings and trees. I moved away from Solas, cringing at the loss of his magic, and crouched behind a bush near Harding. I drew my daggers, trying to ignore the pulsing ache that was spreading through my whole body. I watched, waiting for the signal as Solas crouched beside me, staff at the ready.
Harding held up a hand, and after a breath, swept her arm forward. Marden lit up the area with chain lightning and the bright arcs danced between the demons, sparking and burning their flesh. As soon as that cleared, the warriors charged, yelling challenges and drawing attention to themselves. The rogues took advantage of the distraction to dash in, cutting down demons from behind. Marden and the archers hung back and picked their shots, focusing on the wraiths that used the range to attach the warriors.
All of this had happened in a matter of maybe thirty seconds. I saw one of the terrors leap out from under Bull’s feet and knock him to the ground. He yelled in its face, his rage already overwhelming him in the battle, and I dashed over and began hacking at the terror’s exposed back. I stabbed hard into its shoulder and it wrenched around, jerking the dagger out of my grasp, and screamed in my face. The shrill noise and volume made me feel like my head was going to explode, my vision went dark for a moment and I staggered back, clutching my ears.
I blinked away the sudden darkness and shook my head. Bull had regained his feet while I distracted the terror, and now he returned the favor. He swung his huge hammer, catching the terror in the side and flinging it to the ground, where he pummelled it until it died. The rest of the demons were falling quickly with the number of skilled fighters we had with us.
I turned my attention to the rift and tensed. I knew that any moment now I would probably be taken over by a memory. Lethanavir.
As each demons fell and disintegrated, nothing happened. Everyone looked around for a moment. I glanced again at the rift and saw it kind of shrink in on itself and shimmer.
And then my head split open.
I screamed as I fell to my knees, clutching my skull as I lost all coherent thought.
“Shae!”
My vision went dark and I struggled to breathe against the pain, but I would remain conscious. I curled in on myself, and tried to push back the darkness. It felt like I was being crushed under its weight. The pain grew and grew.
I was sure I would die.
I wanted to die.
And then.
I leaned against the table, supporting myself with my hands. The map laid out in front of me detailed all the information we needed for the upcoming battle. Troop positions, movements, support. I looked around at those gathered around the table with me. My lieutenants were waiting for me to finish. We had met to go over the plan, and now they were waiting to go tell their own people as well. I sighed. This was not going to be an easy fight. I was sure I would lose some of them. But that is war.
“Come back here at dawn. We will go together to the field. Our enemies, and our allies, will see us as one united force.”
The four of them bowed their heads and turned to go through the eluvian at the back of the room. Asha’ladin stopped when she was next to me and I turned to face her. She was my closest friend beside Banal’ras’iroth. I had trained her from a small child, and we grew to trust each other. I nodded to acknowledge her.
“How did the rebellion react to you walking up to them?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief at the question. I knew she probably imagined a very dramatic entrance.
I chuckled.
“I had no trouble slipping past their defenses straight to the leaders. I told them that I could have easily killed them and they should have better guards. There was much yelling and fear. But my formal attire and lack of weapons eventually put them at ease.”
Asha’ladin grinned at me.
“Little did they know what your best weapon is.”
I grinned back at her and winked.
“Maybe we won’t tell them that just yet.”
She put a hand on my shoulder and nodded her head once more, following the rest out of the eluvian. This safe house was our main base of operations for now. But there were many others, and each lieutenant and their people were positioned at a different one. Our reputation, and actions of late made it dangerous for all of us to rest our heads in one place. This was safer. If any of us were followed, or found, there would still be five other houses to deal with the problem.
This one was the smallest. It was essentially just a house that had been hidden in the forest atop a dangerous cliff where none could find it but by eluvian. And I held the key. It was my safe house. None could enter without my permission. And I was never happier that I had created this space for myself than I was right now.
I had betrayed a god. A false god maybe. But still a god. I never felt safe anymore.
I sighed and studied the map again. My tactics were sound. With the formation of our allies, our unit would be most useful at the front. Not only would we have the skill to fight any skilled warriors on the front line, but we also had our reputation, and the intimidation that came along with that. The reaction when the rebellion had seen me, seen the emblem on my clothing and the vallaslin on my face, had proven that there was still fear at the sight. Though I hated them.
This battle will be brutal. And of course the field had been chosen with aesthetics in mind. A beautiful backdrop of Arlathan standing over a field of blood. I rolled my eyes at that. I would have chosen to not face an army at all. I would have poisoned their food, haunted their dreams, and slit their throats while they slept. But I was not leading this rebellion. And I would not take charge.
I shifted as I heard the eluvian activate behind me, not able to stop the smile that twitched on my lips. I did not turn. Only one other had been given the key to this eluvian. I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he pulled me flush against his chest and buried his nose in my hair.
“You are thinking too much, Lethanavir.”
I chuckled a little breathlessly as he moved to kiss my neck and I moved my head to expose more of my skin to him. He hummed against me, making heat flutter in my stomach.
“And you are here to stop me, Banal’ras’iroth?”
I felt his teeth scrape against my pulse and my breathing hitched. His lips whispered against me as he spoke.
“Yes.”
“How?”
I shivered as his wide hands began to move over me. Smoothing the fabric over me ribs, fingers barely dancing over my breasts, cupping my throat, and brushing a thumb over my lips.
“However I had to. But I do have a few ideas that we both might enjoy.”
I hummed, pleased as I arched my back into him. I could feel his own excitement pressing against my back and I couldn’t help but press against it, eliciting an enticing moan from him.
He grabbed my waist and turned me to face him. His lips met mine with a hunger that he only showed when we were alone. His calm exterior falling away in the face of his passion as he pressed against me. His hand twisted up in my hair and I felt him tug, forcing my head back to expose my throat to him again. He brushed his lips across my jaw and down my neck, pushing aside my collar to bite the tender muscle that met my shoulder, before kissing over the spot. I gasped and he hummed again.
“I love the noises you make, ma’vhenan.”
I felt his strong arms wrap around me and lift me up, holding me to him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed up his jaw before gently biting his ear, causing him to groan. He carried me into the back room and laid me gently on the bed. I couldn’t help the radiant smile that I knew covered my features.
Nellas pulled back from me and began to slowly remove my clothing. Each inch of skin that he revealed was caressed and kissed. It was torture, and I writhed beneath him as he worked. When he finally removed the shirt altogether, he moved up again and took a nipple in his mouth. I cried out as his tongue flicked over the bud and a shock of pleasure shot down my spine. He chuckled, his breath ghosting across my wet flesh.
“Patience, my love.”
I bit my lip and gripped at the sheets. He explored my exposed body with his lips and tongue, lavishing me. He kissed down my stomach and I shivered again. He hooked his fingers in my leggings and began tugging them down. Kissing my hip bones, my thighs, coming unbearably close to where I wanted him to be, but pulling back each time and smiling at me, his eyes dancing. I threw my head back on the pillows and closed my eyes.
“Hurry up or I’ll kill you.” I moaned out the words breathlessly, the words I had said a million times before.
He chuckled again, kissing my knee and caressing my calf.
“You have been saying that to me for the last sixty years. Forgive me if I doubt your conviction.”
I glared at him. I moved with all the speed I had and flipped him on his back. His eyes were wide and surprised as I turned the tables on him. He was stronger than me, but I was much faster. Once I had him on his back, I yanked down his pants and his erection sprang forth, already dripping with his pleasure. He hissed through his teeth at the sudden cold air, but it turned to a moan as I took his whole length in my mouth.
I kept my eyes on his as I moved, focusing on all the things I knew would make him shake with desire. I pushed forward so that my nose was pressed against him, and I swallowed, my throat clenching around his tip. I watched as he threw his head back at yelled, his hands pulling at my hair. Nellas was patient to a fault and I loved to push his limits. I continued until he began to lose control, thrusting up erratically into my mouth. I held his hips down as I slowed my movement, letting him come back from the edge. I pulled my mouth away from him and licked my lips. He watched me with half lidded eyes as he panted.
At that point I fully removed his pants, and then crawled up to straddle his hips. He smiled and his hands came up to caress my thighs. I tugged on his shirt until he sat up just enough that I could remove it. Once we were both naked he pulled me close and kissed me with the tenderness and love that I thought I would never experience in my long life.
This was why I longed for freedom.
Nellas.
My love.
He pulled back and smiled at me gently, his thumb rubbing over my cheek and I leaned into his hand. He turned with me and lowered me gently onto my back. He gave me a teasingly scolding look.
“I wasn’t done, ma’vhenan.”
I huffed as though annoyed, but I couldn’t remove the smile from my lips. He moved back down on the bed to my legs, kissing over each inch of skin he had missed before until he had fully worshiped my body. Then he lay down between my legs and looked up at me over my stomach. I shivered at the hunger I saw in his hooded eyes. He kept his eyes on mine as he slowly lowered himself to my sex. My eyes fell closed as I was overwhelmed by the sensation. I twisted my fingers into his silver braid as he moved and felt myself pushing him forward as I gasped.
I ached for him.
The coil of pleasure built up in me faster than I expected and I arched my back and moaned against him, clutching his hair as colors burst behind my eyelids. Panting, I came down from my orgasm slowly and when I opened my eyes, Nellas was holding himself up above me, his eyes held a sense of awe as he watched my face. I smiled at him and he leaned in to kiss me. I could taste myself on his lips.
He shifted between my legs without breaking the kiss and positioned himself. He always waited one moment before moving. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him in, gasping against his lips as his length filled me. He began to move. Slowly at first, but then speeding. After so many years with a partner, you knew what the other wanted. What they needed. It was a beautiful thing, to move together so smoothly.
Nellas took him time, not wanting this to end too soon. He moved and I clung to him. I moaned when I felt my body coming to orgasm again. The heat and pleasure building until it was unbearable, and I arched against him, chasing it, pulling him closer and deeper. His own movements became more erratic, his breathing harsh in my ear as he held me close. I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist and dug my heels into his back, his own groan echoing mine in pleasure.
We moved faster and more desperately as we came closer to the edge. He leaned his cheek against mine and whispered with a broken gasp in my ear.
“I love you.”
I gasped as my body arched and clenched around him, shaking with the pleasure, and he groaned at the feeling. His own orgasm followed mine and he collapsed against me, his face pressed against my neck.
I held him close as I waited for him to come back, running my hand through his long hair that had come undone. After a few moments I felt his lips brush my neck and I couldn’t contain the contented hum that spilled from my lips.
“Stay with me.” He whispered.
I chuckled.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“No.” He leaned up on his elbow and looked at me, his expression serious. “Stay with me forever. I want you to be mine. And I want to be yours. Forever.”
I stared at him for a moment. We had only been together for sixty years and promises of forever were not something tossed around lightly among those who lived for thousands. It was normally a matter of interest. Stay with someone until it was over and then move on. That’s what I had been comfortable with my whole life.
But… I also love him more than I ever thought possible. He knows everything about me. And I know everything about him. I trust him with my life. With the lives of my people. And he trusts me with his life everyday. I narrowed my eyes. Was he afraid for me?
“And you’re not just saying this because of the battle tomorrow?”
He smirked slightly at my look and shook his head.
“No. I have been wanting to ask you for a while. Before we left even. I just hadn’t found the moment. And now I have.”
His eyes were hopeful as he watched me. I reached up and touched his face, tracing his nose and lips, his eyebrows, the line of his ear. I loved everything about him.
“Yes. I will stay, Nellas. For as long as you want me.”
He smiled softly, but his eyes showed a joy beyond expressing.
“I will want you forever.”
I smiled at him, somehow confident in his words.
“I love you.”
“I love you, Shaehari.”
I blinked and saw grass. I was hunched over with my hands pressing into the ground, my fingers digging into the soft soil. I was panting, and nauseous, but also had a curl of pleasure in my stomach. I was apparently turned on from the major wet dream I just lived through. Oh god.
I love you, Shaehari
Oh god. Oh god.
I raised my head slightly and saw that Solas was kneeling in front of me, waiting to help somehow. Blushing horribly, I covered my face with both hands and tried to focus on breathing. I just had the best sex of my life in my head while sitting directly in front of Solas. Oh god.
I jolted to my feet as I was overwhelmed by everything, stumbling away from Solas, and ran to a bush to puke. I emptied all the contents of my stomach.
It’s not that it wasn’t nice. It was very nice. Too nice. Oh god. He called her Shaehari. She wasn’t Lethanavir. That was a title. Oh god.
Why does she have my name!?
I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate. I fell to my knees, making sure to avoid the vomit, and wrapped my arms tight around me. I stared at nothing for a moment, trying to control my breath, and felt a hand drop on my shoulder.
“Shae?”
I jolted at the elven and whipped my head around to look at him. I blinked. It was Solas, but for just a moment it had been Nellas, standing there, smiling at me. Asking if I was alright.
I loved him so much.
I gasped as that thought went through my head, shaking my head against it. No. No. Stop it!
“Shae, it’s alright.”
I stared at him for a moment, wondering why I couldn't see him very clearly. Then I felt tears spill over and run down my cheeks. I rubbed them away and stood shakily to my feet. Solas held onto my arm to make sure I didn't collapse. There was a flash of green past his shoulder and my gaze shifted to see it.
The rift.
Hanging dormant in the sky, but ready to spew out more demons at any moment. And then, I could have another memory.
No.
I turned and walked quickly away. I heard Solas calling out to me, but I couldn't deal with it now. I almost ran back to where we had the horses tethered. Da’asha seemed to sense my distress and snuffled at my clothes and hair as I untied her, making sure I was uninjured. A watery laugh slipped past my lips, and it quickly became a sob. I choked on it and pushed it back until later.
The tears still ran down my cheeks, but at least I wasn’t being obvious about it. I pulled up my hood to hide my face and mounted. Da’asha and I rode a small distance away from the other horses but still within view, waiting for the others to catch up.
Is this some sort of reincarnation thing? Am I her from an alternate reality and got pulled through? What am I? What is she?
I paced restlessly on the ferry as we crossed Lake Celestine. It was a short ride across the Lake, but going around would have added another four days to our journey.
Our mounts were tied securely to one end of the ferry, and the rest of us gathered at the other. I had not spoken a word to anyone since before the rift. Varric and Bull had tried a few times, joking with me or asking if I was alright, but I just ignored them for a while. After a time they all took the hint and kept their distance. Solas remained close though. He stayed beside me, but he never tried to get me to speak.
I was shaken.
Not by the sex. That had been amazing, in a way.
I was shaken by the overwhelming emotions.
I felt such love for Nellas, a man I had never met, and it stayed with me. I could feel it now.
But it also hurt just thinking about it. Nellas was gone. I don’t know what happened to him, but he is gone. She never got her forever with him.
And how am I tied to her? We have the same name! We look the same. Have the same scars, the same mannerisms, the same voice. Who is she?
Who am I?
I shook my head hard. This was no time to be doubting myself. I raised my hands up in front of me and studied them for something to focus on. I noticed a faint scar across my palm. I forgot I had that.
When I had been in elementary school, I had fallen from the monkey bars. As I fell I reached out to grab the post in front of me, but my palm was cut on something very sharp. I remember crying and having to get stitches and a tetanus shot because it had been a rusty nail that was poking through from the other side of the post.
The scar was very faded now, almost gone. But I rubbed my thumb over it. It was comforting. Something I knew was different. Something from my life that I knew exactly where it came from. It was old and familiar and I clung to it desperately.
I stood at the railing of the boat and looked out over the water, constantly rubbing the scar.
It was just over an hour on the boat for us to reach the other side. We untied the mounts and carefully led them ashore. They had been skittish on the boat so we had to be careful as we led them. Da’asha caused me no problems though, seeming more concerned for my apparent melancholy than anything.
It was a long silent ride to Velun. At least for me. The scouts chatted amongst themselves like usual, and the twins were in constant quiet discussion with each other. Bull and Varric socialized with everyone, drawing laughter and stories from each of them. Solas was the only other one who remained quiet.
The entire trip he was beside me, glancing out of the corner of his eye. But I kept my hood up and my mouth shut. I was not ready to speak about what I saw. For many reasons.
Because of the delay at the rift, we arrived in Velun much later than we planned. We met a small group of Inquisition forces stationed just outside the city. They had already set up tents for us, and they took our mounts immediately, leading them away for care and leaving us to find our rest. Based on what I overheard from the officer who spoke with Harding, they had been worried about us because we were so late. They had been about to send out scouts looking for us when they saw our approach.
“Ah, we had a little hold up.” Harding glanced back at me as she spoke.
I winced and grabbed my pack, unable to handle the attention at the moment, even as inadvertent as it was. I stalked away and was pointed to one of the tents I could use. I slipped inside and threw my bag down. I dug around inside and pulled out my journal, flipping open to a new page. I grabbed the quill and stared at it.
I don’t want to write.
“Ugh.”
I slammed the journal shut in annoyance and tossed it to my bedroll. The walls of the tent felt stifling and close. Irritation made me twitchy. So I crawled back out and went to the edge of camp, staring out into the darkness.
It wasn’t too long before I was pacing again.
I wanted to do something. Anything. Fight. Spar. Run.
I heard footsteps behind me and saw Solas walk into my line of sight. I glanced at him, but didn’t look right at him. I was busy scanning the landscape, wondering if I could…
“Are you alright?”
I looked at him, meeting his gaze. He was concerned, his eyes darting over my strained expression, catching the dark circles beneath my eyes, and the uncertainty written in every line of my face. I looked away.
“No.”
He nodded and looked at the ground, his hands clasped behind him. I began pacing again. I need to do something!
I came to a halt and stared once again at the dark landscape.
Why not? I can take care of myself. I glanced at Solas. He won’t be happy though.
Maybe if I tell him.
I fingered the hilt of my daggers, confident with them at my waist. I fidgeted for a moment and Solas eyed me curiously.
“I’m going to run. But I’ll be back.”
His eyes widened slightly and his brow started to come down in disapproval. But before he could say anything or stop me, I bolted.
I ran as fast as I could, pushing myself to my limit. The wind buffeting my hair and clothes back, my feet pounding almost silently against the ground. I immediately felt free. My troubles were left behind me for the moment.
Speaking of behind me, I heard the lightest of footfalls running swiftly behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Solas.
He was following me. Of course he is.
He was keeping up rather well, taking advantage of his longer legs to compensate for my faster speed.
The only thing that worried me was the scowl on his face.
Ignoring the impending scolding I was inevitably going to get, I laughed, dashing around trees and rocks as I ran from the memories and emotions that didn’t belong to me.