She gasped in a breath, and puffed it back out just as quickly. His story, his past...It sent cold chills up her spine. The kind that froze one in place, set the whole body shuddering, and shivering. And worse, the cold. Piercing and unavoidable.

The bloodymindedness, the mercilessness, of it was the worst. He had had good experiences too, his mother and father seemed the best sort, but the way they...

Her first response, unlike the countless others before her who pitied him, was that of understanding horror. True understanding, not the kind merely stated to placate someone. She pressed her forehead to his temple as he continued to stare into the setting sun, the lapping waters, determined to stay strong as he was.

She didn't mind his hiding. She was touched he dared to share them at all, with her. They both knew his true feelings.

He felt vulnerable. Weak. Scared. Despite all these things though, for once in his life, he felt understood. He had someone who could feel his pain. They both knew his true feelings. to the fullest extent. Not that he wanted to see the tears streaming down her face, chest unmoving in attempts to quiet her sobs.

Not only did she sympathize, but she empathized. She understood his pain and his mask, his hiding. To hold a certain mindset of blocking anyone's sight of the true misery felt, the true anguish was not a foreign thing for her. In fact it was quite commonplace.

She scooted closer to him, her sobs now muffled to a quiet whimpering. Crying not for herself nor her pains, but his pain, his struggle. Unconsciously he moved his arm around her as she slid her face into the crook of his neck, pressing her face, the bridge of her nose against his Adams apple.

To anyone watching it would look as though he were the comforter. Even in this state she considered her choices, always put thought into how her decisions would affect others before herself. He had always saw her compassion blossom in situations that held a certain gravity, but this was to a different level. She knew exactly how it was to need to look strong and unbreakable.

She experienced the same need on Tamaran, whose entire political system rested on the shoulders of the stronger. And here she was, putting thoughts of herself aside (not that they were ever truly present in her mind) and making him look strong.

She had a knack for that, making him look strong, feel strong. More important. Needed. Loved.