After twilight falls, the general and captain traverse the forest carefully. Except for the rasps of the crickets, it was quiet. It had been a long time since Cain last ventured here, but he knew the path like the back of his hand. Thus, he leads the way, and occasionally throws nervous glances at his companion.
Djeeta keeps her eyes on the road, her hand gripping her sword hilt. Her usual friendly smile was replaced with a pressed, thin line.
After paying respects to his brother earlier on, he had found her leaning against a tree nearby. Since then, she has been trailing behind. She has not spoken a word, yet her silence speaks volume.
'Did I upset her? Well, captain rarely speaks but... This is not on the way back to the castle too, she must have followed me... why? Should I break the silence? She doesn't seem to be in the mood...' Myriads of questions assault his mind as he accesses the situation.
Suddenly, she picks up her speed and mutters, "I'm glad you're here."
Caught off guard, he stares at her back dumbfounded.
"Um?" He blurts. Did he hear right? His calm expression hides his inner panic.
"Imgladyouarestillhere." The captain repeats in a haste, as if she is doing a tongue twister.
"Um, wait Djeeta!"
The general grabs her shoulder, only to find her cheeks matching her frilly pink skirt. Her body trembles slightly as she averts her gaze. She repeats again, however this time her voice cracks,"Cain, I'm... glad you're still alive."
'What... brought this on?' His mouth parts but no words are said.
"Your life is not a small price to save someone else's. So... so... please don't say such words. Aaah sorry," Djeeta catches her breath while clenching her fists, "I thought h-hard on how to say this but I'm still a f-fumbling mess in saying it. Rosetta made it seem so easy..."
"Djeeta?"
"Reinhardtzar may have said you are in a hurry to die but-"
"Hey hey, Djeeta listen to me."
Cain grabs her shoulders and looks into her glassy eyes. Her hics reverberates in the forest. Was the captain this fragile? To think he was the cause... he has to defuse this tense situation.
'My life is a small price to pay to save that young boy.' He recalls what he said to the crew this afternoon. For it to hang on her mind, it must have affected her a lot.
He gulps, still tasting the sour lemon sweet that the boy rewarded him with.
Mustering up a weak smile, he reassures,"I'm not going to die. We still have lots to do and, um, the sovereign and Leona probably would kill me if I do. Wait, I mean, what gives you that idea anyway?"
He feels her shoulder slacken and he feels a pang of relief. Her eyes are glued onto her fidgeting muddy boots. Her cheeks glow pinker as she whispers,"... You said 'see you later' to your brother so I assumed..."
"Oh."
She was eavesdropping.
He releases his grip, taking a step back and a twig snaps into two. He freezes as if the sound might alert nearby monsters.
But only the moon peeps out from behind the clouds, and the captain's golden locks glisten in the moonlight. She adjusts her headband and clears her throat before sucking the dry air and offering an apology.
It hits the general that he has not taken a proper look at the captain before.
She may not be dressed like a soldier but she is one, and a captain on top of that. Not to mention she came from another entirely different skydom! He feels the lingering coldness from her steel armour on his hand and rubs his fingers together, remembering the deep dents on it.
He could see why she is the captain. Her bravery and skill shine in and out of battle, especially with her crew members around. Together, they are formidable.
And right now, he remembers underneath all the ranks, she is just a human too.
Stringing his words thoughtfully, he mulls over, "This is the first time we speak in private isn't it?"
Without her eye-catching companions by her side, the general notices she looks... incomplete. The contrasting duo of the blue hair girl and the red dragon glued by her side attracts attention everywhere they go. Now, she is alone, and he dare says vulnerable.
"Oh? Ah, yes." She wipes her clammy hands onto her skirt and continues softly, "I told the others to go ahead. I was worried, well, about you. Not just me. Leona too. I think Reinhardtarz too, even if he doesn't look like it.."
Looks like worrying others is another bad habit Cain keeps slipping into, along with being careless. He was being vigilant in not getting followed, or was he too distracted about his brother to notice her?
"...How much have you heard?" His murmur is so soft it almost seems like it is swallowed by the wind. He supposes it was fortunate that it was just Djeeta and not an enemy.
"Only a bit towards the end. You, I... actually lost track of you. Took me a while to trace the scent."
"Scent? I smell?"
"Oh not you," she fails to keep her nervous chuckles in,"the lilies."
He watches the grass blades ruffled by the wind, as if nodding in agreement. Cain lifts his hand up to his eye level, catching a whiff of the aromatic scent of white lilies he had offered his brother.
Djeeta's expression and voice turns softer, almost tender,"Out of all the flowers, I recognise them instantly. I grew up with them after all."
"Djeeta?"
"Our experience may be different but," she throws a side glance, probably looking for her dragon to finish her sentence out of habit, "well the thing is... I think we're alike and I want to help you."
"I appreciate the thought, Djeeta."Discomfort is written all over her face. The general considers she might be at ease with her allies by her side, "Perhaps we can discuss this back at the castle-"
"No!"
They are both taken aback from her outburst.
Quickly, Djeeta composes herself with a quiet chant as if it gives her instant power,"Full arsenal..."
Before he can react, the captain steps forward with a rush of determination, "This is something we should talk between ourselves. Please. I don't... want Vyrn or Lyria to hear this."
Their eyes lock and he gives a slight nod.
She explains with more confidence than she feels, her hand stretches out to him, "I know how it was to give up your life for others recklessly. I-I'm guilty of doing that still but now that Lyria's life has been infused with mine, I'm more wary. However, if I have a choice on saving someone's else life, I'll go for it in a heartbeat."
Cain digests her words. Her closest companions surely would never want to hear that, likewise his own companions.
The tree branches sway about, as if shushing each other to hear their conversations. Fallen leaves scatter about on the ground.
He grips his sword hilt and finds her mirroring him. He reflects, 'Has Djeeta been... mirroring me? I don't think she usually places her hand on her weapon. Maybe for self-protection? But that stretched out hand... was she trying to understand me by being in my shoes? ...What would Abel do in this situation? He probably would just laugh it off and not sugarcoat his answer. Ah here goes...'
"Djeeta," he swallows, treading carefully towards her. His footsteps are light, light enough not to break the fallen leaves. He says with a tinge of regret, "Thank you for sharing. But I can't promise you that when you are preaching yourself, you know."
Djeeta tilts her head with a sheepish smile, releasing her grip on her sword as she scratches her head, "Haha, I know but that's not what I'm trying to do."
"Oh?"
"I wanted to tell you I'm happy you're alive and that you got a comrade here if you want to talk it out." The tinge of pink never seems to leave her cheeks. She adds on, "I truly think so."
Returning her smile with his own perplexed smile, he searches for a proper reply. While his sister-in-law may have told him not to die countless times, no one has expressed their gratitude for simply being alive.
"... Thanks Djeeta. Let me consider this. Meanwhile, let's head back before it gets too dark, okay?"