He had stayed in the woods for hours, staring at her words in mud. He waited to be angry, but he was irritated. A soft rain shower fell on him and transformed her words back in a puddle. He stuck his hand in the dirt and squeezed it. I'm stirring the bottom of the barrel he thought, she tried to forget. And he pondered if he should leave.
The camp had to move, for that was what the armies did.
He saw her busied with her new sisters, folding and wrapping their tent, and she was neither shy nor weak in doing her part of the work. She looked upon him with small eyes, likely her sleep had not been well rested, but there was no rage or hate in them, just warmth and sadness.
They formed a pitiable little track, the end of the tail that followed the fighting forces. The new camp was built while the sun was setting, and although he had wished to ask her for a walk again, he saw she was rather tired and exhausted from the day's task and the unsteady night before, so he did not approach her after the last praise when she turned to lay down with her sisters. Let her be rested for my tale he thought, it might take some more strength from her to stomach it.
For strength she showed indeed, in a manner that astonished him. She was not afraid to grab heavy loads, or carry things; bedding the dead in their last cushions had hardened her muscles and condition, and he had wondered if it was too hard work for her, but he realized she was no longer the fragile, breakable girl he knew long ago. At least not from the outside, for he knew best what could be hidden under a strong frame.
He woke in the earliest of dawn, when the sun was no more but a stripe on the horizon and the stars were crowding the sky. He heard some rustling noise, moving away from where he laid. That was unusual. He had seen more than once how sisters had sneaked out of the tent to meet with a septon or a brother in the dark. He did not bother, the morality of the faith often ended with the day of light, he knew. He had seen the High Septon more frequently in a brothel than in court.
Only this time was an odd time to leave, they should be returning, whoever they were. So he lay awake and soon the steps returned, coming from behind his canvas, stopping in front of him. He knew it was her just from the way she placed her feet.
They walked in the direction of the rising sun and birds sang in every tree and bush. They were surrounded by a cloud of chitter, a choral made of lilting, whistling and warbling, cheering for a new day.
The sun blinded their view, it beamed in their faces and her auburn braid gleamed in the light. A light breeze blew all loose hair from her face. They walked and did not speak, but she walked close to him.
"I hope you feel better", he said after a long while, once the birds were silent. She gave him a small smile, her face looked tired, but she nodded nonetheless.
"I need to tell you about… " he said with a steady voice, turning towards her to make sure he had her attention. "I met someone that you think dead, and you should know your sister "
His sentence did not finish, for they were distracted by the huge dark shadow crossing the sky over their heads. He stared into the sky, still coping that he had actually seen a dragon with his very own eyes. A living dragon. Fire made flesh. His heart rushed.
Her mouth stood wide open in amazement. She looked like an astonished child to him.
He came back to his tale. When he spoke the words that changed her world she paled even further. He told her everything he remembered, but he left out the flaming sword, and ended with her leaving him wounded under a tree.
Tears had streamed down her face and when he was finished, she stepped forward and hugged him. Her arms were on his side and back and she pressed herself against his chest with all her strength. He held his breath and his whole body tickled. The crown of her head was right above his bursting heart. He felt her chest expanding.
She let go and her cheeks were still glistening with wetness, but she beamed with joy, more radiant than the sun to him.
When they walked back, she was as light-footed as a doe. She was happy, he saw it, and it made him feel good.