6.
. . .
"There, Quigley," she said. "Do you see the ledge where my left fork is? It's solid enough for both of us to sit for a moment and catch our breath."
The climb was long and chilly, but not as long as it might have seemed had I been alone. At least there was someone to keep me company. I smiled at the thought that even when everything seems left out in the world for you, someone can still come your way and comfort you just by being there.
"Good," I replied, and smiled. I didn't only find it good that we could rest, but also because I could finally spend some peaceful time with her, even for just a moment.
Eventually we were there, and she got up first. I pushed myself up and slid beside her, until we could both see the beautiful scenery that we hoped could distract us from the drastic situation we're in. It was very calm and beautiful from up there, and the skies were fairly tinted with an assortment of colors so beautiful that it reminded us of how sad our lives were.
It just so happens that whenever you look up to the beauty of the skies above you, you are reminded of the things that make you sad, things that you never wanted to remember.
Just as though when everything slips from your grasp and turns to ash, and all you could do is weep for the misery of what were once precious things to you, the sky still continues to become as beautiful as it always was. Like how it is now; the hinterland skies still remain as beautiful as they are famous, even though beneath it lay the ashen grounds of what was once a glorious headquarters of a group of nobility.
I didn't want to think of it, how a safe place such as this could have been destroyed. But right now may not be the time to think about hurtful things. I'm here, right now beside her. That's all I need to know...
"Maybe they didn't want us to know about this place," Violet said, peering off the ledge. She was talking about her parents, those who also perished in a fire that destroyed their home. I could say from the tone of her voice that she was grieving inside, as she paused awhile, to turn to look at the scenery beneath us.
"Although if you have to hide a headquarters, this is a good place to do it," she continued, smiling gently at the view past the blackened ground at the end of the falls. "Aside from the remains of the fire, this is a very lovely view."
I turned to her and smiled. True, it was beautiful. But something lovelier and more beautiful caught my eye--
"Very lovely indeed," came from my mouth, though I intentionally was referring to the scenery. I can't believe she caught me.
My eyes met hers the moment she turned. And for the first time it felt like the whole world around me seemed to stop turning. Well, even she was a bit surprised. She quickly turned around, which made me chuckle gently.
"I bet your Mom used to look at the same scenery once before with someone she loved," I said, without thinking about what I was saying then, but the smile never left my face. Sure it was a bit obvious and, well, off, for me to suddenly say that, just when everything was suddenly silent, but I can't help it.
It's her. That's all there is to know.
The chilly air blew past us, and she tugged her head onto my shoulder. I could feel she was cold when I placed a hand on her shoulder, even with the poncho on, but nevermind. Maybe this was what I meant when I said, "in case you need my help."
She was afraid, I'm sure, but she still remained brave all through those unimaginable times she and her siblings had to stand the evils and misfortune following them.
"You can rest and forget about everything that bothers you right now, even just for this while."
I couldn't even decipher what I was feeling. I was happy, that's all.
She sighed a sigh of relief, and closed her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, and I leaned forward to give her a kiss on the forehead.
I looked at the day slowly fading as we rest, and there was nothing I could have asked for more than that brief moment to last when we could say that we for once were actually very lucky.