Kel smiled as the briny smell of the ocean tickled her nose. She had been away from Cassardis for a while now, and while the occasion for her return wasn't exactly a happy one, she was glad to be back on familiar ground. She tugged her cloak closer as a small breeze gusted from the ocean; while the warm water brought a warm breeze, the night itself was still colder than Kel liked.

She was pulled from her pleasant reverie as she heard Tacitus move about her house. The place hadn't seen visitors in quite some time, so the air was stale and musty. They both agreed that it would be better to wait a while before turning in for the night. Tacitus, true to form, busied himself with some small task.

"Come sit with me," said Kel into the night air, knowing that her request would eventually meet her pawn's ear. She smiled as a moment later a figure sat next to her.

"Yes, Arisen?" came the familiar greeting. Kel merely looked and smiled at the man, meeting his steady stare. Much to Kel's relief, his eyes recently started to have a little more life behind them. She had always hated the flat stares that she had received from Rook.

"Is there something you need of me?" said Tacitus, clearly curious as to her intentions.

"Just your company," she offered. She had to admit, she was curious to know how he would respond.

"How so?" he asked, brow knitting in momentary confusion.

"Sit with me. Look at the stars. Ask me questions. I don't really care. Just keep me company."

"As you wish," he replied, turning his eyes toward the heavens. Kel smiled to herself. She found pawns infinitely intriguing and enjoyed watching their interactions with the world around them. To be honest, she had called the man to her in hopes that she could learn more about him. They had traveled together for a while now and despite the oddly familiar feeling that lingered between the two, she still felt that she barely knew the red-head beside her.

"Do you like it here, Tacitus?" asked Kel, eyes sliding to her right to see if the man moved.

"It is a place quite restful to my kind," came the bland reply. Kel figured he'd probably answer in some diplomatic way.

"While that is nice to know, I want to know if you like it," she stressed. "What is your opinion of the place?"

The man paused as he thought. Kel wondered if he truly had his own opinion on the matter or whether it was just some group consensus that pawns shared.

"Cassardis," he began. "It has fresh air, fresh food, and good people. They smile often and seem content. Thus I guess it is a place adequate for human life."

Kel laughed into the night air. "'Adequate' he says," said Kel, shaking her head in amusement.

"Yes," said Tacitus. "Did I say something to amuse you?"

"No, no," said Kel, returning her attention to the stars above her. "Don't trouble yourself."

"As you wish, Arisen," came the standard reply. She inwardly sighed in frustration at the use of her title. She knew she had no choice in the matter – it was simply a fact of life that she was, in fact, the Arisen – but since returning home, she realized how much she had missed hearing her name spoken.

"Tacitus," she began, enjoying the way his name felt on her tongue.

"Yes, Arisen?"

"You know that you don't always have to call me 'Arisen,'" she said, turning her head to watch him, hands bracing herself as she leaned back.

"Understood, Master," nodded Tacitus. Kel rolled her eyes.

"I mean that you can call me by my name," she clarified. "I don't call you 'Pawn' after all."

"You did once," said Tacitus suddenly, turning to meet her gaze. "I believe it was after I told you that wolves travel in packs."

Kel was about to respond when she noticed that the corner of his mouth was quirked up slightly. It was an extremely subtle action, but after spending so much time in his company, Kel recognized the movement.

"You're actually joking with me," stated Kel, smile plastered on her face. "I…I am thoroughly impressed."

"Thank you," replied Tacitus, the tug at this lip now a full-blown smile. Kel could have sworn that there was a twinkle in his eye.

After a beat, Kel continued. "I didn't finish my thought, though."

"Proceed, then," said Tacitus, face returning to a more neutral state.

"You don't have to call me 'Master' or 'Arisen' all the time. You can just call me Kel."

Kel watched as Tacitus nodded slowly. She could tell he was formulating a thought, eyes focused on some random point as he did so.

A moment later he picked his head back up, eyes refocusing on Kel, and said simply, "Calling you Arisen is familiar to me."

Kel was surprised to find herself blushing at his statement. It was entirely innocent, but it was the first time that he had expressed anything about himself or his preferences willingly, and the fact that it was directed at her caught her off guard.

"I understand. Arisen works just fine then." She couldn't tell if he relaxed or not at her response, but she hoped that it was the answer he wanted. It was just such a different experience talking with pawns. There are no facial clues to read, no body language, just words, blunt and simple. Kel nodded as she realized that her eyes were still lingering on his face, and turned away.

"I guess we should be good to go back in," said Kel as a small breeze returned and rustled the tattered cloak around her.

"I agree," said Tacitus, standing. Kel was surprised to find a hand out in offering. She took it and pulled herself up, quickly letting go and wrapping her arms around herself. She knew that the two would be working together for quite some time, but still, it felt odd to display such familiar actions. Reflecting upon the statement, Kel added an addendum: it felt odd to have the pawn around, period. As the two moved inside of her house, she noted how strangely intimate it all was. Tacitus was unpacking the clothes she would need for the night, while she coaxed a small fire from the wood she had. The two moved about the small space with ease as if each knew the movements of the other. It was an utterly bizarre effect of the relationship between pawn and Arisen, Kel assumed, and one that continued to amaze her daily.

"Here you are, Arisen," said Tacitus, pushing the curtain aside as his large frame entered the room. "I will take up watch outside the front of your door. Alert me if you need my assistance."

"Thank you, Tacitus," said Kel, taking the admittedly dirty clothes from his hands.

Tacitus nodded and walked out of the house, door closing quietly behind him. Kel changed into her familiar evening wear and curled up in her bed. Although being Arisen had torn her away from the familiarity of her home, she found that she was starting to enjoy the familiarity that she had with her pawn. It was a welcome epiphany. Content with this discovery and drowsy from the fire's gentle heat, Kel drifted into a mercifully easy sleep, dreams swirling with the thoughts of the ocean and home.

Author's Note: Hey there, folks! I know it's been years, but here's a completely random update for y'all! And considering that it's been years, there might be a bit of a shift in the writing and feel of the characters; apologies for that, but it is what it is. More importantly, though, is where this fic is headed, and I wanted to give y'all a heads-up: since I know I will never properly round this out as I intended, the next chapter will probably act as a wrap-up to make sure that this is at least pretend complete. I just don't like having loose ends or abandoning things. That being said, thanks to y'all who have read/alerted/faved, and super special thanks to xBlackstars for reviewing! I appreciate everyone's support, and I'm so sorry I won't be able to give y'all a nice proper ending. I promise I'll get that next chapter up sooner or later, so at least you can look out for that!