Thunder boomed loud in the sky above the pit. It had been five months since the rape and murder of Talia's mother. Not that Bane knew this for it was only possible to judge time by whether or not the harsh winter had passed. Bane hated the thunder. It was a reminder of every cold, wet night he had spent in the pit; alone, starving, and frightened.

Another clap of thunder passed overhead, and Bane shivered from his spot on the floor, where he had taken to sleeping since Talia had moved in with him. Which was rediculous; he told himself. It was just a loud noise, and he was a grown man. That still didn't stop the shudder that ran down his spine with the subsequent boom from the sky.

Unbeknownst to him, Talia was still awake as well. However, Talia quite enjoyed thunderstorms. To her they were the angry shouts of some higher being (her mother had read her stories out of a thick book with a cross on the front, though Talia didn't quite grasp the concept of a man sitting in the sky watching her every move) who was ranting at the unfairness of the world.

The slight shuffling sound of shifting cloth drew her attention to the balled up form laying on the ground. A few minutes of observation revealed to her that her companion was not enjoying this loud entity as much as she was.

The beauty of her time with her protector was that neither of them talked very often, nor did they have to. The simplest of glances could convey everything that needed to be said. Talia stared at the shaking form of the grown man in surprise (after all, he was so strong what could he possibly be scared of?) before gathering the blanket around herself like a cloak and making her way down to her friend. Without words, Talia placed the blanket over him, causing him to jolt upright.

"You don't like the thunder." He loved this about her. Her ability to observe, and state things without question. For her age, he had to admit, she was incredibly intellegent.

"Come share the cot with me, I won't let it hurt you."

Bane's smile was almost tangible. The love and trust this child had given him still astounded him, and he felt his heart swell with his love for her as he climbed into the cot, wrapping the blanket around the both of them.

For a few moments it was quiet, save for the thunder. Though he really ought to have known better than to think Talia would not bring up the matter at hand.

"Bane..." He could feel those big, inquisitive, blue eyes boring into his face.

"Yes, little one?"

"Why does the thunder scare you? I mean, nothing can hurt you...right?"

A dry chuckle escaped his lips, oh the faith she had in him. Yet he found himself telling her of his childhood.

"Once upon a time (like a fairytale, he thought. What a joke.) there was a beautiful woman. Though beautiful, she was just a peasant. Her...husband (she had been raped, but he would not tell this to Talia) had left her on the streets, not knowing she was pregnant with a baby boy.

"Year after year, the woman found ways to keep her son fed and healthy (she had been a prostitute). Sometimes, the poor woman had to steal if they had gone too long without food. One night, there was a royal banquet at the Imam's palace. The woman figured that there was enough food to go around, and the portion she stole would not be missed.

"But the moment she snuck into the palace, the Imam's son was enchanted by her beauty. He gave her all the food she needed, and requested that she visit him later that night. The visits soon became very frequent, and the Imam's son and the beautiful woman were very much in love.

"This didn't last for long. One night, as the woman snuck into the Imam's palace to see his son, the Imam caught her. To avoid punishment, the Imam's son claimed that she had snuck into his room and had tried to kill him. The woman was heartbroken, as she had loved the Imam's son very much, and was sentenced to execution the next morning.

"Her son, who had been hiding, watching the whole thing, as he did not trust the Imam's son, was discovered. He was thrown into the Pit as his mother watched, the last thing she would see before excecution the next morning. There was lots of thunder that night."

"You were the son..." The words were a mere whisper, drawn from Talia's lips. Bane felt a warm wetness against the crook of his neck, where her head lay. She was crying for him. This thought, this act of compassion made is own eyes sting with the threat of tears, as he pulled the small child closer to his chest.

"Yes. I was."

"It's okay. I'm here. And I will protect you now." She whispered back, mimicking his words from the day of her own mother's death.

The tears fell now, and he lay a kiss upon her head, burying his face in her shaved hair, "As will I protect you." And they both drifted off into sleep, nuzzled in each other's arms.