"I guess you wouldn't know which way to go yourself," Colin spoke aloud to himself as he looked in either direction, knowing that Kyra was too far gone at this point to reply to him anyway.

He stared up into the trees, noticing that everywhere he looked had the same darker hue to it that he'd first come to realize was common on this east end if the forest. He sighed, hosting Kyra up slightly in his arms, and began to walk down the path.

"Hopefully we come across a sign post that can help us out. I can't see the sun either," he concluded, again, more to himself.

The two had gotten far enough with Colin holding Kyra up and her hopping along on one foot. She had gotten too tired, and without much warning at all, Colin had swooped down and lifted her up into his arms, an act of which was of tremendous embarrassment for Kyra. Colin had noticed lately just how flustered she would get in situations where she felt demeaned or helpless; a fact that he found especially cute, not that that was his only reason in doing this.

She hadn't spoken since then, but her face had grown red, so she looked away in an attempt to hide it. Despite Colin not showing any signs of fatigue, either, she eventually pulled her arms around his neck for support, though this only forced her to hide her face once again.

Colin continued down the road, looking out for any sort of marker or anything to give him some bearings. He had walked about as silently as Kyra had been; in some way, he had decided to repay for her silence when the two had first entered the forest. Vylira came to his mind, and he was hoping she or another Sentinel would come by, but he immediately remembered the attack on Splintertree, and he hoped one of Kyra's soldiers had made it back to Vylira to tell her of this plan, which seemed a lot more fruitless with every step.

"Well, I've never been to Azshara before," Colin smirked at his own futility.

Kyra still didn't make a sound, despite his sarcasm, and he was beginning to get a bit worried. He continued to refrain from saying anything, though he found his eyes continuing to wander down toward her every few steps to check on her. Her face was turned away, though he could tell she wasn't exactly getting weaker.

"Look," he began, clearing his throat, "No matter what happens, or what has already happened, I don't think it's fair to you what all I've done. I have a bad habit of chasing people who want nothing to do with me, and I think that, in my doing that, I may have accidentally curtailed everything you've worked so hard to accomplish."

He paused, clearing his throat instead, "I mean, if you want to be a Silverwing, it's not fair for me to do things that make you rethink that, right? I know you, more than likely, have zero feelings toward me that has anything more to do than friendship, so I just want to let you know that I don't hold anything against you, or whatever. I know we've accidentally gotten into situations, or have been forced into them, that are beyond "friend stuff", so if this is the end of the road for you, I mean, I think you should go ahead and be a Silverwing, if that's what you want."

Colin's face had gone from a worried look of wandering, to burning red with nerves, and finally to a sad stare, all in the span of a minute or two. He didn't expect a reply anyway, but he figured this was a conversation they would have to have at some point, and all the better if it was just one-sided.

Suddenly, however, Kyra's voice escaped her, a saddened tone to it, "I'm afraid that if I talk, I'll fall in love with you."

Colin gulped, though continued to stare forward, feeling an all too familiar constriction in his suddenly dry throat as Kyra continued, "And, yet, it's all I want to do to talk to you."

She didn't move, but despite that, Colin could tell how upset she was. He hadn't stopped walking, and he wasn't tired, yet it was all he could do to continue walking. He felt the weight of the world stop of him, though it only took a single moment for his to realize that it all was just Kyra.

He looked down, surprised to see that she had been looking back up at him, sadly, as though she were trapped in a cyclone of emotion. She had been so incredibly certain of her future, but now, she was as lost to the winds as she had been when she was young and sick, unable to even attempt to find her place in this world.

Suddenly, Colin paused, now just standing in the middle of the road, the two staring at each other, rather sadly. He assumed she was refusing to speak, but at the same time, he wasn't able to find anything nearly resembling speech. A simple clearing of his throat would have been enough for him to lessen the tense air, but even that was an impossibility.

"We should move on," Kyra spoke quietly, looking away.

Colin nodded, as he began to walk forward, though it suddenly felt more difficult to do so, "So-".

"Don't," Kyra snapped, not moving to do so, "Don't apologize."

Colin stopped again, now confused, and as though taking this as an invitation to continue, Kyra went on, "You don't have to apologize for anything you've done since we've met. This is been the most incredible experience of my life."

She paused for a second, mustering up some courage from within her, "If knowing how it feels to be loved by somebody else is part of this adventure, that can only make it more so. I'm just sorry that I can't do anything to-"

"Don't apologize," Colin snapped back, repeating her words.

She grinned lightly at his retort, taking the chance to simply cease talking as Colin began walking again, his voice taking a nostalgic air, "You could have left me for dead up in Darkshore and still had a leg up on most of the people I've come across in my life. The fact that you've not run off at the mere sight of the parts of myself that I cant control is enough for me to be ecstatic over."

"If only because you're so unaware of it," he grinned, "Which is surprising, considering how much your sister is."

Kyra looked up at him, "How do you mean?"

Letting out a chuckle, Colin answered her, "How many night elves go around kissing humans as a means to say goodbye?"

Blushing, Kyra muttered, "I was told it was customary for some…"

"Not like that," Colin grinned, "On the cheek, perhaps, sure. There was a reason the air in my lungs escaped all at once."

Kyra looked back up toward Colin's face, but noticed a nightsaber dashing toward them from over his shoulder, quickly stopping herself from replying. As Colin heard the solid thumping of paws, he turned as well to watch.

"Well talk about a sight for sore eyes," he smiled.

The two watched as Vylira approached them, a look of sheer shock mixed in with relief as she let lose a sigh that could have taken down a tree, "You two! Where the hell do you get off running nowhere?! I was about to tear down every tree in the forest looking for you two!"

She quickly jumped off of Emawreth and rushed to Colin's side, helping to keep Kyra aloft, before tugging on her to pull her into her own arms. As Kyra pushed her arms away, Colin was just trying to remain stable.

"We need to get you back to Astranaar! I already told them to get everything prepared just so we'd be ready for anything that might have-"

"Sister!" Kyra shouted, with a voice that shook even Vylira's drastic movements.

Vylira stared at her, shocked, as Kyra sighed, composing herself, "I'm fine! By Elune, you don't have to treat me like I'm going to die any second! It's just an ankle sprain, and maybe a torn muscle; I'll be fine. Colin has made sure of that."

Suddenly, as though her gossiping ears were piqued, Vylira's head shot up toward Colin, who replied with a sarcastic stare back to her. The elder sister sighed, pulling her arms back and holding her hands down in front of her.

"Sorry. It's not easy, you know," Vylira muttered, "I should have known Colin here would have kept you safe."

Still staring at her drolly, Colin shut his eyes, as though not wanting to have any awkwardness return to the two stragglers. In any case, Vylira motioned for Emawreth to approach the two and helped Colin get Kyra onto the nightsaber, before motioning for Colin to get on behind her.

Colin stared at her, hard, though Vylira only grinned, leaning toward his ear and whispering, "She took you from me, so you better not screw it up. I wouldn't have another shot."

She pulled away with a smile, so Colin only sighed before following her orders. Kyra hadn't realized it until he was straddling the mount behind her. Blushing, she was happy he couldn't see, though she also had to contend with her sister's view. Her arm carefully held itself against her leg to keep it from moving, so as such, Colin leaned forward, into her, to grasp at the reins of the nightsaber, his other arm wrapping around her waist to keep her stable.

Vylira kept her view held straight ahead, though only because she didn't have to see the two blushing faces to know for certain that they were there.

Emawreth was very careful in her strides, which surprised Colin at first. He had ridden many creatures in his travels, yet was shocked that a giant cat, basically, could be one of the better behaved ones. He had figured that he could have removed his hand from being wrapped around Kyra, but found it odd when he didn't.

Vylira had been walking alongside her faithful feline as the three made their way closer to Astranaar, and she had been recounting what had happened after she and Colin had gotten separated.

"I hoped beyond all hope that he was as smart as I thought and would remain hidden until I could get back," Vylira mused, "I knew I couldn't beat a blunderbuss one-on-one, but I knew that orc was from Splintertree. By the time I'd gotten my Sisters from the Outpost and up to Splintertree, it hadnt been too long. I was worried, though, because I would have thought Kyra would have raised hell to get out of there."

Kyra peered over toward her, "You think I'm that reckless?!"

Vylira nodded, "Not naturally, but you are trying to prove yourself, aren't you?"

Miffed, Kyra returned to watching the road in front of her as Vylira continued, "Once we began our attack, lo and behold, I see your Sentinels fighting toward us! Well, Colin must have freed them, somehow, if they're free, and with that timing. Of course, you and my sister were not with them… Once they'd told me you two were going to escape in the chaos, I nearly bore a naga!"

She turned to Colin, ashamedly, "I apologize for the language."

Colin shrugged to himself as Vylira finished up, "I'm shocked you two managed to get away unnoticed. Splintertree is sort of out there; they certainly haven't had a problem in the past with regards to killing prisoners."

Feeling a growing ball of emptiness growing in his stomach, Colin lowered his head, his mind rushing back to the killing he had done, unintentionally. He wanted that memory gone, which only reminded him of it clearer and clearer. He felt Kyra's hand sliding onto his own in an attempt to help comfort him.

"We're coming up on Astranaar right up here," Vylira noted to the two, "We'll get you looked at, and then let you fix up the split yourself so that you don't feel like we're doing everything for you; how's that sound?"

Kyra smirked at her sister's passive aggression, "It would be a lot more than most of what you and our siblings do for me."

"Beautiful," Vylira grinned sarcastically as the three crossed the bridge into the village.

Almost immediately, Kyra was carefully taken to a larger building, which held the infirmary, leaving Colin to wait outside. He leaned against one of the railings of the bridge, turning toward one of the lakes that encompassed the settlement. He remembered, just the night before, he and Kyra sharing something that, perhaps, no other two people had. He held his hand to his cheek, gently, feeling the light scab that had formed over the tracks his nails had made.

He looked up toward the infirmary, watching for anybody coming out to let him know what was going on, probably Vylira. His mind returned, once again, to the orc he had murdered, or killed. He struggled with the words to use to describe it. He was relieved that Vylira hadn't found out, for that very reason.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emawreth skulking over toward him, almost silently, until she found his side, laying down beside him. He smiled and scratched the cat's furry head before sliding down the road post so that he was sitting next to its head.

Vylira came into view moments later, looking relieved, "Well, it was a sprain, though it seems some tissue was damaged too. One of those things that's a quick fix in the heat of battle, though not long afterwards."

She finally seemed to notice what was going on when she smiled and spoke gleefully, "Well somebody has gotten along with a friend of theirs!"

"I'm pretty sure she just wants a scratch," Colin chuckled, his fingers continuing to stroke the cat's neck area.

"I'm going to go on ahead and get in touch with my Sisters," Vylira confirmed, "Are you going to wait out here for her?"

Colin shrugged with a soft smile, "I've got nowhere else to be."

Vylira nodded, grinning, "Damn straight. Give her my best, if you don't mind. I suppose this is goodbye, though, for you and me."

Standing up, Colin nodded, "I suppose so. Thanks for having our backs all this time."

"Ehh," Vylira cracked, "It was nothing I'm not used to; being amazing at entrances anyway, as it were."

She hopped onto Emawreth and stared down at her friend, "You should see how amazing I am at exits."

With a final grin, and now a thumbs up, Vylira gave Emawreth a small kick and the two were on their way, silently prancing onward into the forest, not looking back. Colin watched, and only a smirk could cross his face. She truly was amazing at exits, too.

Colin didn't have to wait too long for Kyra to emerge. He was sure that it was against the best wishes of whomever was unlucky enough to have to treat her. Nevertheless, she walked down from the infirmary, her leg in a splint and her hand wrapped around a stick that she was using as a cane.

Knowing better than to help her, now, with no invitation, Colin simply approached her and smiled at her resolve, "Good to see you back on your feet."

Kyra nodded, annoyed, "I guess. I can only pray this heals quickly."

Colin grinned as she said this, lowering his head as she spoke up, "What it is?"

He began to speak, more resolutely than anything else, "I think you should stay here."

She stared at him, confused, as he continued, "Stay here and be a Silverwing. That's what you truly want."

Kyra watched him skeptically, "What's your angle? Vylira couldn't have out you up to this…"

"It's no ploy!" Colin reassured her with a laugh, "Look, your first thought was about your leg. Because you need it to be a Sentry."

"No; because I need it to travel."

"Kyra…"

She paused, staring at the ground sadly, having been read easily enough. She watched him stick his hand into his pocket, pulling out his fox totem; the one she'd worn around her neck until she, herself, had stuffed it into her pocket. She stared at it, surprised, in Colin's hand.

"You dropped it last night," he spoke, "So when you said what you did on our way back… I mean, it was especially surprising to hear."

She hadn't thought about it at all, but he's she, she might have pinned everything that had happened today on that totem. But it wasn't even on her person, which could only mean that her feelings…

"You weren't thinking about traveling. or even me," he continued, solemnly, "So go do what you need to do. I know you've wanted this for hundred of years, right?"

The black and white way that he had understood her life was a bit disheartening to Kyra once she'd heard. It made her seem as though she were unable to appreciate much else besides her own goals. Unknown to Colin, she had been at war with her own emotions for days now.

"I need to go do what I need to as well," Colin finished, handing the totem back to her, "After today…I think I'm a bit adventured out."

"Where would you go?" Kyra asked, quietly.

"Back to Stormwind," he confirmed, "I'm sure my landlady is pissed by now, and besides, that way I can find out how long it will take for your name to hit world-wide acclaim."

Kyra grinned sadly at the compliment, playing her hand over the wooden statuette, her hand gripping past it and around Colin's hand, "Okay. If you say so."

Colin grinned himself, also rather sadly, "Good. You'll be happy, finally, right?"

She paused for a moment, deathly afraid of raising her head and staring into those eyes that she knew were the only ones to see past her rigid exterior. She had shared so much with those eyes since she had first looked at them on Teldrassil weeks ago, and now had a fleeting idea of sharing a life with them, but knew she couldn't.

"Yes," she spoke up, forcing a smile.

Colin nodded slowly, "Alright."

The two stood there for a moment, neither one wanting to concede a goodbye. Their hands were still joined together around the fox that had begun to symbolize so much about their relationship. There they stood, staring at their hands, unable to make a move, simply because they didn't want to.

Quietly, and from nowhere, Colin began to speak, "D'ana'no diel Ishura T'as'e."

Kyra looked up at him, shocked, but Colin only looked at her with a smile, "Not even the vastness between the stars could keep up from meeting again right?"

He leaned over and before Kyra could do much, kissed her, their lips meeting for but a brief moment before he pulled away again, still smiling at her shocked face.

"We'll skip the goodbyes," he confirmed, before Kyra finally took a breath and nodded.

"Yes," she replied, "That might be for the best."

She smiled back at him and bowed as they shook hands, with her taking the fox totem with her as their hands left one another, "Until next time, Colin."

"Until next time, Kyra."