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When was the last time any of them truly relaxed without any worries?
It had been a couple of days since the Scions had returned to Old Sharlayan, and G’raha Tia found himself deep in thought as he looked out across the calm waters surrounding the docks.
Recent events played heavily on his mind. Connections spanning countless moons had joined together, and their actions had seemingly been the final piece to solve the puzzle.
Is it really over?
"Lemon cakes! You were able to find some!"
G'raha's attention was snapped back to the present and his gaze shifted in the direction of the voice. He couldn't help but smile over the sheer joy that was radiating from the Warrior of Light over something so simple. For the one whom had undoubtedly suffered the greatest burdens to be acting without a care, the ever thoughtful scholar knew that it was not the right moment for such negative contemplations.
Thoughts for another time.
Rising from the wall that he had perched himself on, the Miqo'te made his way back over to the ongoing festivities to rejoin the others.
* * * * *
The Last Stand was abuzz with the sounds of laughter and mildly intoxicated chatter. Despite all still showing some weariness from their trials, the Scions had been invited to an evening of celebrations by their friends and associates and not one of them had been able to refuse.
"Finally. I fear Alisaie was mere moments away from dragging you over here had you not returned." Alphinaud let out an exasperated sigh. "I tried to…"
"Seriously! How much have you all had to drink?" Alisaie interrupted. "You wore a frown that would rival Estinien, and don't get me started on Urianger…"
She gestured vaguely in the direction of one of the other occupied tables, the slight smirk on her face betraying the annoyance in her voice.
Urianger was seated opposite one of the Loporrits, heavily inebriated and locked in an overly tense game of triple triad. An equally drunk Thancred stood beside him and was attempting to offer advice on the best cards to play. Advice that, G'raha noted, was of little value given that some of Urianger's arcana cards had apparently been mixed into the deck.
With a final flourish, Urianger confidently placed down 'The Spear' card on the table and waltzed off to order more drinks for anyone that was near enough at the time of his 'victory'. The poor loporrit, meanwhile, was left to question if they had been taught the game correctly or if this was a new version unknown to themselves.
"I daresay some water would not go amiss." G'raha laughed at the scene before him. "Although I do hope that I am not comparable to their level."
Alisaie shrugged. "Not quite, but glaring at the horizon again might change that. Now, would you mind aiding our dear Warrior whilst we help those two fools? Our friends apparently do not know when to stop refilling her drink, and you know how prone she is to disappearing at large gatherings."
* * * * *
The Warrior of Light was resting on the grass near the library, her eyes fixed on the stars that illuminated the darkening sky.
The area had quickly become one of her favourite haunts since arriving in the city. Whilst not uncomfortable amongst the busy streets, she was unmistakably more at home within nature and would often bring her sewing kit or fishing rod when time allowed.
"It never ceases to amaze how you manage to vanish like so without using spells." G'raha held out a glass of water towards the hero.
"A necessary skill to have when you garner so much attention." She gladly accepted the offered drink. "Thank you, I fear I may have had a few too many earlier. I just… needed to get away for a bit to clear my thoughts."
A few pats of the ground next to her alleviated G'raha's worries that he was intruding and he lowered himself to sit by the Warrior's side.
"I am ever willing to listen, should you wish to share. I was nothing but truthful when I said as much at that time."
The Warrior's heart was warmed as she recalled the memory of how the Miqo'te had visited her room in the Annex and managed to say the words she needed to hear most, despite his evident nerves in expressing them. It was but another side to the scholar that she found endearing.
She lowered her gaze from the sky to face her companion and was met with unwavering crimson as she reached for his hand. The honesty and care behind those spoken words once again reaffirmed.
A faint blush, it must be from the drinks.
"Mind if I tell a story? Focusing on something should help me sober up and I don't exactly have any crafting tools on me right now."
"Of course, I would love nothing more."
* * * * *
G'raha was frozen in place, his focus torn between listening to the joyful narrative being spun and keeping his eyes fixated on the sky. The Warrior still held his hand and, despite his attempts to appear at ease, he was anything but.
He had always tried to lie to himself that his feelings were nothing more than adoration for a person of unspeakable heroism. That, should it be required, he would act as a tool or sacrifice so that she could continue on her path.
Every fiber of his being was currently fighting with those false beliefs. The Miqo'te yearned to reach out and embrace her, but was all too aware that he was not fully in his right mind currently.
Not like this, she deserves far better. Someone better.
G'raha instead chose to continue quietly listening to the story of an adventurer, enjoying tales of what it must have been like for her before being presented with more titles than he could name.
"Over time, the adventurer stopped moving between different groups and found herself working with the same familiar people. She found that each had their own quirks, and eventually began to feel that she was part of a family rather than just some gun for hire.
"One person in particular treated her as a friend first and foremost from the start, even if he did watch from the shadows as he sent her on a glorified scavenger hunt."
The Warrior's lips curled upwards into a slight smile as she said this, and G'raha knew that she included that to let him know she hadn't forgotten their initial meeting.
At least it left a lasting, albeit embarrassing, impression.
"Gradually, the adventurer came to realise that she felt closer to this man than the others. She would never express this though at the risk of losing the stability she had finally found, and it would go on to become a regret she would carry for many moons.
"The one she had come to adore suddenly chose to leave the group, with no certainty that they would meet again. The adventurer waved him off with an optimistic smile, daring not to let him see any trace of the pain she felt. All that remained were memories and the longing that she would one day see him again."
The story had G'raha's full attention now.
The earlier part was added jokingly, right? But that part was too familiar.
Time seemed to stop as he continued to listen to a tale of loss and fateful reunions, of an adventurer who came to believe that she was destined to be worth nothing more than her combat skills.
The grip on his hand tightened and it was enough to undo the restraint G'raha had held until then. His Warrior had spoken her innermost thoughts and he would be a fool not to have realised that it was no mere story by that point.
Consequences be damned, the risk needs to be taken.
Without a second thought, G'raha had wrapped his arms around her tightly. Tears stinging in his eyes as he uttered the first words that came to mind.
"What the adventurer didn't realise was that the man had also come to love her more than anything. That, should she have faltered on the day he left, he would have lost the courage to enter that tower.
"As the days turned into years, the thoughts of what could have been plagued his mind. The only solace being the hope that his plans would one day come to fruition and he would see her again. Even if he was forgotten, so long as she could still smile the way she did with him all those years ago it would be worth it."
The shock of the sudden closeness had worn off and the Warrior returned the embrace fully. The chill from the night air brought her back to her senses and the knowledge of everything she had said caused her cheeks to blush.
"Sorry, what started as a light-hearted story ended up taking a more personal turn than expected." She shuffled back slightly and looked down sheepishly at the ground.
G'raha lifted her chin, their faces almost touching. A brief note of hesitation flickered in his eyes, followed by a delicate kiss that lingered and signalled there was nothing to apologise for.
"Unless I have completely misjudged the situation, I daresay I cannot complain about it if this is the result of you sharing your thoughts with me."
His voice was barely above a whisper but the words were loud enough to break the walls the Warrior had built around herself over the years.
For the first time in an untold number of moons, there was no burden on her shoulders. There was the possibility to dream, to do things that were seemingly impossible before when surrounded by the constant threats of war and death. What she once thought was lost was now in front of her, offering a new path to 'her' and not just the 'Warrior of Light'.
"Now, as much as I would love to keep you to myself for longer, I can already sense the scolding Alisaie will give me if we don't return to the Annex shortly."
The pair laughed as they rose, G'raha taking his Warrior's hand in his own as they started a leisurely walk back to their rooms.
"There will be plenty of time now to spend together, there's no need to worry about that." She gave a true smile, the same as the ones from their first adventures together. "Plus, I've been told a small mountain of lemon cakes has been delivered and I'll need someone to share them with."
G'raha laughed again. "A true challenge! One we will certainly overcome together though!"