“I didn’t want you to be angry...”

He knew what she was referring to, the cloth still gently moving over her face and across her forehead. His other hand very gently held hers where she had placed it, the man knowing she was in pain and frightened. But he was glad that she at least remembered that he would not hurt her... at least not physically. Because he had gotten angry. And after all that had happened, he could not guarantee he would not have been angry if she had told him herself. Because it did hurt...

Though her words were beginning to register in the midst of his doing his best to keep her calm. Her husband had remarried, which freed Ali from her obligations. It now rolled through his head, though it was a thought for another time. But it was soothing in its own way for him to know he did not need to feel guilty for being near her and for caring.

“I know Ali... I know. And I shouldn’t have been the way I was. I am sorry too.”

He noted where she said it hurt, glancing at her head and down to her chest with worry. Neither were good issues. “I’ll have Lebuin look at it for you... you’ll be okay.” He let go of the cloth and moved to gently run his fingers over the side of her head as she finally fell asleep. His own head bent as he released a breath, offering a silent prayer over her.

“It’s best we check her out and clean her up while she’s out,” Lebuin spoke, entering the area as Aladar looked up and slowly nodded. It took him a minute to get up, trying his best not to disturb the woman, stopping to stare at her before pushing some of her hair from her face.

“She said her head hurt and she was struggling to breathe at times.” Aladar nodded towards her as he focused his attention on the healer before reaching out, landing a hand on the man’s bicep. He spoke no words, but they shared a look that said they both hoped for the best. “I’ll be outside the tent. Let me know when you are done.”

It was as Aladar started to walk out of the secluded area that Tendral came skidding around and stopping at the entrance, his face painted with panic as he looked around, green eyes landing on his friend. He was panting from what must have been a decent run as his gaze switched down to Aladar, “Is she....”

“She’s sleeping. They haven’t had a chance to check her out yet. We need to let them work.”

Aladar reached out to offer a hand on Tendral’s shoulder, but the soldier only pulled back, staring once more at the woman’s form. It was clear he was struggling, wanting to move into the room more to see for himself but only taking a couple steps back before striding away. It was clear he did not handle the emotions well of knowing someone he cared about had come back clearly beaten. Especially when he still blamed himself.

Tendral did not come back, leaving Aladar to sit in the main part of the tent for a while, head in his hand while he thought through it all, finally working to make sense of the little bit of information. It was the first time that he actually could, fist clenching and unclenching at the thought of the man who had hurt Ali so. He was frustrated with the way he had sent her back to it, even if he didn’t know. And he was relieved that he could feel free to have this concern for her now, though it was still wary and reserved. Because he had no idea what else she could be hiding from him.

When Lebuin came out, the healer looked beyond exhausted. There was little that actually needed to be healed that Orym could do, considering it was mostly bruising, though her smaller cuts were fixed up. But Lebuin had suffered the worst of the exhaustion considering he spent a large amount of time having to work through the extensive networks of her mind to make sure not much had been damaged. Luckily, it seemed to be no more than a concussion with no lasting damage. As for her breathing, it came from some bruised ribs. The man had not been able to check out anything beyond that and now was on his way for a rest at Aladar’s orders.

The captain came back in, unable to even comprehend his relief to see her in clean clothes with her hair brushed out and the woman laid under a sheet while she rested peacefully. Moving closer, he moved to sit on the edge of the cot again, balancing himself as best he could while propping his back against what made a flimsy make-shift headboard.

Large fingers moved through her short hair gently as he simply watched her now, monitoring her for himself. “You know how to give a man a scare...” he murmured gently, more to himself. “And you always seem to know how to make trouble.” His lips tipped up slightly at the many times he could name that she had done something or other since he had discovered she was a woman. All the little things that had helped him fall in love.

She slept soundly for the rest of the day and most of the night, her thin and fragile form fully relaxed, one hand resting on top of her chest, curled into a loose fist. Despite the bruises still painfully visible on her too-pale skin, there was something peaceful about her, a soft smile on her lips... The woman's relaxed expression hiding the nightmares she faced, trapped in her mind which had become a dark and terrible place with new memories bringing old trauma to life again.

It was long before dawn when she woke, after having stirred with occasional murmurs for about a half-hour before. But when she finally did wake up, she woke with a start and all at once, eyes wide in ill-concealed panic as she registered someone sitting next to her on the cot, far too close for comfort. She pushed herself to sit up on the cot in a single panicked movement, shifting to face him with eyes wide. It was no slow, easy transition from sleep to wakefulness; the woman woke up in survival mode, body rigid with panic and eyes seeing demons that weren't there... Until she recognized him.

Taking a deep, trembling breath, gritting her teeth from the pain in every part of her body and silently burying her head in her hands, she let out a soft whimper. This wasn't the place from her nightmares. That wasn't Darren, it was Aladar. She was safe. She was safe...

And now, she was hurting, having moved far too quickly, her body protesting the movement and reminding her that she had not been healed. Taking another shaky breath, she lifted her head to look up at him again, shoulders slumped and arms crossed over her knees, holding them close to her chest. "Sorry," she murmured hoarsely, her gaze moving elsewhere, choosing to focus on a blanket she'd thrown to the floor in her flailing panic.

She sat facing him now, still in a defensive position but somewhat more relaxed now that she seemed to have registered where she was and who he was. "Sorry, I guess you just scared me..." Already apologizing, already with the excuses... That was one thing she wasn't going to do.

There would be no excuses now, and as she sat there, scrambling to think of what to say now, she decided it was finally time to tell him everything. Now that she was... more or less mentally stable and not fighting to stay awake.

"You wanted me to tell you... And I couldn't... Not before... But you deserved to know the full story, and I was too afraid... Too selfish to tell you."

She paused, inhaling softly and letting it out in a sigh. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you... I really am." A hesitant glance at him before she continued.

"My... Husband's name is Darren, Darren Mikol. I married him after my father died and my family needed the money... I was sixteen... He was twenty-seven." She fell silent for a moment, fidgeting with her hands.

"He wasn't too bad at first... He sent money to my mother so she could take care of my sisters and brother and that's all I cared about... He didn't really have that much to do with me. But when he did... a few months in..." Another shaky breath. "It went downhill fast. He was... a monster. I didn't know what to do except just be quiet about all of it... But it got so much worse over time... When I told my mother she said I was lying, even when I showed her the bruises she took his side and she still does..."

"I stayed with him for five years..." Her voice fell to a whisper, unable to look at him. "Until I found out I was pregnant. I hid it from him, I was terrified of what he'd do when he found out... I was planning to leave, to find somewhere to go..." Her voice broke, teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut as she hugged her knees tighter to her chest, reliving the memories and the pain. "But he found out... Before I could leave. He found out and... He ki-... I l-lost the baby."

For a few seconds, she was quiet, unable to go on, fighting tears from this thing she had refused to face for four years. The moment she'd forbidden herself to even think about, the day her life changed, the day a part of her was lost forever.

"M-my brother joined the army, when he was eighteen... He never came back. And I thought if I could just... Do what he did... Slip into the ranks... If I could change myself to fit in with everyone else, I would never have to go back to Darren... I always planned... on dying on some battlefield... I never thought I would meet you, find a reason to want to live again..."

She looked up at him again, tears in her eyes, forcing a tiny smile that immediately faltered again.

"And I lied to you... And I kept secrets from you... I'm so sorry and I can't expect you to ever forgive me... I just want you to know the whole story, now."

Aladar spent the night there, having fallen asleep after a little while, arms crossed over his chest as though he had become her own personal bodyguard. And maybe he had, in his mind deeming it important to make sure she was never hurt again. Not that anyone in the camp would, a company of men who were worried for her, especially those who had carried her back, though they were informed that she would alright.

Soft murmurs here and there tugged at his consciousness, though never actually pulled him free from his sleep. It wasn’t until he felt the whole cot shift under the woman’s panicked movements that brown eyes snapped open. The first place they went was onto her, looking her over as he reached out a hand, “Easy Ali... it’s alright, it’s just me...” he tried to calm her, even though he was not fully pulled from the grogginess of his own mind. “Easy...” his voice lowered as she started to calm down, the hoarseness evident, cracking slightly as it often did when he first woke up.

“It’s alright,” he reassured at her apology, offering a gentle smile and a small yawn. His eyes followed hers to the blanket she had thrown, the man shifting to his feet to walk around and pick it up. It was good for him to move and stretch out his joints that were not pleased with the sitting up position he had not moved from in over eight hours. He knew she liked blankets, so scooped it up before returning to the spot he had been in, returning the covering to her.

His gaze looked over her, still holding sadness as he took in her weak appearance. He would never get used to it. But it also brought with it the questions he had been having for the past month and he quietly dared to ask one more time. “What happened Ali? Please, tell me from the beginning.” Did he think she would finally open up to him? He was not sure, not that he could blame her at this point if he chose not to, but he asked nonetheless.

Aladar fell silent as she started to speak, watching her face and reactions as it seemed she was finally opening up. Darren Mikol. The name was stored away in Aladar’s mind from that moment forward as she told him her story from the beginning. She had been so young... still a girl when she had been married off, without even a chance to really determine what she wanted. His heart ached for her... and it only got worse. Every new piece of hidden information that came to light burned within him, telling the story behind the woman who had hidden in his rank for five years.

It was the mention of a child that nearly stopped his heart cold for a few beats and he looked away. He looked away to hid the dark look that had crossed his face... how DARE any man be involved in the loss of a child. He noted that he would find Darren, if he had to search the entire kingdom into Rithnar. One day... and God help them both.

The captain offered a look to her again, face gentle for her, softening further to see the tears in her eyes. His hand reached out to her cheek, thumb wiping under her eye at her apologies. “I forgave you before I ever sent you back. And if I had known... I never would have done that. The question is if you can forgive me. You trusted me and I let you down. I should have insisted to know more before I ever made that decision, and you have paid the price for that.”

He fell silent as he looked her over, hand falling away. “You mentioned when you first came in that he had another wife. Tell me about that. Please...” Though in Aladar’s mind, it mattered less if Darren had ever married again or slept with another woman. Because he broke his vows the moment he laid a hand on Ali, destroying any sacred bond that may have been meant to be. It all felt like it was so unnecessary if he had only known... as though some darker power had worked hard to set in motion these events.

But Aladar praised God that Ali had come back alive. Praised God and prayed that somehow the two could mend the rifts they had caused in each other’s hearts. If it was even possible. Because he would not blame her if she turned her back on him.

“I will always have an open ear for you, and God help me, may I never show such poor judgment or anger around you again. Because I will never hurt you if I can help it.”

From the moment she woke up, he was trying to soothe her, his voice gentle and familiar and helping to calm her as her panicked breaths slowed to a normal rate. That little hoarse crack in his voice, the tell that she'd woken him up, and the cause for another quiet apology from her.

When he gave her the blanket she'd thrown, she took it silently in her shaking hands, hesitating for a moment before moving to wrap it around her shoulders, wincing too visibly at the pain from the movement. Everything hurt. Her shoulder, which had just healed to a usable state when she was sent home, stung and then throbbed, her ribs protesting... At this point, it felt like her hair even hurt, and she spent the rest of the conversation trying to be as still as possible after she settled into a more comfortable position; cross-legged on the cot with the blanket wrapped tightly around her.

It was when she fell silent, her story told in its scattered bits and jumbled pieces, that Aladar reached out to her, gently wiping the tears that spilled down her cheeks, though she flinched slightly at the pain of him touching a bruise.

"The only thing I paid the price for was my selfishness in not telling you... It's not your fault, none of it is."

She offered a smile, but she wouldn't accept his insistence that he had been in the wrong. He had done what he needed to do. She had deserved everything that had happened. She was sure of that, and the only thing that might someday change her opinion was time.

Aladar spoke again, asking her to tell him about Darren's new wife. And Ali nodded, piecing together what she knew about the woman before trying to start from the beginning.

"Darren... He told people I was missing, and a few months after I left, he had me legally declared dead. Ending the marriage. He married again less than a year after I left, another young girl... I think she's twenty or twenty-one now. He seems to treat her better... But I'm not really sure of anything, it's all kind of hazy... I think her name was Cateline... He called her Cate..."

There was no jealousy in the woman's voice when she spoke of her ex-husband's new wife. Instead, her voice held nothing but grief for this Cateline, the girl who had inherited Darren's wrath and didn't seem to understand just how bad it was. She reminded Ali of herself, years ago. When she still believed Darren every time he held her when she cried and told her he loved her after all he'd done to cause the tears in the first place.

When Aladar said he would always listen to her, that he would never hurt her if he could help it, she was quiet for a few moments, before meeting his gaze hesitantly with a little nod. She wasn't sure... She wasn't sure how they could go back to the way things were before. Sure, he said he forgave her, but she was far from forgiving herself for the lies she told, and she was still waiting for his anger... She was still waiting for the explosion, and even if he'd given her every reason to trust him, she wasn't sure if she could.

Not yet... But maybe someday. Hopefully someday... Because she still loved him. She still wanted what they had once had... She still wanted more. But there were so many obstacles now...

She couldn't describe the freedom she felt. The burden of her secrets lifted off of her shoulders as she finally told the only other person who would ever need to know. Things she'd kept to herself for years, things she hadn't even told Tendral. And though it was freeing beyond words to have finally told another person, it brought pain she had bottled up inside of herself for years, tears welling up again as she had to come to terms with it all over again and all at once. But she wouldn't push it down again... This time, she'd face it. She wouldn't run away, she'd proven that the moment she decided to tell Aladar everything. She was not selfish or a coward... Not anymore.

"I know," she said softly, with a slight nod. Her eyes moved away again, as her smile became a bit more hopeful and fearful all at once.

"I hope that someday... maybe... we can go back to the way things were," she whispered. "Of course... I know you said you can't... And I understand, I do. I can't... It would be wrong to want you to go against that. I'm sorry..." She trailed off uncertainly, shaking her head and already wishing she could take the words back as her shoulders slumped with a shuddering, pained sigh.

Aladar let the information about the man’s new wife sink in. It wasn’t that he overly had any interest in her, though he did feel a twinge of sadness for the girl, knowing what he knew now about Darren. But he had asked because he wanted to know for sure, though even if he hadn’t married again, it would have mattered little to the man, now that he knew what he did.

The man felt helpless sitting there, watching the woman he loved struggle under the weight of the life she had struggled in. He couldn’t fix it for her. He couldn’t take away her pain. He could do nothing but sit and listen, and hope that perhaps she would find some semblance of safety near him. Not that he would blame her if she couldn’t, especially considering all that had happened.

So he sat there in silence while he let her work through the emotions, his hand falling back to his lap. There was almost an awkward silence there where there used to be comfortable companionship. There were so many things left to say still, and yet neither of them said anything for a little bit. He had no doubt she was processing bringing all the information to light, so he waited patiently, not wanting to leave her.

When she did begin speaking again, his undivided attention shifted to her, brown eyes looking over her face as she turned away. However, he was not expecting what she said, for a moment his face falling blank as he searched hers. He heard the hope in her voice followed by regret and trying to quickly patch up her words. It hurt his soul to watch as she slumped in defeat, the woman having gone through far too much and feeling more pain than anyone should ever have to feel, both emotional and physical.

“Hey... listen to me...” His voice was tender as his hand came to her chin, carefully turning the woman’s head to look at him while trying to be mindful of her bruises. “Look at me.”

He waited until his eyes could meet hers, searching through their depths. “I should have explained it all... from the very first moment I confronted you. I should have sat down with you and explained instead of my response. I want you to understand...” He released a breath, thinking over in his head how he planned to do this. He supposed the best way was from the beginning.

“I was angry because I was hurting. It wasn’t even an anger at you. I was angry at the circumstances. Because I love you Ali, and I never stopped. But God made marriage a very sacred bond between two people. When I found out you were married, I realized that there was a bond that had already been set, and that by loving you, I was taking from another man what was not mine to take.” His hand fell free from her face and he tilted his head to still look at her.

“I didn’t know your husband had broken that bond. He broke it in two ways. First, he abused his power as your husband. But secondly, he turned his back on it and snapped it by proclaiming you dead and taking another woman. Which means you are no longer bound to him. But I don’t expect you to just take that and forgive me for acting the way I did, or jump back into the way things were. Because I do still love you, Ali, but we both have a lot of healing to do... and you need time. You’re vulnerable and hurt right now, and it is not fair for me to take advantage of that.”

He wanted to be to the point and honest with her. It was only fair after what they had both been through, that they finally take down the barriers and hide nothing else.

For the first day, she stayed in the medical tent, with Aladar staying with her for most of the time and Lebuin checking in occasionally. More than anything else, though, she slept, curled on her less painful side. She was exhausted, catching up on missed sleep now that she finally felt safe enough for the moment to close her eyes and rest.

It was near dusk on the day after her arrival when she asked to move back to her old tent, and by that night, she was settled into her own cot again.

The tent felt empty. She didn't have much to call her own to begin with, but what few belongings she did have had been left with Darren, the man claiming that everything belonged to him. All she really had was a few shirts and pants to replace what she'd lost, an army-issued blanket... The notebook she'd used to start practicing her writing and sketching was gone, the extra bedding she'd gathered from various places was gone, her armor was gone, her weapons were gone... Everything that made the tent "hers" had been taken away, but in time she would collect enough things to make the place her own again... In time.

The weapons would be replaced, she'd get another set of armor as soon as another load of supplies was brought in... But for now, her tent only held her cot and herself, along with a small, bare table and a couple of chairs.

She sat on the edge of the cot, her right hand resting in her lap as her left hand gently rubbed her right shoulder. The injury had healed before she left, but now it hurt again, something she hadn't mentioned to Lebuin. It would heal on its own just like it had before, she was sure... Her fist opened and closed slowly, almost unconsciously following the exercises Lebuin had given her months ago to improve the mobility of her shoulder and the strength of her arm. But she wasn't thinking about her shoulder right now; her mind was elsewhere.

She'd been back for three days now... And she still could only think of him. Every time she closed her eyes, there he was... Once she'd moved back to her own tent, Aladar had given her a bit more space, and it became more difficult than she had expected, to relax now that she was alone most of the time. She didn't want to sleep... The dreams, the nightmares were more than she could handle. But if she couldn't even handle her own thoughts, what did that make her?

A quiet sigh escaped her, as she shifted to run her fingers through her hair, rising to her feet as she moved from one side of the tent to the other, gritting her teeth and sighing quietly as she paced. This was ridiculous... This was absolutely ridiculous. She was hungry and she was staying in this stupid tent because she didn't want to face the questions and stares of the others. How much of a coward was she?

She had just decided to go to the meal tent, moving to the entrance of the tent and reaching for the flaps, when she heard someone coming. Expecting Aladar, she peered out slightly, eyes widening in surprise before a hesitant smile showed on her still bruised face, stepping aside to allow him to walk into the tent.

"Hey, Tendral."

It wasn’t that Aladar didn’t want to be with her. The problem was he did. Almost desperately. And he knew that she was vulnerable at the moment, looking for someone to cling onto as much as he was. They were both hurt and the captain knew it was unwise to take advantage of that to try and kickstart a relationship that had gotten torn to shambles. Oh, he planned on restarting it one day, but in time and in a healthy way. And this would not be the healthy way.

It did not mean he abandoned her. That was the farthest from the truth as it could get. Instead, he made sure that her tent was cleaned out for her and would pop his head in now and again to make sure she was okay. Well, as okay as she could be. Aladar sent out an order for supplies and made sure there would be a new set of armor for her, and beyond that, had sent a messenger on a trip to the closest town to the blacksmith for a custom order for a sword. One that wouldn’t weigh down on her shoulder or be just a tad too heavy to wield. They were scattered things he was doing for her behind the scenes, signs that he still cared while not putting them both in situations that were a struggle.

Tendral, on the other hand, had spent the last three days wrestling with himself over going to see her. He was weighed down with the guilt that he had set all the events into motion. If he had just not said anything or at least broken ranks to try and quiet her. If he had intervened somehow or convinced Aladar to not send her home... Because he had known. She had told him that her husband was abusive and he had let her return despite knowing that information.

It was a hard pill to swallow, especially when she returned in the condition she had. It made him sick, physically ill to the point the last two days he had been given leave of his duties by his commanding officer, spending that time curled up in the community tent sleeping. He knew he should visit her, but for those days he just couldn’t. He couldn’t face the woman he felt he had failed, especially when he, of all people, understood the pain of abuse and the need to run away from it.

But by the third day, he managed to stir himself, clean up, and make a trip to the meal tent to pick up two portions. One for himself, the other for Ali. It was not an easy walk to her tent, his own mind eating away at itself with a fear of seeing her again. The first time he laid eyes on her, his spirit had been crushed to see how weak she was...

Last minute he almost turned around and changed his mind when Ali popped her head out, opening the tent flap wider for him to enter. “Hey Ali...” He was hesitant, but moved inside nonetheless, setting the two meals down as he stood awkwardly, green eyes staring at the ground as his hand came to rub at the back of his neck. He stood silently for a few moments before looking up at her.

“I’m so sorry Ali. I am so so sorry... I should have said something or stopped him. I never should have told him... or I at least should have made sure you didn’t go back.” He released a groan after his words came vomiting out, sinking into a chair as he buried his head in his hands. “You trusted me... and I let this happen to you... I am so sorry.”

She wasn't sure how to describe the look on his face when he saw her. But she did notice the hesitation as he paused before stepping into her tent, the lack of enthusiasm in his voice, the way he didn't look at her. And though she herself could hardly spare the emotional energy to offer a smile, it was a bit strange, to see the tall man so... discouraged? Was that the right word? She wasn't sure it was, but she gave a faint smile nonetheless, moving stiffly to one of the chairs and waiting for him to sit down so she could, too. She noticed the food he'd brought, tired eyes lighting up a bit when she realized she didn't have to venture out into the camp after all. That was good... She really didn't want to leave the tent. Not yet.

For a moment, an awkward silence hung heavily over the tent, Ali standing with her hands loosely clasped in front of her, Tendral still staring at the ground and unable to look at her. She could finally see the guilt written so clearly across his face, and it didn't take her long to connect the dots, vaguely remembering a conversation from before she'd left. She remembered her closest friend blaming himself for a mistake she'd made and a lie she'd told, and before he even spoke, she knew he still placed the blame for her selfish behavior and stupid decisions on his own shoulders.

"Tendral..."

But she was too late to stop his apologies, when they came. His regret and now clear evidence that he felt responsible for what had happened.

For a moment, she stayed quiet, sinking into the other chair, her legs trembling slightly with the weakness that lingered. She wasn't sure what to say to convince him it wasn't his fault, grasping for the right words.

"Tendral, it's not your fault."

Well, it was a start... Not the best words, but it was apparently the best she could come up with at the moment.

"Even if you hadn't said anything, he would have found out sooner or later... It's probably good that he found out now, really." Her reassurances felt rather lackluster, considering she hardly had the emotional strength to reassure herself of anything right now, much less someone else, but she was trying.

"And you couldn't have done anything, Tendral... I messed up. It was my fault. I said all those things, it's..." She shook her head slightly, sighing softly. These were the wrong words and she really really hoped she wasn't as awkward as she felt. Her shoulders slumped, and she avoided eye contact herself, though it wasn't a risk at the moment as the man still sat with his head buried in his hands.

"It's not your fault, okay? You didn't let this happen. I let this happen... I knew it was wrong... And I still lied to him. I still said those things, in front of everyone... I didn't think he'd send me home, but I was wrong... And that was my own fault."

She glanced at the food, eventually pulling one of the trays towards her, picking at it though her appetite seemed to have vanished, replaced with the anxiety that came with the conversation, and the memories it brought.

"But it... It's okay now," she said quietly. "Things will go back to how they were before... Eventually." Her pale eyes, still so dull and lacking the life they once held, moved to meet his.

"Right?"

His head stayed buried in his hands as she worked to reassure him. He couldn’t escape the repeating words that this was his fault. Had he done something differently, anything differently... she wouldn’t have been hurt. Parts of Tendral knew it had come of her own lies, even as she said it, but it couldn’t wipe away the guilt that plagued him. It would take time for him to be able to step back and see what had really happened, but even then, there was no guarantee that it would change his mind about the part he played.

“I should have done something… anything, Ali.” He slipped it between her efforts to make him feel better. Maybe she had done this herself, but he had done nothing to prevent it from escalating. He had done nothing to prevent her being sent back to her abusive husband. And those WERE things he could have done. At least, in his mind they were.

Green eyes finally lifted, meeting her dull light blue ones. Would things go back to normal? What normal did she refer to? Her hidden as Allen? The camp simply accepting her and her just being a female soldiers among the ranks? Or did she refer to Aladar? Tendral was uncertain and silence hung in the air.

“Everything will work out as planned,” he spoke, voice coarse from his dance with emotion. The words were not his own, nor did they truly reassure her that things would reach whatever normal she wanted back. They were taken from Aladar, though Tendral dropped whatever meaning of faith that was usually implied with the phrase. It was just a safe, somewhat reassuring sounding phrase.

A hand rubbed against the back of his neck again as he glanced around the tent, nothing really hers. It was so bare and rather dim inside…. He looked back at her, noting the effect the conversation had on her. She hadn’t been overly animated when he first walked in, but at least it had been more than this. And words could never truly express how he felt, nor was her very good at expressing his emotions anyway.

Standing, the man moved over to her, steps feeling slower than they were. She was hurting, and surely she was scared, he knew that much. “Ali… one thing I do know; it will be okay.” His arms wrapped around her gently, being mindful not to squeeze or put any pressure around her. Raised with the drilling that emotion and such things as hugs were weakness, Tendral truly was stepping out of his boundaries for her. She probably didn’t understand the levels of his own mind he fought for this, but he needed it and so did she.

“Everything will be okay.” He repeated the words as he could feel her warmth in his embrace, Tendral holding the hug for a moments longer than usual before finally releasing her. His hand gently landed on her good shoulder before trailing off as he sank back into the chair, emotionally exhausted. Determination kept him from tapping out, however, despite the pull the feeling had on his head and body, demanding he return to the tent and go back to sleep.

Picking up his own fork, he glanced over to food, his stomach clenching to remind him that it had more say than his emotional state. “It’s a decent meal considering… its army food,” he commented rather lamely in an attempt at small talk, but immediately fell quiet again.