[Seth Cotton]

Éothen sat speechless and baffled by her story. He wasn’t sure of what to say, if it would sound stupid, heartless or even mean? He decided to remain silent for another moment, maybe she would say something. She cried, not a sound, but he saw the tears roll and he felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation and he looked down in the table.

‘I am s-sorry...’ He started, thinking it must sound really stupid. His way of saying it, his words of choice. The tone in his voice that sounded more like someone who has nothing better to say than that. He felt guilt and rubbed his head a little innocent.

‘I am really sorry to hear about your dear friend, my Lady...’ He continued and sounded more comfortable as the tensed situation began to ease and he felt more confident. She had almost stopped crying, yet she was still sad, no doubt of it. ‘Still it seems to me you are afraid of something?’

Maybe it was stupid of him to ask further more about it. Perhaps it would just make it worse, he would probably just bring up more darkness and sorrow. Even though it wasn’t his intention it seemed inevitable to him. He knew how it was to lose a friend, he had lost many. He thought of her as a brave person to actually talk about it; talk about the sorrow she felt. That was a braver thing than fighting a hundred orcs.

Éothen, for one, would never speak of such things. They were still strangers to each other but she must have built up a lot of confidence for Éothen which made him feel a little bit better and he even smiled, but stopped abruptly as he realised how dumb he must look. He sighed deeply; not even the sun outside helped. The shadow was lying over them as a covering of sorrow. No sun would take it away.

‘Maybe we should speak of something else...’ Éothen said a bit melancholy. He glanced at her and then made a quick glance outside at the fine weather. ‘Would you join me for a walk in the garden instead? Maybe it will make things better?’