[private] I have loved you for a thousand years; Arrya

[Rhory]

I have died every day waiting for you.
Darling, don't be afraid. I have loved you for a thousand years.
His heart beats in his chest as his brown eyes scan through the thick foliage. Worry is finally starting to pierce through his resolve. What if … what if, god forbid, she hadn’t made it? What if the destruction had caught her off guard, and she’d been trapped in … in … that.

His heart clenches tightly and his breath begins to come in short gasps. No … no, breathe Rhory, breathe. You can’t think like this. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It would be so, so awful to lose her right after finally having her come back into his life. He … he just wouldn’t be able to handle it …

His ears suddenly perk, catching the faintest hint of a familiar voice calling through the trees …

No, no, his mind must be playing tricks on him. It couldn’t be that easy.

But the voice suddenly grows louder, like it’s growing closer and …

It IS her!

He barely has time to register the fact before the wind is knocked out of him, and he’s nearly forced off his feet. He stumbles, somehow keeping steady, and becomes aware that a tiny little dark figure has practically wrapped itself around him. “Arrya!”

He leans into the embrace for a good few minutes, just enjoying the feeling of her warm coat against his own, the feeling of her heart beating in tandem with his own.

But then he pushes away, forcing himself a few steps away so that he can actually get a good look at her. His brown eyes dart over her bay coat, looking for any sign of an injury sustained in the upheaval, and lets out a loud sigh of relief when he finds nothing.

“God, I’m so glad you’re alright. How did you get out of there? I’d just gotten back to the wall when everything fell apart and …” He steps forward to wrap his scarred neck around her in another big hug. “I feared the worst.”

Rhory
I'll love you for a thousand more.