"It all seems short compared to Manhattan," she admits in an undertone as she leads Peeta up a flight of winding stairs. Then again, given the lack of elevators, that's just as well.
She falls silent as they approach Numair's room, her heart thudding in her chest. A not-so-small part of her is still angry with him for never finding her, even though that's such plain nonsense now that she's back. Nobody looked for her because nobody had time to even realize she was gone. She can hardly hold that against him. But there's no getting around the fact that she hasn't seen him in the better part of a year, and all frustrations aside, she's spent most of that time missing him desperately. This is any other day for him. What will seeing him again be like for her?
She probably would have hesitated outside the door, but Kitten - who she'd set down once they were back indoors - doesn't see any reason to. The dragon cheerfully whistles open the lock on Numair's door and shoves it open, trundling inside. Numair's at his desk poring over a scroll, but he turns toward the door when Kitten walks in and favors the dragon with an exasperated sigh.
"I'm sure I've explained knocking to you," he says without malice - Kitten chortles at him - before looking up at Daine. For her part, the girl can't even breathe, let alone speak. Her expression must be telling, though, because Numair's on his feet a moment later, dark eyes flicking briefly over her shoulder before settling back on her. "Magelet? Is something wrong? Wh--oof," he concludes abruptly as Daine surges forward and throws her arms around him. She actually succeeds in knocking the taller man back a pace, but he recovers himself quickly enough and returns the gesture automatically.
She's crying again, and she knows he must be fair confused, but she can't stop herself. He's real. She's home, and she buries her face against the familiar warmth of her best friend and sobs.
Numair gives her back a gentle, somewhat awkward pat, as if he's not entirely sure what to do with himself. And since Daine is currently unfit for conversation (for some reason, which he can't currently fathom but it must be a good one), he shifts his focus back to the strange young man accompanying her. His gaze is sharp and not a little suspicious; here's a possible explanation for his student's unusual behavior. Not that she's ever come crying to him over a boy before - thank all the listening gods - but he has to start somewhere. "I don't suppose this is anything to do with you," he says, frowning in preemptive disapproval.
no subject
She falls silent as they approach Numair's room, her heart thudding in her chest. A not-so-small part of her is still angry with him for never finding her, even though that's such plain nonsense now that she's back. Nobody looked for her because nobody had time to even realize she was gone. She can hardly hold that against him. But there's no getting around the fact that she hasn't seen him in the better part of a year, and all frustrations aside, she's spent most of that time missing him desperately. This is any other day for him. What will seeing him again be like for her?
She probably would have hesitated outside the door, but Kitten - who she'd set down once they were back indoors - doesn't see any reason to. The dragon cheerfully whistles open the lock on Numair's door and shoves it open, trundling inside. Numair's at his desk poring over a scroll, but he turns toward the door when Kitten walks in and favors the dragon with an exasperated sigh.
"I'm sure I've explained knocking to you," he says without malice - Kitten chortles at him - before looking up at Daine. For her part, the girl can't even breathe, let alone speak. Her expression must be telling, though, because Numair's on his feet a moment later, dark eyes flicking briefly over her shoulder before settling back on her. "Magelet? Is something wrong? Wh--oof," he concludes abruptly as Daine surges forward and throws her arms around him. She actually succeeds in knocking the taller man back a pace, but he recovers himself quickly enough and returns the gesture automatically.
She's crying again, and she knows he must be fair confused, but she can't stop herself. He's real. She's home, and she buries her face against the familiar warmth of her best friend and sobs.
Numair gives her back a gentle, somewhat awkward pat, as if he's not entirely sure what to do with himself. And since Daine is currently unfit for conversation (for some reason, which he can't currently fathom but it must be a good one), he shifts his focus back to the strange young man accompanying her. His gaze is sharp and not a little suspicious; here's a possible explanation for his student's unusual behavior. Not that she's ever come crying to him over a boy before - thank all the listening gods - but he has to start somewhere. "I don't suppose this is anything to do with you," he says, frowning in preemptive disapproval.