"You're serious, aren't you?"

Libera burst into a fit of laughter that caused her to keel over and crumple onto the floor. Rhy watched her for a moment, fixed in an expression of utter frustration. He shoved his hands into his pockets and moved his fingers around a bit to ease the impatience, but all he was really succeeding in doing was breaking the seams and wearing them thin. What on Avalon was wrong with her?

He let out a gust of a sigh and his eyes narrowed somewhat. "Really, Libera. Get a hold on yourself."

"Okay, okay," she responded between breaths, rising to her knees and taking deep breaths. Occasionally she was overcome by a fit of giggles, but they quickly subsided, which allowed her the strength to rise completely to her feet. "Of course I'm serious. You should have seen the look on your face, though." She broke out into a broad grin, her blue eyes dancing with the memories of what he must have looked like. She hugged herself loosely then, as if crossing her arms incorrectly. "What's so bad about the fact that I want to stay here?"

"Hm." He didn't reply to her and brushed past her, moving down the quiet halls of the keep. There was a silence that was warming within those hallways, and it wrapped itself around him like a protective aura. No matter how much he told himself that he wanted to go back to his former life, the halls of the keep would always call him back. He had grown attatched to it, and though he hated to admit it, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to truly break away from its spell.

Libera was at his heels, following him as if he was her only chance of finding her way back home again. "Come on, Rhy, I won't get in the way. Besides, it isn't like I have anywhere else to go. I'd like to visit for a while, and you did say that once I got old enough I'd be able to come see you."

"I did say that, didn't I?"

Though he couldn't see her he could feel her eyes boring into the back of his head. "Yes, you did."

"Agh, fine." His voice was hinted with the notes of someone that had just given up a heated argument. He half expected himself to stamp away in anger and frustration, but then he realized that he was just trying to end the conversation. The hall was too peaceful and serene to taint its atmosphere with senseless bickering. He usually won such arguments, but he didn't feel like one today.

"Really?" He could feel her eyes growing wider, though he still didn't turn to look back at her. "Just like that?"

"Just like that. Just -"

"Just try not to get in the way. I know, I know." She let out a sigh but her tone betrayed the fact that she was very happy about the outcome of their conversation.

"Actually, I was -"

The door burst open and Rhy whirled on his heel, his hands darting for the hilt at his hip. The source was a stout, aging druid that was making his way down the entryway hurriedly, his brown robes sweeping out from behind him. "Rhyshantir! Rhyshantir, come quick!" he exclaimed, huffing between sentences. "There is someone out in the woods! They're wounded and cannot move. We need your help"

"Well? Can't you take care of it yourself?" Rhy was somewhat confused at these words, for the druid acted as if he was their caretaker and oversaw the happenings of the keep. Now that he thought of it, they did notify him of everything significant that happened within the initial area. He wondered what their reason for it was.

"We need your help," he repeated. "There are things that you can do more efficiently than we can, Rhyshantir."

He sighed, and Libera looked up at him with her lips pursed. She appered worried. Looking away from her to druid, he nodded his head once. "All right, let's go." And with that they hurried out of the keep.