Rooted to the place you sprang from...

[gotacigarette]

On the beach, Eden's chasing birds. She's running around with bare feet and Alice helped her roll up the cuffs on the camos she found, and she's got a khaki coloured t-shirt and a jacket discarded near-by and the clothes box even gave her a cap and a plastic gun. When Eden was nine years old, she hadn't done much playing. There hadn't been muc

Comments

[theonionknight]

Davos was still his normal age, thank the gods, but while he had no desire to be young again he still liked seeing happy children around. He had always got on well with the young and between his sons and Edric Storm he had learned o'erwell how fragile they could be. If there was anything he appreciated most about the Island, it was the youth and the fact they grew up safe here. Safe enough to be children and not young soldiers.

So when he saw the young girl chasing seagulls down the beach, he smiled to himself and watched her play with a quiet contentment. Such sights gave him hope.

[gotacigarette]

Eden pauses in her game, looks up and shades her eyes. An uncharacteristically broad smile spread across her face. She takes off at a run, her longer hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"Do you know who I am?" she demands, head tilted on one side.

[theonionknight]

That meant she was someone he knew aged down, presumably, if not simply very arrogant but try as he might, he could not guess who it was.

"My pardons," he admitted, "but I fear not."

[gotacigarette]

Eden gives him a look of mock horror, and then she lifts one hand and touches her fingers against her right eye.

"Now?"

[theonionknight]

"Now I do," he nodded and he couldn't help but smile at the realisation. "I still won't play Maidens and Monsters with you though, Major."

[gotacigarette]

"What a bloody shame."

She tilts her head on one side and sighs, huffing her too long bangs out of her eyes.

"What shall we do, then? I'm not used to being a kid."

[theonionknight]

"You seemed happy enough a moment ago," he replied happily, "but I'm afraid I'm too old to keep with you."

"How strong a swimmer are you?"

[gotacigarette]

"I can swim when I'm a grown-up," says Eden. For a moment, she looks uncharacteristically thoughtful. "Do you think that means I can swim now?"

[theonionknight]

"Mayhap," Davos shrugged at that, unconcerned, "but it matters little if it doesn't. The sea's calm enough and I taught all my boys to swim."

[gotacigarette]

"Okay! Alice helped me find a bather in case I wanted to go swimming, anyway." She lifts her t-shirt, flashing lurid black and pink.

"We can swim. You'll save me if I start drowning, right?" She looks up at him doubtfully.

[theonionknight]

Davos had expected them to swim naked but he supposed that wouldn't be proper. He removed his boots, his sword belt and his single glove slowly so that he was left in the doublet and breeches he'd arrived in. He could swim in those.

"I will," he replied and his smile was touched by a hint of melancholy. "I won't let you drown, Eden."

[gotacigarette]

Her eyes narrow for a moment, before her expression is lost as she pulls er t-shirt up over her head. She emerges tousled and frowning.

"Why do you look sad?"

[theonionknight]

"I told you I had four dead sons," he replied as he stared out to sea so as to not meet her eyes. "They were sailors."

He didn't think any more needed to be said.

[gotacigarette]

As an adult, she would never have done it, far too aware of her own borders, her own space. As a child, she hadn't taught herself to be so cold, yet. She'd still cried herself to sleep at night.

She reaches out, and takes Davos' hand, squeezing it gently.

[theonionknight]

He received the comfort gladly and gave her a little smile in response as the pair of them stood still and watched the sea.

"Come on," he said after a little pause. "I was going to take you swimming."

[gotacigarette]

"Okay," says Eden, letting go of his hand long enough to kick off her trousers and shoes.

"Come on then!"

She took off running, down towards the sea.