The ground gave way with each step Rook took, the soft earth absorbing his weight and leaving deep prints of his passing. He loved the forest. The trees seemed to breathe a special life all their own, the soft sound of leaves brushing one another carried by the wind. And the scents! Oh the scents. He lifted his head and drew in a deep breath. The different trees, plants, flowers and earth itself all mingled in his senses leaving him with a special sense of home.

His eyes opened, gaze traveling from the fluffy clouds above back down to his surroundings.

They had been a little distant since the return and this left a cold ache inside him. He felt as if he'd done something wrong although he knew she would say he hadn't. He had wandered, exploring some but always returning even if she didn't know he was near. He didn't want to suffocate her by being underfoot all the time but the more he was away from her, the more it ached inside. He wasn't sure why that was. He'd never felt that sort of thing before in his life.

Rook knelt down, pressing a hand into the earth reveling in the raw feeling of it. It was dirt but it held an honest feeling and he enjoyed it. Almost as much as the way her hand felt in his on those occasions when he'd had an opportunity to touch her skin. It was soft and gloriously smooth, carrying a spicy scent that was all her and her alone.

He wondered where she'd gotten off to of late. He hadn't seen her in a while and worry lived with the ache inside. Was she all right? He desperately hoped she was. After all she'd done for him, it would kill him if she were injured or hurt somewhere. The idea that this could be the case caused him to stand suddenly and turn, wishing to discover where she was. Only a deep breath and the words murmured, "She's a fighter, she's all right," spoken over and over under his breath kept his heart in place.

What was happening to him that he could not shake these thoughts?