Lowen could see well in the dark most of the time. That is, when there was at least a little bit of light. For the first time in his life, he felt like a human. He felt silly for that thought though. He felt more vulnerable than he had in a long time. He couldn't say he really liked it.
Sitting up he examined more with his senses than anything, the area around him to try and figure out what was going on. He was glad they had enough luck to keep them from being injured on the way down. He thought back to what had happened and recalled saving the boy that had been held hostage by the weird clocked women. Then they had fallen down a pit that opened up under his feet. The last thing he recalled was that man grabbing hold of Tyrah. And that irritated him just a little. After all, he could still be the enemy and hurt her.
The groan from the kid beside him got his attention. It didn't sound far, so the kid must have been pretty close. "Awe my head..." the kid said in a disoriented way. He could hear the sound of clothing moving as the kid sat up. He wondered if the kid knew he was even there or not.  "What happened?" The kid muttered. "What part?" Lowen asked as he brushed a hand through his hair thinking about everything that led them to this point.
He heard the kid take in a sharp panicked voice and could smell the fear that came off of him. 'He didn't know I was here.' He thought guiltily. He didn't like scaring people after all. "Relax kid, you're safe with me, I got you away from that weird cloaked lady." He said to him trying to smooth the kid. The kid took a long breath before letting it out slowly calming down.
"So kid. How are you connected to the duke?" Asked lowen trying to make small talk. Not something he normally needed to do. He had long ago gotten comfortable with silence between him and others. When he got the answer from the kid though, it would be information he would give to tyrah when they met up. "My name is Noah. Duke Griffin is my uncle." He said calmly. Lowen felt around for a wall close by and once he found it, he leaned against it and crossed his arms thinking about what he should do or say. "My mother died while I was little. She was Griffin's twin sister. So being the last of the family, he tends to dote on me." Noah said to lowen to answer any questions he might have had. Lowen frowned as he thought about this new information he had come across.
"So who are you, and why are you helping me?" Noah asked as he crossed his arms in the dark. "My name is Lowen. I am apart of the shadow hunters group. Me and my Companion were asked to go undercover in an unrelated mission to find out the cause of multiple disappearances. " Lowen said calmly. It was quiet as Noah took in the information that he had been just given. "A Shadow Hunter. That's rare to see." The kid replied.
"Why don't we try and figure out a way out of this place?" Lowen suggested. He couldn't smell blood on the kid, so he figured he was fine. But he knew Tyrah had been bleeding, she had been bitten by the shadow after all.
Worry briefly filled Lowen, but he settled knowing Tyrah was tough. tougher than anyone he had ever known. She would be fine. She would even tell him as much. But then he recalled the Duke grabbing hold of her, and worry came over him again. If he found out that Duke so much as injured a hair on her head, he would knock his teeth out for it.
That much settled in his thoughts, they began to try  and find a way out. It was easier then he thought it would be as Lowen could feel a slight draft. Working together they explained the terrain to each other so the other wouldn't trip. Lowen found he liked Noah. He was a tough kid. He would be a good man one day. He picked up a faint scent he recognized right away, it was her scent, and now, he could see slightly. That relieved him. "What are we looking for?" Kensington asked as he made his way behind Lowen.
"Some sort of way out." Lowen said, thinking about the scent. "We need to figure out a way to defeat the women who caused all this." Lowen spoke as the light became a bit brighter. He hoped the kid wouldn't be spooked with Lowens appearance. Lowen glanced back and could see the kid looking in his directions. He couldn't see the kid clearly and the kid wouldn't be able to see him at all yet. "Who? Tyrah?" Noah asked curiously. "I heard she was orchestrating this whole thing." Noah said unsure. "That cloaked lady talked about Tyrah all the time, saying she was just Tyrahs underling." Lowen frowned. "Strange. Are they trying to frame Tyrah then? But why?" He wondered. "What makes you think they're trying to frame her?" Asked Noah curiously. "Tyrah is a Shadow hunter and my closest companion. It isn't her. I spent almost twenty four hours a day seven days a week with her." Lowen said distracted with this strange puzzle that had come to light.
"Why target her?" Noah asked. Lowen shook his head forgetting that Noah wouldn't be able to see him. "I'm not sure. Destroy her reputation maybe. Get her kicked out of the organization perhaps? But who wants that besides the shadows?" He asked more to himself. The pieces were there, but he needed to put them together. But in what order? He would find out one way or another.
"So you know Tyrah well then." Noah asked, thinking to himself. "Yes. We've been traveling and working together for two years now." Lowen replied. "She leads the team." Lowen heard Noah make a humming sound behind him as he thought about what Lowen was saying. "Are you sure she isn't doing it on the side?" Noah asked curiously. "Positive." Lowen replied. Noah tipped his head from side to side weighing his thoughts as they walked downt he long tunnel. "So your Lovers then?" Noah asked curiously.
Lowen stumbled over a rock as he felt his face heat up in embarrassment. It took a moment to settle his racing heart. "No. We're not lovers. I don't think she could ever look at me like that. I was once a slave she had freed." Lowen replied as he steadied his heart beat.
"Oh, but you want to be her lover right?" Noah said, picking up on Lowens reaction. Noah sounded almost amused. Lowen paused thinking about it. Did he? Stillness settled around him. "I never gave it much thought." He replied honestly. But when he thought back to the way his heart raced when they first met. He could still picture her standing there in the crowd alone, and all he could see clearly was her. Everyone else was like a blur. Noise was muted except for her voice. She stood straight, head up. Mask on. But even then, he could tell her heart was sad and lonely. And his own resonated with that, because he had been the same. She was beautiful. He didn't expect anyone else to see what he did. But no one would ever change his mind about that first meeting. The way she spoke to him like he was a person, like he mattered.
She made him feel heard when no one else ever had. And he would never forget that. He opened his eyes, surprised he had closed him. Then the thought of her in that dress, and getting to see more of her face, made his heart skip a beat. He could barely breathe when he saw her there. Her dark long hair is free and flowing down her back. The way her blue eyes gazed at him. She had been breathtaking. His eyes always always followed her when she moved. The way he was so comfortable with her in a way he never had been with anyone but his family. He loved sitting close to her, their late night conversations under the stars when they camped or traveled.
He recalled how he felt when they brushed arms. He was in love with her. He stopped walking at the realization. He loved her. He felt his heart rate speed up again. He loved her?  'No, no, I, I can't, when? How? I don't know how to love anyone!.' He felt hot like he was under the desert sun, being integrated for his crime of loving another.
"I have a girl I love." Lowen heard Noah say. Distracting him from his internal dialogue and panic. "She's beautiful. We grew up together. For a long time, I pushed my feelings away. But going through all this, and seeing her dance with another man, I knew I needed to say something or risk losing her. That would destroy me. So when we get out of here, I'm going to tell her when we get out of here. Life is too short to wait any longer." Noah said clearly and with conviction. The way Noah spoke, settled Lowens heart.  This kid, he was braver than he was.

Tyrah's prove

Thick strange moss squished under Tyrah's feet as she walked. She was annoyed because the heels she wore made it hard to walk, but it was even more amusing to see Griffin trying to act cool as every couple of steps he slipped and nearly fell from the wet moss. "We're close to the underground waterfall. When the sun is out, this place gets sun from the cracks high above." Griffin said in a conversational tone. She looked around wondering what this place looked like in the daylight then.  It was still dark. But they brought along the glowing stones. They  had come across.
"The caves down here are vast." Griffin said as he led them toward another tone. "I've been playing down here ever since I was a child. Even now I still come to just relax and be alone." For a moment, her mind drifted to lowen. Would he be able to escape? If he found her scent, he would follow it out.  He would be fine, she told herself.
"What do you think the woman who did this wants?" Asked Griffin after a while of silence. Tyrah tipped her head thinking about the question he asked her, and slid her eyes over to look at him. "To destroy me and my reputation for some reason. Could be simply because I work for the Shadow Hunters, or maybe a personal grudge. " she shrugged a little, ignoring the pain she felt in her shoulder. The way she talked about this made Griffin wonder if she was un-bothered by it all. And if so, why?
Then again, she told him she had been doing this line of work for a long time. Was it common Enough she was desensitized to it? For a moment he wondered what it would be like to be in her line of work. She must have liked it considering how long she had been working for them, a decade she had said. He thought about how exciting it would be to defend the innocent, instead of being forced to destroy them. He thought of the people he had handed over and wondered if he would ever be able to atone for what he had done to them.
The light glow of the stones they carried casted a soft glow of the blue light around them. He was thankful for the light, he knew Tyrah was still weary of him, but he didn't blame her for it. After all, he had been planning to hand her over to them too. He felt guilt fill him once again. His eyes drifted over to the strong women at his side. She was so different from him. So noble. He admired that, and wanted to become like that as well.
His eyes drifted to her shoulder. Blood streaked down her arm, dry now, but the punctures had a wet sheen to it that let him know it was still bleeding. Blood stained the front of her blue dress on both sides. They were both covered in dirt clung in damp clumps to them.
"I'm going to hit you if you keep looking at me." Tyrah tried for a joke, but being unfamiliar with joking, it came across more aggressive than joking. "I apologize. I'm worried about that bite." Griffin admitted. Her hand lifted to it subconsciously, but she didn't touch it. "Yes, well, ive had worse injuries." She mused. Griffin's lips pursed as he thought about what kind of battles she had faced. Glancing over once again, he felt embarrassed that he had been caught starting. She just threw him off his game. He wasn't normally so, so strange. He couldn't quite put his finger on what he was feeling. He wondered if it was dangerous. She wasn't a normal noble women after all. She held herself differently.
Her gaze was sharp, she spoke with an eye that normal noble women did not dare speak, most didnt even dream of it. Most were treated like pawns, expected to be seen and seldom heard. To do as told, and used like currency.
He found that distasteful. He didn't like normal customs. He had turned down many offers of arranged marriages. His mind wandered back to the battle they had, she was fierce. He suspected that she was more powerful when not encumbered by a heavy dress. He had that advantage and he still hadn't been able to beat her. The sudden desire to see her fight with her whole ability filled him. This women had such a strong presence.
The mask on her face made him curious to know what was under it. He squinted. He had taken his mask off long before this, he wondered how she stranded it, feeling stuffy and probably hot in it. Maybe smothered. Why did she continue to wear it? Did she not want him to know her face? Didn't she know just how beautiful she was? When she entered the ballroom, he hadn't been able to rip his gaze from her. Her presence, how she held herself, commanded attention. Her dress sparkled as she made her way down the stairs. Her blue eyes were bright and alluring.
He hadn't noticed the couple who had come in behind her. He had been surprised he hadn't noticed because he should have. She hadn't been his original target. Her name had snapped him out of his daze. She had told her the name of his enemy. But the more time he spent with her, the more he knew she wasn't bad. She had shown him kindness that he hadn't seen from anyone since the day his sister passed away, leaving himself and Noah behind. They made their way into another cave, and that broke him from his onslaught of thoughts.
Tipping his head, he took in the scent of the air around them, and the sound of their steps. "Not long now, the exit is close by." He said calmly as they walked side by side. "Understood." She replied in a calm manner. She thought that this guy was useful. But would he turn again when the time came? Her blue eyes glanced sideways at him, and this time, he wasn't looking at her.
She felt uncomfortable when people looked at her for too long. It was like they could see through her, to her most protected thoughts and feelings.she wasn't a fan of that. She didn't like for her feelings to be so bare, and raw for the world to see. It didn't feel right to her. The sudden difference in the floor caught her attention. From moss, the floor had turned to stone, and now grass. They were close to the surface, and for that she was grateful. She hoped lowen wasn't far behind. She was worried he might be injured. But knowing him, he'd say it was nothing and that he had worse.
She lightly shook her head in amusement. Catching Griffin's attention again. Both of them stayed silent as they came across the exit.  Tyrah stood ready. She was glad she did. Because she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. And a chill came down her spine.
Signs a shadow was close by. She gave the dress she wore an irritated look. This was poor planning on her part. She should have remembered why she quit wearing dresses. It made it hard to fight the way she needed to.
The growl at the exit caused Griffin to grow stiff. He wasn't sure what he could do to help her. He looked over to tyrah who suddenly began to quickly lift her skirt up. He slapped a hand over his mouth to cut off his shout of surprise and looked away quickly. He felt his face grow hot. "Here. Take these and use them against the shadow." He looked over to her, handing him a pair of short blades. "You had those hidden under your dress?" He asked surprised.
"I don't like being unprepared." She replied blandly. He took the warm blades in his hands, feeling embarrassed.  She shot him a slightly amused look, before moving away quickly, despite the heavy dress. He watched her for a moment before following as soon as they emerged, and the fight began.
Tyrah slashed two shadows who appeared at the exit and charged them. They were small and inexperienced. She leaned back just in time to avoid a slash of another shadow. Her blue eyes were dark and focused. Her eyes  examined her battlefield before her. It was a wide tunnel, but would still limit her movements.  Different scenarios filled her mind as well as outcomes. She slashed and dodged smoothly.
Using the sword she carried, she sliced through the next shadow in silence trying to keep her eye on Griffin, who was skillfully fighting alongside her. She hoped that he wouldn't turn on her again.
She felt claws snag on her dress and so she twisted away. The sound of fabric tearing was loud. Her dress was torn to her knees, ragged and destroyed. She flipped her sword to point down witht he hilt up and plunged it into the small shadows head quietly as it was dropping the fabric out of its mouth.
The sheer number of shadows was hard to handle. A shot sounded, and the shadow that was leaping at her fell away dead. Lowen dashed out of the shadows and a sense of relief filled her. He had a handgun with the specialized bullets loaded in it. She felt more at ease with him here, and so was able to focus more on her battle before her. She heard a frustrated growl from the entrance, and the cloaked women stood there screaming at them. "Die die die DIE DIE DIE!!" Tyrah heard the cloaked figure close by, looking agitated and angry. She'd need to kill that woman who was controlling the shadows. Tyrah didn't like killing humans. Killing people.  She hadn't ever needed to till now.
Tyrah heard the women laugh in an unhinged and chilling way. Tyrah didn't think this was a human she was dealing with. "Come any closer and the kid dies!" Shadows collected, and Tyrah felt her blood froze in her veins. There beside the women, stood Kai stood looking scared and confused in the grip of the cloaked figure. Then an intense rage filled her.
How had that woman gotten a hold of kai? Without the magic suppressing mask, her emotions, and therefore her power were unstable. Lowens  eyes shot over, surprised at the sudden increase of power from tyrah. It kept growing. Shadows around her burst into blue flame and died instantly. Her rage was so thick in the air, he could almost taste it. A chilling rage filled her face and body, a vein was visible bulging under the skin on her face and neck.
"How dare  you."  Came Tyrah's voice. Cold, and angry, but quiet, and utterly terrifying. The cloaked figure felt a shiver, felt a shiver go up her spine, and ended up taking a step back. It occurred to him, this wasn't the reaction that women had expected from Tyrah. Red stripes began to burn into the skin. The hiss of it made Lowen wince, and griffin to look over worriedly. The white smoke flowed off the stripes that burned onto her hands and cheeks.
Tyrahs eyes glowed bright in the dark night. Her hair began to drain of color turning white. She had a red score on each hand and on each cheek on her face. "You have no idea what you've done." Her voice came out rough. "Don't move!" Yelled the cloaked figure as she went to pull a blade. But Kai was quick. He turned into a fox and dashed toward lowen who caught him in his arms, and a moment later, Tyrah attacked. The cloaked figure let out a frightened shriek, as she tried to defend herself from Tyrah.
She managed to get a couple good slashes in, but Tyrah didn't seem to notice the pain. Tyrah punched, tore, slashed without regard to herself in anyways. Like she wasn't in control anymore. A shadow slashed at Tyrahs back, she turned and ripped the shadow's front legs off and threw it over her shoulder as it stumbled bag in shock, and most likely pain. He held Kai. Shielding the small boy from the violence. She charged it again and sliced the creature in half, before attacking another, no longer in control, killing indiscriminately.
"You have to stop her," Kai said as he shifted back to a boy. "She can't stop herself," Kai said worriedly, unfazed by the violence. Lowen wasn't sure he could stop her, she moved so fast, and was destroying everything she could get her hands onto. "I'll watch the kid," Noah said, stepping up beside Lowen. Lowen gave a quick nod of thanks, and Kai took hold of Noah's hand. Griffin was beside them, but Lowen didn't trust the duke, but he did trust the kid. "I will protect them with my life, you have my word." Griffin said seriously as he held eye contact with Lowen who examined him. "You hurt any of them, and you'll pay." Lowen warned in a low voice. Griffin nodded simply in understanding.
Lowen turned to face Tyrah, his heart racing. He couldn't lose her. Not ever. She was the first to care about him since he became a slave. She had freed him, and given him a place to belong, and friendship. He could see she was covered in blood, all her own. Her dress torn and destroyed, old blood mixed with dirt. Her eyes were wild. Her hands bruised and her nails torn up. Her hair messy and wild. She latched onto a shadow ripping it limb from limb, he came up behind her quickly and grabbed hold of her around her waist. She trashed and growled trying to tear his arms off of her. "Tyrah! This isn't you!" She trashed and screamed, trying to slam her head back into his face to get him off of her. He could barely hold onto her.  "You won! It's okay now! You're safe!" She was breathing heavily. Her body trembled with the struggle of controlling herself. "Tyrah, it's okay now, " he said gently, trying to will her to calm down. She was so stiff, frozen now in his arms. Everyone held their breath, as they waited to see if she would come back to them. The silence held for a tense ten seconds, before she spoke. "Lowen?" She asked, confused, and quietly. "Hey," he said softly, soothingly. He could tell that she was scared.
"You beat them." He tried to encourage her. Tried to get her back to normal. She shook slightly "Kai?" She asked softly. Wanting to know if he was okay. "He's fine." Lowen said to her. She sagged against him exhausted. "Did I hurt anyone?" She asked in a whisper. Barely controlled emotions present on her face. He sank to the ground holding her in his arms and lap as he supported them. "No. You protected us." He said warmly.
He held her tight in his arms as they sat there and just breathed. she had lost control. She could have hurt them, killed them. Kai dashed over followed by  Noah and Griffin. Kai came to a stop beside them, a worried look on his face. "You're hurt." Kai said, taking Tyrah's limp hand. "I'll be okay." Tyrah said quietly. Griffin crouched beside them, and lowen kept a sharp eye on him. "That woman slipped away in the chaos. But she won't be back. " griffin said to them. "Where's Valentine?" Tyrah asked after acknowledging Griffin's words. "She stayed in the house to help the people inside get out just in case anything happened." Lowen replied calmly.  "Good." She said before she realized she was still in Lowens lap.
"I can stand now." She said, embarrassed. "You bleed a lot." Lowen said sternly. She shook her head. "I'm fine." She said as she carefully got to her feet. Griffin's eyes followed her back, where her dress had been torn in her fight. He felt surprise fill him at the scars on her skin on her back. There were large scars showing in the dim light. And some peeked out as the fabric was torn and draped open widely in some areas.
He felt his jaw clenched. Lowen followed Griffin's gaze to her scars, seeing what Griffin was seeing. Lowen removed his jacket, and draped it over her shoulders, hiding away the scars from the view of others. Lowen didn't know if Tyrah was shy about her scars or not. But he didn't like that duke looking at her too much. The sudden burn of that jealousy surprised him. He mentally shook it off. There was no place for this here right now. Tyrah needed help first and foremost.
Tyrah's eyes gazed around the destroyed courtyard, and the blood.  She knew she must look like a wreck. She was also in a serious amount of pain. She ignored it though, put on the tough act she normally had, she refused to look weak. They were all dirty, but now they all had a connection.
"Oh my goodness!" Valentine, who had been standing watch by the door pailed upon seeing them all. "I was so worried, you were gone for so long," she said, rushing over to them worriedly. She didn't give any attention to Griffin and Noah. "The family doctor will be at my home." Valentine said but also looked unsure if Tyrah would be okay going so far.
"She can use mine here. He will check all of us." Griffin said tiredly. Valentine's eyes shot over to him, and she gave a disapproving look. "He's on our side."Tyrah said, noticing her expression.  "We will talk about it while we all get patched up." Tyrah said calmly. Her vision blurred slightly, only lowens hand on her shoulder kept her on her feet, and kept her from falling over.
Tyrah remained silent as she walked. Focused on the others talking. Kai held her hand, looking up at Tyrah worriedly. Even being with her for a short while, he knew Tyrah wasn't likely to say anything about her injuries. Lowen was very aware, and kept a close eye on her. Worried about all the blood she had lost.
But not just that. Tyrah seemed shaken from her loss of control. She hadn't told anyone that, she was afraid of her power. She had lost so much because of this so-called bleeding. Her family, her friends, even the people she worked with. What if lowen, Kai, and the others decided she was far too dangerous to be around? She didn't think she would ever recover.
She didn't think she would be able to live all alone anymore. Not after finally having people who cared about her thoughts. She hadn't noticed they had gotten to Griffin's infirmary. When they did, she tried to get the others looked at first, but everyone insisted she be the first to be taken care of.as to them she was the most beat up.
She didn't like the doctor touching her. But she said nothing, and let him do his work. The doctor was worried, he knew the antiseptic he used would hurt, but she didn't feel anything, and that worried him.
"Can you feel anything?" He asked her. "I feel it all." She said, and more softly to herself. Maybe not even talking about the physical pain. The doctor frowned as he stitched up the worst of the injuries.
The doctor was worried about how withdrawn Tyrah was. He didn't think it was a good sign. "You need to rest till these are healed, Miss Lynn." The doctor said, and handed her some pain killing pills. Tyrah didn't want them. She felt she deserved the pains he felt.
Getting to her feet, she couldn't help but feel exhausted and cold. Probably from her loss of blood. "Eat lots of iron rich foods to get your blood count up." Tyrah gave a little nod and walked out. "Rest here for the night." Griffin said as she walked out. "It's the least I could do." Lowen didn't look so sure about Griffin's offer. Griffin was worried about her silence. But then again. Maybe she was always like this.
He glanced at lowen who was watching Tyrah. "Your friends will stay in rooms close by." He wanted to set them at ease. Lowens eyes narrowed as he stared at Griffin before he gave a nod. Lowen was called up next to get looked at.
"This way." Griffin said to Tyrah. She gave a slight nod, before following behind. "I talked to the staff, rooms are prepared as well as baths. You're bandaged up, so they will probably wash your hair and give you a sponge bath. Clothing will also be provided." He said as he walked along the once lonely halls . He had not long ago hated this place, but now? They didn't feel as cold as they had before. "Your regular Clothes will be here tomorrow morning before everyone wakes up." He looked over to see if she would reply at all. She gave a quiet nod. Coming to a stop, Griffin turned to face Tyrah to find out what was bothering her so much.
"I know you don't know me well." He began after a moment of silence between them as they watched each other. He had waited till she looked him in the eye before he began again. "But are you really okay?" He asked earnestly. She stared at him, observing him, and absorbing the words he spoke. "I lost control. I could have killed all of you." Her voice shook slightly. She normally wouldn't have said anything, but her exhaustion seemed to loosen her tongue for her true thoughts to spill out.things she wouldn't ever say. "I lost everything last time I lost control. My friends, my family, everything that I cared about." Her eyes grew fierce for a moment, before her emotions fizzled out to where she felt nothing. "And I might lose it all again." She whispered. Her hair that was regaining its normal color was gray in the dark, the moon that shone on them made her look haunting, and sad.
"I don't think so." Griffin said firmly. "These people, no, we love you." He said to her earnestly. "The ones who left before were fools who didn't know what they had. They couldn't see how kind you are, and how loyal. They were idiots for that." Griffin said in such a certain way, that it confused Tyrah. "I can see the way all of your friends care about you. Lowen, he jumped in without regard for his own life to snap you out of it. I wish I had friends like that." He said seriously as he maintained eye contact.
"They won't leave you. And neither will I. You won my loyalty, you saved my nephew, patched me up, and despite everything i've done, trusted me. I won't forget that." He held her gaze as he spoke, never looking away. Her brows furrowed for a moment as Ashe listened to him quietly. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she let the breath she didn't know she had been holding out. She reached up with both of her hands and slapped her still sore cheeks. The burn marks were fading. Mentally she shook off the negative thoughts and feelings surrounding her. Before she looked back at him. "Thank you." She said, opening her eyes. And gazing into his eyes seriously. She felt his face flush a little. "Your welcome."
She smiled a little, coming back to her normal self.  He smiled back. He found her to be so interesting. "Well. Let's get you to your room for tonight." He said calmly. She gave a little nod of agreement and followed along. She was thankful for the people in her life now. Thankful for their kindness that warmed her greatly. She would never forget this,
Lowen stood with his back to the wall where they couldn't see him as he had listened to what Griffin had said. She had felt they might abandon her, he leaned his head back against the wall, looking at the dark Hugh dealing, and rafters.
He hadn't needed much in terms of being patched up. He was after all not human, and stronger than humans. But so was Tyrah. But her mind wasn't. He closed his eyes for a moment as he stayed in his spot against the wall. He should have said something. Reassured her that they wouldn't leave. 
Opening his eyes, he strained up looking ahead. He wasn't much for words, unlike Griffin who knew how to use them well. But Lowen would let his actions speak for him. He turned away and headed back to the other to keep watch. He would keep watch for tonight so she could rest.
Tyrah woke up groggy and a little confused. She was sore. Her body ached with the memories of the long battle the night before. She briefly wondered how long she had been asleep for. The unfamiliar mask on her face was uncomfortable to wear. She didn't like it much.
The gentle knock on her door suddenly made her realize that she had been what had woken her up. "I'm awake now." She replied as she sat up.her hair was messy, and she probably had sheet marks on her face from how hard she had slept.
She felt surprised when Lowen came in. He looked straight at her seeing how messy she was. He couldn't help the little smile that came to his face seeing her like that. "I didn't realize you were still asleep. I brought your clothes." He held up a bag to show her. "Thank you." She said as she got out of bed. Her legs wobbled a bit from being sleepy, lowen had to stop himself from dashing over and catching her as she stabilized.
"I haven't slept that hard in a long time." She mused as she stretched a little. He smiled amused as she walked over to the vanity in the room and sat on the stool. Lowen walked over, setting the bag on the table beside her. He smiled amused as he watched her. "We will be having breakfast soon." He said relaxed. "Will you be joining?" She tipped her head thinking about his question, then what the doctor had said about iron rich foods.
"The duke assured us that there would be plenty of iron rich foods for all of us to replenish some blood." He said as he watched her expression. He hadn't been able to do it before now. "Alright I will join." She agreed.
He smiled. Glad he had gotten what she was thinking right. "Ill wait right outside. Let me know if you need anything." Lowen said Cooley. She nodded a little and wondered why he seemed a bit off. Like he was thinking of something. She watched him close the door behind himself, before she wandered over to the bag he had left for her.
Pulling out her stuff, she set to getting dressed first, she was careful of the injuries to her body as she dressed. It was very difficult for her to get her shirt on. While she got it on she thought about lowen, and what could be on his mind. The last two things she pulled out was her mask, and her red hair tie. She held the full face mask in her hands for a moment, and decided that she would swap them out after she ate. She reached for the hairbrush, and winced a bit. She didn't know if she could go through all that motion to brush her hair with her injuries. At least not today. Sighing she leaned against the vanity. "Do you need something?" Lowen asked outside the door. She forgot sometimes just how good his hearing was. "I need help brushing my hair, I can't keep my arms up long enough," she admitted. She didn't like showing weakness.
"Understood." Lowen came into the room, and over to where she sat at the vanity. He examined her hair for a moment. "Do you want it in your usual style?" He asked. She nodded as she watched him. He gave a confident nod, so she moved back to the vanity and sat down. She watched him through the mirror as he picked up the brush. She saw how carefully his hands touched her hair. His gray eyes focused.
"You're a bit off today. Is something bothering you?" She asked him. He glanced up to gaze into her eyes through the mirror. His hands still working on her hair. "There is. But nothing bad. But not something I'm ready to talk about just yet." He smiled a little. "Something Noah said to me. It made me realize how stupid I am." He said jokingly.
She smiled a little amused as she saw him relax more. It didn't take him long to brush her hair. But she noticed the way his hands lingered in her hair a little longer than needed. It was soft and smelled of the oils and shampoos the maids used the night before.
She watched him put it up in her usual style. She for a moment. Imagined what his hair looked like in a ponytail. She smiled a little to herself at the thought. Lowen noticed this little smile and wondered what she was thinking about. Had she noticed he was touching her hair a little too long? He couldn't help it.. he hadn't ever touched her hair before. It was as soft as he imagined it to be. He had often thought about it before. He felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't said anything about it though.
Once he finished her hair, he was slightly disappointed. After all. He loved being around her. And now touching her hair. He hoped she'd let him do her hair again. He liked that she trusted him enough to do so.
Tyrah turned her head from side to side, and could see the care he took with her hair. And that made her smile. "Thank you. I like it." She saw him smile a bit. It occurred to her that she liked his smile.
He offered his hand to her, and helped her to her feet. She didn't really need that. But it felt comfortable with his touch. He held her hand just for a moment. Lowen revealed in the connection between them. Before he let go. Quietly they exited the room, side by side. Her mind on him. She wondered what he might be thinking about. When Tyrah glanced out the window they passed, warm sun shone on them. It felt nice. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth and the beauty outside the large window.
Lowens gaze lingered on what he could see of Tyrah's face. She was still wearing the half mask, her full mask was attached by the black ribbon to her hip though a belt loop. "This mission was a lot harder than I thought it would be." Tyrah said in a conversational tone. She turned her head to look at him. He gave a nod of agreement. "But we saved a lot of people from a terrible fate." Lowen replied. "I wonder if we can find the women who were taken," Tyrah felt like that was a hopeless wish, but still wished it anyway.
"I dont know." Lowen replied honestly. He turned his gaze to her face as he spoke. "Maybe," he said as they came to the door of the dining room. Tyrah paused, hearing the sound of chatter and even laughter from inside. Both of them looked at each other curiously. Both wondered what was going on in there.
The door suddenly flew open, causing Tyrah to nearly jump out of her skin. "You're here!" Kai's excited voice came. "Kai took both Tyrah's and lowens hand and pulled them into the room. Griffin laughed seeing the dazed look on their faces.  "I love this kid. We just met but I would die for him" mused Griffin before he picked up the glass of orange juice in front of him and took a sip. Tyrah decided this guy was a sucker for kids, just like Tyrah and lowen.
This made Valentine and Noah who were seated beside each other laugh. "Sit with me!" Kai said while pulling them to where he was sitting. Valentine laughed softly as the two adults followed without complaint. Tyrah was silently thankful Kai wasn't afraid of her. Griffin caught her eye and smiled with a wink of encouragement.
She smiled back a little as they all sat down together. "I trust you all slept well?" Griffin asked with a light smile. Tyrah gave a nod while everyone else chimed in their agreements. The food came out carried by the staff on silver platters. "What are your plans now?" Valentine asked as a plate was sat down in front of her, she kept her eyes on Griffin.  He flashed a smile. "I'm going to have an audience with the king.to tell him what i've done." Everyone's eyes shot over to him stunned. "You could be executed." Valentine said worried.
He laughed softly. "Maybe. But I don't think so. I need to take accountability for what i've done." He said before taking a sip of the cup of coffee he had just been given. Tyrah stared at him as he spoke. Her gaze not leaving. "You were being controlled." Tyrah replied. "So don't take so much Blame." She said calmly.Griffin smiled. "You have a beautiful soul, you know. You've really inspired me."
Lowen choked on his breakfast at the unexpected comment. Tyrah gazed Griffin in the eyes. Her eyes searched for something. "No. I don't think so." She said deadpanning.  Griffin laughed. "You do. You just haven't seen it yet." He said relaxed. Tyrah narrowed her eyes a little as he spoke. "You're also very beautiful." He added in warmly. This time Valentine choked on her food at Griffin's blatant flirting. Tyrahs eyes narrowed further. "Tch." She muttered under her breath as she focused back on her food.
Griffin smiled at her reaction. He was glad she was eating. Griffin ignored Lowens death glares and ate his breakfast. Last night he stayed up in his study all night. He hadn't been sure what he wanted to do now. These people were so interesting, he couldn't watch them leave him.
He had stayed in his study, working on paperwork that had built up, then once that was done, over books for his land. At one point he lifted a book above his head and rested it over his face as he leaned back on the back legs of his chair.
He was so bored. His life would simply return to how it had been before this all happened. Dull, lonely and boring. He let out a sigh as he relaxed his arms at his side deep in thought.
That's when it struck him. He sat bolt upright, the book falling off his face and bouncing off his lap, and landing on the floor.  "Yes. That's what I will do!" He had shouted out in glee, and excitement. He would simply join them! He'd go to the king, and give up everything while announcing his wrong doings. This would be perfect. Tyrah wondered what he was thinking as she saw the smile on his face as he thought about the night before. She felt a bit suspicious. She could almost see the sparkles floating around his head.
Deciding to ignore it, she went on to eat her breakfast. She needed to do a report to the higher ups about what had happened the night before. It didn't take long to finish breakfast. She listened to the others talk, and watched over the people she had come to care for. She was glad to have them in her life.
Smiling to herself she sipped her tea that she had been given. And just for a moment, she swore she could almost taste it. Now wasn't that interesting? While the other talked, her mind pondered. Laughs filled the hall and settled the loneliness in her heart, just a little.