[h2][color=Lightsalmon]Mar[/color] & [[color=00aeef]Althalus[/color][/h2]

Althalus sighed, his coin flicking through his fingers still. [color=00aeef]“No. You’ve been in here for a week now. You’re going to eat. You’re going to stand up. And you’re going to start learning how to use your legs. I’m not making a request, or a suggestion. You [i]are[/i] going to do these things. Lyn is now a teenager. She needs you. I need you.  So you’re going to get up. I’m going to help you up. You’re going to eat, and then you’re going to work on walking. We can’t change these things, but we can adapt to them.”[/color]

He stood up and pulled the blanket off of her, not even raising an eyebrow at her nakedness. Althalus put the plate down next to her. [color=00aeef]“Eat.”[/color]

[color=lightsalmon] “Please Althalus, don’t... “[/color] Mar pleaded, something she rarely did, as her hand tried to pull the blanket back over. Her head turned toward him with slight anger and pain in them while she continued. [color=lightsalmon] “I can’t walk Althalus. Not with these things. I don’t even know where to begin and… I can’t.”[/color] 

She had almost told him the main reason she didn’t want to. The naga would recognize her and likely disown her, resulting in her banishment being realized for what it was originally. At least at the college she had the option of pretending she would one day be able to return. Her heart ached while she leaned upon her elbow, propping herself upright, then pushed the plate back toward. [color=lightsalmon] “I’m not hungry. I’ve not been for weeks…”[/color]  

[color=00aeef]“Yes. You can. You can walk. All of us at the College can walk ‘on these things’. And I’m going to teach you.” [/color] His eyes hardened as he figured out why she didn’t want to learn. [color=00aeef]“Mar. You’re not apart of their tribe anymore. They banished you [i]before[/i] you got legs. They sent a gods damned assassin after you. This isn’t going to change anything.”[/color] 

Mar snapped upright then hissed at Althalus, her tone angry. [color=Lightsalmon] “She wasn’t sent by them. It doesn’t make sense for them to kill a banished Naga!”[/color] 

Again, her leg weakly moved, flickering to smack him only to fall short as she winched at the sight. Her hands balled into fists then smacked the bed top in frustration. Her head lowered into her hands where she cradled it and tried to stop a soft sob attempting to escape her lips. She barely sensed Althalus moving closer. 

He crouched down next to her, putting the plate next to her. [color=00aeef]“Yes you are. You’re just ignoring your hunger. Nothing seems like it’s worth it. You’ve lost it all. What’s hunger compared to your loss? Except you haven’t lost anything. You’ve changed, sure. A bit damaged, well yeah. But you still have your family, and you still have the college. Now eat, and then we’re going to start practicing walking.”[/color]

[color=lightsalmon] “What’s the use? I’m not human, why pretend? Even if practice, it could be years before I learn to walk and even then… why? At some point Lyn won’t need me and you can’t wait around forever. Why bother?”[/color] 

Mar leaned toward Althalus’ side, her arms wrapped about herself while she tried with every fiber not to scream or shout, her anger building up. [color=lightsalmon] “I can’t even do a single thing in this form right now so how do you know I [i]can[/i]?”[/color] 

[color=00aeef]“You’re not human. Neither is Ssarak. Or Aramir. Or Tyrael. Or Auriel. Or Khan, or Uicle, or any number of creatures that walk with two legs. It won’t be years, and I’m quite prepared to wait forever. Lyn won’t need either of us at some point, though I’ll probably stick around like an annoying father for far longer than she’d like.” [/color]Althalus hugged her.

[color=00aeef]“I know you can. Because you’re you. Stubborn, wilful, remarkably intelligent and willing to learn. You’ll learn. If it takes small children only a few years to learn to walk, and they practically aren’t even sentient, you can learn in a shorter amount of time.” [/color]

[color=lightsalmon] “I’ve tried. I just… I can’t do anything with these things. They’re useless to me.”[/color] Mar breathed, inhaling softly as she leaned more into him. [color=lightsalmon] “You lost your hand, but Lidda was able to grow it back. She can’t with mine due to the damage I took when something happened. She, Sam and a few other teachers have told me I was lucky I’m alive and I should leave it at that. However, I get this sickening sensation something is still wrong.”[/color] 

[color=00aeef]“Of course they’re useless to you. You haven’t been practicing or trying to use them at all.”[/color] Althalus chastised gently, stroking Mar’s hair. 

Mar inhaled at his reasoning, her brown eyes looked down at her feet. The toes curled and stretched with each thought causing her to wonder if this was what it was like for all bipeds, her dislike of being forced into becoming one pushed away. Her head turned to bury herself deeper into Althalus’ chest as her heart sank. His musky, male scent had usually been enough to comfort her in any stressful moment, but the sensation of losing part of herself was much deeper than she could've imagined. 

It was like she had lost a part of who she was. 

[color=lightsalmon] “Excuse me if I find it hard to believe when I can't do a single thing now.” [/color] Mar half heartedly snapped, her skin quivered under his touch while he skirted his fingertip across her forehead and shifted her hair. Her arms folded against her while her ear rested against his heart, listening to the beat rhythmically surge up and down. 

[color=00aeef]“I disagree. You’ve kicked my about twenty times by now. With remarkable accuracy, I might add. Who knows, with some training from Mei you might actually be able to kick me in the skull. I do like flexible women.”[/color] Althalus waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Mar.

[color=00aeef]“I can even teach you how to climb now! You can follow Lyn and I, rather than waiting below the tree, worried sick. Yes, you couldn’t hide it very well. You’re still not good at hiding things, but you’re getting better. Lyn, at least, believed you weren’t worried.”[/color] Althalus teased, kissing Mar on the forehead. 

[color=00aeef]“You may have lost something, but you gained things as well.”[/color]

Mar leaned back more, her head nuzzled under his chin as she pondered over what he had said. Her mind flashing through numerous reasons that worked in her favor. None of them realistic or plausible enough to argue Althalus into seeing her point. She let her shoulders slouch while she then quietly spoke. 

[color=lightsalmon] “I just hate feeling useless.”[/color] 

[color=00aeef]“We all do.”[/color] Althalus replied, hugging her closer. For a moment, he just allowed himself to be content with the fact that all he loved was still alive. Everything had turned out, for the most part, okay. Now all they had to do was start adapting to the new situation. Start teaching Mar why two legs wasn’t that bad. [color=00aeef][i]Hmm. I have an idea…[/i][/color] He smirked mischievously, leaning down to kiss Mar on the lips.

Of course. That’s when Leith knocked on the door.

Althalus groaned in despair, breaking the kiss and rising up to see who was there. [color=00aeef]“One moment Mar. I’ll be back, hopefully without company.”[/color] He winked standing to his feet. [color=00aeef]“This had better be good.”[/color] He muttered.

 Opening the door, he eyed Leith only slightly balefully. [color=00aeef]“Can I help you?”[/color]