Walking with a steady purpose showing none of the fear that might still live in her being. She could feel Zephyr’s presence. She was getting better at it. He could run all over the woods, could watch her like she was prey but as soon as he approached her she would turn and narrow her gaze at him.

  And sometimes she felt a shiver down her spine and knew she had to keep her gaze on him or he might just tear her head off. But after staring him down for a bit he would always do something strange like lay down with his head in her lap, or hold out something he found and like now would point out something that might be useful for their goal to escape.

  Like a wire hidden up a rock pile.

  When he did something other than violence she would pet his hair. Figuring maybe positive reinforcement might just save her life one day.

  She lifted herself up the rock pile kicking and yanking. Glaring at how easily Zephyr climbed. She was almost to the red wire when she heard the crumble, and the rocks began to slide. Easily Zephyr ran off in a breath of thought and turned, and she held his gaze as she fell with the rocks.

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  She let out a soft breathy cry as some of the rocks pinned her down.

  This was it.

  This was the moment she would die.

  The moment her story would end. Again.

  She saw Zephyr’s head pop over the side he tried to pick up the rubble with his magic but he didn’t even seem strong enough to save her. She let out another small cry through the pain. He pulled back and she knew that he had decided that any other effort was worthless.

  Tears trailed down her face.

  Really she’d done this once before. She could do it again… Right?

  As she started to fade she heard a sound she couldn’t identify at first but it grew louder and she only realized it as she felt magic bolstering it.

  Zephyr who had never made a noise.

  Who was silent as death.

  A creature supposedly lacking any capability of Empathy.

  Let out the most cutting wale. That ran through the woods.

  It wouldn’t be until she was rushed back to the mad scientists and Zephyr hovered around them refusing to leave as quite as death again, that Zephyr learned everything from watching. It took him a while and somethings came easier.

  But he’d watched her cry a hundred times for him. Understand what he needed and communicated for him.

  So, he cried for her.

  She needed him.

  So, he cried for her.