"Yeah." He said, holding back the sniffles of tears. A boy his age had learned to fight away things like that with at least some skill. The war against feelings had begun. Letting her hobble along on her own, even though it had to pain her. She had to be hurting. Why wouldn't she let him help her? Why couldn't they be friends? Why?<br/><br/>"Goodbye, miss Holden."<br/><br/>~~~~~<br/><span style="font-style: italic">A decade(?) later...</span><br/><br/>"Hello, miss Holden."<br/><br/>His knuckles rapped on the cabin door of the ship, lightly and gracefully. One had to know how to be gentle when it came to miss Niah Holden. Not that she was a gentle person, of course, but that you didn't want to get on her bad side. A rude awakening should always be avoided when dealing with one of the noble class. If there was one thing Brom Vivar could pride himself on, it was learning how to accommodate his betters... especially Niah.<br/><br/>They had just finished their voyage across the seas, for what reason wasn't Brom's concern. Her safety was his only concern. Now, all that he knew was that they would be back on solid ground shortly, and not just any solid ground but the land that the Holden family owned.<br/><br/>"We've arrived. We're home." He continued, speaking softly through the door, and not without some bit of relief on his part. This was his home as much as hers. "As soon as you're ready, we can disembark. Do you need anything?"