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"Gale."
"Gale!"
Gale started. The purple light in his palm sputtered out.
"Hm?" He hummed, blinking up at Alyssum with hazy eyes that seemed to only half see her.
"The food is ready," Alyssum told him.
"Oh. Alright, thank you," Gale replied.
He turned his head slightly, back down to his hand. Alyssum hesitated. Gale was a man of many words, and those were, objectively, very few words. Alyssum looked out into the darkening treeline. A lone firefly blinked between gray trunks. She could hear a slow stream gurgling just down the hill out of sight. She looked back down at Gale. He was sitting on a mossy rock, twirling a small, violet orb of light through his fingers. Quick assessment told Alyssum that its only purpose was to fidget. The true work was going on in the wizard's mind.
He hadn't even seemed to notice that she was still standing there. This was confirmed when she moved to sit down next to him and he jumped. Wide brown eyes turned on her, a purple flare tracing up the lines on his face for a second before fading out again. Defensive. Hm.
"Are you alright?" Alyssum asked.
Gale blinked at her for a few moments before he seemed to realize he'd dropped his omnipresent mask. Alyssum refrained from frowning as she watched it slide back down over his features.
"Of course!" Gale smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. He cupped a new purple light in his palms, like he was sheltering it. "Just enjoying this lovely evening."
He turned back to the darkening trees. A second firefly had joined the first. They blinked just out of rhythm with each other. Alyssum stayed quiet. Years of being forced to be a diplomatic face in Flowersleep had taught her when to push and when to wait it out. Now she would wait. But that didn't mean she couldn't talk.
"The forests are so dark here," she commented neutrally.
"Are they?" Gale turned toward her again, a small spark of interest flickering onto his face.
"Mm," Alyssum replied. "The forests of Flowersleep are made up of birch and aspen. And there are bioluminescent asterlings."
Gale straightened up. Hook, line, and sinker; she had him. "Please do tell, what is an asterling?"
"Well, an aster is a species of flower. And there are these tiny, floating creatures that live in the tree canopies that are similar in shape to the flowers. So they were named asterlings. They're quite beautiful, really. My family name was chosen for them."
"Oh, Alyssum Aster. How interesting. I would love to see them."
Alyssum smiled warmly at him, her heart sinking only slightly as she turned back to the two slow-blinking fireflies.
"Maybe one day you shall," she replied. "I miss them quite a lot. The nights are so dark here. Like I can't open my eyes."
They was silence for a few moments and Alyssum turned her head toward the wizard. He was looking at her, expression stoic, like he was trying to decipher old runes.
"What?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing…" he said. His cheeks flushed the softest pink as he turned away, a purple flicker at the bottom of his irises nearly escaping her notice. "That is just- an unfortunate way to feel."
Alyssum examined his mannerisms carefully for some explanation of his reaction. His shoulders were stiff as he sat staring straight ahead, like a prey animal trying not to be noticed. Something in what she'd said had resonated with him. She thought of what he'd told her so far. His time spent alone in his tower, struggling to survive and fearing that anyone that came close might be hurt. It must have felt like a waking nightmare. Like he couldn't just… open his eyes and escape from it. Her brow furrowed as she continued to watch him. She knew he could feel her eyes on him, but she was nothing if not brazen in her approach to him. It was the only thing that ever seemed to unseat him, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't delight in it, occasionally. Now though, his discomfort was a result of some truly unpleasant memory. Alyssum had no wish to prolong his rumination on it.
"I don't mind it, Gale," she said. "Look."
She turned and motioned toward the flickering orange fire in the center of camp. Astarion was standing over the pot in its coals, spooning tonight's meal into a bowl. Karlach laughed at something Shadowheart said and the pale vampire shook his head.
"There's plenty of light here. We just have to make it," Alyssum said.
Gale had turned and was following her gaze. His eyes glowed amber in the firelight. He turned back slightly toward her.
"Yes, I suppose you're right," he said.
His words were simple, straightforward. The look on his face was not. But now was not the time to cross that bridge. Alyssum smiled and pushed herself to her feet, extending her hand to the man still seated on the ground. Gale wrapped a warm hand around her smaller one and she pulled him up with a dramatic grunt. He cracked a lopsided smile at her and let his hand slip away as they went to join their friends.