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Date Posted: 20:28:24 01/30/02 Wed
Author: Erlic
Subject: Different reaction
In reply to: Tia 's message, "Comforting the dragon" on 10:08:57 01/30/02 Wed

“N-no, I’m…I’m not hungry. And neither should you be. How can you sit here and eat, when…when… How can you… How can you sit and…”

Laurel’s words made Erlic wonder, and worry at the same time as she cried out that it was just awful before burying her head into his shoulder, and starting to weep profusely. At the moment the only thought in Erlic’s mind was to console Laurel, a woman he hardly knew, and yet thought he knew quite well. He placed his dish onto the ground, and wrapped his arms around her, trying to console her as best he could.

This was not something he had trained for, the comforting of people, rather it was something he always watched, and wondered how it was done. There were too many times when the sadness of a small animal dying, or the death of a plant overtook his emotions. His mentor had explained that it was important to remain strong in the eyes of those around you, and to never falter. Only when you are alone, can you partake of the sadness that has entered the life around you.

And so Erlic was the same way, for that’s the way he had grown up, trying to be firm, perhaps cold at times, but with a resolution to forge ahead regardless of the circumstances that managed to bar his way. Always he remained, at least in the eyes of others, somewhat aloof, giving the appearance of never caring. This he could not help, it had been instilled in him. But deep down between that rough, and harsh exterior, especially in the privacy of his home, existed another man entirely. One that enjoyed arranging flowers, watching the fish that lived within the pond in the middle of his garden, the art of paper sculpture known as origami, Feng Shui, the ability to re-arrange articles within his house so that they showed the proper balance. These, and many other capabilities he enjoyed, but usually only within the privacy of his own habitat, and rarely with someone else. He had learned to be a loner because of his profession, and had never taken the excursion into the world of friendship, as others did. How could he? His time, when not adventuring was spent on further training such as Body language, empathy, herbal lore, kabala, or the art of spirit regression into the past, spirit lore, recognizing and identifying known forms of spiritual creatures, not to mention the eastern classical studies he felt mandatory to learn.

And now he held a woman in his arms. Not that it wasn’t the first time he had ever held one, but one that had turned to him for comfort, something no one had ever done before. Erlic caressed Laurel’s head, running his fingers through her hair, gently employing a bit of Shiatsu massage to relax the woman whom had endeared him as friend. Gently kneading his fingers ever so subtly to instill a bit of reassurance within the woman, and to let her know that all was not in vain. “Cry as much as you need,” Erlic whispered into Laurel’s ear. “There are times when we will come across obstacles that we cannot even begin to understand, and yet we hold the answers within us at all times. We need only turn to our friends for assurance, compassion, and a firm sense of resolution.”

He was good at teaching, but at consoling Erlic had a long way to go. What he couldn’t say with words, he continued with the massage, an ancient ritual that not only relaxed, but also instilled a sense of belonging within a world that seemed to wreak havoc at every turn.

The guild master sat there, never once releasing the woman. He felt he owed her much, and could only repay her with miniscule massage he performed. If it helped her then he would be a happier person. If it helped bring her out of her misery, it would be a step in the right direction. They would face more hardships as they traveled, this was almost a certainty. How one, or all, reacted to it would be anyone’s guess. They had only themselves to rely on, and that of their friends.

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