Drop an image or two, or an idea, or even just a starter if you want, this is where all those things go, plus where I'll move things from memes when they need to be pinned down.
His heart aches for the sound, knowing he's causing pain but also knowing it's going to help. It wasn't was he'd have preferred. Which would have been to give the girl milk of the poppy save once she was asleep to use his heel to float it back in place. But he could also tell she wouldn't allow it.
So he did it a rougher way, second best, and kept a hand on her until she was steady on her feet before letting go. "You're welcome. You're a tough girl. I'm going to assume your hunger too."
That probably hadn't been meant to confuse her again, but she definitely had to think about that one, too, finally nodding, because she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten, presumably she'd had dinner before the noise and the fire and going overboard, but she didn't remember it, or breakfast beforehand for that matter.
Which was why, truthful as she'd been so far, she followed that nod with: "I don't remember the last time I ate."
Oberyn shook his head slightly and stepped round to offer her his right arm to protect her injured one. Little girls sometimes liked to play at being adults. "I know a comfortable inn nearby. Smells of horse and dirty leather but fried fish is some of the best you'll ever eat and the cod baked on salt is wonderful. Shall we?"
As she accepted that offered arm there was a smile, the first one yet, tone still matter-of-fact as it had been so far, though there was a thin undercurrent of amusement to it as she replied, "I don't mind the smell of horses, I've slept in lots of barns. And I like fish, even though I've been on the trawler for weeks I'm not tired of fish yet."
Mostly she figured he'd proven trustworthy so far, and she could continue to trust him for the time being.
He patted her hand as she took his arm and smiled, but kept his steps tight so she didn't have to take such large steps. "That's good, at least liking fish. Sleeping in barns isn't bad either but children should have to move around that much."
Oberyn was a lot of things - and he did fight very dirty - but he meant what he said about not hurting little girls.
"I grew up in the same place when I was a child, I've only begun moving recently, after my father died." She shrugged, mostly with the uninjured arm, "And sleeping in barns is better than sleeping in a derelict, or an off-season bear's burrow, or just on the ground under a sequoia, and I've slept all of those places, and lots of others that are worse than a barn."
A little shake of her head, "Besides, there's usually horses in barns, and I understand horses better than I understand people. They like me better, too."
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Date: 2022-07-10 06:26 am (UTC)So he did it a rougher way, second best, and kept a hand on her until she was steady on her feet before letting go. "You're welcome. You're a tough girl. I'm going to assume your hunger too."
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Date: 2022-07-10 06:33 am (UTC)Which was why, truthful as she'd been so far, she followed that nod with: "I don't remember the last time I ate."
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Date: 2022-07-10 06:58 am (UTC)Oberyn shook his head slightly and stepped round to offer her his right arm to protect her injured one. Little girls sometimes liked to play at being adults. "I know a comfortable inn nearby. Smells of horse and dirty leather but fried fish is some of the best you'll ever eat and the cod baked on salt is wonderful. Shall we?"
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Date: 2022-07-10 07:24 am (UTC)Mostly she figured he'd proven trustworthy so far, and she could continue to trust him for the time being.
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Date: 2022-07-12 09:51 pm (UTC)Oberyn was a lot of things - and he did fight very dirty - but he meant what he said about not hurting little girls.
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Date: 2022-07-13 02:10 am (UTC)A little shake of her head, "Besides, there's usually horses in barns, and I understand horses better than I understand people. They like me better, too."