By the time night had fallen the two of them and their wild animal friends were huddled around the fire, warmth seeping through their skin. Jurie sighed contently and rested her head against Yuki's unconsciously patting the tiger's furry head.

Rami stole a fleeting glance at the beautiful Shadow Princess and felt a pang of jealousy towards the tiger. He couldn't help but want her head to rest on his shoulder. He cleared his throat, "I'll take first watch," he announced, brusquely.

Jurie peered at him through her lashes. "Okay..." She murmured, before closing her eyes, succumbing to comforting darkness and tranquillity of sleep.

She ran and ran. Faster and faster. Not daring to look back, afraid of what was chasing her...

If something was chasing her...

A light loomed up ahead and she sprinted for it. It wasn't so far anymore. Yet as time passed the light faded away and she was left once again, shroud in darkness. But it was far from comforting. 

There was a sliver of malicious glint of a knife as Jurie sought her way through the blackness and, her heart plummeted. Every single time, it was always this memory.

Her father's leering face came into view and she cowered in the corner. Hiding from him. He stalked her, knife flashing dangerously, before he reached out to her.

"YOU STUPID CHILD YOU HAVE FAILED ME ONCE AGAIN!!" He roared.

Jurie flinched further into the shadows. She hadn't meant to. But at the trial every single one of the contestants were double to triple her age, and she had come in second. First had been stolen by a boy thrice her age, at 15 years. He had been agile, well built and arrogantly spoken.

"I'm so sorry father..." She whispered, her voice trembling, her lips quivering.

His eyes flashed furiously and he lunged towards her, knives at the ready, tearing away her training clothes.

"You." Tear. "Don't." Tear. "Deserve." Rip. "To." Slash. "Be." Slap. CRACK. "My." Slap. "DAUGHTER!!"

The knife had met her soft skin and she froze. She knew that she would risk cutting herself if she moved.

"Please father! Please father! Don't!! PLEASE!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He heard her screaming.

"Please father! Please father! Don't!! PLEASE!!!!"

He quickly sat up and bolted towards her. Jurie was having nightmares. He was quite familiar with them. They came and went. Each one more terrifying than the one before. Rami was now fully convinced that Lord Capulet was an evil man. Weren't nightmares evoked by evil? His own nightmares consisted of losing those he loved.

He was ready to hold her. Comfort her. Tell her it was a dream.

This thinking was all in vain because Jurie had already found comfort in Yuki. The tiger nuzzled her. Licking away her tears. Giving her warmth.

Rami wished he were there. No necessarily licking away her tears. That would be...weird. Beyond weird. But comforting her. Easing her back to sleep.

Her eyes closed again. Then Yuki's golden eyes turned towards him. She growled protectively as if Jurie was her young. Rami sighed as if surrendering and turned towards the river again and sat down at its banks. He picked up a few pebbles and started skipping them across the pristine body of water.

His emotional well-being wasn't exactly at his prime. No in fact he felt as if he was ready to snap. He was able to control his emotions a while ago. But now he was a wreck. The wild horses had broken free.

He hated feeling so helpless. That was why he trained so much. He wanted to be able to do anything. He didn't want to repeat it again. Never again. Then his mind drifted to Zahrah.

How could he have let that happen? He was so stupid.

That thought came to him at least one thousand times a day.

He looked up at the stars. He always imagined Zahrah as the brightest star in the sky.

"Why did you have to leave so soon?" He asked her out loud. His voice as broken as his heart. "I don't really know how to tell you Zahrah. They say time could heal but I'm feeling much worse. I know you're in a better place but it's always going to hurt."

He'll never get over it. At least not fully. It will always be in the back of his mind. Every waking hour of every day. It will be there.

He sucked in a deep breath.

Don't cry Rami. Crying is for the weak. You're not weak. You're the Lion of the Desert. The asadd alssahra.

Of course the attempt would be in vain. He was never good at holding back tears. So he let them flow freely down his cheeks. He just hoped no one was watching him now. In his most vulnerable state.

But somehow he felt the weight he had been carrying in his heart had lightened. As if telling Jurie made it better. Not wholly. Not even slightly. But he was feeling better. Telling her he had let out his emotions. Letting out the things he had kept bottled within him for two whole years. How had he not cracked under the pressure? Who knows maybe he had cracked many years ago and he was just picking up the pieces. Trying to join them up again.

He had tried being his former self. It had worked for a while. It had worked until now.

It had been a long day. He desperately needed sleep. But he didn't know how to wake Jurie without getting torn to shreds. He tried to push his despair to the back of his mind. It definitely wasn't working.

So he stayed awake until daybreak. When no doubt Jurie would wake up and give a tongue lashing once again. It will only get worse when she will see his bloodshot eyes and tired body.

~~~~~

Hey how was it? Admittedly Rami's perspective isn't that great but eh. Anyway what do you think happened to Jurie. What are your thoughts on her father.

How about Rami? What going to happen with his emmotions?

Please answer all these questions in the comment box below.

Thank you so much for 1.5k. Love you!!!