[GW2] Ewin's Bones

[Mixxi]

Rafe returned from his third trip to the Priory enclave privy and sat on the edge of his cot. The Grove might be very beautiful, but all the running water gave him dreams filled with streams and waterfalls. And the night at the tavern with Ewin hadn't helped any.

Ewin. Rafe scrubbed his hand across his face and tried to focus his thoughts. That had been an eye-opener, no doubt. All this time he'd spent exploring with the Sylvari, thinking of him as the one who had come to his rescue after his disastrous voyage,  looking to him as a mentor in all these fascinating historical mysteries...and there was another Ewin all the time. It had been difficult to hide his stunned surprise, to realize that the mesmer was the one who was lost this time.

In the starry glow of the Grove, Rafe reached for his sketchbook and hesitantly began drawing the well-known Sylvari face, as he had many times before. But this time, the face was different. The bones were sharper...the eyes less clear. Rafe frowned. No that was wrong. Sylvari had no bones, something that had always made drawing them so difficult. There was no underlying structure to hang flesh on. He thoughtfully smoothed a charcoal line, letting his finger trace a remembered feature. But Ewin did have bones. They were not the elegant, cool foundation that the mesmer had always shown to Rafe and the world. Looking down at the sketch taking shape, Rafe could see the bones of his friend's face. There was fear, and grief, and anger—far too much of it turned inward. Another line, another shadow smoothed away by a careful finger. Yes, that was better. There was hope as well.

He sighed. He knew those eyes. You always saw eyes like that after a really bad fight, when the survivors finally realized that they had made it through the blood and smoke. When they realized that their mates had not. How had he forgotten how young the Sylvari was? How had he not known what a mess his friend had gotten into?

Standing, he made his way out of the tent and leaned on the trellis that edged the Priory enclave. The Grove spread out below him, murmuring quiet sounds in the hour of night. He could just make out a small pool at the far side of the expanse. The pool that led to Ewin's sanctuary. He was not at all sure that the Sylvari should be alone. And he was equally doubtful that one empty cave meant that Ewin was safe.