As abruptly as the fire was extinguished, so seemed the warmth of the moment. Kuval felt it instantly, time stamped by his own flinch at the release of the fire, and hard pressed by the parting of their hands from each other.

Suddenly, everything felt cold…

Now Kuval had always been one to rush headfirst, lead by his eagerness and curiosities. That being said, he wasn’t a fool. He thought hard about things, weighed out pros and cons, and just often chose the adventure despite them. So he wasn’t completely oblivious to the workings of the mind or the heart.

Something was there… He could see it, fuzzy in the distance. Every time he spoke to Dorian was like lighting a candle in a dark room. The match sparked, threaten to bite, and finally came to rest as a single flame against the pitch. He was trying to find his way around, reading the clues carved into the candles, and searching for the boy.

The question was, when he found the witch, the real version of him hiding the darkness, how would he be? Inside his head, past the secrets, was there a cowering child? Or a monster, ready to attack? What was the truth? It was still too dark, so horribly dark that not even his good sight could possibly seem to help.

No matter what was there, he knew he couldn’t reach it right now. The moment, this moment that would stay in his head forever, was over… and he had to let it go if he wanted to continue to be around the witch. He took in the words spoke, even his name, and though he found himself enjoying the sound of it off his tongue he decided to keep moving.

He reached off to the side and grabbed his backpack, pulling it into his lap and undoing the clasps. If the man wanted distance, then he would make it clear that he was willing to give it. As he rumaged through the bag in search of his canteen, he spoke again, “Do you think I could learn magick? Is it possible for anyone? Or is it in you already?”

Kuval found the canteen and took a deep swig before he held it out in offering. It was ‘just water’, pure and simple, and yet as he held it out he felt like he was offering something more. Peace, maybe. Comfort. He meant the gesture to be almost a rebreaking of the ice so they could continue forward without Dorian feeling uncomfortable.

He’d come back to it later… If only for himself.

“I keep picking up stuff as a travel and I know some of it is good for magick, but I don’t know what I’m doing with any of it,” he continued, “Is that bad?”