There Colin stood, in the middle of the rutted western road not far outside of Westbridge, his face turned downward. He stared at a dry clump of dirt without seeing it, feeling as if tears might lend some moisture to that dirt clump. Emalia had just left on her journey, alone, and he had allowed her to go. Not much earlier that day he had began to get concerned about her. The last he had spoken to her was the previous day when she was about to talk to Hellstrom about her beliefs once more.
After not hearing from her, Colin had spent almost an hour asking guards around the city if they had seen her and by the time one of them directed him to the western road his concern had grown into worry.
He came upon her on the rutted road, sparse with travelers, not far outside of the city gates. As he was jogging to catch up to her he noticed that she had a very full pack slung over her shoulder and looked to be prepared for an extended trip.
He was not expecting the reception that he had received from her. She told him simply that she was leaving and did not want to discuss it any further. His first assumption was that it was because of Hellstrom. "What did he do to you!?" Colin had demanded.
"Hellstrom did nothing," she had responded, "Melchior came back. I have given up on the cause of love. I've given up on trying to resolve anything with anyone. I'm finished and I'm going on a trip alone to clear my head so excuse me."
Colin had tried to stop her, to offer her comfort, but just as she had so many times before, he was rejected. Emalia had chosen to lump him in with everyone else who had "turned on her". Even after her rejection Colin had insisted that he come with her, and even tried to force the point against her will.
However, in the end, her quiet, heartfelt plea to be left alone had broken his resolve and she had departed alone.
"Why can't she see that I am not the same as them?" Colin thought to himself as he replayed the events in his mind, his gaze still trained upon that lonely clump of dirt at his feet.
"Hey, what are ya, dumb!? Get outta the middle a the road!" yelled a wheezy voice.
Colin looked up and jumped to the side just in time to avoid a vegetable cart pulled by a single horse who seemed far too eager to reach the city gates. Colin did not, however, avoid the squinting glare of the paunchy man with rosy cheeks who drove the cart.
"Why you fat little..." Colin began to think yet stopped there, his mind instead snapping back to his concern for Emalia. How could he let her go off by herself, especially when she had mentioned that spies had followed her recently. "She may not realize it, but she needs me... and I need her."
He had been employed as a bodyguard before, and was practiced at how to watch over someone from afar. This time he would just have to be extra careful not to be seen. If the time came that he had to take action, he would just have to hope that she could understand. "After all, I didn't tell her I wouldn't follow. I just told her to do what she needed to do. I won't stop her from doing that but I must be there if she needs me."
His decision made, Colin quickly started off in the direction Emalia had taken.
