Raven was doing a lot of self-reflecting. What had just happened had alerted him to something he had not really been consciously aware of.
He had been starting to form feelings for his queen. This was not something he was comfortable with. Not anything against Dawn. He liked her, admired her a lot. He was just aware that such feelings would lead him nowhere.
She was a recent widow who had loved her husband deeply. Currently on a mission to avenge his death. He very much doubted she was looking for new romance.
Not even to mention his own awkward position in regards to such things. He could not remember his own past very well, but from what he could remember there was a very real possibility that he had been married, either that or he had not been a pinnacle of chastity. Either way, he was not the best candidate for Dawn if she had been looking for a new love.
And if he had been married then he could hardly actually wish for anything such as a new love. It might be one thing to give up on the love he had had, but he did not want to commit adultery. Something in just recoiled at the thought. Which made him even more certain that he had actually been married. He did not think he was a loose man.
And so, in some ways he was thankful for the wake-up call. He did not think he was in too deep to prevent himself from fully falling for her. And this meant he could start being more careful, keep his distance.
And soon he was sure everything would be good. It would just take some effort in time on his part. And some polite distance, which he should have maintained anyway. Just with his own issues with his loss of memory and sight, he had been a bit helpless when he had met her. The concept of issues arising had not occurred to him.
It was probably understandable that he had not thought such things. Dawn was a queen, and he was her subject, an advisor perhaps but what was that really?
He took in a deep breath and pulled himself from his thoughts. He would never mention this to anyone and would quickly uproot it. He was just glad that he was able to catch it in time. Because as embarrassing as it was it was far better to realize earlier than later.
That was better than it could have been. If he had not realized it in time, he could have been deeply in love with her. As it was now, it was little more than a crush. Which could be difficult to get rid of but not impossible.
He turned his head trying to figure out what kind of terrain they were in. It felt like the ground was leveling out, but he was not sure. It could have been just his wishful thinking.
The air though was crisp. And it felt pleasant against his skin. Not too hot or cold. A bit of a breeze. Chilly but in a pleasant way. About perfect weather.
Not that Raven had anything against any kind of weather. He just liked nature. Weather, terrain, flora, animals.
The morning passed in relative quiet before Dawn had them stop for a rest. They had not actually gotten very good sleep last night and so she thought it was better that they take an actual break in order to eat.
Raven volunteered to help Miria cook lunch. The cleric seemed like a nice young woman. She was friendly, and had a very sweet nature.
And she was incredibly patient while working with him.
And he was appreciative of that. He was not exactly some great chief. He could wrap his head around it, but he was a bit apathetic to making sure it tasted good. As long as it was edible he was happy.
Other people though appreciated food being spiced exactly correct. Which Raven found understandable.
After lunch was cooked, Raven felt a tug on his short. "Raven, come eat with us. Sing us a song!" It was Thorn who made the demand. Such a sweet little girl. Raven always felt the urge to protect her.
He allowed the young girl to lead him away. The other kids seemed happy for him to join them. And soon they were all clamoring for him to entertain them, which he happily obliged.