Kyra lay on her uncomfortable bedroll and stared at the tent's ceiling. She had waited as the sun went down and the drone of camp noise died down, signaling the time to strike. She had spent this time wondering what would happen if she were caught wandering around in the middle of the night by a guard, but she tried not to dwell on it too much; she assumed it would not be pleasant in the slightest.
The crisp air nipped at her skin as she quietly got up, tiptoed to the entrance, and peered through the tent's flaps, searching for any movement or sounds as the shift changed. Her heart beat a million miles an hour as she took the first step outside, subconsciously bracing herself to be caught immediately. She looked around, and the coast was clear, so she started toward the blacksmith shop.
All Kyra had to do was cross one more path before reaching the shop, but she suddenly heard footsteps heading in her direction. She immediately stepped back, pressing herself against the side of a tent in hopes she would magically disappear. If Kyra could gain unexplainable mining powers, surely she could do other things like disappear. Unfortunately for her, she stayed very much visible. Her breath caught in her chest as the footsteps drew closer- If she made a run for it, she'd undoubtedly be heard but could be spotted by staying where she was. Her mind raced with the potential of being caught. She was frozen, unable to move, and she swore that even if she weren't spotted, the sound of her erratic heartbeat would give her away.
The sound of crickets chirping and footsteps drawing closer and closer was all she could hear. The time to act was now- she had to make a decision, or she'd be a sitting duck waiting to lose its head. Maybe she'd be killed, tortured, or forced to work in even more grueling conditions. She shuddered at the thought. Kyra took a carefully placed step away from the direction of the footsteps, turning to make an escape.
A hand firmly grasped the back of her arm, and Kyra nearly cried out in horror. She wheeled around to face her enemy but was taken aback by what she saw. He looked to be around her age, strangely young to be a guard, she thought. He towered over her, clearly dressed in the guard's uniform- A black tunic resemblant of age-old military regalia tucked into black pants with a red stripe down the sides, belted with a leather strap holding unique gadgets. Despite being intimidating, his uniform was not what surprised her, but instead, his facial expression- he looked deeply miserable yet almost relieved to see her. Before she could react, he pulled her into a deep embrace.
Kyra was dazed. Try as she might, she couldn't access the memories of her host body- this man was utterly unfamiliar to her, but he clearly knew her. Fearful of the consequences, she raised her arms to return the embrace. She could hear him sharply exhale and felt a cold tightness in her chest as her fingers felt ridges on his back- the testament of a harsh whip. She immediately retracted her hands, and an epiphany came over her- this was Varys, the man she had seen in the med tent, the same man who had organized her rescue and was punished for it. A wave of guilt washed over her as he released her and took a step back, clearing his throat as he composed himself.
"It's good to see you again..." He spoke softly, seemingly embarrassed about his outburst of character. He was like a totally different person now; his expression stoic, his posture straight as an arrow as he seemed to gaze past her. For just a flicker of a moment, he looked into her eyes.
"I missed you," he whispered before averting his gaze again. His eyes flicked around the camp, keeping an eye out for any wandering sentinels. Silence stretched between them as Kyra's mind raced, searching for words to describe her gratitude and guilt. She regretted not seeking him out earlier, she had wanted to express how sorry she was that he got hurt because of her, but she had no idea how to approach him or where to find him. In her time here, this had been her first sighting of him- and she realized it was because he must be on shift at night, and she had no prior motive to be sneaking around at this time.
"I wanted-"
"You should-"
They cut each other off, both flustered by the situation.
"You shouldn't be out here," He spoke firmly, "You need to get back before someone else finds you. You're lucky it was me and not...." He trailed off as footsteps could be heard heading in their direction. He quickly grabbed Kyra's hand, dragging her between two tents to move out of sight. He stuck his head out the other side, checking for anyone else before he led her back towards her tent. She wasn't sure how he knew it was the tent she was staying in that night, but she was disappointed that her scheme didn't work- though there were much more terrifying ways it could've ended. They paused outside the tent, once again locked in silence.
"Thank you...for everything. I'm sorry you were punished because of me." She said quietly. Clouds parted in the sky, and the moon's light shone through, illuminating Varys' face. Kyra could now clearly see intense grey eyes staring into hers. His face was serious, but his eyes betrayed his inner thoughts, making her heart race. The sudden feeling of his calloused hand brushing against her cheek made her flush. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she strangely didn't feel uncomfortable at all despite him being a stranger to her. In fact, his touch felt warm and familiar, a feeling she could almost sink into.
"You know I'll always be here for you, Kyra," He said softly. She watched him momentarily as he turned to leave, glancing back over his shoulder at her before disappearing into the night.
Kyra was once again in bed, staring at the ceiling. Try as she might to sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about how she would get her hands on those ores and the confusing feelings Varys had left in his wake. She couldn't help but wish she had even a minute longer with him; although he was a complete stranger to her mind, he was familiar to her heart, and it longed to be held by him again. She tried to fight these feelings to no avail. She knew he would complicate her plans, but she couldn't let him go.