The Pain Will Ease If I Can Learn

Roxine grinned. "Good! There's not a lot else you can do anyway. This just happens to be the more interesting thing."

Gabriel laughed and then paused as he turned and peered into the darkness. "What is..."
Suddenly a Avian leapt out of the darkness and pounced on Gabriel, both of them going over the edge of the hill and down into the darkness.

Roxine's eyes widened as she was pushed down as well. She bit back a scream and clung to both Gabriel and the avian out of fear.

Gabriel felt Roxine grab him and managed to throw her onto a bank. He grabbed onto it himself, only for the Avian to pull him down with him. "Roxine!" He cried as he was pulled down.

Roxine landed with a small grunt, only to scream properly as the bank gave way beneath her.

Gabriel lay in a huddled heap on the floor, moaning as his ribs began fixing themselves. He froze as he heard Roxine scream and leapt up to see Roxine fall. He ran forwards and grabbed hold of her, so when she landed it was on him.

Roxine landed with a bump, blinking when she realsied Gabriel had caught her. She quickly got up and held out a hand to him.

Gabriel let his ribs slide themselves back into place before sitting up and taking Roxine's hand. "Are you alright?"

Roxine nodded somewhat shakily. "You?"

Gabriel nodded. "Not as bad as I probably should be." He took Roxine into his arms. "Are you sure your alright?"

She nodded and glanced round warily. "What happened to the bird-brain?"

Gabriel pointed to the body nearby. "Must of broken it's neck." He muttered.
Suddenly Stephan came running up to them, followed by Liv and Hestia.
"What happened Father, Mo-" He stopped. "Roxine."

Roxine blinked in surprise, realising what he'd almost said. Hestia shifted nervously before going over to check their injuries.

Gabriel's eyes widened at what Stephan had nearly said. "W-What did you say Stephan."
"Nothing." Stephan mumbled.

Roxine glanced to Stephan, still surprised, before going back to shooing Hestia away from her. "I'm fine!" she assured the girl.

Stephan gulped. "Well...She is sort of my mother..." He mumbled.

Roxine frowned, slightly confused by this concept. Sure she'd been a sort-of guardian to the girls, but a mother? Well, it was certainly new.

Gabriel sighed. "Be quite Stephan." He ran a hand through his hair.

Roxine moved forwards. "How about we all just go home?" she suggested. "I'm through with being attacked today."

Gabriel nodded and walked past them all, hands clentched.

Roxine sighed and followed, falling into pace with him.

Roxine's eyes widened as she was pushed down as well. She bit back a scream and clung to both Gabriel and the avian out of fear.