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Elara watched as they went, sending Varys after them after a moment, both because she was paranoid but also because Liz genuinely enjoyed him. She stayed on the porch until they were out of sight, returning back inside to a heavy silence as she glanced around and found something to do.
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Elara watched as they went, sending Varys after them after a moment, both because she was paranoid but also because Liz genuinely enjoyed him. She stayed on the porch until they were out of sight, returning back inside to a heavy silence as she glanced around and found something to do.
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Sage hadn't expected the wolf to join them, but Liz having fun playing in the water, so she was delighted when the wolf joined them. He backed off after a bit then, settling down on a rock to wash himself off quick, though he kept an eye on his daughter. They were in a river after all. Soon enough it was nearing the time to start making dinner, and Liz was worn out, so he moved to pick up Liz and the basket with now washed clothes in it, including the shirt he'd had on previously, and wandered back to the cabin slowly. Liz had fallen asleep on his shoulder, which he found sweet, so he moved to tug his loose hair over his other shoulder so she'd dry. He didn't normally leave it down....it had grown out a lot over the years....but if he didn't it would never dry.
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Elara watched as they arrived, glancing out the window and seeing Liz first, smiling softly before catching a glimpse of the scars on his back, her expression falling as she pulled away from the glass, now realizing just how bad they were.
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Sage had moved towards the cabin slowly, nudging the door open with his foot and setting the bucket down before moving over to Liz's bed and untangling her arms from his hair, working at settling her down. She had a firm grip on his hair, despite being asleep, but he managed soon enough. Then he moved to the basket and grabbed it, humming a "want to help hang them up to dry," to Elara.
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"Sure, I don't mind." She mused, following him out before starting to hang them up. The wind brushed softly over the woods, making the leaves rustle as birds chirped, the sun casting it's rays down onto the leaves, catching both Sage and Elara. She glanced up at him, the question somewhat awkward to ask. "Those. . . scars on you back, how did you get those?"
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Sage moved outside with a nod when she agreed, setting the basket down between them and getting to work. He froze when she mentioned his scars, but let out a sigh after a moment. "A couple different things," he admitted. "Got caught stealing a few times....whipped then. My dad used to use his belt. A few other injuries in fights or hunting." He shrugged. He'd racked up quite a few scars by now.
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She stayed quiet for a moment when he spoke, putting the piece of clothing up to hang before turning to him. "Your dad used to hit you, i'm guessing?" Elara questioned after a moment.
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Sage was caught a bit off guard at her comment, meeting her gaze briefly before looking back down at the clothes he was holding with a small nod of confirmation. "He's the reason I don't drink," he noted softly, figuring she'd figure out the context there. She already had, mostly. "That's why I grew up on the streets. Never wanted to stay by him, and then I ran as soon as I had Liz," he explained, looking back towards the cabin where the girl was sleeping.
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She nodded, continuing to hang things up. "It's a good thing you did, would've been terrible for a kid like her---more like a kid in general, to be with him. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Sage." Elara said softly, looking over at him, her eyes catching the light and shining before flicking her gaze back to the clothing, once more.
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