Ember Wolfe
Her movements were mechanical, and her face, emotionless. Her reason, for this detachment from her body was not because she was cutting herself off from her emotions, but because she was analyzing and categorizing her feelings about Ace. She had felt slightly betrayed when Ace had shouted at her frantically telling her to stop. Stop what, Ace? Stop protecting you from yourself? It had taken every ounce of discipline pounded into her to maintain her facade of indifference. To keep Ace from seeing that he had hurt her, and that she was confused and angry at him for being so... Caring, so full of emotion.
Ember was brought back from the recesses of her mind when she felt a pressure on her arm. Startled by the sudden physical contact, she felt her blood go cold at the touch and was about to say something about there being such a thing as personal space when... she saw his face... "Help me. I..Is it even her? I don't understand..surely..." He mumbled, more to himself then to her.
Ember felt some of his pain and.... The feeling was unwanted, and its mere presence made Ember angry at herself, and at Ace. She stared at his heart broken expression. Then again... She wanted to console him, maybe even off a shoulder, but then... To love is to destroy. She felt her hackles go up, her blood boiled at the sudden memory she would not share. No, I won't love Ace, I won't allow myself to. Never. She didn't notice when Oreron joined the trek, nor did she care. "Ace." His name slipped off her tongue, her tone holding hatred for herself and him, enough venom in it to kill a horse in only a few seconds.
Ember's hand flashed out, and a crack filled the air. She had slapped Ace, hard. "Get a hold of yourself." Instantly feeling guilty for slapping him, some of the indifference left her and there was a gentle look about her when she spoke again, "Acting like a whimpering child isn't going to fix things." A sudden expression of snarky humor flitted briefly across her face. "Or are you still the man-child from before?" She was intentionally trying to anger Ace, but if all she got was annoyance, so be it. An irritated person is better than a sobbing and heart broken person in her mind.