Elann stopped, surprisingly. Noah was sure she was going to continue walking. It was what he would’ve did. He wanted to calm her again, to have the walk that she had asked him on. He had thought the walk was innocent in nature, but it was a staging ground for her to confess a few concerns she had in her heart at the time. Now that they were out in the open, now that they had been confronted and rebutted against, she was in tears but still decided to return to his side talking more on the situation. Noah turned and listened.

He heard to her opinion with a growing disagreement already residing within him. It was doubtful Yahal would curse him because of what he said. They weren’t malicious responses, nor did they intend to harm Elann as they had. Aside from that, the harm was emotional, not a strike from Noah’s raised hand, but one of his tactless voice. Still, he quieted himself and listened, his arms retracted in on himself where he had once wanted to hold her in his warmth.

He was quiet for a moment as he considered his words of reply. Noah would reply, but it was a matter of if he would be tactful in this instance. He decided against it still, feeling as if he was still rightful with his words. He wasn’t demonizing Elann, even if she felt like he was. He looked to her as she was looking away towards the trees on their flank. She avoided his gaze for an obvious reason, her voice had already faltered somewhere during her speaking, and her behavior told of the tears coming down her face renewed.

“Me talking like that doesn’t mean that I don’t love you,” he said. “I don’t feel like there is anything wrong with you, nor did I say that. I said you could be annoying, frustrating, and confusing. That’s all. My sister is annoying, frustrating, and confusing. My mother can be annoying, frustrating, and confusing. Nothing is wrong with them, they just can annoy, frustrate, and confuse me sometimes.” Noah looked away from her, facing front with a shake of his head. This was ridiculous, he thought. A mirthless chuckle came from him all in the same motion.

“I did not mean to ‘demolish’ your points, but some of them were unfounded. I said you couldn’t be jealous of something that didn’t happen. If I wasn’t at the post office, I was with you or told you where I was going. I said you weren’t a cage to me, because that’s the truth. You aren’t a cage. You aren’t the Syliran Knights and you’re not Syliras. You’re Elann, the person I gave my bond. I would not have given it to you if I felt that you would trap me somewhere I didn’t want to be,” he said, “and you haven’t.”

“You want me to use ‘soft’ words because they don’t sound as bad, but they’re lying words to me. You told me you didn’t think I liked you because I was quiet in the Stallion that day. Because you spoke like that I started talking more,” he said, hoping she could see the point he was making. “I’m sorry if my words are too hard for you, but that’s how I talk. I’m not trying to be mean to you, Elann.”

He huffed a breath then drew another. “You said you know better than to think I think you’re annoying, frustrating, and confusing, but at the same time you’re going to assume that I do think that all the time?” he questioned with a creased brow aimed at nothing but the air in front of him. “Don’t make that assumption about me if you know better!” he stressed quietly.

“I said [b]sometimes [/b]you confuse, annoy, or frustrate me. Not [b]all [/b]of the time. [b]Most [/b]of the time you are the best thing in the world to me, and just because I get irritated with you sometimes doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I’m sorry if you don’t like me talking like this, but this is how I feel in my heart. We promised that we would say what was in our hearts, and this is what’s in mine,” he said, huffing. “I’m not asking you to change anything, just that you understand what I’m saying.”

Noah drew quiet, his arms crossed over his torso. He wasn’t doing it to seem as if he was set against, or angry with Elann. There was nothing else to hold onto but himself, he felt like. Still, he wasn’t angry with her. He was frustrated, a place between his calm and his extreme that he didn’t like to be. It made his skin itch and he was hot on the inside, his only vent being the fussing he was doing at Elann.

The Kelvic’s breath slowed, his head swiveling to look to Elann at his side. There was a guilt residing in him for her tears, but his words were there and they were what he felt. Cruelty or harshness didn’t come to his mind just because he was being blunt and tactless. He wasn’t wrathful, wasn’t attempting to tear her down. It didn’t appear she could take what he said in any case.

“I’m sorry if my words hurt you, but they are mine,” he finished a whisper.