The sudden staring for a bit made her feel rather awkward. Sage knew he wasn't going to react in a great way, but the analysis was quite uncomfortable. She was glad at least he didn't react with immediate anger. That was at least something she could be thankful for. Standing up she looked down at him from her full height. No doubt it was throwing him off to see her as a grown woman. He had gotten older but 18 to 22 wasn't as much change as 13 to 17. She wasn't the same. Her pale green eyes looked towards the brown dirt of the road. 

"Things haven't been horrible but they certainly haven't been ideal. I'm glad to see you're well and still hold such dedication. Your dedication was always something I admired about you." Her voice was rough with little emotion. She wasn't trying to be cold but being detached even a little kept her from feeling like absolute trash.

With a sigh she looked back to him and moved to sit next to him on the ground. She was unsure how long they'd be waiting here for whoever else was coming. It was statistically inaccurate that she was the only one to join him. Hendrick has said at least one other person should be here. May as well get comfortable while they wait. Sage took to hugging her knees to her chest. A habit she had taken from childhood as a sort of security in these situations. Gramps had found her in a similar manner on his porch that rainy night.

A few moments passed in a weird tension before she turned her head to look at him. "It will never be enough to say, but I'm sorry." A sadness reached her voice and face. "That night before I left I had wanted to tell you." A short laugh escaped her. "In fact I had wanted to ask you to go with me...but I knew you never would have." Dread filled her chest just thinking about that night. It had been hard to chat with him like she wasn't about to give up the only companion that she'd ever had at that point in her life. Osric had truly saved her in more ways than one. Without his friendship in the Order of Wisdom she wouldn't have survived. The last parts of her would have died as a life of repetition consumed her. 

Their teachers had liked her. The dedication she had to perfection made her a great pupil. The way she never outwardly complained or caused issues. The worst she ever did was come to lessons late. That and be simply a carefree kid when she was with her friend. It was probably a shock to many the ways she secretly suffered. Lying in bed at night gazing at her raw hands from channeling elements for hours. Burns from accidentally loosing concentration during a spell. Even in the order there were other students that held anything except love for her. Often calling her a teacher's pet or a show off. Osric often had told them off, even if it had earned him some names too. 

There's no doubt in her mind that if she had just been able to learn to enjoy being there that maybe, just maybe, her life would have been better overall. Being complacent was unfortunately not in her nature.

"You were the only person that had ever shown me compassion and care. I guess there was a part of me that wouldn't have been able to handle your rejection. The order was your calling, your world. You separated yourself from your own family to go into service. I knew it would be hard to understand why I couldn't. I'm sorry I wasn't better to you even so Osric. I should have told you I was alive at least. The risk of getting caught kept me silent."