This is the moment that a number of very strong emotions crash into each other. Let us observe them. as we would a carefully constructed network of falling dominoes.

The first is surprise - naturally. After all, she'd expected Dominion guards to burst in, not her mentor. Not her teacher. To say this was an unexpected development would be to do it a disservice.

The second is ... well, it's un-named, but it's something fleeting and warm. It follows fast on the tail of the words [i]if she's here, that means she followed me. It means she must have cared ...[/i]. That feeling is what gives Kalaya's legs a sudden burst of energy, bringing her up from the floor in a blind rush.

The third is guilt and it worms its way through in an all too familiar pattern. The teahouse. Kingeater. What she'd done and what it must have done to Petony.

"I'm sorry!" she blurts, reaching out and snagging the other knight's arm before she could leave.

"I'm sorry for what I did!" she says, words in a rush. "For - for leaving like that. I ... I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean to leave you behind." 

The two knights stand there. Silent. As the final emotions flicker through Kalaya's eyes, an undercurrent of fear and hope - worry that she's damaged her relationship with her friend and hope that they will be okay despite that. Desperately, she looks into the older knight's eyes, searching for a sign of what they could tell her.

[Roll to read a person: 3 + 1 - 1: [b]3[/b]]

"I  ... I promised myself I would say that the moment I saw you again."