''It is not guilt. I care for you.'' He looked in her eyes and spoke, his voice but a whisper.
''Love'' was all he could say. He hoped she would catch what he meant by it.

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There was nothing for it. Camomille picked her self up. She patted her bodice where her drawing journel was kept. Then she opend the small leather pouch at her waist to make sure her quill and ink were not damaged.

Then she looked around. There was no other choice. She needed to retrace her steps and somhow find her way back to Bree. She forced panic down. How would she get back? What if she was caught? She forced herself to be levelheaded. She could be caught at any second. She must stay strong!

Camomille silently made her way back the way she had run, sticking to the shadows. She would have to make her way past the slavers camp, but it was the only way to retrace her steps. Besides, they wouldn't be expecting her.

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She blinked. Love? What was he saying? She met his gaze. He...loved her? She reached out and touched his face. She cared for him, even after what he had almost done. She knew she would do anything to make him smile, anything to make sure he was alright. She knew she had grown to love him too. Her lip quivered with her emotion and tears sprang to her eyes, but she smiled softly "I...she cupped his face again. "I love you, too."

He smiled, almost gratefully at her. He was about to speak when he heard movement and looked over and saw something moving. He nodded silently to Eonwe in the direction. By the look of it, it was just a child as far as he could see.
What would a child be doing out so late in the middle of the woods?

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She turned and peered into the darkness. A child? "Hello?" she called softly, yet kept a grip on Crixus's arm, for fear it was a trap. "Are you alone?" she watched the figure move closer.

She had not heard the voices over the pounding of her heart. Suddenly they rang out, loud and clear, addressing her. Camomille darted behind a tree, breathing hard and thinking fast. Was it the slavers? But she had heard a woman's voice. But who else could it be? Camomille kept her body hid firmly behind the tree and peeked an eye out from behind it. She saw in the darkness two forms. A young man and woman. They looked alone, and there was no woman with the slavers, so they must not be with them. Still, Camomilly stayed firmly behind her tree, indecisive. What if they could help her? She couldn't get back to Bree on her own. But what if they didn't help her? What if they gave her back to the slavers. And traveling alone she could go undetected...at least through the woods. But a child like figure alone in cities would draw suspision...

Still, she couldn't decide what to do. She wanted to trust them, but after what humans had just done to her, she didn't think she could trust them anymore. Silently, Camomille tried to avoid the humans and go on her way by darting from tree to tree and hiding in the shadows.

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The child disappeared from her sight into the shadows. She looked to Crixus, her eyes questioning. "What do we do?" she whispered. She was afraid to follow, in case it was indeed a trap.

His expression was troubled as he thought. It could easily be a trap.
''We shall not hurt you'' he said to the figure. Pursuing it may cause alarm, he thought.
He could only wait for a response. He held Eonwe closer, in case they were in any danger.

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She huddled to him, afraid Abrax may have sent more men. Her head found the crook of his neck, yet her eyes remained one the forest. She was frightened, her body tense. "Don't leave me..." she whispered.

The responce felled Camomille. She stopped in her tracks, though all of her was screaming to keep going. What was she going to do, go it alone? She had no food, and she couldn't hunt. And she had no idea where she was going, or where the next town was. And she didn't have any money to buy food either.

She gripped her belt with white nuckles. Only then did she realize her ink pouch was gone. That did it. She couldn't go on with no prospects, and no instruments of drawing either! Felling like an insiscure child, she slowly collapsed to the ground and began crying into her hands.

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He nodded to Eonwe.
''Never''
He stopped as he saw the figure, drop down and begin to cry.He stood up slowly, taking Eonwe's hand as he slowly approached the figure.
''What is wrong?''

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Eonwe looked to the figure on the ground "Can we help you?" She asked gently. She was still wary though, and clutched Crixus's hand a bit tighter. She looked from the figure to him, she was unsure what to do.

Camomille looked up with a tear streaked face. Struggleing to control her voice she asked, "Are you going to take me back to them?"

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''To who?'' Crixus asked, confused.
He looked to Eonwe, non verbally asking her to do something, he felt awkward once again.

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"to who?" she repeated after Crixus. She herself felt awkward. She gave Crixus's hand a quick squeez before getting closer. "Who are you running from?" she was suddenly hit with the thought that if this...she looked, and it was obviously a hobbit, not a child, if this hobbit was being followed, she and Crixus may so be in danger from whoever it was, now that they had found her.

"The slavers." Camomille whisperd, as if she feard speaking would bring them down apon her. "I only just got away, and i-i don't know how to get home."

Camomille sniffed, and whiped her eyes determindly, feeling foolish for crying. She reached over and grabbed her fallin ink pouch and tied it on her waist once more.

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