Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-10197675-20131116222109/@comment-3293219-20131120183503

Nish's mind was taken back several months, back to when it was just him and Lilly, navigating the dwarven ruins.

It was pretty obvious to Lilly that Nish hadn't been sleeping, most nights. He sat up and practiced his reading or went into another room and practiced his archery instead, trying to keep his mind occupied through those long, sleepless nights.

"I know that you're only pretending to sleep..." Lilly finally said, catching him off guard.

Nish opened his eyes, trying to sound dazed. "Huh?"

"Your eyes look heavy and you zone out more..."

"I get some sleep..." Nish sighed, closing his eyes and trying it again.

"Not enough though, that's the problem."

"Heh, what are you? My mother?" Nish chuckled, though his voice began to slur as he finished.

"I'm your employer Nish, I'm... concerned, yes."

"It won't affect my aim or strength..." Nish sighed.

Lilly looked away, reaching for her book. "We both know, that's not true."

"Don't worry about me..." Nish mumbled, pretending to sleep.

Lilly couldn't think of anything else to say, if he was this determined on being self destructive, then how could she convince him otherwise?

She gave up and began to read her book.

"How's your reading coming along?" She asked in an effort to make conversation.

"A lot better than it was." Nish answered, opening his eyes and sitting up. "Three weeks ago my erm... 'Reading age?' Wasn't it about seven or something?"

"I'd say that it was a lot worse..." Lilly confessed, standing up and walking over to him so that she could sit next to him.

"What does that word say?"

Nish rolled his eyes and took the book, he somehow found this embarrassing.

"Cart... Egg... Dragon... Wolf..."

"Great! You have been practicing!" Lilly was quite pleased with her accomplishment.

"I'm starting to get some of the bigger words, like that says 'speculate." Nish pointed out.

"Yep, what about that one?" Lilly pointed to the pages.

"The... thes... this?"

"Thesis..." Lilly corrected him.

"Yeah, it would help if we stuck to words that I know off paper..." Nish muttered. "What is that thing anyway?" Nish pointed to an illustration of a large, twisted wooden staff. The staff had several creatures carved into the top of it.

"Oh... that's the cursed staff of the everscamp." Lilly explained, taking the book off of him. "It summons a bunch of scamps that follow you wherever you go; you can't put the staff down or get rid of it, unless you gave it to someone who'd willingly take it."

"What's the point of that?" Nish scoffed, crossing his legs.

"Sheogorath designed it to annoy mages." She replied with some enthusiasm.

"Looks like your crazy staff... did Sheogorath make that?"

"Yeah... but that wasn't designed to annoy people..." Lilly replied, dozily.

"C'mon... bedtime kiddo." Nish mocked.

"Promise me that you'll get some sleep too." Lilly mumbled as she went back to her corner.

"I'll try..." Nish said softly, closing his eyes.

I'll try...