Arrow Lake Hold it, even though it kills you slowly

takiyok allowed him to her side, but the coolness remained. it seemed they were each heavy with their own thoughts, and so for some time he was silent, trekking along the various trail and noting what was to be seen. each step drove a nail into his heart; several times mahler fought the desire to glance sideways at the fierce woman, for the set of her jaw was resolute, and she had shut him out.
having not anticipated how he would ache outside such a barrier, the shadowpriest was unsure in his very marrow of the words to choose, quite unlike him. and finally, after so many handfuls of moments had come and gone, mahler paused in his walking and lay his seeking lilac stare upon her.
"i vish ... i vish that you vould speak to me again, takiyok," mahler murmured, unable to keep the note of yearning from his throat.