Sun Mote Copse This mess is a place

Phox gave a (rather pathetic) shrug at the questions about why this and why that. Weren't those questions for Nellie? He hadn't exactly been right in the head immediately following that nasty concussion. The time spent at the Frosthawks, especially the first couple of days, had been mostly a blur of headaches and throwing up. He was fairly certain that was when he'd made the promise, during one of those barely-conscious states when Nellie had come around to ask Raven something or another.

As Towhee recounted the events in her own words, Phox nodded to confirm. When she mentioned that things would never be simple between Niamh and him, he groaned. This whole thing felt less and less appealing by the second, and all he wanted to do was get away from it all. That, he knew, wasn't the solution. Maybe there wasn't a solution. Maybe they just weren't meant to be.