Summary: [VIGNETTE.] He couldn't let her be sad by herself. E/D Eric-centric. Post-Child of the Stargazer.

Disclaimer: I don't own D&D

Rating: K-ish, I guess.

A/N: February story #4.

Moon Walk

Even in deep sleep he was aware of her movements. For the third night in a row, Diana stirred from their campsite, and her light footsteps faded into the forest.

Eric, fully awake and waiting for her to leave, stared at nothing. She was mourning Kosar. He knew that and he should leave her alone, but it wasn't in him to let her go on in misery. Sighing, he pushed to his feet, checked the others, and adjusted his shield on his forearm.

He scratched under Uni's chin to wake her. Her intelligent eyes fluttered open. "I'm with Diana. Can you keep watch?" he asked in a whisper. "We won't be long."

Uni bleated softly her affirmative. Bobby shifted his arm to tuck her closer to his body. When Bobby settled, Eric rubbed the flat of Uni's furry nose, the one secret show of affection that he would die before admitting to. Then he stood and traced Diana's path.

He guessed her general direction through the trees. After a few minutes, the forest opened up along a deep and dark seam. The sheer cliff face dropped hundreds of feet down, leaving a broad vista that rolled out to mountains in the distance. Everything had a silvery coat from the full moon. It shone across Diana's hair and bare shoulders as she sat on a rock overlooking the broad expanse of land.

A twig snapped under his foot. She jerked around, alert, startled. "It's me," he said before she could clobber him. "Eric," he added, unnecessarily.

She relaxed, turned away from him, and waited until he sat next to her on the rock. "What're you doing?"

"Can't I want to enjoy the night?" he asked to temporize. "It's beautiful out."

"Eric, please. I'm not so stupid as to think you'd wander around by yourself to take in the sights," she said. "You're checking up on me, and it's not appreciated."

Ouch. Caught red-handed. He could do nothing but shrug. "Okay. So how is Diana nowadays?"

"I'm fine without you prying. Leave me alone."

He gazed at her in the moon's sheen. Her features were shadowed, tilted away from him, but he didn't need to see her face to feel the sadness, the despair, roll off her in waves. She lashed out because she didn't want to hurt anymore. He understood that and was sympathetic.

"I can't," he said in the cold silence. "You're too important to leave alone."

She sighed. In that moment, she softened. "I'm just…trying to cope. I know he's not dead because of us, but he feels so far away. Was he even in my reach to begin with?" Her hand opened and closed in her lap. "I can't help how much I love…loved him. It hurts."

Eric nodded. "Of course it hurts. It's not a called a broken heart because it feels great. But, Diana, Kosar did say that you'd see each other sometime in the future. That's still possible."

"No. No, it's not. I don't have any hope of that. I barely have hope we'll get…"

He heard her suck in air and was near enough that he sensed the shudder through her body without seeing it. She pulled her knees up, huddled over them as if to contain the agony. Eric unhooked his cloak to drape across her shoulders. That was the least he could do for her. Those sobs rendered him powerless, useless, and deep unhappiness coiled in his gut.

There wasn't anything he could say, but he could lend his presence to her. She shouldn't be alone. He sat on silent watch as the moon made gradual progress across the sky. No small wonder why she lifted her eyes to the heavens. Diana calmed some, her sobs decreasing into snuffles and sniffs. She surprised him when her hand slid into his and twined together their fingers. Her body leaned sideways; her head rested weight on his shoulder.

"You're not as alone as you think you are," he whispered to her. If she could see him… "Believe in the future. It'll help, I promise."

"When did you get so philosophical?" Her voice was choked, jagged.

"It's a full moon tonight. I'm like a werewolf in that way. Only philosophically-speaking."

She chuckled. "You are so strange."

"Oh, I'm the strange one. Do you know a kid named Presto? He's got wizard's robes and a Hat? That guy?"

"Shut up, Eric." Those strong fingers tightened on his. "And you were coming across as being the nice guy."

"Heh. Nice my foot," he said with contempt. "I'm nothing of the sort."

She didn't respond for a long time. Until, so quietly he'd have missed it if she'd been further away, she said, "Everything of the sort."

A/N: A benign sort of moment between them. Eric always argues so much it's nice to hear him say meaningful things every once in awhile. Let me know thoughts & concerns.