Aeotha stood there watching him as he pulled his gloves and then his coat. It felt like such things took a long time, when really it couldn't have been more than a minute or two, but she stood there watching him all the same. She wanted to.. how could she hope to understand what it was like when she'd only ever once faced her past in the face and there's been a Knight and the Champion of the Lion standing between her and revenge. Iluvatar and Leironuoth would never have allowed her to spill Eiron's blood on the day of Eibhear's funeral. No matter if her friend would have loved such a thing. Aeotha took a deep breath. She hadn't been back since then. Back to Astarii, yes, but back in Eiron's presence? He'd won. He had everything he wanted now. Eibhear was dead, Aeotha was out of the country. How many Knights were behind him now?
Was the King looking at him like a favored son? Like a friend? Aeotha bent down and collected her staff and her pack from the ground and settled both back where they belonged. She hesitated there looking between the house and Skandra.
"Skandra." She began, but he didn't want to hear her explanation, anymore than Aeotha wanted to explain what she meant to him. She didn't want to cause him harm, she had wanted to hit him before, and had, but not this kind of harm. Not the kind that felt like a fire in one's chest. You wanted to right the world when faced with something like this. She'd wanted to spill Eiron's blood on the ground and take down every one of his banners with her own bare hands. They would have murdered her, it would have caused a great shift between her friends, and between those that believed in Aeotha without knowing her. She was ready to die on that dark day.
That she might have been laid beside him was a cruel fantasy. They would have buried her beside her father, or somewhere in the darkness under a temple. If she'd actually managed to kill Eiron first then they would have left her somewhere to not be buried, or worse. There were worse things they could do.
Aeotha did not want him to feel that desire, or to run after it. She didn't know how she'd feel if she actually managed to get revenge for her friend, her father, and her brother, nor did she know how he'd feel if he killed his father.
Aeotha stared at the house, but then turned and moved to stand beside Skandra again. The part of her that wanted to take his arm was the quieter voice in her head now. She understood the desire. If there was a way to find Eiron, and a way to kill him, she would have gone after it without thinking. Still, Aeotha reached out briefly, before her hand fell back at her side. She closed her eyes and started walking when she heard him start walking. When she opened her eyes again she was determined not to look back at the house.
It was growing pathetic, and most of the time that was enough to turn Aeotha back. But she would not. She'd brought Skandra into this, and she'd see him through, somehow. With or without magic.