80 The East II

Li looked at Sylvie. Her face looked down, and her hair, untied now that she wasn't out fighting or getting ready to fight, fell like silvery curtains that shrouded her expression. He gave her a few seconds to process the news before continuing. 

"I know your dream was to visit the east, but there is no east anymore."

Sylvie looked up again with a smile delicate with sadness gracing her lips. She hugged the worn leather bag containing the scrolls to her even tighter. "Then that is all the more reason for me to cherish these. An entire continent's hopes that they will be remembered lie in them, after all."

Li nodded. She was idealistic, but she was not a delicate little branch either. Years of fighting for her life had definitely tempered her ideals. "You know, you took that a lot better than I thought you would."