She reached out and put her hands on his shoulders, sliding down from the horse. Standing there, that close to him, she couldn’t hate him. “No,” she said softly. “No, I do not hate you.” Her legs trembled, and she sank to the ground. “I’m not sure how I feel.”
Sir Isaac’s eyes widened slightly and he felt silent, the slight breeze continuing to ruffle through his curled locks as he simply stared at her. Deciding not to wear his helmet so as not to cause her more discomfort, he slid down off of Buttons some time later, but took a step back to allow her as much room as he could. “You should hate me. I’m a stranger who just took you away from the only family that you have left. But I…I couldn’t leave you there, Miss Summer. It’s hard to explain…but I can’t just watch any more people die. I can’t stand by and be helpless and afraid, especially not now. So I’m doing everything I can to honour the promise I made your little brother, and I hope that in time, you might decide to forgive me.”
“You’ve all but kidnaped me, I think you can leave off the honourific, my lord,” she said wearily. Her legs ached from the unaccustomed effort of riding a horse. Looking down at her hands, she went on, “I understand too well what drives your action — is it not the same as what brought me to my decision? I can’t hate that. After all,” her voice fell to a near whisper, “have you not done the same as Sir Kit, but from a purer motive? I would have been reft from them anyway.”