Forest

As Tsume told Mal what the dog had said, He looked at the girl through sad eyes.
"I am sorry." He said slowly, so that she could read his lips. He saw her flinch a little as he spoke, and realized his breath must smell awful.
~Tsume, tell her my name is Malek, and that you are Tsume, my spirit wolf.~ He told his wolf, who rolled his eyes a bit and told the dog.

She read his lips and smiled sympathetically "It's o...k" she said haltingly. She had spoken rarely since she was 10 since she could not hear herself even. She smiled slightly and listened as Molly translated in a bored monotone. Elsa had to chuckle to herself at the two spirit animals lack of enthusiasm in translating. Elsa took a deep breath. She started signing and speaking haltingly. Signing slowly so he could start to learn. "I..am...Elsa" she said and pointed to herself. Then she pointed to Molly "S..he" she managed "is M..Molly" she said still signing and talking slowly. ~Ask him why he is drunk~ she told Molly. Molly smirked anticipating the answer and translated.

He nodded to her as she spoke, listening to her voice. It was beautiful, but a little cracked since is seemed she hadn't spoken in a long time.
Tsume asked Mal Elsa's question and hesitated a bit. He looked at her and wondered if he should try and speak, but instead told Tsume what to tell Molly.
~My fiance left me forever, that is what the note said that you found. She decided it was her time to move on and left me....~ He said, feeling the tears coming back. He wiped them away before they could fall down his cheek.

Molly's smirk disappeared and she slowly told Elsa what he had said. Elsa's eyes saddened. Knowing no words to comfort him she gently touched his cheek. "I..m so..rry" she said slowly and looked into his eyes. ~Ask him if he has a home here..I can help him back to it~ she asked Molly to translate.

He felt her hand on his cheek, it's cooling touch to his warm skin.
Tsume asked him Elsa's question and nodded slowly. He pointed towards the setting sun, his house just to the north west.

Elsa looked where he was pointing and nodding. Standing up she offered him a hand to help him up. {Can you walk?} she signed slowly and deliberately. She shrugged her shoulders and opened her hands as if asking a question, then pointed to him, then made a walking motion with her fingers on the palm of her hand. Then she made a forward fist with her hand and nodded it up and down with her head to symbolize yes and then she opened her hand and snapped her first two fingers and her thumb together while shaking her head to symbolize no. Then she looked at him as is expecting an answer.

He took her hand and stood, his knees feeling wobbly as if he were a newborn colt.
He nodded to her as she slowly asked him a question with her hands. He had heard of sign language, but never seen it.
"It is a short walk from here." He spoke slowly, not sure how to use sign language.

Molly cocked her head and listened one ear standing up straight and one folded over. ~He says it's a short walk~ Elsa nodded and then seeing him wobbling she took his arm and put it around her shoulder. They started walking, her hoping he was aware enough to guide them towards the house.

---------------malek's house

Spirit stands in the Forest with her horse.

------------Malek's house

Mal ran through the very edge of the forest, keeping his cottage in sight. After about an hour of running, he found his favorite tree and sat down on the roots and rested for a minute. He took off his shirt, even though it was still a bit cold outside.
He laid his head back and closed his eyes, drifting into deep thought.

Elsa was walking near the edge of the forest when she saw Malak against a tree resting. She saw no bottle and was happy for that. Slowly she walked forward. Her feet crunching on the leaves from last fall. {You like sleeping on trees?} she asked in sign only as Molly was not here.

He looked up at the sound of crunching leaves and smiled when he saw Elsa. She asked him something in sign and he guessed the question. Since Molly nor Tsume was there, this was going to be tough to communicate to her. He found a small stick and wrote in the ground;
"Sometimes. It's peaceful and relaxing."
He patted the ground beside him, asking for her to sit beside him.

She tilted her head and read what he wrote. She laughed and then came and sat down. She looked at his face and then slowly signed {Do..you..love...her?} she then wrote it out and pointed to each word as she spoke.

He watched her speak through sign and read the words on the ground. He sighed and looked at her.
"I did." He pointed to himself and, thought about how he would say 'did'. He wrote it on the ground.
"I don't anymore." He pointed to himself and shook his head.

{But...she came back} Elsa said confused, she also wrote it out so he could understand.

He let his head hang, then looked at her for a second.
"Yes, she came back. But...why did she tell me she was leaving forever?" Instead of writing it down on the ground, he pulled out his note book and wrote what he was saying in it.
"I loved her, till she told me she was leaving. Then, I didn't love her anymore. This is the second time she has done this. I can't take it anymore." He gave Elsa the notebook and put his head in his hands.

Elsa nodded and then writing and signing so he would learn she said {I see, so now what will you do?}

He watched her signing after she wrote and thought about trying some of the signing she had shown him and attempted to try it.
{I will just move on. Love someone else. Carry on with life.} He wrote down what he didn't know how to sign, and signed the rest to her.

{And her?} she asked although she smiled as he tried to sign he was learning quickly.

He took a deep breath and thought of how to say what he wanted to say.
{She will probably never get over me, but eventually she will move on, same as I.} He signed/wrote to her. He imagined Arya riding Phoenix endlessly through the forests, thinking about everything that had happened...but he knew some day she will find someone else and she will love him just as much as they had loved each other.

She thought for a moment. {if you will be able to find love again, and so will she...} she sighed and stopped, erasing what she had written. {how do you prevent this from happening again? How do you not fall in love with someone that will leave?} she wrote out and signed then looked at him.

He wanted to stand up and walk away, to forget this conversation, but he stayed where he was and took the notebook and began writing what he couldn't sign.
{It's complicated, but...I...can't love someone who will continually leave me behind...} He stopped and sighed. He set down the notebook and pen and put his hands on his face.
{I feel like I am suffering} He finally said after a minute of thinking.

She looked at him and had to laugh but she quickly covered it up {sorry} she signed then she wrote. {you are.} she looked at him. {but if you don't figure out how to prevent it from happening again...then it will} she said simply and shrugged her shoulders.

He looked at her when she laughed a little and had to half smile. Then it faded when he read what she was saying.
{I understand. But...it's just...really hard to understand really. I try everyday to love her more and more...but...I feel like she doesn't love me...}