LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

Kayley felt her cheeks burn.

"This is all your fault!" she said, turning towards Garrett.

Garret stopped marking out the track with his staff and turned towards the sound of her voice. "My fault?" he answered, "How is this my fault?"

"We would've found Excalibur by now if we hadn't stopped!"

A snap caught Garrett's attention. It had come from behind. "Quiet!" he demanded, but Kayley kept prattling. He tried to focus on the direction of the sound. He shifted two steps the left. He swore he heard something fall. He grunted at Kayley's incessant talking. "Shh! Kayley, please! I need to hear—"

He cried out as searing pain ripped through his side. Grit and dust slid across his palms as he hit the ground. Blood, warm and wet, seeped into his clothes.

The clatter of armor came from behind. "Get them!" Ruber's twisted voice demanded. Garret placed a hand to his wound, blood dripping through his fingers. He tried to rise, but the pain made it impossible. Ayden signaled, telling him to strike. Garrett swung his staff behind him, the impact of the hit vibrating down his staff. Cacaphony as they jostled each other.

Suddenly, slender hands and arms lifted him up. "Ah!" His knees buckled and pain like lightning shot up his side. Kayley managed to sling his arm around her shoulder and steady him, taking his weight with surprising strength.

Kayley glanced one last look at Ruber and his men trapped in the thorn hand of the living tree before moving as fast as she could out of the grove.

Garrett's weight pressed, drawing him closer to the ground. Kayley shifted him so she had a better hold. He groaned.

"I'm sorry," she said, then frantically scanned the surroundings for somewhere to lay. She saw an outcrop of boulders and what looked like a cave entrance.

Garrett slipped from her shoulders and sank to his knees, clutching his side.

"Garrett!" Kayley cried, sinking to her knees next to him. Blood oozed past his fingers.

Kayley tore strips from her tunic. She balled one up, and pressed it against the wound. Garrett tensed and sucked in his breath. Kayley took the other strips and bound them around his waist and knotted them. Then she knelt, and slung his arm around her shoulder again.

"Can you stand?" she asked.

Garrett's breath came in catches. "I don't know…"

Kayley stood anyway. Her heart pricked at Garrett's pained shout. "We have to keep going." She steadied herself and started walking. "Just hold on for a little more. We'll be safe soon…I hope."

Garrett was getting weaker. It was getting harder to hold him steady. Kayley grunted, shifted him, and slowly steadied herself as they trekked up the rocky hillside. Devon and Cornwall steadied them from behind if they teetered backwards. Ayden flew back and forth from the cave entrance to them, screeching in encouragement.

Kayley looked down at Garrett's wound. The strips were almost full, but it looked like the blood flow had been staunched for now. Still, grunts of pain emanated from Garrett after each step. She could see the cave entrance, maybe another five feet up.

"Hang on, Garrett, we're almost there."

"It's going to rain…" Garrett breathed. Kayley looked at the sky. It was overcast, but not dark enough to rain.

"And how do you know that?" Cornwall voiced from behind.

Garrett gave a weak chuckle. "The air smells wet, and it's gotten cooler…and the wind's…died down…"

Kayley felt a drop on her head. Sure enough, they came faster and faster, until it fell steadily. Splat! Splat! Splat! Against the rocks. Kayley continued to move forward, but with the rocks slick with rain, the going was much slower. She grunted as Garrett's weight suddenly bore down.

"Kayley…" he breathed.

"No!" she grunted, heaved herself up, and forced herself to trudge forward, one step, then another.

She chuckled a sigh of relief as they entered the mouth of the cave, the dripping rain spatter changing pitch from loud, constant, and hard, to a muffled softness the further in they went. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. The cave smelled dry.

Seeing a natural shelf, she dragged Garrett over and laid him down as gently as she could. He grunted with relief at the stillness.

The rain has plastered his hair to his face. Droplets trickling every which way. His breathing was shallow, pain from his side spiking with each breath.

Kayley turned to Devon and Cornwall. "Is there anything in here we can use to make a fire? We need warmth."

"There's a bunch of twigs and stuff that were blown in here," Cornwall replied, "But it would only be enough to make a small one," Devon finished. "Not that we could breathe fire anyway." Cornwall added.

"He could die!" Kayley snapped, her voice cracking. "He's the only one who can get us out of here! We need him! I need him…please…"

Seeing Kayley so despondent moved the two headed dragon. They quickly gathered up the twigs and brush and made them into a pile near Garrett. As they worked they subconsciously agreed that Garrett needed their help. When Devon coughed, smoke and sparks burst from his mouth. Devon and Cornwall looked at each other, then blew, sending fire and alighting the twigs and brush. Before long the fire, small though it was, gave off enough warmth to take the chill off.

Kayley waited for the found wood bowl of rain water to boil over the fire; she gingerly unknotted the strips and unbound them, carefully removing them.

Garrett's body flinched and he hissed in pain, clenching his fist.

Kayley swallowed the lump in her throat and examined the wound.

"It's deep," she said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat. "…and still bleeding. Bandaging it won't be enough. I'll…have to cauterize it…"

Kayley burst into tears and leaned her head on his chest. "Garrett, don't die, please! I can't do this without you. It's my fault you're hurt. It's my fault…"

Garrett moved his hand and ran his fingers through her hair, smooth as silk. He took hold of her face and placed her forehead against his own. "Do—what you must—" he said between gasps. "I'm—impressed—you—know how—"

Her breath brushed across his face as she spoke, her voice tight with tears. "I had to help my mother do it once to one of our farm hands. He would've died if we hadn't."

Garrett let go and sank his head back to the ground. "I trust you." He took her hand. "Just—ah—don't leave me."

"Never."

Devon and Cornwall reappeared from further in the cave. "We found an abandoned iron mine!" Devon shouted. He held up a wooden handle with an iron rod attached. "I think this used to be a pickaxe. Would this help?"

Kayley snatched it from Devon's claw and examined it. "it's perfect," she replied. She looked at the two headed dragon. "I need you to blow on it until the tip gets red hot. Can you sustain that?"

"We'll do anything for you, Kayley." Cornwall said.

The sound of water boiling drew Kayley's attention back to the fire. Carefully, she lifted the bowl off the makeshift grate, and placed it beside her. Devon and Cornwall were hard at work breathing fire on the rod.

Kayley tore another strip from her tunic and soaked it in the water. Then, lifting it out, cleaned off the wound.

"Ah!" Garrett cried. "Warn me, would you?"

"I'm sorry," Kayley said. When she had finished, she placed the rag to the side and picked up the bowl. "The water is still hot. I'm going to pour it over your wound to clean it…"

Garrett nodded, inhaled as deeply as he could, and braced himself. He screamed as the water burned through and out the wound. He heard the bowl clatter on the stone floor.

"It's clean," Kayley said.

Garrett felt her hand smooth the hair from his face. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"It…felt good…at the end." He responded. He listened to her chuckle.

"Kayley." Cornwall said.

Kayley looked over and Devon and Cornwall, holding the now red-hot iron. She exhaled as she took it. Kneeling at Garrett's side, she spoke.

"I have the iron ready. It's going to be painful…"

"Just do it," Garrett rasped. "Please."

Kayley swallowed and nodded for Devon and Cornwall to hold Garrett down.

She touched the iron to the wound, unable to drown out the sizzle as she burned it closed.

Garrett's agonized screams filled the cave and echoed off the walls.

When it was fully closed, Kayley tossed the iron away from her and took hold of Garrett's hand. "I'm here," she said, "I'm here."

Garrett gasped for breath, squeezed her hand, and passed out.

"Garrett? Garrett?" Kayley put her ear to his chest and listened. His heart still beat. She breathed a sigh of relief. She sank back on her knees, placed her head in her hands and wept.

Devon and Cornwall quietly slinked back into the passage and back to the iron mine to gather all of the wood carts they found there, so the fire could keep going.

Kayley wept until she had no more tears. When Devon and Cornwall were gone, she went back to the mouth of the cave, refilled the bowl with rainwater, and placed it back on the fire to warm. When it was steaming, she removed it, carefully took it over to Garrett, knelt, and placed it beside her.

Dipping the last of the tunic strips into the warm water, squeezing it lightly, she cleaned his wound again, then the dirt and grime from Garrett's hands, face, and neck. When she had finished, she smoothed his hair back. She smiled. Even though he couldn't see, she remembered they were a beautiful shade of blue. She watched him closely, watching his chest rise and fall in sleep, a catch here and there from the pain. When she was certain he was deeply asleep, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for rattling on, so," she whispered. Tears slid down her cheeks. "I was just worried about my mother…she's all I have left…" a sob broke through, "…. I wouldn't have made it this far if not for you. Please…don't leave me."

The familiar crackle of fire and the feel of heat crawling across his skin roused Garrett back to consciousness. The hard, uneven stone beneath him pained his back. His side felt raw. He tried to shift his position, but his side screamed otherwise. He cried out.

In a breath of air, Kayley was at his side, the scent of fresh-tilled soil and salt air moving from near the fire to right by his head. Her clothes rustled as she sat. He held out his hand. He felt her fingers place the back of his hand against her cheek.

"Kayley," he breathed. He felt her place her arm underneath him, hooking her hand beneath the pit of his arm, gripping his hand with her other.

"Let me help you up," she said, her voice laced with care and worry. "You've been lying like this all day. Are you ready?"

Garrett nodded and braced himself, grunting as Kayley helped him into a sitting position.

His heart lightened at the familiar flap of wings, puffs of air, and regal screech as his eyes landed on his shoulder. "Ayden." Garrett smiled. His dear friend trilled as he nuzzled his neck and picked at his hair.

"Ayden's kept careful watch," Kayley said, "After I cauterized the wound, he would fly back and forth from the mouth of the cave to you, checking for danger." Her soft hand slipped into his own. "I was worried I might've been too late."

He squeezed her hand in thanks and turned towards her.

"How long have we been here?"

"Almost a whole day. You've been out for hours."

"Any sign of Ruber?"

"He and his men passed by in the night, following the ogre tracks. Thankfully they missed us, but we're almost a day behind now."

Ayden left his shoulder as Garrett shifted, pain shooting up his side. He hissed. "We'll catch up, don't worry." A new scent caught his nose. "Is that…broth?"

He gave a small smile at the surprise in her voice. "How could you tell?"

"It's a deeper scent, red meat; heartier. I can't remember the last time I had bone broth…" Tilled soil and salt air became faint, her footsteps padding the stone floor as she left his side. He listened as liquid poured, then Kayley's steps scuffling slowly towards him, the scent of broth ever more pungent until it was directly beneath his nose, the wisps of steam brushing his face.

He held out his hands and felt the smooth grain of the wood bowl. He brought it to his lips, blew, and took a sip, the hot liquid warm as it traveled down his throat.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," she replied.

"How did you find all of this?" he asked, midway through.

"Devon and Cornwall found a passage that led to an abandoned iron mine deep into this mountain. They managed to find cooking pots and pans as well as plenty of wood to keep the fire going."

Garrett chuckled in surprise. "I thought it was unusually quiet in here. Where are they?"

"Hunting, actually. They catch it and Ayden brings it back if it's not too large."

"How? They can't breathe fire or fly."

"Actually, they can now, they figured out the secret."

"Oh? What was it?"

"They had to agree on something."

Garrett noticed a change in her voice, a combination of gratitude and relief.

"What did they agree on?"

He listened as she cleared her throat, but when she spoke, her voice was tight and shaky, the kind that tries to hold back tears.

"That you would die if they didn't help."

Garrett placed the bowl down next to him. He placed his hand under her chin, and drew her face up until he could feel her gazing directly at him, then he placed his hands on her face.

He felt wet tears trail down her cheeks and across his wrists. Her face rested so willingly against his hands. He moved, feeling the contours of her face. Her forehead, small and smooth. The ridge of her hair, waves gliding through his fingers, down her temples to her ears, further down her cheeks, then to her chin. His fingers brushed over her lips, flower petal soft. He raised his right hand and trailed it down her nose, then brushed his thumbs across her closed eyes, his palms holding her head. His heart beating fast.

"You saved my life," he said, his voice huskier than he had intended. "You knew more than I gave you credit for."

"But you still almost died," she choked. "You were so weak, so heavy…you couldn't breathe, couldn't move…I'm no help to anyone…"

Garrett pulled her close so that their foreheads touched. "You're wrong. Almost. Almost isn't always. Almost isn't final. You knew enough; and I will forever be grateful for that almost."

He leaned in until his lips brushed hers. Her breath still shook. He brushed his lips against hers again, lingering on their softness. Then he pressed his to hers, and she returned the gesture, but pulled away when pain shot up his side and he cried out. Garrett mentally kicked himself for moving too quickly. He felt his face grow hot with embarrassment.

"You should lie down," Kayley said, her voice further from his side, but still close.

"I'm fine" Garrett returned, embarrassed.

"You can't make a sudden movement without being in pain. Lie down." Kayley demanded.

Garrett obeyed and gingerly sank down to the smooth stone floor. He admitted to himself that it felt good to be lying down again. Sitting up had drained his energy more than he'd let on. Then again, Kayley wasn't always gentle in her movements. He breathed as evenly as he could, letting the crackle of the fire and the warmth of the evening sun lull him to deep sleep.

Garrett awoke to the light warmth of sunrise across his face and the twitter of birds. He moved slowly, taking each shift of his body one at a time until he had positioned himself on his hands and knees. He moved his right hand straight out in front of him. Nothing. He moved it to the left. Within seconds, his fingertips, and then his hand touched the wall of the cave, pitted, jagged, uneven.

He paused and listened to his surroundings. The fire had been banked, light crackles interspersed with the soft whoosh of burning embers, the heat just noticeable. Kayley slept feet from him, her breathing soft and even with sleep. Devon and Cornwall snored away off at the other end of the cave.

Slowly, Garrett placed one foot solidly on the ground, and using the wall as a guide, pushed himself up. He groaned as his side shrieked, making him fall back to one knee. He breathed in and out, grit his teeth, braced himself, and tried again.

His side still screamed, but he made it to his feet. He leaned his back against the wall and put a hand to his side. It was tender to the touch. He was relieved to be up off the ground, but the act of moving was going to be a problem, let alone engaging in a fight.

He leaned his head against the wall and exhaled. "How am I going to do this?" he said to himself.

The familiar flap of Ayden's wings crescendo-ed from the cave entrance to directly in front of him. Garrett held out his arm and waited as the weight of his friend settled. "I need to know how much I can handle," he said to him, "Where's my staff?"

His arm bounced as Ayden left his arm. Garrett listened as Ayden fluttered to left, towards the entrance, then trilled closer to the ground roughly three feet away. Garrett turned his body and took two steps forward, but stopped when Ayden screeched twice, his warning for a cliff or ledge. Garrett slid his foot out. Sure enough, his toe touched the edge. He inched forward until his foot was back on solid ground, then continued walking straight until Ayden chirruped, directly below him. Garrett knelt down and felt the ground. When his fingers brushed the staff, he grabbed hold and used it to push himself upright once more.

The smooth wood felt familiar, safe. Sweeping it back and forth in an arc in front of him, he made his way out of the cave.

Kayley awoke to warm sunlight in her eyes. Rubbing them, she rolled over and pushed herself up. Her eyes snapped open and fear shot through her heart as she realized Garrett was no longer in the cave.

"Garrett?" she voiced. She looked in every direction as she stood up. There was no sign of him. "Garrett?" She called again.

She turned towards the entrance, the only way in or out. He must've gone out, she thought. Kayley walked out into the morning sun, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light. She stopped a few feet out, scanning the rocks and scrub around her. She still didn't see him. She cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled. "Garrett! Garrett, where are you?"

"I'm down here!" she heard him call. His voice was distant, but not faint. It came from the right, towards a stubby grove of windswept trees. Carefully placing her feet, Kayley made her way towards it.

Kayley placed her steps with caution, making sure her feet didn't cause any rock falls. As the grove got closer, a light bubbling sound caught her ear. Is that water? She thought.

Seeing a gap in the trees, she pushed her way through, coming out onto a sandy, pebble-strewn river bank. She looked in amazement at the crystalline water as it gurgled its way down from high above them, past her feet, and on down the slope to wherever it chose to end.

"I'm over here," she heard Garrett say.

She turned and saw him sitting on a large rock on the bank, shirtless, tearing and crushing a small bunch of leaves in his hands. She walked towards him.

"Do you have any idea how frightening it is to wake up and find the injured person in your party missing without any idea where they went?" she ranted, "You scared me half to death!"

"Good Morning to you, too," Garrett replied. He continued to tear and crush the leaves. "I'm sorry I frightened you. I needed a bath and to test my limits."

"'Test your limits?' Ruber nearly killed you the day before yesterday!" Kayley yelled, "Your wound has barely healed and you want—" she stopped and watched as Garrett put the leaves in his mouth, chewed them up, then spit them back into his hand. Kayley made a face.

"Ugh!" she continued, "What are you doing?"

Garrett stood and smeared the mixture onto his side. He tensed and grunted with effort. "Poultice," he said, "It stings right now, but it'll ease the pain."

Kayley watched him grab his tunic from the ground next to him and gingerly put it on, then grab his staff from its place leaned against the rock, and, sweeping it back and forth, moved his way towards her.

"It's still early morning, we'd better get going if we want to find Excalibur before Ruber does." He said.

Kayley trailed behind him, bewildered. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

"We're a day behind," he replied, "You said so yourself."

Kayley tripped over a rock but caught herself. "I'm not talking about us, I'm talking about you—"

"I don't have a choice!" Garrett snapped as he turned on her. "If we don't leave now, we'll never catch up, Ruber will get the sword and Camelot will be lost."

"…but you're in pain." Kayley finished.

Garrett swallowed the tightness rising in his throat. "That's not new for me." He turned around and kept walking. "Come, on. We'd better hurry."

Garrett exhaled and leaned against the tree, the roughened and knurly bark sharp against his fingertips and the back of his head. Kayley's scent lingered just to the side of him. Devon and Cornwall crashed through the underbrush behind her, and Ayden had rested on a nearby branch, the familiar rustle of his wings folding.

"What?" he grumbled. Kayley's stare was all too familiar. He listened to her shift her feet, the pine needles cracking soft under her weight.

"I think you need to rest," she said, "you're exhausted."

"No," he replied, pushing himself upright, leaning on his staff for balance. "It's only midday, and we've got a long way to go." He walked forward, the underbrush crackling and rustling beneath his boots.

Kayley's smaller footsteps crunched around him and stopped directly in front of him.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," she said.

He pushed past her, resentment flaring. "I know exactly how hard to push myself. I don't need your help, Kayley!"

"You wouldn't be walking if I hadn't cauterized your wound!"

Garrett turned his head back towards her. "It's because of you I almost died in the first place!"

"Garrett, watch out-!"

He heard Ayden's signal too late. His foot nicked a raised tree root, knocking him off balance. His staff missed the ground, and he fell, hands and knees impacting the graveled soil.

He grunted in frustration. Memories of waves of laughter washing over him.

Kayley ran to his side and knelt next to him. He jerked away at her touch. "I can get up myself," he said. Shame burned his cheeks as his voice cracked. He felt for his staff. When he had it in hand, he tried to push himself up, but the wound in his side kept him on his knees.

"I'm not helpless." he croaked.

"I never said you were," Kayley replied.

"But you're acting like it." He returned, swallowing the tightness in his throat.

He heard her sigh. "I'm sorry," she said, "That wasn't my intention, but you've been wounded—"

"That's exactly my point!" he yelled, pushing himself to his feet, ignoring the pain in his side. "Just because I've been injured doesn't mean I can't do anything for myself! How do you think I survived eight years out here alone? I survived because I didn't need anyone, relied on no one but myself and Ayden."

"There's no shame is asking for help, Garret. Especially when you need it."

Garrett turned his head away as his face burned. "Try telling the people of Camelot that."

"What do you mean? What happened?"

He gave a wry chuckle. "Nothing I hadn't gone through before. After I lost my sight, ridicule was a constant. Only this time…(sigh). Having stuff thrown at me wasn't new, and neither was people jeering at me. "Ha, ha, look at the funny blind boy trying to get around." I had been walking through the square when someone kicked my staff from my hand. I'd heard it clatter not too far from me, but when I got on my hands and knees and felt for it, someone rolled it just out of my reach. I asked for help from the crowd, but no one helped me. They just stood there and laughed until I found it."

"That's cruel."

"That's people."

"Garrett, not everyone's like that."

Enraged, he leaned towards her, listening to her take a step backwards. "Tell me that again when you have no sight and can't see anything but blackness! Tell me that when you've been hit in the head with everything from rocks to manure!" Tears squeezed their way out, hot lines down his face. "Tell me that when you've worked hard all day only to have others wreck your work seconds before you finish! Tell me that when you're cold, tired, and hungry and every door is shut and locked only to your face." He turned, wiped his eyes across his arm and walked away. "You know nothing."

Ayden screeched and flapped in front of him, scolding him. Garret waved his hand. "Not now, Ayden."

Kayley watched Garrett move through the aims of the Bulbous Punch Plants, his staff thwacking their orange heads seconds after Ayden's signal to evade.

Hold your ground until the last possible moment…

Suddenly, a Punch Plant clipped Garrett along his head. He staggered backwards. He managed to block two more strikes, but not before three more Plants struck him, the last one in the side. Her heart twisted as she watched him crumple to the ground. In frustration, Garrett chucked his staff. He rolled into a sitting position and, defeated, sank his head in his arms.

Kayley walked as quietly as she could down the hill, to the tall grass clearing where Garrett had thrown his staff and picked it up. She tried to wait until he was more composed, but he called out to her instead.

"I know you're there, Kayley. Just come forward."

She did as he said, the long waves of grass brushing her elbows.

"Do I have a particular scent?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.

Garrett smiled. "You do."

"May I ask what it is?"

"Tilled earth, sand, and salt. The combination I've never smelt before."

"You'll have to come to my house then. My father's farm is by the sea. I grew up with the scent of salt water and sand." She touched the head of his staff to his hand, and he took it.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I'm sorry for being so despondent. I haven't trusted anyone in a long time, and…having to trust you because I'm hurt, well…I haven't felt like this in a long time and…I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was wrong."

"No, you were right. I don't understand what you've been through. To be honest, I can barely imagine what you've had to endure, but it shed light on why you've been so intent on doing everything alone." She leaned forward and touched his hand. "You're not weak, Garrett. You're the strongest man I know, next to my father, Sir Lionel."

Garrett's head shot up. "Sir Lionel was your father?"

"Yes…wait, did you know him?"

"He was the only one who believed in me, in my dream of becoming a knight, after this." Garrett passed his hand in front of his face. "When he died…any hope I had left crumbled; and after two years of trying to become a squire with the result of ridicule, well…it was just better to be alone."

"I understand. I didn't think I'd ever become a knight either, but he always taught me never to give up. After all, a knight's strength comes from his heart." Kayley placed her hand on Garrett's heart. "You have that strength, and you fight as well as any knight."

"Except when I don't."

"Even knights get injured. Even knights fall." She took his hands in hers. "If there's one thing I've seen you do, it's get back up. More importantly, that being blind doesn't matter."

Garrett scoffed. "It matters now."

"Why?"

"Yes, I can fight; with Ayden's help. I don't mind that, but multiple assailants…"

"You fought Ruber's creatures just fine when we met."

"Because I heard two distinct voices. Two. And Ayden told me how many there were. One-on-one I can handle, two I can handle, three is tougher, but I can still do it. But more than that? You saw what happened. If by some miracle I do become a knight and Arthur has to go to war, how am I supposed to handle that? Yes, I'd have Ayden, but someone could shoot him down. Do you have any idea how cacophonous just a crowded market square is? Trying to distinguish where a sound is coming from, judging distance, how hard that is to do? Battle would be twice that, if not ten times. I've…never had to think about that before. Most of my "battles" are one-on-one…"

"To be honest, I thought testing yourself against five of those plants at once seemed a bit much. You're fresh off an injury. By that fact alone you have to handle fewer assailants. As for being knighted, well, we have to save the day first; and I can't get out of this forest without you, or defeat Ruber." She stood up, keeping hold of his hand. "I can't stand alone this time. I need a knight's help."

Garrett smiled. "All right."

Kayley pulled him up. Garrett sucked in a breath and put a hand to his side.

"But you have to promise not to give me anymore trouble. I'd rather not get injured again."