Swaine rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling from his bed in the Cats Cradle inn in Perdida. Sleep was eluding him. As usual, the bed was uncomfortable. He chuckled to himself, it was almost like he was a character in the fairy tale of the three bears and Goldilocks with a bed that was always too soft or too hard, yet he never seemed to come across one that was 'just right', despite the ever increasing prices on their travels. Nevertheless, he had slept in worse places before. At least there were four walls and a roof protecting him from the storm outside.

His musings were cut short as he heard a noise… it sounded like somebody crying. He sat up and listened, it could, after all, have been one of those blasted long necked creatures outside. No, it was definitely crying and it sounded like it was coming from Esther's room. Swaine swung his legs round, putting his feet in his boots as he padded over to his door to open it, stealthily walking down the corridor to Esther's door. From here he could hear Esther more clearly.

'She must be having a nightmare,' Swaine thought.

"… Please, no… not again… Please! … Don't hurt them! Please don't hurt them, please!"

He knocked on the door 'Esther? Are you all right in there?' he whispered urgently.

The cries continued and he decided to go into her room. By the light of the moon in the storm outside the window he saw Esther in bed. Her hair was no longer in its usual braid, tears across her face as she thrashed and flailed in her sleep, unable to escape her greatest fears.

Swaine closed the door behind him, walked over to the bed and shook Esther by the shoulders.

'Esther, wake up!' he said urgently 'Wake up, it's just a dream.'

Almost at once, Esther's eyes opened. In the almost darkness, she saw a shadow next to her bed and gasped, paralyzed with fear, and began to cry again.

'Shh, shh!' said the shadowy figure 'It's me, it's Swaine'

'S-Swaine?' sobbed Esther, squinting into the darkness. Yes, now that she was more awake it did look like Swaine.

She broke down into tears again. Swaine sat on the edge of the bed as Esther cried into his shoulder sobbing. He could barely make out was she was saying over her sobbing and the heavy rain hitting the window.

'I-it was Shadar…' she sobbed 'he was coming back for me… and for my father and for you and Oliver'

She trembled as she wept and Swaine took the blankets that she had thrust away in the sleep and wrapped them around her. He wrapped his arms around her, keeping the blanket in place as he reassured her until slowly, the sobbing subsided.

'Why don't you try and get some more sleep?' Swaine suggested.

Esther silently nodded. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She obediently lay down and pull the covers over herself.

'Swaine, I'm frightened.' She croaked 'Please… stay?'

He looked at her, her blue eyes that were begging him to stay and he nodded.

'Okay, I'll stay.' He said 'I'll stay right here'.

He pulled the small wooden chair over to be beside her bed and sat down (a bit on the hard side, he thought). Esther smiled a little and put her had on Swaine's left hand which was resting on his knee. She clutched at it like it was a buoy at sea, like it was the only thing that could save her. Slowly, her eyes closed as she fell asleep and her grip loosened.

Swaine felt uncomfortable. Both in a literal and metaphorical sense. The chair was uncomfortably hard and he felt extremely awkward watching Esther sleep though he was glad she had calmed down and in the shadowy light she looked peaceful as she slept. He slowly eased he hand away from hers and stood to leave. Pausing, he turned to walk back towards her to touch his lips to her forehead and whisper the words 'sleep well, Esther'. He left and returned to his room.

Esther had no more bad dreams in the night. Her dreams felt relaxed and she felt safe.

In the morning she woke with Swaine's name on her lips only to find one arm off the bed, still outstretched to the now empty chair. She looked longingly at the empty chair and sighed.

They had a long day ahead of them as they planned to head on into the Miasma Marshes. Who knows, perhaps they would end up fighting Shadar too?