A/N: Written for rfspringfever2015. Prompt 'An unusual gift/an apology."
Barrett's gloved fingers painstakingly threaded a thin string of strong vine through a half made pair of power gloves. He sat on a bench in the Cherry Blossom Square, appreciating the peaceful quiet around him that allowed him to concentrate. A slight chill in the winter air nipped at his nose and cheeks, giving them a slight tinge of pink. While his crafting would undoubtedly be easier inside of his own warm home, he didn't want to bother putting up with his father's talking while he worked.
Right as he finished sewing and securing a knot in the wristband of the glove, he heard shouting in the distance. He glanced up and looked over toward the streets in the town, where he could just make out several people rushing about.
Confused, Barrett carefully placed his tools and creation into his bag and stood. His boots crunched down the snow as he walked through and out of the square.
When he stepped onto the cobblestone streets he noticed Tanya and Kyle talking in front of the inn. As he headed toward them Tanya noticed him and waved him over. Although she still had her usual friendly smile, the seriousness flashing in her eyes caused Barrett's curiosity to spike into concern. Very rarely did Tanya take matters other than swords seriously.
"There ya are, Barrett! You're just the man I wanted to see," Tanya said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"What's going on?" He asked, looking between her and Kyle, who for some reason had slipped off his backpack.
"Alicia just had a terrible fortune about a blizzard coming our way, and fast." Kyle answered, his words quick with worry.
"Ya see, me and Kyle need to help the town prepare for the storm, but someone needs to go get Jake and get him home before it starts. He went to the Padova Mountains earlier to get some ore." Tanya explained.
Before Barrett could respond, Kyle was holding out his pack to Barrett. The brunette accepted it uncertainly. Not that he wasn't confident in his abilities; far from it. However, usually Kyle was the one who jumped at the prospect of helping the townspeople.
"I have survival stuff in there you can use. I can't go because I want to make sure everyone here is safe first. I know you're strong enough to handle yourself in the mountains. You're probably stronger than me." Kyle admitted without a hint of jealousy or falsehood. Well, Barrett couldn't exactly say no to that.
"Alright, I'll go. Take my pack then. Be careful with it." Barrett instructed, handing his backpack over to the other. Kyle nodded quickly, gave a heartfelt thanks, and then hurried off down the street.
"Jake'll probably be in one of the caves. Good luck!" Tanya pounded his back in what was probably meant to be an encouraging manner, but instead nearly knocked Barrett off his feet. By the time he had regained his balance she had already disappeared as well.
Knowing not to waste any time, Barrett shouldered Kyle's bag and quickly made his way toward the crossroads. As he headed down the path to the mountains he mentally sighed, knowing how Jake would react when he found him. The half-elf was far too proud for his own good and would probably insist that he didn't need someone to get him, especially a human. Well, that was simply too bad. Jake was a member of this town and, whether he liked it or not, Barrett was going to make sure he stayed safe.
When he reached the entrance to the winter territory Barrett zipped up his winter jacket and tightened his scarf. Unlike in town, the freezing wind that occasionally swept across the crags made the temperature uncomfortably cold. However, that was normal for around here. If he hadn't been told that an ice storm was coming, he would have never guessed that the weather was soon to worsen.
He paused long enough to gain his bearings and look around. This dangerous area was not to be treated lightly, which he had learned during his few visits.
To his surprise, no monsters immediately jumped out at him; in fact, he thought he noticed a few shapes hiding behind boulders or in rocky crevices. It seemed that even they didn't want to risk facing the full brunt of the oncoming blizzard. Still, that didn't guarantee that all creatures would act similarly.
He reached behind him, slipped his hand into Kyle's bag, and prodded around for a weapon. His fingers found cool, smooth metal. He carefully grabbed it, pulled it out, and examined it.
Talk about luck. He turned the short steel war axe in his hands, observing the glint of the new blade and sturdy handle. This type of weapon happened to be his favorite to use. Gripping it in one hand, he continued forward and entered a large cave.
The bright light from outside shone through the entrance, granting him enough visibility to see the majority of the area. Suddenly, the sound of ferocious growls echoed all around him. Barrett abruptly stopped, gaze darting around the flat ground and rock walls.
None were immediately present; they must be farther into the caves. At first he planned on keeping well away from the source of the noise, but then he heard the unmistakable exclamation of a person. He couldn't distinguish the words due to the loud snarls and scuffles of a battle. Despite that, he knew there was only one individual it could be.
Uneasiness filled his chest as Barrett tightened his grip on his axe and started to run toward the fight. No one could handle an entire pack of wolves and come out unscathed.
After turning a corner Barrett found the heart of the sounds. Jake, sword clenched tightly in his hand and blood dripping from a gash in his leg, glared at the three creatures that had backed him into a corner. He didn't notice Barrett, too focused on keeping the gnashing mouths and slashing claws at bay with quick strikes of his blade.
Ignoring the bundle of instinctive fear coiled in his stomach, Barrett dashed forward. He swiped at the closest one, easily maneuvering his axe into a broad sweep. His attack connected with the closest silver wolf, which howled in a mixture of surprise and agony. The other two monsters' heads whirled around to stare at the human attacker.
Jake blinked, equally as taken off guard as they were. A moment later he collected himself, knowing this was his chance. Gritting his teeth against the sear of pain in his calf, the half-elf darted forward to deliver a quick jab to the injured wolf's chest before hurrying over to Barrett. Behind him, the finished monster turned limp and landed heavily onto its side, never to rise again.
"What the hell are you doing here? I was doing fine by myself." Jake insisted.
If Barrett weren't trying to keep track of their enemies he would have rolled his eyes. "To find you. Are you alright?"
"Obviously. I don't need you here."
"I'm here whether you like it or not. Now be quiet so we can take care of these monsters."
Jake reluctantly bit back any further protests. By then the wolves had moved out of confusion and back into territorial fury. Barrett glanced over the two, sizing up their strength.
"Watch for their tackles. If you get hit you'll go flying." Barrett warned.
Jake scoffed. "I know that. I'm not a stupid human like—"
The wolves lunged forward, forcing Jake to focus on the immediate danger. The monsters slashed in opposite directions, forcing Barrette and Jake to separate to avoid crushing teeth.
With incredible speed the monster hurtled forward at Jake again. He barely managed to sidestep the lumbering tackle, his leg giving a distracting twinge of pain.
The wolf turned to face him, bracing its head for another rush. Once again Jake had to dodge, this time jumping farther back. When he placed a foot behind him to steady himself, his heel nearly fell over an edge.
Jake froze in alarm and glanced behind him. A disturbingly calm pool of water lay a few feet below, almost appearing like an innocent method of escape.
But Jake knew better. This was the Padova Mountains, where all water that was not completely frozen held deadly, unbearably low temperatures.
The half-elf swiftly held his sword horizontally, intent on defending himself for as long as possible. The beast slashed forward with ripping claws only to be met by durable steel. Jake pushed back against the massive paw, heart pounding and arms straining with effort. Placed under tremendous pressure, his injured leg screamed with pain and shook. Jake shoved harder, sweat beading on his brow. He needed to hurry before—
His leg buckled.
The next thing he knew he was falling backward. For a split second nothing but air surrounded him. Then, he hit the water.
Burning, stinging pain attacked every nerve ending. He gasped reflexively, causing freezing liquid to burn down his throat. Instincts running rampant, he desperately waved around his heavy limbs. He broke the surface seconds later, gulping in deep breaths of oxygen.
Blinking the cold liquid from his eyes, Jake noticed the promise of dry ground some feet away. His breathing came short and fast, fighting against the numbness quickly spreading through his extremities. The swimming required an incredible effort and yet he felt like he was going so, so slowly, as if he were wading through molasses.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he accomplished his agonizing goal of getting to ground. He reached up with clumsy hands to find purchase on the stone. To his frustration, his frozen fingers slid helplessly across the slick rock. He tried again and again, the unforgiving water sapping his strength every second.
Gloved hands clamped around his wrists and pulled. Jake allowed himself to be yanked up, no longer having the energy to help move himself out. He looked up at his savior, shivering uncontrollably from where he sat on the ground.
Barrett's typically stoic face turned tense with concern. Thinking quickly, the brunette urgently dragged Jake away from the water and toward a wall. His bloodied axe, having finished its job of defeating the other wolves, lay forgotten on the ground.
"Jake, we need to get off your clothes." Barrett slid off his pack in order to reach inside.
It wasn't until the other had pulled out a sleeping bag that the sentence finally registered in the half-elf's sluggish mind.
"H-H-Hell no, y-you p-perverted hum-man!" His teeth chattered uncontrollably as he weakly glared at Barrett.
It seemed Jake was still aware enough to insult him; that was a good sign. Barrett knew he had no time to lose, though, and started removing Jake's soaking wet jacket. "I'm not letting your stubborn ass freeze to death."
Jake could neither impede nor help the brunette in his state, only able to throw curse after stuttering curse as the brunette speedily stripped him of his drenched clothing. Carelessly tossing the various fabrics aside, Barrett maneuvered the smaller male into the thick sleeping bag and zipped it up around him.
"K-Kyle has s-slept in th-this?"
"It's his, so probably." Barrett responded only to encourage the other to continue speaking. It didn't matter what Jake said; as long as he was coherent and talking then Barrett knew he wasn't worsening. Besides, the human male really didn't give a damn what the other thought about him anyway.
"G-G-Great. Now I-I'll never g-get the stink of h-human off m-my skin."
"Better than being dead." Barrett removed the scarf from around his own neck. Jake's life was at risk; he could spare it. Taking the scarf in both hands, he harshly rubbed down Jake's dripping hair to dry it as much as possible.
"T-Trying to s-scrub my d-damn h-hair off?" He grumbled at the rough but necessary treatment.
"No." Once he was finished he pulled the thick sleeping bag around the other's head, effectively turning the half-elf into a cocoon.
Now that Jake was covered as much as possible, Barrett needed to create a source of warmth. Barrett glanced outside, noting the screech of high winds and driving snow; they certainly weren't getting out of there any time soon.
Barrett searched inside the bag and silently thanked Kyle when he found flint and steel. Good. Now he just needed something to burn. When he stood Jake's eyes followed him questioningly.
"Y-You're n-not leaving, a-are you?"
Barrett paused, mildly surprised. He had expected something along the lines of 'where the hell are you going' or 'good, you're leaving.' Instead, though, the anger in Jake's shaking voice had drained away into an apprehensive inquiry. Right now, the half-elf was weak and vulnerable, and he was aware enough to realize it.
Any irritation the brunette had retained from the volley of insults dissipated. "No. I'll be right back. I promise."
That said, he hurried off to search the nearby area and quickly found a patch of soil resembling a field. It certainly was a strange sight to see a splotch of hard dirt inset into the rock and littered with robust grasses and sticks, but right now he was undeniably thankful for it. He grabbed what he needed and returned to Jake.
"I'm here. I'm going to start a fire." He announced, setting down the grasses and sticks into a small pile.
Jake gave a noise of acknowledgement, watching him.
Barrett picked up the flint and struck it against the steel. Several times a hopeful spark would ignite, only for it to die upon the cold debris pile. Then, after his fifth try, it caught aflame.
Relieved, he carefully blew a little air across it to help it grow and then sat back. Soon the pleasant crackling of fire arose.
Barrett glanced over at Jake. The half-elf's trembling slowly died down to a manageable shivering, and then stopped with only the occasional random shudder. His eyes drooped with exhaustion.
"Sleep. I'm not going anywhere." Barrett reassured as he added another branch to the fire.
"…I don't need permission," Jake mumbled. However, within a few minutes, his eyes closed and his breathing evened out to the slow pace of sleep.
Barrett let out a breath of amusement. Too bad Jake wasn't always this easy to handle.
Some time passed. Darkness had long since fallen, leaving the light of the campfire as the sole source of illumination. Outside the cave high speed winds continued to screech through the air, accompanied by bullets of snow and ice.
Finding himself growing tired, Barrett folded up his now dry scarf. He used it as a pillow to stave off the worst of the ground's chill as he lay down. A small nap couldn't hurt, he thought. It wasn't long before he, too, gave in to rest.
"Barrett?" A gentle voice made the brunette stir. Groggily blinking open his eyes, he looked up to see the beaming face of Kyle.
"Sorry to wake you, but I think you'd sleep better in a bed," Kyle said, bright smile betraying how ecstatic he was to see him.
"It's fine." Barrett rose and looked around. Dying embers glowed among the charred branches; the fire must have gone out not long ago. He noticed Jake, clothed and standing off to the side with his usual scowl. Barrett couldn't care less; the other was in much better health. A fresh bandage even adorned the half-elf's leg.
"Everyone's really worried about you two. They'll be glad to see you're okay!" The farmer grabbed the pack before the others could insist on taking it.
"How's the town?" Barrett asked, picking up his scarf and winding it around his neck.
"A few of the buildings have some minor damage, but nothing that can't be fixed." Kyle led the way out of the cave and back through the Padova Mountains. Jake and Barrett listened to Kyle continue on about the town's status, content to let him do most of the talking.
Every now and then Barrett turned his head away to sneeze. After the third time Jake glanced over at him with an unreadable expression. Barrett might have said something if he hadn't been focused on suppressing the urge to cough.
When they reached Alvarna, they were met by several relieved citizens. While Jake was swept away by Tanya, Barrett headed to his house, feeling the beginnings of a headache grate against his mind.
His father wasn't home; he must be checking up on the other townspeople. Grateful that he wouldn't have to answer any questions, he removed his jacket and shoes before settling down onto his bed. He yanked up his blankets and promptly fell back asleep, fatigued.
The sound of someone limping up the steps woke Barrett. His head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton and the tickle in the back of his throat caused an involuntary cough. Exhaustion weighed down his limbs as he reluctantly turned over to see his visitor.
To his surprise, Jake appeared from the stairwell and walked up to his bed. An awkward silence filled the air between them. Jake fidgeted with the bag at his side, clearly uncomfortable, while the brunette simply didn't want to move.
After a few minutes Jake reached into his bag, grabbed something from inside, and held it out. He avoided Barrett's gaze as he finally spoke. "Here."
Barrett's gaze flicked from the half-elf to the item. In the other's hand sat a packet of cold medicine.
The brunette looked at it in disbelief and dawning realization. Jake had gone out of his way to bring it to him, a human. The object represented both apology and thanks; two things Barrett would never have expected from him.
"I don't like being in debt to someone. So there." The half-elf explained, setting the medication on the bedside table. Barrett might have believed that if the half-elf hadn't purposefully avoided meeting his eyes.
"Thanks." Barrett rasped out.
Jake abruptly turned around, but he couldn't hide the hint of pink tinting his ears. Gait slightly uneven due to his healing wound, he returned to the top of the staircase.
"…don't die. Otherwise I bought that medicine for nothing."
With that he left, leaving Barrett to his sluggish musings. It looked like something good had come out of yesterday after all.
Sitting up, he reached for the medicine. It was only after he pulled out one of the pills that he realized he didn't have any water. He briefly entertained the notion of calling for Jake to come back and get it for him, but swiftly pushed aside the silly thought and stood. He knew better than to push his luck.