This is my first foray into Graceling fanfiction. I tried to keep some of Cashore's style intact and kept it as close to canon as I could. Hope you enjoy! Please review!
Obviously, I don't own Graceling or any of its characters. It's all Kristin!
Po stood against the doorframe of the cabin and watched Katsa and Bitterblue ride away. Or rather, he watched fuzzy shapes that resembled Katsa and the child ride away. He squinted, even though they were only a few feet away, but still their shapes did not sharpen. He blinked a couple times, trying to get his eyes to refocus. Still shapes, getting blurrier the farther they went. Quickly now, he rubbed his eyes hard and then opened them as wide as they would go, his heart aching to get one, last good look at Katsa before she left him for danger he could not protect her against. His eyes, always troublesome, refused to obey.
Perversely, her presence in his mind remained as strong as when she had last held him.
"PO!"
The impact of her mental call slammed into his body. Anguish, fear, anxiety, but most strongly of all, love flooded through his name. Everything else was swept away, until all that existed was himself, his wildcat. It was painful, feeling so much love at once. His knees buckled, but he caught himself and grasped the rickety frame harder. He longed to answer her call. If it weren't for his head, he was sure he'd already be at her horse now. But he couldn't. His body wouldn't obey his mind anymore. He could barely walk. He could barely see!
Katsa's shout reverberated through his body for several minutes. His connection to her, always so strong and clear, was doubled by the strength of her call and opened him to her every fear. She feared getting past the search parties. She feared that she would be unable to provide for the child. She feared to meet Leck and lose her control, her self, in his lies. She feared, desperately, leaving Po behind, when he was so injured, weak and alone.
But he wasn't alone. He was full to bursting. His mind was crowded with awareness of all that was in the forest. Desperately, Po pushed them away and reached for the remnants of Katsa's call. But it was too much. Animals. Birds. Trees. Grass. Insects. All were there, moving and changing.
It was too much. He was too full, dizzy with the minds of others. Nothing stood still and he was lost inside it all. Until, down, in the middle of this whirlwind, he huddled, grasping his head in his hands. Suddenly Po realized that his head was in his hands; he had slipped down the framework and was crouched on the ground. Gingerly, he raised himself up until he stood. Taking a moment to steady himself, Po slowly stumbled his way into the worn-out cabin.
His eyes played tricks on him in the cabin. Distances were off and outlines of objects were blurred. After only three steps, Po was forced to pause because he was so dizzy. Somewhere deep, he knew this did not bode well, but he told himself it would be alright. His vision would right itself. He was off the horse now; he just needed to wait.
Po lowered himself onto the cabin's bed, taking care of his shoulder. He sighed and closed his eyes. He would wait for the dizziness to pass and stay alert for Leck's soldiers.
He knew they were coming and, unless the world righted itself in his head, he did not know what he would do if they did.