If you haven't read my previous LoD fic, Healing , there is good news: you don't need to. This is another stand-alone one shot featuring Dart and Albert.
Albert's face was flushed with fever. His skin furiously emitted some of the heat that raged through his body.
Dart gazed up at the top of the crevasse. The storm raged on above them. Dart could transform into the red dragoon, but Albert would not be able to fly in through the sheets of rain and sleet in his condition. The two men would be forced to spend the night there.
Albert was stretched out upon the ground near Dart. His long form took up much of the space beneath the rock outcropping which sheltered the two men from direct rainfall.
Albert's knife wound continued to leak precious red fluid. The king's eyes had gone glassy long ago. Dart tried to keep his friend with him by distracting him from the pain.
"Did you know Lavitz when you were children?"
Albert's eyebrows came together quizzically after he heard the unexpected question."Yes," he answered softly. "We used to play beside the river behind the palace, on my father's hunting grounds. The woods were beautiful in the latter months of the year. The trees were dressed in every color of the season. Lavitz and I climbed every branch and rock we could see. It was there that I learned how to ride horses. " The king paused and swallowed several times before continuing.
"Lavitz taught me," The Albert's voice faltered for a moment. "He tried to teach me, but after a few sprains and broken bones we formally agreed that my instruction would have to be carried out by someone else."
Dart looked meaningfully at his friend. "I'm sure that you had other types of adventures in those woods too, right?"
"What exactly do you mean?" The confusion in his expression was as obvious as the pain.
Dart glanced away and grinned. "Oh... nothing."
Dart carefully shifted his limbs, mindful of his own injuries. His muscles protested against the uncomfortable position.
"Albert," Dart began. He was still uncomfortable calling the dignitary by his name. "I am sorry about my reaction earlier.
Both men knew of what he spoke. The king had simply wanted to bring a sample of some plants back to Flezt for Nello's project. He had tried to explain to Dart that the plants had been thought to have been extinct.
Dart was the leader, and he knew that he had to remain collected no matter what disturbances he encountered. But it had been so hot, they were all dusty, thirsty and envisioning the end of their mission. Why couldn't those infernal plants have grow further away from the path, out of Albert's view?
Dart sighed as reflected. Why hadn't he reacted like the leader he was supposed to be?
With his face burning, his breath exiting his body in angry bursts Dart had dashed to where Albert knelt over the plants.
A surprised look had briefly crossed the king's face before he diplomatically stepped back and opened his mouth to try to reason with Dart. Dart saw red at the edge of his vision and he heard only the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He grabbed the front of Albert's tunic and furiously pushed him backwards.
It was difficult for Dart to reflect on what had happened next. In his rage Dart had failed to notice the deep crack in the earth. In the the next instant the men and the plants flew into the air, but Albert held onto the knife as he fell.
After the two men awoke, they were not sure how much time had passed. There was no doubt that the rest of the group would have searched for them, but although their companions would have passed very close to where the men were imprisoned, they would have been all but impossible to spot in the shadow of the canyon.
"It was an accident." The king said softly. "However, you were correct. I should not have left by myself. It was selfish and careless." His statement was followed by a sharp intake of breath as he shivered from the cold.
Dart drew closer to Albert. The latter moved his arm away from his side, sensing that Dart wished to inspect the stab wound. Dart carefully wiped his hands on his clothing to remove as much dirt as he could before he leaned close to the blood stained slit and the knife that held it partially open. The overcast sky and it's tumultuous weather made it difficult to see, but Dart hoped that his friend's wound had not begun to pour any of the discolored fluids that signalled serious infection. The king's flushed face already hinted at the possibility.
"I'm sorry," Dart whispered, "This should never have happened..."
The king's half closed eyes stared upwards and his still face showed no signs of having heard the other man's soft apology.
An army of rats scurried by. Wildlife was no stranger to Dart. After his parents passed away he had to become very comfortable with the outdoors, darkness, and things that go bump in the night.
Dart sensed Albert's uneasy reaction to their presence. He deliberated between reassuring his friend and behaving like the stoic leader that he believed he should be.
"They are trying to get to higher ground just like we are."
Perhaps the rats could show them a way out.
The reason for the smelly rodents' sudden appearance was evident when a rush of water lapped at Dart's lower body. Albert unsteadily lifted his upper body out of the puddle that was rapidly forming around him.
The two men re-examined their surroundings.
Dart gingerly made his way in the direction that their visitors had fled. His hand encountered a small hole. He reached into it and felt empty space. "I think there is a tunnel here." His rain soaked hair slapped his face as he looked back at Albert. The king now sat with his back against a dirt wall. Dart thought he saw his mouth form words, but the distance between the two was now too great for him to hear the reply above the roar of the storm.
Dart faced the hole again and began to dig. His contusions protested the movements, but he shovelled the dirt away with his fingers as fast as he dared, ever mindful of a possible collapse of the earth around the gap. The soft dirt gave way easily enough. Dart soon found himself at the beginning of a tunnel that hopefully led out of virtual trap which currently held the two men.
Dart could feel Albert's eyes on him as he carefully began to crawl through the opening. It was muddy and very tight, but it was probably safe enough.
As he moved across the slick, wet ground he vaguely wondered whether or not he would be able to back out if the need arose. Ignoring the slight misgiving he sloshed his way though the entire length of the tunnel. When he finally emerged, he briefly stretched his cramped muscles beneath the stormy sky. He looked around at the area in which he found himself. This part of the Tiberoan desert looked much like the others, but he could see a small fire in the distance. The flickering flames looked like strips of ribbons marking the end of a race.
Dart fervently hoped that the camp belonged to his travelling companions, but he knew that caution was imperative. He needed to decide whether to give in the to the temptation to draw closer to the campfire and hopefully bring his friends to rescue Albert or return through the tunnel.
A shiver worked its way down his spine. Dart rarely felt cold weather, but the sheets of icy water pouring onto his skin was enough to chill him. A thread of concern wormed through his mind and made him wonder how the weather would affect Albert once he was out from underneath the shelter in the crevasse.
There was no way to properly gauge how far away the camp was and Albert shouldn't be left alone for too long in his condition. Having made his decision, Dart sank back to his knees and crawled back through the muddy passage from which he had just escaped.
The king had fallen into a fitful slumber. As Dart gently reached out to touch his shoulder, Albert startled awake. He blinked rapidly and wiped his pale, blotchy face with one gloved hand, smearing it with dirt in the process.
"I found a way out. We have to go through the tunnel, but I think the others are just outside."
"I hope that the walls do not cave in on us while we go through." Albert said slowly. He gasped and clutched at his wound before opening his mouth to say something else. He seemed to reconsider speaking, choosing instead to clench his jaw before grabbing Dart's proffered forearm.
Once the two men were closer to the tunnel entrance, Albert's face assumed practised stoicism, but Dart could sense his trepidation. Crawling would be difficult with Albert's injury, but Dart had thought of a plan. The king would lie on his green cape and Dart would drag him out of the tunnel.
Dart exited the tunnel again, this time crawling backwards while pulling Albert along. He remained on his hands and knees for several moments while panting heavily. A gloved hand appeared in front of him. He looked in Albert's eyes and a silent message passed between the two. Dart grasped his friend's hand and they turned toward the fire.
Dart and Albert walked toward the campfire dripping wet, coated with mud, and looking not unlike the filthy rats they had recently encountered.
"Dart!" Shana gasped as they emerged from the darkness.
"So you finally decided to grace us with your presence." Rose remarked.
Dart tried to think of a smart reply, but his waterlogged brain simply could not supply him with a suitable vocabulary. He ignored her and trudged into the cave, eager to warm himself.
So that wasn't exactly my best work, but I would greatly appreciate reviews. :)
A la prochaine!