Okay, it's about time I posted another chapter… ^__^;; Sorry to anyone who
was waiting… My style's been changing, and this is about the fifth time
I've written this… *sigh* Well, as always, read and review! (ugh, cliché)
Amelia allowed herself to sit there for a few minutes, simply enjoying the feeling of satisfaction that this moment had given her. She rested her head on the chimera's chest. She listened to his steady, calm breathing, feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath. He was so warm, his stony skin felt like slate after the sun's rays had struck it. She felt her eyelids become increasingly heavy. She tried to fight the sleep, but eventually gave up and sank into a feeling of security and serenity.
When she woke, she waited a moment before she lifted her eyelids. She felt herself under the protection and warmth of the quilt that she had bought before they began their journey towards the village where Lina and Gourry awaited their arrival. Slowly, the princess opened her eyes, which were slightly crusted shut. She turned her head to the side, noticing the chimera that was sleeping peacefully at her side. She took some time to gaze at Zelgadis' face. There was something different about him when he slept, she carefully observed. His false ruggedness and iciness was not about him as it was when he was asleep. The calmness in that was almost visible behind his gently closed eyes was almost child-like. His lips were slightly parted, although he was not breathing through his mouth. Slowly and quietly, she removed the covers from her body, and walked across the tent, trying not to wake him.
Amelia opened her pack and removed a piece of bread, as well as some cheese and some dried fruit. She nibbled at the cheese, which was almost tasteless, and set the bread and fruit aside. The tent was freezing. The air was cold and damp from the rain, which was still falling, although it had lightened up since the previous day. Realizing that she still bore the tunic which she had worn through the storm, the princess decided that a change of clothes would make her feel more comfortable.
She fished out a clean outfit from her pack. It was plain, much like her usual clothes, and she had it reserved for times like this, when her normal clothes were wet or torn. The tunic was a sort of grayish beige, with matching leggings. Her thoughts returned to the sleeping chimera on the other side of the tent. She tried to think of a way to dress without him seeing, on the chance that he awoke. Despite her best efforts, she could not think of anything. Nervously, she tiptoed around the tent to the corner farthest from Zelgadis. With her back turned, Amelia quickly undid her belt. Her pants slid down her legs, and she hastily replaced them with the clean ones. She undid the fastenings on her tunic, feeling much safer now that the worst was over. She pulled off her tunic, which was followed by her undershirt. She heard noises from behind her. Her eyes widened, and she whipped her head around at the chimera. She sighed as she did so; Zelgadis had only rolled over. Hurriedly, she finished her change.
She sauntered back to the other side of the sleeping man. As she knelt down beside him, she recalled to memory the last night. Her body was filled with a warmness that calmed her, and she was off daydreaming about the man next to her.
Finally, Zelgadis arose around noon. Usually he woke so early, she thought to herself. She wondered how late he stayed up last night, but she refrained from asking. He had gone through so much, she decided. Perhaps he just lay awake all night. All of a sudden, she was embarrassed. While he lay there troubled, she was sleeping like an infant. How could she have done something like that? She knew that it wasn't really her fault, but she still felt awful.
She looked over at him while he ate his breakfast, trying to be discreet. She couldn't read the emotions on his face, so she strode over toward him. She knelt down beside him. He was having a breakfast rather similar to hers, due to the fact that, he, being unwell, was unable to do any of the shopping. Her thoughts drifted back to the store where she had purchased the generously proportioned quilt. She knew that something was wrong with it…but she had better talk now, and think later.
"Umm…"she said weakly, trying to start a conversation, but not knowing what to say, "Zelgadis-san, when would you like to head out again?" She finished, realizing that she may have seemed a little annoyed, but she didn't say anything, despite that. Just speaking to him was too awkward.
"Soon, I hope, provided we can actually succeed in disassembling this fortress of a tent." Amelia giggled at his attempt at humor, not because it was actually funny, but because humor was unusual coming from her stone- skinned companion. He seemed to notice what she was laughing at, because he blushed and stared down at what he was eating. She immediately felt bad.
"I'm sure we'll figure it out…somehow." She added, trying to make a joke herself.
"Why don't we start as soon as I finish my breakfast—er, my lunch, that is."
"Okay." She agreed. She paused for a minute. "Umm…I'll get our stuff together in the meantime."
She left him there to finish his breakfast. When she finished with her pack, she found him putting his together.
"Zelgadis-san, would you like me to help you?" she asked. She wasn't sure if that would be the best thing to do, but she did not want to simply stand around, waiting for him to be ready. Instead of waiting for an answer, she crouched down beside him and packed up anything that belonged to him.
"Amelia, thanks, but that's really okay." He said, seemingly embarrassed.
"Well, I can't just watch you get ready," she replied, not looking up, "that would be even worse; besides, I don't have anything else to do."
"Really, you don't have to—"
"Of course I do."
So they continued, for a little while, until the entire tent was completely empty. They shrugged on their cloaks, which were still damp from the previous day, but dry enough. Amelia hesitated before opening the tent flap, reluctant to leave their shelter, but did so with much self- discipline.
Outside, it was pouring. The raindrops were large, and plopped down on their hoods rudely. Thick gray clouds covered the sky, and it was almost as though it were night. With numb fingers, they chanted the spell which reversed the one on the tent, and systematically disassembled their shelter.
Once that was done, they continued their grueling journey to the next town. As they walked against the wind, the rain beat at Amelia's tender face. She faced the ground and pulled her hood to its limits, so that it just touched the corners of her mouth. She squinted and looked towards Zelgadis who trudged along beside her. Her thoughts returned to last night, and she wondered if she should do something to reenact that moment. Of course, she thought, she couldn't do anything in this storm. She would have to wait until they reached the next town, or more likely, they decided to pull their tent together again. The thought made Amelia sigh.
Amelia allowed herself to sit there for a few minutes, simply enjoying the feeling of satisfaction that this moment had given her. She rested her head on the chimera's chest. She listened to his steady, calm breathing, feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath. He was so warm, his stony skin felt like slate after the sun's rays had struck it. She felt her eyelids become increasingly heavy. She tried to fight the sleep, but eventually gave up and sank into a feeling of security and serenity.
When she woke, she waited a moment before she lifted her eyelids. She felt herself under the protection and warmth of the quilt that she had bought before they began their journey towards the village where Lina and Gourry awaited their arrival. Slowly, the princess opened her eyes, which were slightly crusted shut. She turned her head to the side, noticing the chimera that was sleeping peacefully at her side. She took some time to gaze at Zelgadis' face. There was something different about him when he slept, she carefully observed. His false ruggedness and iciness was not about him as it was when he was asleep. The calmness in that was almost visible behind his gently closed eyes was almost child-like. His lips were slightly parted, although he was not breathing through his mouth. Slowly and quietly, she removed the covers from her body, and walked across the tent, trying not to wake him.
Amelia opened her pack and removed a piece of bread, as well as some cheese and some dried fruit. She nibbled at the cheese, which was almost tasteless, and set the bread and fruit aside. The tent was freezing. The air was cold and damp from the rain, which was still falling, although it had lightened up since the previous day. Realizing that she still bore the tunic which she had worn through the storm, the princess decided that a change of clothes would make her feel more comfortable.
She fished out a clean outfit from her pack. It was plain, much like her usual clothes, and she had it reserved for times like this, when her normal clothes were wet or torn. The tunic was a sort of grayish beige, with matching leggings. Her thoughts returned to the sleeping chimera on the other side of the tent. She tried to think of a way to dress without him seeing, on the chance that he awoke. Despite her best efforts, she could not think of anything. Nervously, she tiptoed around the tent to the corner farthest from Zelgadis. With her back turned, Amelia quickly undid her belt. Her pants slid down her legs, and she hastily replaced them with the clean ones. She undid the fastenings on her tunic, feeling much safer now that the worst was over. She pulled off her tunic, which was followed by her undershirt. She heard noises from behind her. Her eyes widened, and she whipped her head around at the chimera. She sighed as she did so; Zelgadis had only rolled over. Hurriedly, she finished her change.
She sauntered back to the other side of the sleeping man. As she knelt down beside him, she recalled to memory the last night. Her body was filled with a warmness that calmed her, and she was off daydreaming about the man next to her.
Finally, Zelgadis arose around noon. Usually he woke so early, she thought to herself. She wondered how late he stayed up last night, but she refrained from asking. He had gone through so much, she decided. Perhaps he just lay awake all night. All of a sudden, she was embarrassed. While he lay there troubled, she was sleeping like an infant. How could she have done something like that? She knew that it wasn't really her fault, but she still felt awful.
She looked over at him while he ate his breakfast, trying to be discreet. She couldn't read the emotions on his face, so she strode over toward him. She knelt down beside him. He was having a breakfast rather similar to hers, due to the fact that, he, being unwell, was unable to do any of the shopping. Her thoughts drifted back to the store where she had purchased the generously proportioned quilt. She knew that something was wrong with it…but she had better talk now, and think later.
"Umm…"she said weakly, trying to start a conversation, but not knowing what to say, "Zelgadis-san, when would you like to head out again?" She finished, realizing that she may have seemed a little annoyed, but she didn't say anything, despite that. Just speaking to him was too awkward.
"Soon, I hope, provided we can actually succeed in disassembling this fortress of a tent." Amelia giggled at his attempt at humor, not because it was actually funny, but because humor was unusual coming from her stone- skinned companion. He seemed to notice what she was laughing at, because he blushed and stared down at what he was eating. She immediately felt bad.
"I'm sure we'll figure it out…somehow." She added, trying to make a joke herself.
"Why don't we start as soon as I finish my breakfast—er, my lunch, that is."
"Okay." She agreed. She paused for a minute. "Umm…I'll get our stuff together in the meantime."
She left him there to finish his breakfast. When she finished with her pack, she found him putting his together.
"Zelgadis-san, would you like me to help you?" she asked. She wasn't sure if that would be the best thing to do, but she did not want to simply stand around, waiting for him to be ready. Instead of waiting for an answer, she crouched down beside him and packed up anything that belonged to him.
"Amelia, thanks, but that's really okay." He said, seemingly embarrassed.
"Well, I can't just watch you get ready," she replied, not looking up, "that would be even worse; besides, I don't have anything else to do."
"Really, you don't have to—"
"Of course I do."
So they continued, for a little while, until the entire tent was completely empty. They shrugged on their cloaks, which were still damp from the previous day, but dry enough. Amelia hesitated before opening the tent flap, reluctant to leave their shelter, but did so with much self- discipline.
Outside, it was pouring. The raindrops were large, and plopped down on their hoods rudely. Thick gray clouds covered the sky, and it was almost as though it were night. With numb fingers, they chanted the spell which reversed the one on the tent, and systematically disassembled their shelter.
Once that was done, they continued their grueling journey to the next town. As they walked against the wind, the rain beat at Amelia's tender face. She faced the ground and pulled her hood to its limits, so that it just touched the corners of her mouth. She squinted and looked towards Zelgadis who trudged along beside her. Her thoughts returned to last night, and she wondered if she should do something to reenact that moment. Of course, she thought, she couldn't do anything in this storm. She would have to wait until they reached the next town, or more likely, they decided to pull their tent together again. The thought made Amelia sigh.