…we need Roran… mission… something that I cannot...
The vague words which did not seem to make any sense were barely understood by the man who was comfortably resting in a small, yet comfortable cot. A slight grunt escaped his mouth when he finally deciphered their meaning.
The voices, for there were two, one lighter than the other, stopped briefly as Roran turned to his side and covered himself, his shoulders and his head disappearing under the woolen blanket that kept him warm.
"I know very well what he went through, for I am a part of the fortunate ones that are blessed and cursed to live another day and see the grief and sorrow this war brings forth, but we all have a duty-"
The deep voice suddenly stopped as the lighter one, which belonged to a female stopped it short.
"Then you understand why duty can wait for a little longer until my husband wakes up. His mind is still tired from the unexpected chain of events he had to go through… Galbatorix's unexpected appearance and Eragon's sudden departure have troubled him ever since that fateful day…" came a silent, yet hasty reply.
Finding himself unable return to his state of complete relaxation, Roran briefly opened his eyes before shifting his position yet again.
"I will wait no longer than the few moments it takes for a man of his rank to come to his senses and prepare for his duty accordingly," answered the man, his heavy footsteps announcing his hasty departure. The female sighed and moved towards the cot with slow steps, her leather sandals and frail composure barely making a noise on the stone covered ground.
Roran barely suppressed a smile that was about to stretch over his face when the wooly blanket was slowly removed, exposing his head and neck to the slightly cooler atmosphere inside the house.
Then, a soft, delicate hand gently brushed against his right shoulder before it slowly moved to the left, caressing his back in the process.
"Roran… Roran, my beloved, I know you are tired, but you need to wake up…"
The soothing voice and the slight, yet pleasant touch of Katrina's warm hands calmed Roran even more, and the message whispered upon the soft voice of his wife lost any meaning as the ethereal realm of dreams slowly gripped the man with its delicate ropes.
Becoming more oblivious to what was happening around him, Roran found himself back in his home village of Carvahall.
Surrounded by large, verdant fields that produced healthy crops which would supply him and his family with enough food during the harsh winter, Roran heard a familiar voice calling for him. Turning his attention towards the familiar voice, he moved slowly through the thick corn field that obscured his vision. Using his hands to remove the crops that arose in front of him, Roran allowed his steps to carry him closer to the source of the soothing, melodic voice.
The bright light of the sun blinded him briefly as he exited from the thick vegetation.
Slowly opening his eyes, Roran spotted the image of Katrina who was looking at him kindly, her hands stretched in a welcoming grip. Behind her, there was a smaller shape that seemed to belong to a young human, yet its shape was perfectly concealed behind Katrina's dress.
Roran eyed Katrina's fiery red hair and gentle, brown eyes briefly before a wide grin spread across his face, then ran towards her.
A light slap on the back of his neck jolted Roran back to awareness, his eyes snapping open.
"What… what's wrong?" he asked, a bit confused by the sudden contact that ripped him from his dream.
"I tried to wake you up with the use of different methods, but none worked until I had to resort to the last one."
Katrina lowered her body, bringing her head to the same eye level as Roran's. "Waking up a tough man such as you requires more than a simple kiss," she said quickly before he kissed him on the forehead. "And a bit of massage as well," she added with a smile.
Roran pulled her closer to him and hugged her lovingly. "Now, don't get any new ideas about how to wake me up. You know how much I enjoy the old."
Katrina hugged him back and patted him slightly. "That I know, my love, but sometimes a simple slap is more effective than a kiss."
Both of them laughed lightly before Katrina slowly pulled away from Roran's embrace, kissing his neck lovingly before she broke away from him.
Roran released an almost inaudible moan and stretched his hand, but he failed to grab Katrina's hand as she quickly moved back, a wide grin spreading on her face.
"You're so slow this morning, my love," she said teasingly and moved over to the small table which had a multitude of comestibles placed on it, including a large bread, fruits and a piece of cheese. "Get ready quickly, for a soldier is waiting for you outside. He said something about a task being assigned to you, but I managed to stall him long enough for you to eat a proper meal before you depart."
While Katrina was busy with the food, Roran jumped out of his cot, equipping the leather boots which were placed on the side.
"So that's why you were so hasty," mumbled Roran as he stretched his hand towards a small chair, grabbing the tunic and the pants which were laid on it.
"I heard a small part of your conversation as well, but my thoughts were not very clear at that point," said Roran on a relaxed tone, trying to hide the worries that crept inside him. If Katrina would see him getting worried, then it would pain him even more to leave her behind, knowing that a mission could go wrong at any time.
Luckily, Katrina was too focused on her task to notice Roran's worries as she released a light giggle. "That is the result of sleeping long after the middle of the night."
Roran quickly equipped his usual outfit and reached for his trusty hammer, which was placed below the cot.
"But that time was not spent in vain…"
"And I enjoyed every moment of it," replied Katrina, turning around with the large iron plate in her hands.
"Everything is prepared," she smiled, placing the plate on Roran's lap. "Now eat, and do it quickly, because I do not know how long that soldier is willing to wait."
Katrina's determination erased some of Roran's worries as he focused his attention on her beautiful smile, then on the plate that was handed to him. Realizing that his time was limited, Roran quickly thanked her and began to eat with haste, munching on the soft, salty cheese and the slightly toughened bread.
A knock on the wooden door made Katrina jolt in surprise, while Roran lifted his head and looked at the door through furrowed eyebrows.
"Stronghammer, I believe I gave you enough time to prepare yourself accordingly. Now, be quick, for I broke my word for even letting you take your time like you did," came a voice from the outside.
Putting the plate aside, Roran quickly swallowed the remains of the food he had in his mouth and grabbed the hammer from his cot.
"I hope we will not be parted for long, Roran. It is unjust for Nasuada to use you like she does," Katrina said, quickly covering the short distance between the two of them.
Roran smiled as she grabbed his arms, looking at him with her pure brown eyes which radiated an aura of worry.
"What task could you receive after the king himself has come to our doorstep not even three days ago? "
Roran smiled as Katrina's soft hands gripped his own. "I know no more than you do, but it cannot be something of importance," he said calmly, then kissed one of her hands. "Although we had our loses, we won a great victory against the empire by taking control of this city. Nasuada will not-"
"But what if she does, Roran?" asked Katrina worriedly. "What if she will send you away for days? I cannot be separated from you, not when…" she said softly, running her hand across her slightly bulged belly.
Roran sighed and quickly hugged her, smoothly running his hand across her back. "Do not worry, Katrina, for I can decline certain tasks as long as they are not mandatory for me to complete them," he said soothingly, slowly pulling away from the loving embrace of his wife. "We will be reunited soon, I promise."
Roran barely finished what he had to say as he was gripped firmly by Katrina's hands and pulled into a long, unexpected kiss that only increased his determination to return back as soon as possible.
"Take care of yourself, Roran…" said Katrina slowly as she released Roran from her embrace.
Roran exhaled softly, wishing that he was able to remain in Katrina's arms for as long as he could, but that was only an idealistic dream. As long as the war kept going, he knew that he would never be able to have the life he wished to because of his compelling duties that parted him for his wife every time a new problem arose.
"I will… you have my word," answered Roran shortly, kissing Katrina one more time before he stood up. He passed through the door with quick steps without looking back, for every moment he spent inside while delaying the inevitable pained him.
What a sweet chapter. I totally enjoyed writing it. Before you mention it, I'm quite aware that it is quite short and not very informative in terms of plot, but the last time I included multiple things happening at the same time(see Tenga chapters), most of my readers focused on something and lost the big picture. This time, I will do it properly and split this part from the rest, because it's an introduction of sorts.
The next chapter is going to be longer and will be posted in the weekend, as soon as I finish and give it some final edits.
