Chapter 23. Courage

Akane snickered exhaustedly when Turles planted a chair next to her bed and sat down on it with crossed arms and a very serious face. "Are you my warden?"

The good-looking man eased up a bit. "The Prince is right. You need rest."

Akane sighed and rolled onto her side towards him, folding her hands between her cheek and the pillow to get more comfortable. "I know."

"He is also not wrong about it getting better in time." Turles shook his head apologetically at her frown. "I'm sorry. It wasn't really in my hands. This place is kind of thin-walled."

Akane's expression softened. "That's alright."

"It helps… to talk about it." Turles told her carefully. "Ringo and I…" He didn't finish his words.

"You talk about it." Akane guessed.

Turles nodded. There was concern in his big dark eyes. "We could as well if you want to. I hate seeing you struggle with this on your own."

"It is in the past, Turles. Leave it there. I just want to forget."

There was a long silence.

Akane rolled onto her back again and stared up at the ceiling. She didn't want to talk about all that had happened. All she wanted was for it to go away.

"Captain…" Turles hesitated a moment. "I want you to know that you are the most courageous and steadfast person I ever had the honour of serving under. I…"

Akane bestowed him a severe glare.

"Please, allow me to say this." Turles requested and he added a clear: "Akane." to put forth that he was now addressing her as the friend she had become to him over the years.

Akane allowed it. He was her friend as well. Their shared past had made it so. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded curtly. Tears, weaknesses. They were all out the make her weep. First the Prince and now Turles.

"I remember things of our time with Cold." Turles breathed shakily. "What he did to me deprived me of my will to live. All I wished was for it to end, but every time it was you who pulled me back. You were unwavering, brave and strong no matter what that monster did to you. It was you that kept us going. Ringo and I, we were weak, but not you. You were strong for the three of us. Your courage guided us through that hell and you saved us. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here right now. I want to…" he brushed a silent tear from his face. "I want to thank you for giving me the strength to hold on and I beg your forgiveness for my inability to be strong for you in return."

Akane wiped away her own tears brusquely. "But you were, Turles. You and Ringo both. Your companionship was the only thing keeping me alive. The times when it was just the three of us out on a purging mission, away from Cold and that fucking ship… I lived for that. Even if we had to off all those peoples in return for our short freedom. I hated it, but I loved spending time with you and Ringo. It almost felt like everything could go back to normal. We were capable of laughing again. It was liberating." she halted briefly to steady her trenbling voice. "Your touches kept my blood warm. The rape, it estranged me from my own body. I wanted to never be touched again. You saved me from that. You made me understand that physical contact was still something I could find pleasure in. I am so thankful that you didn't allow them to take that from me."

"I needed to feel that sex was meant to be a good thing just as much." Turles admitted. "And I don't think I would have been able to look at it that way again if you hadn't shown me."

The handsome man fixed his stare to the wall behind Akane, seemingly ruminating on the subject. After a while he returned his attention to her and smiled his typical winning smile.

Akane smiled back. "We had some laughs as well, didn't we?"

"We did have some good times." Turles agreed. He started to snicker. "Do you remember that time when Ringo was bit in the arse by that snow-hound or whatever it was?"

Akane chuckled. "Blood yes, I will never forget the look on his face."

"Priceless." Turles rubbed his chin laughing. "That was one nasty beast. Just wouldn't let go, would it?"

"Ringo ran off screaming like a bleeding girl with that thing still hanging from his hairy arse. Took him ten minutes to get it off and all we could do was watch and kack ourselves with laughter." Akane laughed, clutching her arms about her aching abdomen.

"He is still sore about that, you know. Brings it up whenever he gets the chance. I don't think he is ever going to forgive us for it. He ended up with quite a scar too. The beast took a wodge right out of his arse." Turles gave her an appreciative smile. "It's nice to hear you laugh again, Akane. Ringo and I were worried."

Akane curled up under the covers when a cold shiver rippled through her feverish body. "There's no need. I feel better now. That cunter didn't manage to destroy me when he was alive and he bleeding well will not after his death. I think the Prince was right. It needed out."

"Has he ever talked to you?" Turles wanted to know. "About his time with Frieza?"

Akane shook her head.

"Guess he has quite a story to tell himself." Turles mused.

"Probably. But it's all so long ago for him. I imagine he wouldn't want to drag that stuff up after all these years. He seems to have come to terms with it."

"In time we will too." Turles spoke confidently. "And when Vegetasei is restored we can finally go home. I can't wait to be back, feel those suns on my face again."

Akane sighed longingly, remembering that splendid, burning feeling. "Yes, that will be nice. We'll have a piss up and a pig out so massive they'll write songs about it."

"I want boar meat." cheered Turles. "And fire flat bread." he gave a woeful sigh. "Blood, I miss my tribe."

"They put those black peppers in the flat bread in your tribe?" Akane asked. "Fuck, that stuff used to give me the trots."

Turles let out his booming laugh. "Fire in the mouth, fire in the arse!"

Akane snickered. "First thing I'll do after my kitten arrives is get off my tits on lizard wine."

"The power of that one." Turles spoke in sudden awe. "She is going to make one hell of a warrior. I am so proud."

"You will have descendants of your own to be proud of soon." Akane said as if stating a fact.

Turles shrugged. "If the Good Mother wills it."

"I'm sure of it. You're going to land yourself a strong woman and have loads of whelps with her. Mark my words." Akane smiled and requested: "Sing me a song, you big bleeder?"

Turles smiled back and began to sing softly in his booming voice. It was a very old song from the South. A song about the lands where they both had their origin.

Akane yawned and felt her eyelids getting heavy. She didn't fight it and gratefully welcomed her long overdue sleep. Guided by the pleasant melody of Turles' song, she drifted off to her long overdue slumber.