Chapter 4

"And last but not least, an ample supply of water for your journey," Leara announced, holding up a large canteen to Jamie. Zoe had assisted her in gathering the supplies from the kitchen, including herbs for healing and even a small loaf of sprill bread. In the meantime, Jamie had helped Rodin gather some of their other supplies - including clothes - into a hefty pack and two crossbody satchels.

Jamie studied the canteen with a quirked eyebrow. "Can't we jis' make use o' the water we find along the way?" He turned to Zoe. "Like we did when we first arrived?"

Leara smiled despite her recently shed tears. "You certainly can, but this water will remain cold throughout your journey thanks to the thermally insulated canteen. It's also been filtered and fortified with electrolytes to keep you hydrated."

Her husband soon joined her, carrying the two satchels and setting them down next to the hefty pack in the middle of the room. "All the medical supplies are in here," he said, gesturing to one of them. "Bandages, salves, and a small vial of alcohol for disinfectant."

Zoe smiled appreciatively. "You have been so kind to us. We cannot thank you enough."

Rodin nodded with a smile that quirked with fondness. "What can we say? We've grown attached to you. We can relate to being 'new in town'." His smile faded as he turned to his wife. "We still have not completely assimilated to the tight-knit community we found when we first arrived here ourselves."

Jamie's lips pursed and his brow knitted in confusion. "How long've ye been here again?"

"Eight seasons," Leara answered tersely.

The Highlander's jaw went slack at the revelation. "An' they still havenae welcomed ye?!"

Rodin held up a hand placatingly. "It's not quite that. We do get along with them fine, but they haven't exactly grown close to us. I suspect it's because our interests don't quite jibe with theirs."

Leara nodded. "As you've seen, Rodin loves to invent and tinker with gadgets. Most Azurians turn their noses up at new things and ideas if they haven't come from credentialed Azurian inventors. As for me, they look askance at my home remedies because they're often more effective than the methods of the official physicians." The corner of her mouth twitched in an ironic smile. "Yet they have no qualms about consulting me when they're desperate."

"You made it easy for us to relate to you," Rodin continued. "We understand what it's like to be outsiders and have only each other." His eyes became clouded with regret. "We've also not been lucky enough to have children. We'd tried but were unable to conceive. We've been alone all this time, wishing we'd had others to nurture and care for." Leara's eyes began to fill up again.

Jamie and Zoe gazed at them sadly, feeling now as if they were abandoning them.

"I wish we didn't have to leave," Zoe admitted softly.

"We feel the same," Leara said. "But you would only be in danger if you stayed. Even if you succeed in evading the more paranoid among us, you would be constantly watching your backs. What kind of life would that be for you?"

"It's not something we're wholly unused to," commented Zoe, thinking of the Time Lords.

"Aye."

Rodin approached, handing them a map. "I stayed up half the night to make this. I know it's not much, but it depicts roughly the location of the human settlement where it was last known to exist - and most likely still exists today." He pointed to a drawing in the upper right hand corner of the roughly sketched map. "As you can see from the scale, it is very far. I suggest you take as many breaks to rest as possible. Once you reach close to two hundred paces, you will have crossed out of our territory and into the woodlands. There you should be safe from any of the Azurian patrols." He stopped to smile. "That is not very far at all."

Zoe allowed a small wave of relief to wash over her. At least that was something positive.

Rodin reached out to shake their hands. "Blessings and good luck to you, my friends."

Leara was next, hugging them both. "We will never forget you."

"And we certainly will not forget you and your kindness to us these past several days," Zoe said.

Jamie immediately reached for the hefty pack of supplies. Rodin stepped forward, helping to secure it on his back. Zoe picked up one of the crossbody satchels and was about to reach for the other when Jamie quickly leaned over and grabbed it, too. Zoe frowned at Jamie but he seemed to be willfully ignoring her look. She made a soft scoffing noise and rolled her eyes.

"Thank ye again fer all ye've done fer us," Jamie said.

"Of course," Leara told them as she saw them to the door.

Just as they were about to leave, Zoe turned to find their hosts sharing a look of sadness. How she wished it didn't have to be this way. But they had no choice.

Affording himself one last look at Leara and Rodin's home, Jamie sighed and joined Zoe along the winding path that would eventually lead them to safety. His gaze briefly settled on the new clothes she was wearing. Her trench coat had been cleaned, but the sleeves had become torn during the Fyrlox attack. Leara had offered to help her mend it, but they hadn't had the opportunity before their "neighbors" had shown up. She had earlier made Zoe a new, similar coat, along with a dress much like her own: A highwaisted, light blue gown of durable fabric with slightly puffed sleeves and a hemline that stopped mid-calf. As they walked Jamie kept sneaking appreciative glances at Zoe's new clothes. They were closer to something he'd recognize from his own time—a marked improvement to her usual catsuit or miniskirt in his opinion. More proper.

Zoe herself turned to look at Jamie who quickly looked away before she caught him. Rodin and Leara had offered to supply him with some new clothes as well, but he had insisted on keeping his kilt, explaining it was very important to him. His linen shirt had been mended and they had also made him a tan work shirt similar to Rodin's, which was safely packed away with some of their other clothing.

Zoe's eyes drifted from his clothes to his burden. Jamie was clearly trying to be macho by insisting on carrying practically everything. Not only was he lugging the hefty pack on his back, but he also had the second crossbody satchel slung over his left shoulder, and the water canteen hung from his belt.

Zoe was carrying one crossbody satchel, as well as the map and a small compass given to her by Rodin. It was a piece of fine workmanship and seemed quite old and precious. When Zoe had tried to refuse Rodin insisted they needed it more and would not take it back. Zoe felt a prickling at the corners of her eyes. She was thankful to their hosts for not allowing them to leave without being as prepared as possible.

Zoe looked back at Jamie and the pack, then opened her mouth to speak.

Jamie pressed his lips together and cut her off with an irritated look. "Ah said, no!"

"Do you even know what I was going to say?"

"Ye were going to ask tae carry things."

"And why shouldn't I?"

"Because, carryin' all the stuff is a man's job." As if to prove his point Jamie shifted his burden and began to walk faster.

Zoe scoffed and picked up her pace. "You're not in eighteenth century Scotland anymore, Jamie—you haven't been for some time. You really need to let go of these outdated notions of yours."

Jamie bristled. "A woman's a woman whether it's 1745 or … 3045! It's tae heavy fer a wee lass like ye."

"I'm perfectly capable of carrying that other satchel," she said in a clipped tone. "You look as if you're about to fall over any second."

"'m fine."

Zoe sighed. "Suit yourself. We've got another …" she stopped to check the map and the compass, "... sixty paces at least before we're out of the Azurian territory and into the woodland area. Can you manage that?"

"Of course," he grunted, his tone making it clear he was insulted by the question.

Zoe felt herself growing more concerned as she continued to covertly observe him. No matter how strong and capable Jamie was, all that weight would no doubt be taking a toll on his back and shoulders, if it hadn't already.

"At least let me have the canteen, Jamie. I …" She stopped to craft a plausible excuse. "I'm thirsty."

Jamie heaved a sigh in resignation. "Och, alright." He tried in vain to reach for it, but the pack was blocking his way. Zoe shot him a playful smirk. He finally stopped struggling and wrinkled his nose at her as he gestured for her to come get it herself.

She removed it from his belt and, unscrewing the top, took one small sip.

Jamie blinked at her. "I thought ye were thirsty."

"That's all I needed," she said, her smirk easing into an impish smile. "I'll just keep it with me in case I need another drink."

"Oh, aye," Jamie muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Well, come on. Sixty more paces. At least," she told him crisply.

Zoe had taken a few effortless strides ahead before risking a look behind. She saw him trudging along slowly, appearing a bit overwhelmed after all.

She swiftly headed back over to him, holding her hand out. "I'll take that other satchel now," she directed with a grin.

The Highlander sighed wearily, realizing she wasn't about to give up. He nodded to his shoulder, prompting her to take the bag.

With a triumphant smirk. Zoe removed it and set it upon her own shoulder. Goodness, the satchel was heavier than she had expected! But she would not give Jamie the satisfaction of seeing her struggle, so she shifted her weight to her other foot and resumed her steady, assured gait.

Several paces later, that was proving more difficult than she wished. Refusing to fight her struggle, she slowed her pace and then took a moment to rest. Jamie soon caught up with her, looking more assured and less uncomfortable with his heavy bags and regarded her smugly.

"Don't," Zoe said, her voice low with warning.

"I didnae say anethin'," Jamie shot back with a smug smirk. Zoe gazed back at him indignantly, causing him to lose some of his smugness. "Ye sure ye're alright?"

Zoe sighed and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

Jamie regarded her tentatively before his attention dropped to the compass in her hands. "Then, if ye dinnae mind, I'll be takin' over our pace now. I know better than ye aboot these things." He looked between the compass and the map in Zoe's hand, trying to figure out exactly how much further they had to go.

Zoe crossed her arms and arched a doubtful brow. "Oh, really?"

Jamie looked up from the map at her, his expression and bearing full of quiet confidence.

"Aye."

The twin suns dulled to a warm scarlet and were about to slip under the horizon by the time Jamie and Zoe crossed out of the Azurian territory. Just ahead, Zoe spotted the woodland area depicted on the map. To her surprise, Jamie had done quite well navigating, just as he'd promised.

"We're here," she and Jamie declared simultaneously.

"Jist as Rodin said," Jamie continued, holding up the map and giving it a little significant wave. "And jist as I knew we would be."

Zoe was too tired to quibble over who was the better navigator.

Entering the wooded region, Jamie gazed at their immediate surroundings. It wasn't a large wood, more like a copse than a forest—the trees were narrow and huddled tightly together as if for warmth. The sound of the wind rustling the leaves even reminded Zoe of shivering.

After looking around, Jamie spotted a space where the trees were less dense. "This looks like a good place tae make camp."

Jamie lifted the hefty pack from off his shoulders and placed it down on the ground with a grunt. Zoe looked up at the noise to see him rolling his shoulders and rubbing his neck, his face scrunched up in discomfort.

Zoe clucked her tongue. "I knew that would be too much weight for you to carry, Jamie."

Jamie froze and immediately stopped flexing. "Ah—no,'tis no' that bad! I've carried bigger loads than this back in the Highlands." But then Jamie sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and added reluctantly, "Though … perhaps spendin' all that time on the TARDIS has made me a wee bit soft …" Embarrassed by his admission, he turned away, trying to more subtly flex.

Sympathy welled in Zoe's chest. She silently approached him from behind, reaching out to knead his trapezius muscle. "Does this hurt?"

Jamie flinched in surprise then screwed his eyes shut and hissed. "No, no," he insisted, his voice tight. "I'll be fine." He turned to face her and backed away.

"Your muscles are clearly strained. I'll massage them for you." Zoe's tone made it clear that she was not offering but informing.

A flush crept up Jamie's face. "M-Massage? N-nae need. I jis' need tae rest an' I'll be good as new."

"You'll be good as new a lot sooner if I help," Zoe persisted, advancing on him, her expression stern and unyielding. "I know a good deal about the technique." She tried to ignore Jamie's incredulous gaze. "The Wheel had a physical therapy unit as part of their medical unit. I used to watch the physical therapists and personal trainers give massages."

Despite his assurances to the contrary, Jamie could no longer conceal the pain overwhelming him as he waved a hand in front of her. "I dinnae think it's proper—" Another wave of pain burned down his shoulder and arm. "Alright, alright. Go aheid—but make it quick before I change my mind."

Zoe smiled and prompted him to sit down on the trunk of a fallen tree, then sat behind him. "I shall start with the trapezius area," she announced in her most matter-of-fact voice and returned her hands to his upper back.

Zoe kneaded the area slowly and gently at first before going a little deeper. She could tell the Highlander was nervous from the tense way he had positioned himself. Realizing how closely she was working with him, she felt herself tense up as well, but tried to ignore it and focus on helping Jamie feel better. After all, kneading his muscles out was a task she was happy to perform as his friend.

Still, there was an undercurrent of awareness which she could not deny …

The mental recordings of encountering Jamie in the hot spring sprang to the forefront of her mind; she quickly shut them down.

Jamie suddenly uttered a soft groan which snapped her back to her task. The sound inexplicably caused a prickling heat to creep up the back of her neck, making her more aware than ever. She felt her face begin to flush and forced herself to focus solely on the sensation of his muscles beginning to loosen. "Relax," she coaxed softly. Jamie relaxed so much his head dipped forward. Zoe's lips twitched. "Keep your head up and your shoulders back. Tension isn't good for the muscles."

Jamie did as told and Zoe briefly stopped to remove a container of liniment Leara had packed with the healing herbs. It contained ingredients similar to lidocaine, which Zoe had earlier found very soothing to her own sore backside. She hoped it would prove likewise for Jamie.

Scooping up a small amount, she began to massage it into Jamie's trapezius. "This should help," she muttered.

Her hands then moved down to his lower back. "And now I'll do the Quadratus Lumborum, Internal Abdominal Oblique, and the Gluteus Medius and Minimus," she recited, happy and proud to share her knowledge of anatomy with him. Gently feeling around each specific muscle, she repeated the process she'd just done on his upper back, lifting his shirt to apply some of the liniment.

The moment Jamie felt his shirt shift he moved as if she'd stuck him with a pin. He twisted around to face her, holding the hem of his tunic down. "Hey, hey, hey! Wha' are ye doin'?!"

"I can't apply the liniment through your shirt," she replied matter-of-factly. "I'm just repeating the same process I performed on your trapezius area. That's all. Nothing unseemly about it."

Jamie stared at the dollop of salve in Zoe's hand, then to her, his expression guarded until he met her gaze. "Alright," he conceded and slowly re-presented his back to her.

Zoe gave him a reassuring little smile as she lifted his shirt again and worked the liniment into his lower back muscles. Jamie was tense again at first, as if he didn't completely trust her intentions, but loosened up after a minute or so. He then expelled a long, deep sigh and Zoe felt the last of the tension leave his body.

"All finished," she told him at last, smoothing his shirt back down. Jamie didn't move. Zoe rose and circled around him. The Highlander's eyes were closed and on his face was a look of relaxed bliss. She felt the pride of a job well done.

"Jamie?" She prompted.

Jamie slowly opened his eyes and gave her a languid smile that caused a noticeable uptick in her pulse. "Feeling any better?" She managed to ask.

Jamie blinked and seemed to rouse himself from his blissful state with a slight look of embarrassment. He briefly tested out his muscles, rolling his shoulders up and down and bending slightly at his waist. He didn't appear to suffer any discomfort, and appeared surprised by the notion.

"Zoe … ye're a marvel! I dinnae know wha' ye did there, lass, but I'm feelin' a lot better already!"

Gratified, Zoe beamed. "I simply performed a basic massage regimen on the muscles most affected by the heavy weight you were carrying." She held up the container of liniment before placing it back in the satchel. "I'll give you another tomorrow morning if you wish."

Jamie nodded absently, still wrapped up in the wonder of it all. His stomach suddenly growled audibly, causing his cheeks to flush. "Och, I'm famished. Let's have somethin' tae eat."

Zoe nodded, reaching for the other satchel where Leara had packed the small loaf of sprill bread. Removing it, she rejoined Jamie on the fallen tree trunk. Having carefully removed the bread from its parchment wrapping she offered it a frown, wishing she'd had a knife with which to cut it. Jamie's 'beggars cannae be choosers' comment from days earlier suddenly echoed in her mind. How right he was. Barely giving a shrug, she tore off a corner and offered it to Jamie before taking a small piece of her own.

Accepting it, Jamie smiled and popped it into his mouth. He was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. He turned to find Zoe regarding him expectantly. "Reminds me of the brown bread we used tae have in Scotland," he told her, his voice taking on a wistful tone.

Zoe gazed at him, pleased to see him looking quite refreshed. She chewed on her own portion thoughtfully. "Yes, it is quite good," she agreed. "Certainly different from anything I've eaten on the Wheel. Though I suppose that's not saying very much, considering all the food there was in cube form."

The corner of Jamie's mouth briefly lifted into an amused grin. "Aye, I remember that." His grin faded and he studied her for a long moment, noting the faraway look in her eyes as she finished her bread. She'd reached for the canteen of water and took a little swig, setting it back down on the ground in front of them. "Talkin' o' the Wheel, how did ye arrive there in the first place? What was yer childhood like—if ye dinnae mind my askin' …"

Zoe heaved a sigh, her gaze briefly dropping to her hands before she met his eyes. "I lived with my family - my parents and my younger sister - in the city. I attended primary school until I was six, at which time I had been chosen to go to the Wheel." Jamie's curious expression prompted her to elaborate: "I excelled at my studies, particularly in the sciences. Each year they would choose a group of students with top marks who showed exceptional initiative to be sent to the Wheel." Her cheeks grew slightly warm at the mention and she looked away, assuming Jamie would have some retort queued up. As she returned her gaze to him, however, he simply appeared thoughtful. "I'd been on the Wheel ever since. I missed my family very much at first, but I grew accustomed to life there. Everyone was so welcoming, especially Doctor Corwin—at least at first ..."

She felt a twinge of sadness as she thought of the doctor who had been like a mentor to her, but quickly tried to brush it off as she nodded to Jamie. "What about you? What was your life like back in Scotland?"

Jamie lifted his gaze up to the darkening sky and assumed a thoughtful expression. "'Twas a good life. Jis' me an' my parents, an' my two older brothers. We lived near Portree on the isle of Skye. We didnae have much but we took care o' each other. I learnt tae be a piper, jis' like my Da, an' his Da before him." He puffed his chest out slightly, proud of that fact before his eyes clouded over in sadness. "When I was fourteen, a group of MacDonalds raided our home one day an' put my Da to the sword. They captured my Mam an' brothers. We lived on the Laird MacLaren's estate lands, an' Colin himself took me in. I became their piper an' lived wi' them till the Battle."

"The Battle," Zoe repeated. "Culloden, you mean?"

"Aye," Jamie replied, voice barely above a whisper. "They were good tae me, treated me as one of their own. The Laird's daughter Kirsty was like a sister tae me, an' his son Alexander like an older brother." His wistful expression quickly became supplemented with a trace of anger. "Alexander was killed by a Redcoat in the Battle." He sighed heavily. "But at least the Laird an' Kirsty got away safely thanks tae the Doctor."

Zoe nodded, her eyes wide with shock upon learning of the violence that had struck Jamie's family. She knew she should say something in response, but was at a complete loss for words.

Her reaction had not gone unnoticed. "What's the matter?" Jamie asked quietly.

She turned to find him studying her, hazel eyes brimming with concern.

"I …" she croaked and then cleared her throat, embarrassed, "I just didn't expect —I mean, to see your father killed in front of you and your family taken …"

"Hey, I didnae mean tae make ye sad. Tha's jist … how it was."

"I know," she said with a nod. The reality that Jamie had led such a hard life had really impacted her. Once again, it left her wondering how he could be so optimistic. And envying him for it coming so easily to him.

They sat in silence for a moment after that and Zoe stole one more contemplative glance at Jamie. It was then she noticed the bruise on his cheek had faded considerably. Having finally healed, the gash on his forehead no longer required a bandage. Zoe reached out and brushed aside some of his fringe to better inspect the bruise that remained. Jamie tensed briefly in response to her sudden, unannounced touch but then quickly relaxed.

Zoe was pleased to see that, although still quite ugly, it too was quickly fading. She gingerly pressed against the purple blotch with her fingers. Jamie gave a sharp hiss. Zoe's gaze quickly moved down to his face.

"Is it still that tender?"

Jamie opened his screwed up eyes and was immediately aware of just how close Zoe's face was to his. He quietly studied it: the brow creased in concentration, the pursed lips, the discerning eyes, behind which she was running calculations on the rate of healing based on the coloring of the bruise and the passage of time.

Zoe was suddenly aware of Jamie's breath just tickling her cheek. She dragged her gaze again from his bruise to his face. It finally dawned on her how awfully close they were, their faces inches apart. And Jamie was staring.

"What?" Zoe asked, her voice sounding embarrassingly unsteady to her ears.

"Ye have freckles," Jamie said with a small warm smile that held just a touch of teasing.

Zoe blinked at him in surprise for a moment then lifted her chin.

"I know that," she said indignantly.

"Och, dinnae get sae huffy. I wasnae findin' fault with yer face. Ye lassies are always sae vain aboot yer skin …"

Zoe bristled. "Well ... you have freckles, too, you know."

Jamie's eyes widened slightly and he immediately touched a hand to his cheek, then in the next moment seemed to catch himself.

"Aye, I know tha'..."

"Now who's the vain one?" thought Zoe. "Could you remove your jacket and roll up your shirtsleeves for me?" She asked, reasserting her professional tone. "I'd like to check on the cuts on your arms."

Normally, Jamie would have hemmed and hawed and told her to "cease her fussin'", but this time he was more than happy to comply. He was beginning to enjoy being looked after by Zoe and wondered why in the world he put up such resistance before.

Jamie shrugged off his black jacket then rolled up the sleeves of his linen shirt. Zoe gripped his right forearm and moved it about, studying it as thoroughly as she had the sandstone their first day on the planet. She repeated the process with his left arm, her mouth moving with silent words as she made mental notes of her observations.

"Yes. You're healing quite nicely." Zoe let go of his arm.

"All done then?"

"Yes."

"Reeght. Yer turn."

"What?" the prim astrophyicist squeaked as she flushed to her ears. Her wounds included the bruise to her backside! He needn't know that.

"Ye had cuts tae yer arms much as I did. An' ye hit yer heid, remember? Let me see 'em."

She breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, that.

"Turn aroound." For once Zoe did as Jamie asked. She felt Jamie place his large hands on the back of her head.

"Does this hurt?" he asked as he softly pressed down on her occipital area.

Beyond a slight tenderness, Zoe felt fine. She shook her head. He directed her to turn back to face him. There was a small smile of relief on Jamie's face. He then gestured to her arms and she carefully rolled up her sleeves. Truthfully, she knew this was something she could easily do herself, but it was only fair to let Jamie return the favor and—if she was honest—she liked the idea of him caring enough to want to check her injuries.

Jamie was pleased to discover her cuts had healed much like his. "No' bad at all," he told her softly.

"Well, I expected as much, given the amount of time that's passed since we were first injured—not to mention the efficacy of Leara's remedies," Zoe replied matter-of-factly.

"Effi - what?"

Zoe simply smiled and shook her head. Her gaze then returned to their surroundings. She was surprised at how dark it had grown. There was a noticeable chill in the air as well. She pulled her new coat tightly around her.

Jamie, meanwhile, was studying the area close to the ground, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "I was thinkin', it might be a good idea tae make a shelter. Jis' in case it rains, an' mebbe it'll shield us from the wind a bit. There's that great big rock juttin' out from the dip in the land …" Jamie pointed to the narrow boulder rising up and out at an angle. "That'd make a good support for a lean-to."

Zoe was not sure what a "lean-to" was but she could make an educated guess by the name alone. She appeared to consider it and nodded. "Yes, I agree." Taking a look around, she discovered a nearby area littered with sticks, branches, and fallen leaves. A quick study of the supplies readily available to them and she soon had a complete depiction of their shelter in her head.

Grabbing one of the satchels, she rummaged through it until she located the sheaves of paper and one of the pencils Rodin had packed for them. She sketched out her idea as quickly as possible and then waved Jamie over to show him.

"Is this what you mean?"

The Highlander's brow furrowed in thought as he stared at it. "Hm, no' bad, lass, although," he suddenly took the pencil from her and drew some lines over one part of the diagram, "I think the roof would be a wee sturdier if we made it like ..." He drew the word out until he finished his modifications. " … This."

He handed the paper to Zoe and she studied it carefully. Jamie was right. The diagram she'd originally drawn hadn't included enough support for the roof. How could she overlook such a thing? She was grateful to have him here with her. Handing the paper back to him, she smiled. "Yes, that will certainly help. Now, let's get to work gathering those supplies while we've still got a small bit of light left."

A short time later, Jamie and Zoe stood back to admire the makeshift shelter they'd constructed. Its walls were made of sturdy branches, logs and sticks, with an ample amount of leaves and grass gathered to make the roof. As Jamie had said, the large rock had provided some good support as well. It wasn't much, but they tested it and it provided some good shelter from the wind, not to mention any surprise rain showers during the night.

"Well, here's tae home," Jamie declared, raising an invisible glass in a toast.

Zoe's smile of accomplishment faltered on the word. It had stood for so many different things to her within her relatively short life. 'Home' was originally with her family before the Wheel earned that title. Then there was the TARDIS. And now …

Her gaze finally settled on Jamie appreciatively eyeing the new shelter. They had both been thrown into this unsettling, turbulent predicament. 'Home' was a notion she associated more with stability. Their current situation was the exact antithesis of that.

But there was something that was a constant to her throughout this entire thing - or, should she say, someone. She felt her lips lift into a fond smile as she continued to stare at Jamie. He'd obviously noticed as he'd quickly turned to her, eyes radiating curiosity. Zoe looked away and yawned, the events of the day catching up on her.

"I'd like to try and get some sleep now," she said, strolling over to the shelter. Jamie nodded and followed. Reaching inside the heavy pack, she pulled out the two blankets Leara had provided them, handing one to Jamie.

"Thanks, lass."

Zoe studied him for a moment before ducking into the lean-to where she laid the blanket on a particular spot on the ground. She then bundled up her coat to use as a pillow. Having eased herself down onto the ground, she watched as Jamie laid out his blanket on the opposite side of the shelter then settled down.

"Are you comfortable enough?" Zoe asked, watching him wrap the sides of the blanket around himself.

"Aye, I'm used tae sleepin' like this."

Memories of days long ago in Scotland suddenly flooded back. Memories of himself as a boy, wrapped in his great kilt as he lay on the cold ground, braced against an icy, February wind.

Zoe nodded and then tried to get comfortable herself, hoping her growing exhaustion would quickly allow her to be consumed by sleep.

But the uncomfortable press of the ground along her spine caused her to roll over. Her eyelids fluttered open as she turned and that's when she saw that Jamie was sitting up, his figure silhouetted against the pale blue of the moonlight coming in from their shelter's entrance. He was looking outward. Raising herself up on her elbows, she squinted at him in the dark. "Jamie, why are you up?"

"I cannae sleep. We're no longer in the Azurian lands, but who knows what else could be prowlin' aroond, so I thought I'd keep watch."

Zoe mulled it over and agreed it was good to exercise some caution but not at the expense of Jamie's rest. "Yes, well, maybe we could take turns watching - say, two-hour increments?"

Jamie nodded eagerly. "I'll take the first one." He prompted her to lie back down and then scooted closer to the entry of the shelter.

Zoe watched him for several minutes, sitting up straight and keenly studying their surroundings, looking as if he'd be ready for anything.

Her last thoughts before she finally succumbed to sleep were of how fortunate she was to have him here with her.

Feeling his eyelids growing heavy, Jamie stifled a yawn. Zoe's turn at watch had come and gone, but he'd refused to rouse her. He was going to stay awake as long as he could, even until sunrise if need be. He just hoped he'd be able to hold out that long. It was getting harder to fight the exhaustion that had already overtaken him.

Suddenly hearing movement behind him, he whipped around to find Zoe waking with a start. "Is it my turn yet?" she asked, crawling on her hands and knees until she neared him.

Jamie avoided her gaze. "No."

Out of suspicion, Zoe suddenly grabbed his wrist. Jamie tried to pull away but the wee lass had already gotten a look at his watch. Her eyes widened and she fixed him with an accusatory glare. "It's been more than two hours since I'd fallen asleep!"

"So?"

"Jamie!" she exclaimed indignantly. "You promised to wake me!"

"Now, I dinnae remember havin' done such a thing."

"It doesn't matter! We agreed we would stand watch at two-hour increments."

Jamie sighed and dragged a hand across his forehead, leaving his hair sticking out every which way. "Alright, alright," he conceded. He waved an impatient hand at her. "Go, then. I'll lie back down."

"Thank you," Zoe returned crisply. She watched Jamie reluctantly return to his spot before she crawled up to the entrance, training her gaze on the view around her.

Her gaze was soon back on Jamie and she frowned.

"Your eyes are still open. Go to sleep."

Jame sighed. He knew Zoe had her mind set on keeping watch, but he couldn't relax, consumed with worry that something would happen to her the moment he fell asleep.

At one point, his exhaustion was so heavy he'd nearly drifted off, but was startled back into waking.

So, here he lay, more exhausted than he could remember being in ages, but not allowing himself the luxury of one fleeting moment of sleep. Not with Zoe's life at stake.

He suddenly felt a small hand gently gripping his arm. "It's your turn," Zoe announced quietly.

Jamie gave a half-hearted nod before returning to his previous post.

Zoe surmised she'd been asleep a short amount of time when she woke with a start, thanks to a soft noise coming from somewhere in front of her. Sitting up, she surveyed the area until she located the source and her lips lifted in a sympathetic smile. Jamie was leaning against the entry to their shelter, snoring softly.