Yaay! Still sick! I have collage portfolio review tomorrow... X_X ohmygod. Anyway, truly wonderful feedback people! :D More for you! I think I can relate to Rikku in this scene, that's why I stuck it in there. I figure, ah what the hell. :D
Chapter 21 A Cold and Reception
Rikku awoke early that morning, hacking up what must be her lungs. Ohboy.
Peaking open a jade eye, she saw no one had noticed her coughs, for all but the Al Bhed had succumbed to sleep some time ago. When did she fall asleep? She was buried beneath Auron's coat, the soft fabric touching her face. Auron's coat was there, but the man himself was absent from her side. She sneezed. Ugh. Wrapping the scarlet cloak around her shoulders, she lifted herself to a sitting position and scanned the small cave. He wasn't there. This was bad. It was snowing heavily outside. Very bad.
She hauled herself upwards, and made her way shakily to the entrance of the alcove. There he was. Squatting in the frigid cold some ten feet away from the mouth of the cave. Stupid! While she had intended upon calling his name, a loud sneeze served well to announce her presence. Auron whipped around, and hurriedly made his way to her.
"Why aren't you asleep? Get back inside," he commanded gently, his bare arms shooing her backwards.
"I ting I have a cold," she muttered, subduing a cough. Auron sighed deeply, and brought her inside, his large hands dwarfing her shoulders over his red cloak. As she sat, the swordsman placed more wood upon the fire, and withdrew a small amount of the broth that had been their dinner earlier. He then knelt before the huddling girl, pouring a small amount of antidote into the cup.
"Drink," he said, handing the warm liquid to the shivering Al Bhed.
"Um... you do realize that that stuff isn't the non-drowsy kind, right? That you will be knocking me on my butt..." she was silenced by a single look from the hunched man before her. "Ok... fine. If I'm late tomorrow, it's your fault." Auron rolled his eye as her hand briefly touched his, grasping the cup. He waited there until she drank, the firelight filtering though his hair onto her face. Finishing the broth, he took the utensil from her and placed it with the others. When he turned around, Rikku was already yawning, eyelids heavy. He crouched and sat beside her, sharing the bedroll. As he leaned back against the chilled cave wall, her head drooped, and she inadvertently slid back as well. Auron took her shoulders in his toned arms and placed her head upon his chest, her head a warm and pleasant weight against his torso as her face sunk into the black leather. Softly stroking her hair, he gazed outside to the falling snow...
He and Braska had stopped here, in this very cave. Jecht had been complaining about... something or other, he couldn't remember. It was Braska's calm laugh that bounced against the alcove's walls, that sound was still sharp and clearly defined in Auron's memories. The guardian stayed awake all night, thinking, remembering and listening to Rikku's soft breaths.
Morning came eventually, as the glare from a hidden sun became almost blinding. Auron grunted and stretched, his body stiff. Rikku was a dead weight, having not moved at all in several hours. He gently lifted her prone form and laid her down upon the bedroll. He stood and stretched again, stifling a yawn. Kimahri stood with him, his feline eyes scanning the entrance.
"Nervous?" Auron asked quietly.
"Perhaps," responded the Rhonso, knowing full well what was ahead. "Kimahri will fight alone. You shall not help."
Auron nodded slowly and gently touched the cat-beast's furry shoulder. He knew well enough that this was something Kimahri had to do alone.
Within the hour, all was ready. Well, except for the motionless form of the Al Bhed under Auron's coat. Yuna gently jabbed at the pile of Rikku of the floor, using her staff. Tidus grinned, amused. Auron was not.
"Is she dead?" Asked Tidus.
"She has a cold, so I fed her some antidote," Auron grumbled.
"Then, should we wait?" Asked Yuna, having ceased prodding with her staff.
"No, me must move on," responded the swordsman gruffly. He knelt, enwrapping the sleeping girl in his scarlet coat, and lifted her frame into his arms. "Time is of great importance. There is a good chance we are being followed."
The party left the cave, Kimahri in front. In Auron's arms, Rikku stirred, but did not awaken. Yea, you'd best stay asleep, thought Auron, because as soon as I see those eyes of yours, you're walking. And I get my coat back.
***************************
Rikku groaned. Her head felt funny. Well, at least she was warm. The world was swaying, left and right. "Are you awake?" came Auron's question from seemingly far away, his deep voice rumbling against her cheek.
"Nuh uh," she groaned, burying herself deeper in the blanket of leather covering her face. Auron snorted.
"I see," came is reply, closer now. She felt something tickle her forehead and she whimpered, struggling to hide from the annoying touch that threatened to take her away from the comforts of sleep. A few moments later, she realized it was his chin. And after that, she realized that she wasn't walking, either. She meekly opened a swirling eye.
And stared smack dab into Auron's. Oh damn.
"Good, about time. I was wondering when my back was going to snap," snipped Auron, the smile on his face dulling the spark of his words. She sighed, allowing him to stand her upright. "Are you alright?"
She nodded, clutching his coat to her skin. Hey, she could breathe again!
The conversation was cut short when Tidus yelped. They were surrounded buy Rhonso. Auron cursed himself for not being more aware of his surroundings. His facial expression turned deadly serious as he moved to stand beside Yuna, leaving Rikku behind, still enwrapped in his coat.
He and Yuna negotiated with the Rhonso maestor, and at long last the wise old cat-beast acknowledged Yuna's will and purpose. Auron nodded to Yuna as they passed. Well done.
The trip upward was tiresome. Rikku looked ever so small, Auron's large cloak completely covering her form. But Auron stayed up ahead, with Yuna, and had not asked for it back yet. Alright, that was fine with her.
Suddenly, Kimahri stopped short, Yuna and Auron ramming into him from behind. Yuna was about to ask what was wrong when two larger Rhonso came before the group. Kimahri tensed.
A battle, a duel was being called forth by the cat-beasts. Rikku fumed at the two other Rhonso. Calling Kimahri a coward! Weak and hornless! Why, so help her-
She stomped forward, prepared to fight along Kimahri's side when a blue furry paw held her back.
"This is Kimahri's fight, not Rikku's."
Rikku started to protest, but Auron's hand took her arm. Rikku glared at the opposing Rhonso, then dug her hand into the folds of Auron's coat.
"Here," She murmured, attaching a small object to Kimahri's staff. A small, silver feather blew fitfully in the wind. "For good luck..."
With that, Auron drew Rikku away as the smaller cat went to battle his elders.
***Yay. Stopping now. Must rest before scary collage thingie tomorrow... eee. *Hackhack*
-Spazkit
Chapter 21 A Cold and Reception
Rikku awoke early that morning, hacking up what must be her lungs. Ohboy.
Peaking open a jade eye, she saw no one had noticed her coughs, for all but the Al Bhed had succumbed to sleep some time ago. When did she fall asleep? She was buried beneath Auron's coat, the soft fabric touching her face. Auron's coat was there, but the man himself was absent from her side. She sneezed. Ugh. Wrapping the scarlet cloak around her shoulders, she lifted herself to a sitting position and scanned the small cave. He wasn't there. This was bad. It was snowing heavily outside. Very bad.
She hauled herself upwards, and made her way shakily to the entrance of the alcove. There he was. Squatting in the frigid cold some ten feet away from the mouth of the cave. Stupid! While she had intended upon calling his name, a loud sneeze served well to announce her presence. Auron whipped around, and hurriedly made his way to her.
"Why aren't you asleep? Get back inside," he commanded gently, his bare arms shooing her backwards.
"I ting I have a cold," she muttered, subduing a cough. Auron sighed deeply, and brought her inside, his large hands dwarfing her shoulders over his red cloak. As she sat, the swordsman placed more wood upon the fire, and withdrew a small amount of the broth that had been their dinner earlier. He then knelt before the huddling girl, pouring a small amount of antidote into the cup.
"Drink," he said, handing the warm liquid to the shivering Al Bhed.
"Um... you do realize that that stuff isn't the non-drowsy kind, right? That you will be knocking me on my butt..." she was silenced by a single look from the hunched man before her. "Ok... fine. If I'm late tomorrow, it's your fault." Auron rolled his eye as her hand briefly touched his, grasping the cup. He waited there until she drank, the firelight filtering though his hair onto her face. Finishing the broth, he took the utensil from her and placed it with the others. When he turned around, Rikku was already yawning, eyelids heavy. He crouched and sat beside her, sharing the bedroll. As he leaned back against the chilled cave wall, her head drooped, and she inadvertently slid back as well. Auron took her shoulders in his toned arms and placed her head upon his chest, her head a warm and pleasant weight against his torso as her face sunk into the black leather. Softly stroking her hair, he gazed outside to the falling snow...
He and Braska had stopped here, in this very cave. Jecht had been complaining about... something or other, he couldn't remember. It was Braska's calm laugh that bounced against the alcove's walls, that sound was still sharp and clearly defined in Auron's memories. The guardian stayed awake all night, thinking, remembering and listening to Rikku's soft breaths.
Morning came eventually, as the glare from a hidden sun became almost blinding. Auron grunted and stretched, his body stiff. Rikku was a dead weight, having not moved at all in several hours. He gently lifted her prone form and laid her down upon the bedroll. He stood and stretched again, stifling a yawn. Kimahri stood with him, his feline eyes scanning the entrance.
"Nervous?" Auron asked quietly.
"Perhaps," responded the Rhonso, knowing full well what was ahead. "Kimahri will fight alone. You shall not help."
Auron nodded slowly and gently touched the cat-beast's furry shoulder. He knew well enough that this was something Kimahri had to do alone.
Within the hour, all was ready. Well, except for the motionless form of the Al Bhed under Auron's coat. Yuna gently jabbed at the pile of Rikku of the floor, using her staff. Tidus grinned, amused. Auron was not.
"Is she dead?" Asked Tidus.
"She has a cold, so I fed her some antidote," Auron grumbled.
"Then, should we wait?" Asked Yuna, having ceased prodding with her staff.
"No, me must move on," responded the swordsman gruffly. He knelt, enwrapping the sleeping girl in his scarlet coat, and lifted her frame into his arms. "Time is of great importance. There is a good chance we are being followed."
The party left the cave, Kimahri in front. In Auron's arms, Rikku stirred, but did not awaken. Yea, you'd best stay asleep, thought Auron, because as soon as I see those eyes of yours, you're walking. And I get my coat back.
***************************
Rikku groaned. Her head felt funny. Well, at least she was warm. The world was swaying, left and right. "Are you awake?" came Auron's question from seemingly far away, his deep voice rumbling against her cheek.
"Nuh uh," she groaned, burying herself deeper in the blanket of leather covering her face. Auron snorted.
"I see," came is reply, closer now. She felt something tickle her forehead and she whimpered, struggling to hide from the annoying touch that threatened to take her away from the comforts of sleep. A few moments later, she realized it was his chin. And after that, she realized that she wasn't walking, either. She meekly opened a swirling eye.
And stared smack dab into Auron's. Oh damn.
"Good, about time. I was wondering when my back was going to snap," snipped Auron, the smile on his face dulling the spark of his words. She sighed, allowing him to stand her upright. "Are you alright?"
She nodded, clutching his coat to her skin. Hey, she could breathe again!
The conversation was cut short when Tidus yelped. They were surrounded buy Rhonso. Auron cursed himself for not being more aware of his surroundings. His facial expression turned deadly serious as he moved to stand beside Yuna, leaving Rikku behind, still enwrapped in his coat.
He and Yuna negotiated with the Rhonso maestor, and at long last the wise old cat-beast acknowledged Yuna's will and purpose. Auron nodded to Yuna as they passed. Well done.
The trip upward was tiresome. Rikku looked ever so small, Auron's large cloak completely covering her form. But Auron stayed up ahead, with Yuna, and had not asked for it back yet. Alright, that was fine with her.
Suddenly, Kimahri stopped short, Yuna and Auron ramming into him from behind. Yuna was about to ask what was wrong when two larger Rhonso came before the group. Kimahri tensed.
A battle, a duel was being called forth by the cat-beasts. Rikku fumed at the two other Rhonso. Calling Kimahri a coward! Weak and hornless! Why, so help her-
She stomped forward, prepared to fight along Kimahri's side when a blue furry paw held her back.
"This is Kimahri's fight, not Rikku's."
Rikku started to protest, but Auron's hand took her arm. Rikku glared at the opposing Rhonso, then dug her hand into the folds of Auron's coat.
"Here," She murmured, attaching a small object to Kimahri's staff. A small, silver feather blew fitfully in the wind. "For good luck..."
With that, Auron drew Rikku away as the smaller cat went to battle his elders.
***Yay. Stopping now. Must rest before scary collage thingie tomorrow... eee. *Hackhack*
-Spazkit