[A little short... but oh well. ^^;]
"Are we there yet?!"
Relm whined as they walked, or rather, as Relm was practically being dragged by Gau to Doma.
"It's just up ahead,"
Gau said as encouragingly as he could to the half-dead girl. Her expression darkened further into gloom.
"You said that at least five times, and the faint outline has not been getting any clearer."
He sighed, turning to face the unhappy aura Relm was giving off, and saw her drooped eyes and sagging body.
"You're tired?"
"Nooo,"
She snapped sarcastically,
"I'm just peachy."
"It's really just up ahead..."
He tried, but she glared so sharply at him he stopped speaking in surprise.
"We haven't even reached the bridge yet!!"
She cried, throwing her bag down onto the grass.
The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, and each long grass blade had long, distinct shadows that streaked back along the reddening fields. Grazing monsters were slowly heading away to their dens, and the sky above had a wine-red hue that cast everything crimson. It was a beautifully scarlet landscape, but Relm just couldn't bring herself to enjoy it.
Doma castle was no where in view, not to mention the stupid bridge, and now that the bag was removed Relm became aware of her aching shoulder from where the strap had been cutting in. Her feet had to have more than just a few blisters, and her eyes were itching and watering because they were too tired.
Relm collapsed onto the dry grass and let out a high whine. Gau was staring at her in disbelief, his condition looking like it had a few hours ago (just fine), but she had had enough.
"Let's take a break,"
She moaned. To her surprise, he shook his head.
"Relm,"
He said, his tone now rid of its usual cheer and now a tad bit impatient,
"If we don't reach Doma by night we will have a hell of a time trying to get there in the dark. Sleeping here won't do much good because monsters don't give a damn what time they attack."
Relm pouted.
"But..."
She began, but he shot a glance at her that made her stubborn resolve wither a bit. She tried again.
"But Gau... I'm so tired... I really am. Let's just take a small break. Just a little one."
She measured an inch between her fingers to emphasise the shortness she meant. Apparently, it wasn't short enough for Gau, and his annoyance got the better of him - and his words.
"Look at sky, Relm! Sun is setting!!"
She winced at his growing irritation. Her sores and aches pounded through her bones and muscles, though, so she pleaded just one more time.
"Gau... just a minute... okay?"
His eye twitched. Relm shut her eyes tightly as he drew in breath, as though he was about to shout at her, and waited for his yelling to start. But she had underestimated Gau's patience. He let out his breath slowly, and looked at Relm.
She felt the grass before her rustle, and she opened her eyes to meet the back of the shirt Gau had changed into. He was crouched before her in a very familiar position.
"Hop on then,"
He muttered,
"I'll carry you there."
She looked stunned. Seeing her frozen in place, Gau reached over and pulled her arms around his neck, and heaved her up as he put his arms around her rear.
"A little co-operation here?"
He mumbled, finding it difficult to stand up as her legs were splayed rather awkwardly about him.
"Huh? Oh... uhm... yeah."
She adjusted her position, and he slid his arms below her knees. He gestured for her bag, and soon both bags were on a shoulder and he was walking off with Relm on his back. Her face was bright red, not just from the sun.
I shouldn't have whined so much, she thought embarrassedly, I can't believe myself sometimes. I've been through worse, I'm sure of it - the look on his face totally said that he found it weird for me to whine...
Maybe I should apologise? I mean, it's pretty stupid, and I feel kind of dumb now. Although it's a nice change to travel like this... no wait, what am I thinking?! The shoulder bags should be killing him by now, and I'm no light feather, either. Even though he looks and seems perfectly fine... but still. I think, Relm decided, an apology is in store.
She opened to her mouth to do so, but Gau spoke first.
"I'm sorry..."
She blinked.
"Eh?"
"I'm sorry,"
He repeated,
"I didn't mean to shout at you. I just... hate the dark."
Relm raised her eyebrows.
"Aren't you used to it by now?"
She asked, and he gave a small laugh.
"It's a starless night tonight."
"I see."
Tiredly resting her cheek against his shoulder, she sighed.
"You're too nice, Gau."
"Hmm?"
She yawned as she mumbled,
"Way too nice..."
He felt his cheeks warm at the way her breath reached just below his ear.
"Mu... I'm not as nice as you think."
He started, but stopped as he heard. the rhythmetic breathing that indicated sleep. He sighed deeply.
"No fair, Relm get to sleep? Gau tired too..."
He sighed, but a small smile lit his features.
He picked up his pace.
The shadows lengthened and the red light darkened as the young man trudged through the fields of grass.
"Are we there yet?!"
Relm whined as they walked, or rather, as Relm was practically being dragged by Gau to Doma.
"It's just up ahead,"
Gau said as encouragingly as he could to the half-dead girl. Her expression darkened further into gloom.
"You said that at least five times, and the faint outline has not been getting any clearer."
He sighed, turning to face the unhappy aura Relm was giving off, and saw her drooped eyes and sagging body.
"You're tired?"
"Nooo,"
She snapped sarcastically,
"I'm just peachy."
"It's really just up ahead..."
He tried, but she glared so sharply at him he stopped speaking in surprise.
"We haven't even reached the bridge yet!!"
She cried, throwing her bag down onto the grass.
The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, and each long grass blade had long, distinct shadows that streaked back along the reddening fields. Grazing monsters were slowly heading away to their dens, and the sky above had a wine-red hue that cast everything crimson. It was a beautifully scarlet landscape, but Relm just couldn't bring herself to enjoy it.
Doma castle was no where in view, not to mention the stupid bridge, and now that the bag was removed Relm became aware of her aching shoulder from where the strap had been cutting in. Her feet had to have more than just a few blisters, and her eyes were itching and watering because they were too tired.
Relm collapsed onto the dry grass and let out a high whine. Gau was staring at her in disbelief, his condition looking like it had a few hours ago (just fine), but she had had enough.
"Let's take a break,"
She moaned. To her surprise, he shook his head.
"Relm,"
He said, his tone now rid of its usual cheer and now a tad bit impatient,
"If we don't reach Doma by night we will have a hell of a time trying to get there in the dark. Sleeping here won't do much good because monsters don't give a damn what time they attack."
Relm pouted.
"But..."
She began, but he shot a glance at her that made her stubborn resolve wither a bit. She tried again.
"But Gau... I'm so tired... I really am. Let's just take a small break. Just a little one."
She measured an inch between her fingers to emphasise the shortness she meant. Apparently, it wasn't short enough for Gau, and his annoyance got the better of him - and his words.
"Look at sky, Relm! Sun is setting!!"
She winced at his growing irritation. Her sores and aches pounded through her bones and muscles, though, so she pleaded just one more time.
"Gau... just a minute... okay?"
His eye twitched. Relm shut her eyes tightly as he drew in breath, as though he was about to shout at her, and waited for his yelling to start. But she had underestimated Gau's patience. He let out his breath slowly, and looked at Relm.
She felt the grass before her rustle, and she opened her eyes to meet the back of the shirt Gau had changed into. He was crouched before her in a very familiar position.
"Hop on then,"
He muttered,
"I'll carry you there."
She looked stunned. Seeing her frozen in place, Gau reached over and pulled her arms around his neck, and heaved her up as he put his arms around her rear.
"A little co-operation here?"
He mumbled, finding it difficult to stand up as her legs were splayed rather awkwardly about him.
"Huh? Oh... uhm... yeah."
She adjusted her position, and he slid his arms below her knees. He gestured for her bag, and soon both bags were on a shoulder and he was walking off with Relm on his back. Her face was bright red, not just from the sun.
I shouldn't have whined so much, she thought embarrassedly, I can't believe myself sometimes. I've been through worse, I'm sure of it - the look on his face totally said that he found it weird for me to whine...
Maybe I should apologise? I mean, it's pretty stupid, and I feel kind of dumb now. Although it's a nice change to travel like this... no wait, what am I thinking?! The shoulder bags should be killing him by now, and I'm no light feather, either. Even though he looks and seems perfectly fine... but still. I think, Relm decided, an apology is in store.
She opened to her mouth to do so, but Gau spoke first.
"I'm sorry..."
She blinked.
"Eh?"
"I'm sorry,"
He repeated,
"I didn't mean to shout at you. I just... hate the dark."
Relm raised her eyebrows.
"Aren't you used to it by now?"
She asked, and he gave a small laugh.
"It's a starless night tonight."
"I see."
Tiredly resting her cheek against his shoulder, she sighed.
"You're too nice, Gau."
"Hmm?"
She yawned as she mumbled,
"Way too nice..."
He felt his cheeks warm at the way her breath reached just below his ear.
"Mu... I'm not as nice as you think."
He started, but stopped as he heard. the rhythmetic breathing that indicated sleep. He sighed deeply.
"No fair, Relm get to sleep? Gau tired too..."
He sighed, but a small smile lit his features.
He picked up his pace.
The shadows lengthened and the red light darkened as the young man trudged through the fields of grass.