Disclaimer: Still no character is my own…
A/N: third chapter…maybe the last… please read and review…
George closed his hands more tighly around hers. Her head on the pillowhad sunk to side, almost
liveless. Her breathing went heavy and unrythmical and she was sweating a lot. Her cheeks
glowed in a bright red, her hands were too cold. Suddenly once again a terrible thought struck his
mind and made him call for a servant to fetch his mother once more. What if she really was
dying? He couldn´t imagine, he didn´t want to imagine! He shook his head fiercly to get that
thought out of his mind, when his mother arrived.
"Her condition is very serious! We need to get the fever down, quickly. Otherwise…"
Eleni looked at her son, her normally friendly eyes dark. He was pale but calm, at least on the
outside.
"She will die."
The light tremor in his voice could only be heard by someone who knew him well.
"She should awake in the next seven days, otherwise I´m not sure she will awake ever
again. But even if she wakes up, we can never be sure – at least not until the inflamation has
healed almost completely."
The last thing she saw before leaving was George sinking down into his chair in pain, burrying
his head in his hands. She knew he wanted to be alone with Alanna right now.
Her turn was it now to inform Alanna´s adoptive-father.
George was sitting in an armchair he had brought over to her bed. Beside him stood a small table
with a bowl of water and white cloth in it. He just sat there, arms crossed over his broad chest,
staring at some point on the floor before him. He listened to her heavy breathing, from his eyes
spoke both love and pain as he looked up.Her small body was covered with blankets, she was still
sweating, her coppery hair clutching to her head, on her forehead laid a white cloth. He took it
and put a new one on instead, after stroking a sweaty curl from her face. He hadn´t moved for
two days now – not if not extremly necessary and then he returned immediately.
A sound at the door made him look up. Myles stood in the doorway. He looked tired, his eyes
were slightly red. George wondered, if he had wept.
"May I come in?"
" ´course ye can. ´T´s your house, isn´t it?"
He forced a crooked smile. Myles returned it and took a seat. For a while they sat there in a
comfortable silence. Alanna moaned and struggeled with her blankets. George rested a hand on
her sweaty hair, caressing her curls until she clamed down. Myles moved slightly in his chair.
"You haven´t left her yet, did you?"
He looked at the plates and the pitcher on the table.
"No"
Her father smiled absently in his shaggy beard.
"Alanna?", he said suddenly, "here is a man, who truly loves you! If you dare to die now, I´m
going to inherit you!"
With that he stood, kissed her on the forehead and left with another small smile to George.
"Heard that, Luv? Don´t ye dare", he chuckled silently, than his face became serious again.
"Don´t ye dare!"
Her eyelids fluttered. Open. George jumped up and fell to his knees, taking her hand.
"Alanna!"
"George…" Her voice was nothing but a whisper.
"Shh…" He laid a finger onto her lips. "Don´t speak. Ye´ve got enough time to tell me later…"
He kissed her gently on the forehead.
"I want my mother t´have a look at ye, okay? I´ll be back I a second."
Thoughts came back slowly, hadn´t someone said something? George? She managed to open her
eyes carefully. George. Inside her spread the familiar warth bound to his broad smile and the look
he gave her.
"George…"
She felt a soft finger on her lips. He said something. Although she
couldn´t quite figure out what – her mind was still somehow…slow? – the pure sound of his
voice smoothed the panic that crept out of the corners of her mind when she noticed the weakness
in her limbs,that forced her to lay still, and the pain in her back, the returned into the field of her
perception. When he suddenly stood and went, the panic came back.
He felt she became nervous, she probably hadn´t understood what he´d said, so he stopped a maid
quite roughly and sent for his mother in oder to hurry. The he returned and sat beside her.
"Am here, darlin´."
He cupped her face in a large hand. She leaned slightly against it and closed her eyes. Her face
was still hot, her hair sweaty but he had the feeling the fever had gon back a little.
She felt the cloth was removed, a second hand touched her forehead, then her neck. It wasn´t
George´s – this one was cooler and too small. She opened her eyes and met a pair of friendly
hazel ones, not George´s though. She frowned a little, confused, then recognized his mother.
Eleni smiled at her.
"How do you feel?"
"Miserable" was the response.
"The fever is sinking. Do you think I could have a look at your back?"
In the second she nodded, Alanna knew she wouldn´t be able to turn around. She tried to move.
"Ouch!" - her head and her back were screaming in pain.
Eleni saw the unhidden pain in her face and laid a cool hand on her head once more.
"Sleep, Alanna."
And she slept.
She awoke early the next morning. She felt George´s muscular body laying next to her, his breath
on her skin made the hair on her neck standing. The pounding pain in her back was not as bad as
the day before. She let her eyes stay closed and listened to her husband-to-be´s breathing.
"Good morning, Alanna."
Confused by being greeted she opened her eyes and blinked in the morning sun. Eleni Cooper
stood in the middle of the room folding a tunic - probably the one George had worn the day
before.
She had tidied the room, removed the empty plates and pitcher and ordered a plate with fruit and
light things to eat and a pitcher with water.
"How are you?"
"Better." Her voice was hoarse. "Weak still, but the pain´s less pounding."
"Good"
The older woman laid the tunic aside and took a seat.
"Alanna, I need to tell you something. Please listen to me carefully. I guess you noticed that this
is no easy illness. This was very close to death. Now: The fever has also weakened and poisoned
your gift – it needs recovering. A lot of recovering. So please do not try to ease the pain or heal
yourself! It is very important that you do what I ask you for!", her voice was serious and
determined. It left no doubt of the importance of what was she was saying.
"If you do, even a little, it would weaken you, your body would give way to fever and
inflamation again – this time it would mean your death, Alanna! You´re not strong enough to
fight it´s whole strenght once more! So please – DON´T! Not until I tell you to!"
"I won´t."
She was shocked. Not using her gift? Otherwise she would…die?!
"Please,trust me, Alanna!"
Eleni saw the confusion in her face.
"I do…", she shook her head to clear it. "I do!"
She looked Eleni straight in the eyes.
"I do!"
Regrets for shaking her head came immediately and she closed her eyes for a second. When she
opened it again, Eleni had left.
George came to his elbows sleepily and bend over her.
"Mornin´ lass", he inquired softly.
Alanna smiled.
"´T´s good to have ye smilin´at me again."
He touched her cheek with a gentle hand.
"D´ye think ye´re fit enough for me t´kiss ye again?"
Her smile turned into a smirk, pushing all her pain and indisposition aside. He leaned down
slowly and met her lips with his. He kissed her tenderly, his warm lips caressing hers carefully.
She returned the kiss slightly, even kissing exhausted her, but she enjoyed this too much to make
him stop. He pulled back a little.
"I love ye too, Alanna."
Their eyes held each others loving look before he finally rose and went over to the plate and
pitcher his mother had brought.
"Ye need t´eat somethin´."
The next days he read every wish from her eyes, carried her to a bathtub, helped her change her
sweaty clothes, brought her something to eat and to drink and did his best to entertain her. Jon
came by twice, telling her, that he had already tried before, but she hadn´t been awake yet, and so
did her other friends. George also continued to sleep in her bed, always careful not to reopen to
wunds while sleeping, which made her far more comfortable, feeling his wellmuscled body next
to hers again.
