Gabriel woke up and looked around. He tried to sit up, but realised that if he did, he'd wake the blue haired woman sleeping next to him. He lie there trying to remember what had occurred. //Clik had been destroyed. That much I remember. We had left there and were traveling to Herlie.// He looked at Rena, then at Celine and Ashton, all three of them still asleep. //Ashton had gotten in a fight. That's right.// Gabriel touched his chest lightly. //I'd been hurt. By who though?// He closed his eyes and tried to replay the events of the previous night. //Wait a minute. I know him. The one that attacked us. At least I think I do.//
Rena opened her eyes and looked at Gabriel. "Gabriel?"
Emerald eyes opened at the sound of his name. "Hmm?"
"How are you feeling?" Rena sat up and looked down at Gabriel.
"As well as can be expected. We were attacked, weren't we?" Gabriel frowned as Rena looked away from him. "I thought so."
"You were nearly killed. I almost couldn't save you." Rena lie down on the pallet and rested her head on Gabriel's chest, listening to the strong heartbeat. "I was so scared."
Gabriel lifted a hand to stroke Rena's hair. "But you did save me." He looked over at Celine and Ashton, who were now wide awake and watching them. Celine smiled a little and Ashton rolled his eyes. "We should get moving." Gabriel looked down at Rena. "If we stay too long here, we're at risk."
The four of them got up and broke down their camp. Soon they were on their way again.
Rena had fallen back to talk to Ashton and Celine had come forward to walk next to Gabriel.
"Are you feeling okay?" Celine kept her eyes on the path ahead.
Gabriel shrugged. "I'm in no pain." He paused, then looked toward Celine. "Celine, I need to keep this from Rena, but I think I knew the man that attacked us. He seemed familiar to me."
Celine looked up at Gabriel, not slowing in her steps. "How so?"
Gabriel shook his head. "I don't know. I can't be sure, but his fighting style was familiar. I think he tried to teach me how to use a sword once. That worries me."
Celine half smiled. "You're just suffering from wounded pride for being beaten so badly."
Gabriel smirked. "Maybe so." He glanced behind them at the other two. "Oh boy."
Celine looked back and started laughing. Rena had placed a ribbon on each dragon head and Ashton was trying to get her to stop from teasing them.
Gabriel slowed down to let the other two catch up. "They look better that way."
Celine nodded. "Oh, definitely."
Rena beamed. "I named them too. This one is Gyoro," she pointed to the red one, "and this one is Ururun," she indicated the blue one.
Gabriel shook his head with a smile. "Well, we can't have nameless travelers among us."
Celine laughed at the look of pure frustration from Ashton. She stepped back to Ashton and linked her arm with his. "Shall we keep going, darlings?"
Rena caught up with Gabriel and smiled.
"You planned that, didn't you?" Gabriel chuckled softly as he took Rena's hand.
Rena nodded. "Yes. They're perfect for each other. Celine likes the dragons and Ashton thinks Celine is a vision of beauty."
Gabriel looked over at Rena. "No she's not. You are."
Rena blushed and said nothing. The only sounds were Celine and Ashton talking behind them as they continued walking.
***************************
"We have to tell Lucifer, Michael."
"So Berle was familiar."
"Don't sneak up on people like that!"
"Quiet, Zadkiel."
"He claimed that he knew Berle, but he couldn't remember a name."
"Good, it's coming back to him. Slowly, but it's coming back."
"I still think Berle hit him on the head one too many times."
"I agree. One less and we might have had Gabriel back with us."
"Or one more."
"Michael, be quiet."
"Lucifer, what should we do now?"
"Follow them, Zadkiel. Just follow them. If he seems to remember anything else, I want to know immediately."
"Of course."
Rena opened her eyes and looked at Gabriel. "Gabriel?"
Emerald eyes opened at the sound of his name. "Hmm?"
"How are you feeling?" Rena sat up and looked down at Gabriel.
"As well as can be expected. We were attacked, weren't we?" Gabriel frowned as Rena looked away from him. "I thought so."
"You were nearly killed. I almost couldn't save you." Rena lie down on the pallet and rested her head on Gabriel's chest, listening to the strong heartbeat. "I was so scared."
Gabriel lifted a hand to stroke Rena's hair. "But you did save me." He looked over at Celine and Ashton, who were now wide awake and watching them. Celine smiled a little and Ashton rolled his eyes. "We should get moving." Gabriel looked down at Rena. "If we stay too long here, we're at risk."
The four of them got up and broke down their camp. Soon they were on their way again.
Rena had fallen back to talk to Ashton and Celine had come forward to walk next to Gabriel.
"Are you feeling okay?" Celine kept her eyes on the path ahead.
Gabriel shrugged. "I'm in no pain." He paused, then looked toward Celine. "Celine, I need to keep this from Rena, but I think I knew the man that attacked us. He seemed familiar to me."
Celine looked up at Gabriel, not slowing in her steps. "How so?"
Gabriel shook his head. "I don't know. I can't be sure, but his fighting style was familiar. I think he tried to teach me how to use a sword once. That worries me."
Celine half smiled. "You're just suffering from wounded pride for being beaten so badly."
Gabriel smirked. "Maybe so." He glanced behind them at the other two. "Oh boy."
Celine looked back and started laughing. Rena had placed a ribbon on each dragon head and Ashton was trying to get her to stop from teasing them.
Gabriel slowed down to let the other two catch up. "They look better that way."
Celine nodded. "Oh, definitely."
Rena beamed. "I named them too. This one is Gyoro," she pointed to the red one, "and this one is Ururun," she indicated the blue one.
Gabriel shook his head with a smile. "Well, we can't have nameless travelers among us."
Celine laughed at the look of pure frustration from Ashton. She stepped back to Ashton and linked her arm with his. "Shall we keep going, darlings?"
Rena caught up with Gabriel and smiled.
"You planned that, didn't you?" Gabriel chuckled softly as he took Rena's hand.
Rena nodded. "Yes. They're perfect for each other. Celine likes the dragons and Ashton thinks Celine is a vision of beauty."
Gabriel looked over at Rena. "No she's not. You are."
Rena blushed and said nothing. The only sounds were Celine and Ashton talking behind them as they continued walking.
***************************
"We have to tell Lucifer, Michael."
"So Berle was familiar."
"Don't sneak up on people like that!"
"Quiet, Zadkiel."
"He claimed that he knew Berle, but he couldn't remember a name."
"Good, it's coming back to him. Slowly, but it's coming back."
"I still think Berle hit him on the head one too many times."
"I agree. One less and we might have had Gabriel back with us."
"Or one more."
"Michael, be quiet."
"Lucifer, what should we do now?"
"Follow them, Zadkiel. Just follow them. If he seems to remember anything else, I want to know immediately."
"Of course."
