Headaches by Saraswathi
~*~
Chapter Four: Of Sleeping and Waking
~*~
Dom didn't like the silence. The grim quiet indicated the fear that radiated from his men. They were afraid for themselves, but also afraid for Kel.
Under his breath, Dom swore, though he knew that he shouldn't be surprised. It was so like Kel to run headlong into danger to save someone else.
But he would have taken the same course of action, in her position.
A far off memory claimed him. Lord Raoul, standing in front of him, ready to promote him to commander of the squad. "You would put your life before any of the people you lead, Dom," the Knight Commander had told him. "That's what will make you a good commander."
A small smile had played around his lips, in spite of the tense situation. Almost from the moment he had met Kel, he had caught glimpses of a commander in her. Now, his foresight had been confirmed.
Wolset was staring curiously at him. Hastily, Dom wiped the smile off his face. The silence resumed, more tangible than ever. Even the animals had an eerie quiet.
He knew why. The path was surrounded by the spirits of the dead. He tried not to look, but his eyes were inexorably drawn to them. Anger filled him as he recognized refugees who he'd worked with and liked. In spite of himself, his eyes began to sting. He murmured a soft prayer for safe passage to the Realm of the Black God.
Then, resolutely, he turned away. His men were looking at him. He knew what they were thinking. If they didn't reach her in time, Kel could very well suffer the same fate of the villagers.
"Come on," he said, quietly.
Dom didn't stop them to make camp, and they didn't even ask. When their horses grew tired, they replaced them. There were no more stops to bless the dead. All his energy was focused on finding Kel.
She simply had to be all right.
~*~
When they finally did reach the lady knight, she was asleep, but unharmed. A wave of relief swept over Dom. Until then, he hadn't realize simply how worried he had been about her. It was strange how he had never known just how much he cared about her until she had thrown herself headlong into danger. It was a secret some court ladies would have died to learn, in order to discovered the passion that they believed all men hid for them. But he doubted that they would ever figure it out.
Smiling to himself, he bent down to tuck a blanket around Kel. She stirred at his touch, murmuring something in her sleep. Dom watched her with a rare tenderness in his eyes. Quietly, so as not to wake her up, he turned back to his men.
Dom caught the knowing look that was passing between them. Beyond a defiant glance, however, he ignored it. The squad picketed their horses, speaking with levity that proved that they, too had been worried. But their words were hushed, in honor of the ghosts of the dead that resided within the walls of Giantkiller.
After camp had been set up, Dom settled down on his bedroll to catch some sleep. But as soon as he drifted off, he was awakened by a yell. He sprang up even before he was fully awake, running towards the sound. Kel was tossing, her blanket fallen to the side. A yell escaped her, just a single word.
"Blayce!"
Dom caught her hand in his, murmuring senseless, soothing words. Still she stirred, soft cries escaping her mouth. She seemed to be in the throes of her nightmare, from which nothing could release her.
Meaning nothing but comfort, Dom wrapped his arms around her, rocking her gently in his arms. He would never have done it if she were conscious, but she looked so vulnerable in sleep. And she felt so warm and soft in his arms, surprisingly so for a woman who had spent the past few days riding in the cold of Scanra.
Lost in the strange feelings sweeping over him, he didn't realize that she had calmed down and lay sleeping peacefully in his embrace. Gently, he eased her down to the ground, covering her again with a blanket.
Then he returned to his own bedroll, but sleep did not come easily.
~*~
Dom was shaken roughly awake in the morning.
"Sir?" Wolset asked, determining whether he was awake. Dom grunted in response. His corporal waved a plate of bacon under his nose, causing him to come awake at once.
"What are you doing, lunkheads? Any Scanran will be able to find us within two minutes." But he took the plate of food, gratefully, and wolfed it down within seconds.
"Forget the Scanrans," Wolset muttered, watching him. "You'll have eaten it all by the time they get here." The men exchanged grins.
"Should we wake Kel?" Dom asked, through a mouthful of bacon.
The men exchanged another look. Dom glared at them. If they were going to do that every time he so much as mentioned her, this was going to be a long trip. "Never mind, she probably needs all the sleep she can get." He stretched, then extended a hand for the bacon. "Give it here. I'll make some more."
It was only once the oatcakes were cooking that Kel found them. Though his back was to her, Dom could tell she was annoyed. Her voice was harsh and angry. "What are you doing? Are you out of your minds?"
[I'm sure you're one to talk,] Dom thought, but kept this insight to himself.
Out loud, he commented, "We wondered if we should wake you, but your breakfast isn't done yet." Dom gave the bacon to Wolset, who began to eat it eagerly, and twisted to look Kel in the eye. She looked tired, angry and upset impartially, and his heart went out to her. "We figured you needed as much sleep as you could get," he added gently.
"We haven't run mad, Lady Kel," Fulcher told her. "We're under orders. My lord sent us to do whatever you say needs doing."
Dom resisted the urge to roll his eyes, as he feed Jump a scrap of bacon. Though Fulcher was a solid soldier, he definitely did not supply the brains of the squad.
Kel seemed to be thinking the same thing. "My lord sent you. And you got here from Steadfast in, what, a day?"
Wolset explained how the squad had been at Mastiff, but Kel remained stubborn. "You can't do this," she argued, still standing tall over them. "You don't know what I'm doing, the laws I'm breaking."
Dom was rapidly tiring of her stubbornness. "Well, actually, we have a good idea," he told her. "Here, eat this before it gets cold. Which one of you hedge pigs has the honey pot?"
She began to devour the food almost as eagerly as he had. Dom couldn't help but smile, watching her. Finished, she glanced up at him, catching his grin. Slowly, hesitantly, she smiled back at him.
He thought he heard her say "Thank you," before she dug into her fifth oatcake.
~*~
~*~
Chapter Four: Of Sleeping and Waking
~*~
Dom didn't like the silence. The grim quiet indicated the fear that radiated from his men. They were afraid for themselves, but also afraid for Kel.
Under his breath, Dom swore, though he knew that he shouldn't be surprised. It was so like Kel to run headlong into danger to save someone else.
But he would have taken the same course of action, in her position.
A far off memory claimed him. Lord Raoul, standing in front of him, ready to promote him to commander of the squad. "You would put your life before any of the people you lead, Dom," the Knight Commander had told him. "That's what will make you a good commander."
A small smile had played around his lips, in spite of the tense situation. Almost from the moment he had met Kel, he had caught glimpses of a commander in her. Now, his foresight had been confirmed.
Wolset was staring curiously at him. Hastily, Dom wiped the smile off his face. The silence resumed, more tangible than ever. Even the animals had an eerie quiet.
He knew why. The path was surrounded by the spirits of the dead. He tried not to look, but his eyes were inexorably drawn to them. Anger filled him as he recognized refugees who he'd worked with and liked. In spite of himself, his eyes began to sting. He murmured a soft prayer for safe passage to the Realm of the Black God.
Then, resolutely, he turned away. His men were looking at him. He knew what they were thinking. If they didn't reach her in time, Kel could very well suffer the same fate of the villagers.
"Come on," he said, quietly.
Dom didn't stop them to make camp, and they didn't even ask. When their horses grew tired, they replaced them. There were no more stops to bless the dead. All his energy was focused on finding Kel.
She simply had to be all right.
~*~
When they finally did reach the lady knight, she was asleep, but unharmed. A wave of relief swept over Dom. Until then, he hadn't realize simply how worried he had been about her. It was strange how he had never known just how much he cared about her until she had thrown herself headlong into danger. It was a secret some court ladies would have died to learn, in order to discovered the passion that they believed all men hid for them. But he doubted that they would ever figure it out.
Smiling to himself, he bent down to tuck a blanket around Kel. She stirred at his touch, murmuring something in her sleep. Dom watched her with a rare tenderness in his eyes. Quietly, so as not to wake her up, he turned back to his men.
Dom caught the knowing look that was passing between them. Beyond a defiant glance, however, he ignored it. The squad picketed their horses, speaking with levity that proved that they, too had been worried. But their words were hushed, in honor of the ghosts of the dead that resided within the walls of Giantkiller.
After camp had been set up, Dom settled down on his bedroll to catch some sleep. But as soon as he drifted off, he was awakened by a yell. He sprang up even before he was fully awake, running towards the sound. Kel was tossing, her blanket fallen to the side. A yell escaped her, just a single word.
"Blayce!"
Dom caught her hand in his, murmuring senseless, soothing words. Still she stirred, soft cries escaping her mouth. She seemed to be in the throes of her nightmare, from which nothing could release her.
Meaning nothing but comfort, Dom wrapped his arms around her, rocking her gently in his arms. He would never have done it if she were conscious, but she looked so vulnerable in sleep. And she felt so warm and soft in his arms, surprisingly so for a woman who had spent the past few days riding in the cold of Scanra.
Lost in the strange feelings sweeping over him, he didn't realize that she had calmed down and lay sleeping peacefully in his embrace. Gently, he eased her down to the ground, covering her again with a blanket.
Then he returned to his own bedroll, but sleep did not come easily.
~*~
Dom was shaken roughly awake in the morning.
"Sir?" Wolset asked, determining whether he was awake. Dom grunted in response. His corporal waved a plate of bacon under his nose, causing him to come awake at once.
"What are you doing, lunkheads? Any Scanran will be able to find us within two minutes." But he took the plate of food, gratefully, and wolfed it down within seconds.
"Forget the Scanrans," Wolset muttered, watching him. "You'll have eaten it all by the time they get here." The men exchanged grins.
"Should we wake Kel?" Dom asked, through a mouthful of bacon.
The men exchanged another look. Dom glared at them. If they were going to do that every time he so much as mentioned her, this was going to be a long trip. "Never mind, she probably needs all the sleep she can get." He stretched, then extended a hand for the bacon. "Give it here. I'll make some more."
It was only once the oatcakes were cooking that Kel found them. Though his back was to her, Dom could tell she was annoyed. Her voice was harsh and angry. "What are you doing? Are you out of your minds?"
[I'm sure you're one to talk,] Dom thought, but kept this insight to himself.
Out loud, he commented, "We wondered if we should wake you, but your breakfast isn't done yet." Dom gave the bacon to Wolset, who began to eat it eagerly, and twisted to look Kel in the eye. She looked tired, angry and upset impartially, and his heart went out to her. "We figured you needed as much sleep as you could get," he added gently.
"We haven't run mad, Lady Kel," Fulcher told her. "We're under orders. My lord sent us to do whatever you say needs doing."
Dom resisted the urge to roll his eyes, as he feed Jump a scrap of bacon. Though Fulcher was a solid soldier, he definitely did not supply the brains of the squad.
Kel seemed to be thinking the same thing. "My lord sent you. And you got here from Steadfast in, what, a day?"
Wolset explained how the squad had been at Mastiff, but Kel remained stubborn. "You can't do this," she argued, still standing tall over them. "You don't know what I'm doing, the laws I'm breaking."
Dom was rapidly tiring of her stubbornness. "Well, actually, we have a good idea," he told her. "Here, eat this before it gets cold. Which one of you hedge pigs has the honey pot?"
She began to devour the food almost as eagerly as he had. Dom couldn't help but smile, watching her. Finished, she glanced up at him, catching his grin. Slowly, hesitantly, she smiled back at him.
He thought he heard her say "Thank you," before she dug into her fifth oatcake.
~*~