Chapter 4
The next morning, the group set out for Gartia, their next destination. Andraya trudged along with them, exhausted from lack of sleep.
"Andraya, why are you so tired today?"
Andraya looked up from the ground, which had held her attention for most of the walk, to see who spoke to her. It was Lyn.
"I couldn't sleep last night…"
"Andraya! You're shaking!" Lyn looked at her companion with deep concern. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yeah…I could use a quick rest though…"
"I'll ask our tactician if we can afford it, but I'm sure we can if it's best for your health." Lyn hurried up to the front of the group where the strategist was speaking with Hector and Eliwood. A few moments later, the entire group was lounging in a grassy plain adjacent to the road they had been traveling.
Andraya found a tree to sit under and collapsed beside it. She was so tired…and most likely sick, from being in the rain for all of the night…She sighed. Well, it won't hurt anyone to close my eyes for just a second…
***
"Andraya…"
"Yes, Eliwood?"
The two companions were sitting under a leafy tree in a beautiful, moonlit plain, the group's camp for the night. Everyone had gone to bed, tired from traveling for most of the day, but when Andraya had seen Eliwood volunteer for the first night watch shift, she volunteered to keep him company.
"Andraya…why were you so upset when I asked your opinion about what to get Ninian…?" Eliwood looked at her, his soft cerulean eyes full of concern.
"I just…" Andraya didn't know whether to finally tell him, or just let it pass.
"You can tell me."
He's so kind-hearted! With those simple words, accompanied by a look of pure compassion, Andraya was reminded of why she had loved him so long…and still did…
"Please, I hate seeing you upset."
"Well…" Andraya took a deep breath. "I…I…"
Eliwood's sympathetic gaze encouraged her to go on.
"I love you, Eliwood. And every time I see you with Ninian, it's…it's like a knife slicing through my heart." There, she said it. She looked up at Eliwood, and was surprised to see nothing but that same warm kindness staring back at her.
"Andraya…" Eliwood paused to gently tilt his comrade's chin so that her eyes were again staring directly into his.
"Andraya…I…I love you too…more than Ninian…more than she would ever love me…"
"Eliwood…"
"Shh…" Eliwood silenced any further speech by lightly touching her lips with his.
"Andraya…"
"Andraya……"
***
"Andraya!"
"Ouch! Geez…you could've just called me and I would've woken up…"
"Not likely, you were out like a light."
Andraya rubbed her arm where someone had just poked her, and looked up to see who it was that she would have to kill later, when she was more awake.
"Ugh…Kent…"
"Sorry, Andraya, but nothing else worked…"
"It's alright. Gimme a minute, and I'll be ready to go."
The mage stood up slowly, only to find that doing so caused everything to spin. Still reeling from her dream, combined with whatever sickness a night in the pouring rain had caused her, forced her to sit back down suddenly, which turned out not to be a good idea either…
"Andraya, are you all right?"
"Sain…?
"Hey, listen…you…you don't look well…"
"Gee, thanks." Andraya tried standing again, even slower than before. This time, she succeeded…mostly.
Sain caught her as she stumbled. "Listen…if you want to ride my horse instead of walking the rest of the way…"
"Sain, that's awfully nice of you," Andraya said as she moved away from his grasp, "But I don't think I'd be able to stay on for very long. I'd probably fall asleep and fall right off!"
"Well, you…can ride with me…if you like, that is…" Sain stammered.
Before Andraya could respond, Kent approached them.
"Andraya, if you would, allow me to offer you a ride on my horse for the rest of the journey. You aren't looking too well, and I'd hate to see any further traveling depreciating your health."
"Well, thank you Kent, but Sain has already offered, so I should ride with him instead."
"Oh." Kent shot a suspicious look at Sain. "Very well," he said as he rode off to speak with other members of the party before departing.
Sain helped Andraya onto his horse, which was rather difficult for her, being so dizzy and distracted by such a wonderful, yet so impossibly unrealistic, dream. She absent-mindedly linked her arms around Sain's waist as not to fall off, and the group began their journey.
A/N: R&R pretty please with sugar on top!!! And fluff to come…