One Thing - Chapter 11
Disclaimer: Don't own nuthin.
Cardeia: This chapter will tell you more about the touches. It wasn't so much as the memories it brought, but the fact that he thought about battle instead of lust when she touched him.
The small band continued mostly in silence for the rest of the day.
Tristan again, was riding ahead to look for trouble. He also was looking for a suitable place to camp for the night.
He told no one, but he wanted to be away from those two. It was obvious that his friend wanted Teagan. He had made no bones about that one. Tristan wanted his friend to find the happiness that he wanted. And deserved.
But...Teagan's touch had done something to his brain. It had brought a FEELING. Tristan snorted, startling his horse, causing the great animal to sidestep. He didn't feel. Oh, he did feel anger. Or lust. Blood lust. But this wasn't a feeling he had a need for.
Tristan spurred his horse faster, trying to clear his head. In the end, he couldn't. He decided to just to leave things alone.
He decided to let Lancelot have her.
No, he wouldn't let those feelings in now. He would bury them, along with all the other useless feelings.
Lancelot was having his own feelings.
Lancelot was quiet because he was not sure what to think. Or to say. To say that he didn't enjoy the feel of Teagan's hand on his chest would be wrong. But, it didn't feel like he wanted it to. He didn't feel the lust he wanted to feel. The excitement he wanted it to feel like. If he had to say what it felt like, he would have to admit that it was a comfort for Teagan to lay her hand on him.
He glanced at her trying to see her as he first did. Red haired and fiery. Beautiful and desirable. He found her beautiful. And fiery. But, did he find her desirable anymore?
Lancelot wasn't so sure.
Teagan was quiet because Lancelot was quiet. She had figured that he was thinking about something, but didn't want to ask why. It was none of her business. If he wanted to share, he would.
After a while, her mind wandered to Lancelot's bare chest. His lovely broad shoulders, with their myriad of scars.
Oh, Lancelot was handsome, there was no doubt about that. Those dark eyes that seemed to laugh. And he was able to charm the dress off anyone. But, the charm was only a mask, part of his personality. There was more to this dark knight that met the eye.
Thinking of Lancelot's scars, she wondered if Tristan had as many scars. Or more. She thought of how he reacted when she touched the cut on his cheek. Her cheeks warmed as she remembered the weathered feel of his cheek, just under the tattoos.
Without thinking, her hand wandered to her own tattoo. Tracing the pattern of the dragon with her fingers.
0o0o0o
Lancelot and Teagan had still not spoken to each other when Tristan rode up to them.
Riding up, he looked from one to the other. Something wasn't right. It seemed that the silence was no longer comfortable. Something had happened.
He pointed ahead. "I've found a spot to camp. About two miles ahead."
Lancelot looked at his friend. "Right." He moved his horse ahead, leaving Tristan to ride with Teagan.
Tristan brought his horse alongside Teagan's, bringing his face close to hers, to get her attention. "Is there something wrong?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"He seems preoccupied." Tristan gestured towards Lancelot.
Teagan feigned indifference. "Oh, I didn't notice."
Tristan urged his horse forward, coming abreast of Lancelot. After looking at his friend for a few moments, he decided that, yes, Lancelot had his mind somewhere else.
"What did you do to her?" He said as he crooked his thumb backward.
Lancelot turned in his saddle, looking at Teagan, smiling. She replied by smiling back.
"Nothing, my friend, nothing."
Tristan gave him cold eyes. "Then why are you two not talking?"
Lancelot shrugged his big shoulders. "Have you ever wondered at the complexities of the woman?"
"No. Women are poison."
Lancelot looked at Tristan, noticing that the man had actually said that with a straight face. He let out a hoot of laughter, which caused Tristan to scowl.
He laughed louder. "Ah, but it's a wonderful death."
0o0o0o
By the time the trio made up a small camp, things were back to normal between Lancelot and Teagan. For a bit.
She spent a good bit of time mothering Lancelot's arm. Redressing the wound and making a poultice to ward off infection.
Though she didn't realize it, but Lancelot did, was that she spent some of that time with her hands again on Lancelot's bare chest. Her fingers lightly playing along his skin, sending shivers through his body.
Lancelot couldn't take much more. "Woman, if you don't stop poking my arm..." Lancelot growled at her.
Teagan interrupted. "You'll do what?" There was laughter in her eyes.
"This." He bent down, capturing his lips with hers.
Bringing her closer to his body, Lancelot forced her hands around to his back.
It was such a chaste kiss, not passionate. It didn't seem as thought this was what Teagan wanted from him.
As Lancelot pulled away, he looked down into Teagan's eyes that held confusion. There shouldn't be confusion in them. There should be excitement or desire.
"What was that for?" She whispered. Pulling even further out of Lancelot's grasp.
He smiled at her. It was such an infectious smile, Teagan couldn't help but smile too.
"Testing the waters."
"Oh."
The two seperated and went about their seperate duties in the small camp. There was no meal to cook as they had decided to eat the dried meat they had brought.
Soon, they settled in their furs to try and get some rest. Tristan wanted to leave at first light.
0o0o0o
Teagan was held in Justus' grasp, forced to watch as they restrained Galen.
Her heart went out to her friend. He wasn't even struggling.
"Why, Justus? Why is he doing this?"
Justus gave an evil laugh. He was enjoying the discomfort that Teagan was experiencing. "Because you lover had kept a secret from his commander. You know that is forbidden."
She could only whisper. "He is not my lover."
Galen was strung up. His arms were high above his head. He was straining to touch the ground with his feet. It looked as though he hung there. He was already bloody from the beating he had taken.
Teagan couldn't move, Justus was holding her much too tightly. The wretched man bent to her ear. "Watch what Victor does to your lover." He whispered.
As if in reply, Victor Imperioli swung the whip, bringing it down onto Galen's chest. Blood welled where the skin was broken.
"No!" Teagan screamed, straining against Justus' tight grip.
Hearing Teagan scream, Galen brought his head up. He shook his head. He closed his eyes in pain as another lash cut across his chest.
Teagan let herself fall.
"No!" She whispered. "But he is not my lover."
0o0o0o
Teagan didn't feel the reassuring hand that was placed on her arm, trying to calm her fears. She didn't hear the soothing voice as it talked to her, trying to bring her out of the dream.
So, when she woke, it was with a start, her eyes wild as she looked around, trying to find her balance. Falling back onto her fur, she willed her heart to calm.
Looking around Teagan noticed that Tristan was still up and sitting near the fire. He looked like he was deep in thought, poking a stick into the fire. Looking over to a snoring Lancelot, she got up and went to where Tristan was sitting. She sat next to him on the log.
"Thank you for the sword."
"You are welcome."
"Is it yours?"
"No, it is yours."
Teagan snorted. This man was so frustrating at times. "I mean, was it yours before it was mine?"
"Yes."
Teagan smiled, shaking her head. As she looked into the fire, she let her mind go back into the dream. She was puzzled as to why these dreams were coming back now, after all these years.
As if reading her mind, Tristan spoke. "Are you better?"
Teagan startled at the question. "What do you mean?" Tristan rarely offered to speak first. Much less start a conversation.
"You had a nightmare. Are you better?"
She gave him a weak smile. "I will be."
"What was it about?" The question just slipped out. He had not meant to ask.
She looked at the dark knight. "Didn't you hear?" She could see a faint bit of concern in his features.
He nodded. Just a little. "Some, not much. Tell me more? Who is Galen?" Why did he ask? It was none of his business.
"A friend. He knew a secret I had. When that secret came out, he was punished."
Tristan and Teagan fell into silence, each in their own thoughts.
Finally, Teagan got up and moved to her horse. Removing his tether and bridle she let the animal wander a bit. She didn't notice the pair of dark eyes watching her every move.
Quietly grabbing her bow and new sword, Teagan wandered back to the fire.
"Why don't you go and sleep. I'll take a bit of watch."
Nodding slightly, Tristan rose and moved to a tree away from the fire. Settling back, he closed his eyes and willed sleep to
take him.
A/N: Not sure I like this one. Do I make Teagan an understandable character? I'm not sure. I'm not sure if she's been detailed enough. GAH!
