It had been three days. Three days of worrying, wondering, and long nights. Hector had spent most of his time watching Eliwood, and thinking. He wanted to be the first one to question Eliwood when he awoke. They had packed him into Merlinus's wagon, and looked for the nearest village. He needed to be somewhere warm, and mostly dry if he was going to make it. As dusk fell they could see a large village, one most likely to have an Inn with room to spare for a band of fourty odd people. Hector sighed in relief, and Lyndis smiled happily beside him.
She pushed her bangs out of her face. "Finally, I thought we'd never find one." Hector nodded, and walked on in silence. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to do much else, truth be told. They walked into the town, and everyone seemed happy to be in one. They hadn't been able to find a town to stop at for al least a month now, and it would be a welcomed luxury. The tactician, Lyndis, and Hector trooped into the largest looking inn, called the Dragon's nest, they could find to see if there was room for the large group. The heat of the common room was delicious after the frigid air outside, and the smell of supper cooking made Hector's stomach rumble.
Lyndis asked the Innkeeper about rooms, and then, with aid from the Tactician, began bartering a price with him. Hector, having never being much with words, let them talk it out, and looked around. There were a few people lounging about, talking, laughing, and eating. They hadn't noticed the three travelers, but no doubt they would notice when the others came trooping in. Hector watched in mild amusement as the waitress's flirted with a few people, winking suggestively, and making some of the more modest men blush crimson.
"Come on." Lyndis jabbed Hector in the ribs, and he jumped. He glared at her, and she frowned back. "They've got rooms, and we should Eliwood in out of the cold." She pointed out, shoving him lightly. She might as well have been shoving a boulder, but Hector moved towards the door. As soon as they knew they were staying a few people cheered happily. Sain grinned like a mad man, and Kent sighed wearily. Inns meant bar maids, and that meant shameless flirting on Sain's part.
Hector ignored them, and went Merlinus' wagon. Eliwood was in the back, and Serra was checking him.
She smiled at Hector as he hopped in the wagon. "He's better then he was, but I'm not promising anything."
"A night in a real bed should do him some good." Hector said gruffly, and carefully wrapped a blanket around Eliwood. He picked him up, prompting a soft fever mutter from the young lord. Hector's heart leapt, and he couldn't help a smile. It was the first noise Eliwood had made since he had passed out three days ago. Serra smiled as well, and hopped out of the wagon. Hector followed her, and leapt lightly down from the wagon. A stable hand had already come around, and was taking horses. Most of the people insisted on seeing to their own mounts, and Heath had no choice in the matter, the stable hand refused to get very close to the Wyrven. Hector quickly moved into the Dragon's nest where most of the people of their group had moved in to. Hector managed to find out where he could take Eliwood, and set off.
"Ooh, the poor dear, got sick did he?" A rather sympathetic looking waitress cooed. "The weather's been nasty lately, and many people around the town have gotten sick. If you want a good remedy for anything you should talk to the village healer." She suggested.
"Er, thanks." Hector shifted Eliwood, and hurried up the stairs. The heat of the common room retreated a little, but when Hector walked into the room it was juts as arm, if not a little more. There was two beds, each made with thick covers. Hector set Eliwood down on one, and pulled the covers back on the other. Lucius came in while he was covering Eliwood up, and he had the small vial of medicine they had been giving Eliwood.
"Sister Serra said he was looking better." Lucius nodded, and placed a hand on Eliwood's forehead. "If he's going to get better the fever will break late tonight, or early tomorrow morning." Lucius explained. He carefully made Eliwood drink the vial contents, and felt his forehead.
"He'll get better." Hector said more for his own benefit then the bishop's
"I wish I could be so sure, but he lost a lot of blood, and if the patient has no will to live they're more likely not to live then a person who wants to live." Lucius admitted.
"She did tell you then?" Hector wondered what the bishop was thinking.
Lucius nodded. "Yes, Sister Serra told me, and after seeing the scars it was an easy guess anyway." Lucius pulled a chair up to the bed, and watched Eliwood's chest rise and fall. "Despair is a dangerous thing."
Hector nodded, and looked around the plain room. They would be there a while, and soft voice spoke knowingly, and they wouldn't leave the same group they were now. They would be different that was obvious, but how? Would Eliwood not be living when they left? Hector shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts from it.
"I told you it was a dangerous thing, it takes root in our minds, and grows." Lucius said sagely, and stood. "Sister Serra or I shall come check on him in a while." He bowed, and trotted meekly out the door. Hector sat down heavily on the unoccupied bed, and felt content to sit there. He laid his axe on the floor, and glanced around again. The room had only one door, and no windows, not much room for escaping, or ambushing. Hector sighed, and chuckled ruefully. He was getting paranoid. There were other things to do, repair armor, tents, and earn more money. With a sigh Hector sniffed the air. Those things could wait till after supper, he decided as his stomach rumbled loudly.
/--/
Hector rested a hand on his chin, and drummed his fingers on the table. He stared vainly at Eliwood, agitated at the sleeping lord, the sunny weather he wasn't out in, and almost everything else. Eliwood mumbled slightly, and Hector growled irritably.
"If you're going to speak say something I can understand." Hector turned from the table, and leaned on the back of his chair. "Better yet you could wake up."
"Stop......" Eliwood mumbled. Hector leaned forward, watching the others face intently. 'I'm not...go 'way....." Hector sighed, the inane mumblings were not much mutter then the unintelligible ones.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd start making sense." Hector told the fevered boy, feeling only slightly foolish.
"There's nothing more, I don't believe you. I'm not, they'd tell me. They do love me, I'm not...." Eliwood twitched. "They'd tell me, right? If I was, someone would tell me. Hector told me, he told me, it's not true. They're liars." Eliwood stopped, his lips moved silently. "There's no mask, there's no blood, only pain, only lies." Hector hesitantly shook Eliwood softly, and received a groan for his efforts. "I hate them, I hate the pain. Help....." Eliwood fell silent, his breath ragged. Hector sighed. A soft knock on the door made him look up. He stood up, and paused before opening the door. Ninian was standing there, her hands behind her back, looking nervous. Nils, bouncing solemnly on balls of his feet, was behind her. He bowed respectively to Hector, and peered around him.
"Lord Hector, how's Lord Eliwood?" Nils asked, voicing Ninian's question as well as his own.
"He's still not awake, and I'm no healer, so your guess is as good as mine." Hector moved aside to let them in. Nils, managing the bouncy steps of a child while remaining solemn, was in first, and Ninian followed after him more subdued. Nils peered at Eliwood worriedly, and sat down in Hector's chair.
"He'll get better; he has to." Nils declared softly, and smiled encouragingly at Ninian. Ninian smiled slightly back, but the smile vanished quickly. She pulled another chair beside the bed, and sat down. She hesitantly felt his forehead, and let her teal bangs fall over her eyes. Eliwood muttered something again, and Ninian jerked her hand back.
"It's alright, he's been fever muttering all day." Hector grumbled, sitting down on his bed. "He hasn't said anything that's made sense so far." Nils twisted in his chair to look at Hector, and nearly tipped the chair over. He waved his arms about, and barely managed to stay up right. Hector chuckled slightly, and Ninian bit her lip.
Nils grinned, unabashed at his near fall. "He looks better then he did, he's not as pale." Hector looked at Eliwood carefully, and found Eliwood did look slightly better.
"A little." Hector agreed.
"'S cold." Eliwood muttered. "Always cold."
"It's actually warm." Hector answered the mutters, and bit his lip when he remembered he wasn't alone. Nils pressed his mouth to the back of his hand, and Ninian looked slightly surprised.
"I've been up her too long." Hector rubbed his forehead.
"We'll stay here for a while and you can leave." Nils suggested "You haven't been out of the Inn since we got here."
Hector debated, and nodded. "If you don't mind, but come find me if he wakes up."
"Yes sir!" Nils snapped off a sloppy salute, and Hector knocked him on the head.
"Fine, and if you salute me like that again I'll tell Marcus you want to become a knight." Hector chuckled at the look on Nils face, and couldn't decide wether the bard was really scared, or just playing.
Nils smiled as Hector left, and looked to his sister. She felt her own forehead, and placed her other slim hand on Eliwood's head. Nils watched her face, and cocked his head to the side.
"Ninian...." Nils piped softly. Ninian looked up, her gaze unfocused.
"Hm?"
"You like him don't you?"
Ninian blushed slightly, but it disappeared quickly. "Of course I do. He's a good person, and has saved me...."
Nils shook his head. "Not like that, I mean you like him." Nils watched her expression carefully. Ninian's face went blank, and then she nodded slightly. "Ninian...."
"Nils, I know." Ninian smiled sadly. "I know I shouldn't, I know it's wrong, but I can't help it. Nothing will come of it, I assure you. He could never..." She shook her head. "It just couldn't be."
"It won't stop you from hoping, will it?" Nils leaned forward in his chair. "Just because the your mind says it can never happen, doesn't mean you heart will except it. Doesn't mean you'll except it, does it."
"Nils, if you disapprove of it so much you can just say so." Ninian took her hand from Eliwood's forehead, and brushed his red bangs from his face.
"No, I don't, I just don't want you to get hurt." Nils looked at the red headed lord. "It almost seems right, if he weren't so troubled."
"You've felt it as well?" Ninian watched her brother nod sadly.
"It's hard not to, the turmoil that's raging in his soul, and it's gotten worse since Lord Elbert died. The only times it quiets some is when he's sparring." Nils frowned.
"Dragons, cold..." Eliwood mumbled. "It's always so cold, frost bitten souls...." Nils looked at Ninian in a sudden panic, and she shook her head.
"He doesn't know, he's just delusional. They taught them about the Scouring, if you remember." Ninian folded her hands in her lap. Ninis' Grace caught a patch of sunlight, and flashed.
"He'll get better Ninian, you know he will. He has to so he can defeat Nergal."
"Yes, we have to keep believing that, don't we Nils? We can't let ourselves lose hope, and when he does get better we'll help him."
"I think you'll be of more help then I will." Nils smiled teasingly, and frowned when Ninian didn't look up. Eliwood muttered again, and his face twisted into a grimace. Ninian frowned, and someone knocked. Nils hopped up, and trotted over to the door. He flung it open, and smiled broadly at Serra.
"Hello Serra!" He chirped.
"Where's Lord Hector?" Serra asked, pushing past Nils.
"We sent him away so he could get some exercise, and maybe he'll take a bath." Nils made a face.
"Nils..." Ninian put her head in her hands, and sighed.
"You're right, he should get outside while the weather is nice, and he does need a bath." Serra agreed. "Honestly, men have so little personal hygiene." She walked over to the bed, and felt Eliwood's forehead. "Aha! His fever's gone down, now where did that compress go." Serra fished around and pulled at the slightly damp, and warm cloth. Clicking her tongue she wet it again, and carefully laid it on Eliwood's forehead. "With any luck he'll be awake before tonight." She grinned, and grabbed the cup she had brought with her.
"Hold this." She commanded Nils, handing him the cup. She grabbed another pillow, and propped Eliwood up. Eliwood mumbled, and Serra smiled wider. "Yes, he'll live alright."
"He's that much better?" A quite voice asked. Lucius padded silently through the open door. "Sorry for my intrusion, but the door was open." He bowed, and padded over to the bed. "His fever has gone down, and he looks much better." He agreed, nodding his head.
"See?" Serra began coaxing The brew into Eliwood, who swallowed it without any aid from the cleric. "See he's swallowing by himself now." Serra lowered Eliwood back down onto one pillow, and tossed the other one carelessly at the other bed. It caught Nils across the face, and the bard blinked in surprise. Lucius gave a small smile, and began talking to Serra about further treatments, and what would work better. Nils tossed the pillow back onto the bed, and smiled at Ninian again. Ninian smiled back, her eyes a little less dark. Nils smile grew wider.
"That'll work." Serra nodded in agreement to something Lucius had said. "Now we just have to wait until he wakes up."
"How long'll that be?" Nils asked, leaning forward in his chair.
"Depends." Serra shrugged. "Tonight, or tomorrow, but we won't be able to leave here until he's on his feet. Can't risk him getting sick again."
"No, that wouldn't be very wise." Lucius agreed. "I've some things to tend to in town."
"I'll come with you!" Serra chirped, and grabbed Lucius's arm. "I've been meaning to buy some more shoes, these are wearing out. Serra kicked up her foot, revealing a slightly battered shoe.
"I'll come too!" Nils hopped up. "I can go, right Ninian?" Ninian nodded, and Nils hopped up beside Serra. "Do you mind?"
"Of course! The more the merrier." Serra proclaimed. Lucius had the long suffering look of some one who was about to do penance, but smiled weakly as Serra all but dragged him out the door. Nils smiled secretively, and waved to his sister before disappearing around the doorframe. The door clicked shut, and Ninian was left alone with Eliwood.
She felt slightly conspired against, but smiled anyway. She looked to the red headed lord, and sighed. Some things were so complicated.
/--/
Hector trudged back into the Inn, less tense then he had been in a while. The common room was full or people, more then half of them soldiers from their own group. Supper had yet to be served, but everyone was busy. Sain was talking avidly to a bar maid, and Kent was sitting beside him, concentrating on whatever was in his mug. Matthew, Wil, Legualt, and Heath were playing cards, and from the grin on Matthew's face it looked like the thief was winning. Oswin and the tactician were playing chess which, oddly enough, Oswin was winning. The other fighters were scattered about the room talking, or drinking. The door opened, and Serra, Lucius, and Nils came in.
"Hello Lord Hector!" Nils chirped above the noise. 'Did you enjoy the weather?"
"Yes, but weren't you upstairs with Eliwood?" Hector asked, raising his own voice to be heard above the din.
"Yes, but Ninian's still up there. I think I'll go take her place."
Hector shook his head. "Don't bother, just go tell her she can come down stairs if she wants." Nils gave another sloppy salute, and scrambled through the sea of chairs.
"Lord Hector, you should know Lord Eliwood is doing much better." Serra hopped up beside him. "He should wake up soon." Lucius had already made his way to Raven, and was talking to the hero.
"You're sure?" Hector asked.
"Yes, he'll definitely live, unless the Inn roof falls in on him, but that's highly unlikely." Serra nodded. "If you'll excuse me Lord Hector I have other things to attend to."
"Sure, go ahead." Hector waved her off. Serra whirled around, and trotted off in search of some one most likely Erk.
"Hector!" Lyndis waved from a table. "Come here!" Hector walked over, and found her sorting out stones. "Are you busy, or can you play a quick game?"
"How do you now it'll be a quick game?" Hector asked, sitting down across from her. Guy and Rath were already playing a game, and neither looked up when Hector sat.
"Because you're horrible." Lyndis smiled challengingly. "So, what do you say, up for a beating?"
Hector grinned back. "If you think you can take as well as get, then sure, but don't cry when you lose to me."
"Not likely!" Lyndis laughed, and handed Hector his cup of stones. "We'll just see who wins."
"Yeah." Hector snapped a stone down on the board. "Any idea when supper's gonna be done?"
"Men, always thinking about three things." Lyndis mumbled, and snapped down a stone as well.
Hector studied the board, and fingered his black stone before placing it on the board. "Oh, and what are they?"
"Women, fighting, and food." Lyndis snapped down a stone without hesitation.
"Hey, I don't just think about those three things." Hector protested.
"Plotting on how you're going to beat me in this game still counts as fighting." Lyndis taped her fingers on the table.
"Eeh, who cares about some silly game when I can beat you when we spar." Hector smiled smugly, and Lyndis glared at him.
"So, Eliwood's doing better?" Lyndis asked, snapping her stone down with more force then necessary.
"Yeah, Serra said he'd make it, but he's still not awake." Hector paused to think. "Or so I was told, who'd you know?"
"You're fighting with me again, so obviously you're not as worried as you were, and you were smiling while you were talking to Serra."
"Why were you watching me talk to Serra?" Hector asked.
"I was going to ask her how Eliwood was, but I got my answer from you." Lyndis looked at the board. "There." She smiled happily as she captured some of Hector's stones. "Pay more attention to the game."
Hector looked at the board in dismay, and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I will. Same to you." Hector grinned as he captured some of Lyndis's stones. Lyndis blinked in surprise, and laughed. Hector joined her, it felt good to forget his worries, even for a little while.
A/N: Yeah! Longer! ; Well here you go, the next chapter will possibly be a little longer then this one, wouldn't that be great? After writing two chapters in third person it'll take me a little reading to get back into my AU Eliwood's mind. It wasn't intended to be Hector/Eliwood, even though that would fit in to the story amazingly well, but it isn't going to be.
Thanks for all the reviews(almost fourty!), and please review for this chapter as well!