Crossing Borders

The Walls around her came crashing down, the floor shuddered and shook—it was all she could do to maintain her balance. She looked frantically for an exit. The boulder above her suddenly broke free, crashing down. And then came the Darkness.

Lara awoke gasping for air. Egypt, again she realized, suddenly surprised that she'd allowed herself to fall asleep. The train was jostling, and she'd checked her watch. She'd been out for maybe 5 hours. Five more to go, she thought despairingly. She saw that Kurtis was asleep too, and thought she'd oblige the nagging feeling of hunger and made her way to the dining cart, where she quickly digested a sandwich and water and made her way back. She grabbed one for Kurtis and stuffed it in her pack before returning to their seats. She sat there, looking out at the rapidly passing vista and took in her situation. She was happy to be out again, although she was still uncertain as to why she'd volunteered.

She turned to Kurtis, acknowledging that he was still asleep. Some degree of trust in there, she appreciated, But why? She watched him sleeping, watched his hair fall haphazardly across his face, shielding the attractive, rough man in a bubble of boyish innocence. Who are you?

She ignored any complaints she might get, and nudged his soldier, shouting when he didn't immediatelyawaken.

"Kurtis! Wake up!"

His eyes shot open, expecting the worst, but the rest of him awoke slowly upon seeing Lara's relaxed face.

"Heyyy. I was having a good dream" Kurtis whined, pretending to be mad. He stretched and moaned before turning to Lara. "So what is it?" he said, noticing a slightly ashamed look.

"Kurtis…I, I don't know anything about you!"

"There's not much to know. Born Utah, trained for Lux Veritatis," His face grew somewhat dark, his voice quieter as he mentioned the next part, unable to lie but still somewhat ashamed, "Abandoned the order at 19, joined foreign legion, did some mercenary work," and his face changed to his normal self before adding, "And then I met you."

"Well, that helps, but it's not what I meant."

"What else is there to know?"

"Well, who you are. Like, what do you hate?" Kurtis chuckled at the question.

"Fear."

"Right." Lara said, realizing he wouldn't enlighten her anymore, "Well, what do you fear?"

"Fear."

"Oh you are just impossible." Lara sighed, realizing she would never really know much about Kurtis.

"I'll admit it; I'm a mystery of sorts. But so are you, Ms. Croft. It's my turn."

"Alright, shoot."

"Why'd you come back for me in the Strahov?" Lara sighed. She'd asked herself that question a lot. She gave her best answer, her only answer.

"Egypt."

"Egypt?"

"Yes. Egypt." Kurtis yeaned for more information, but he knew he should let Lara decide what and when His eyes drifted to watch the scenery for some time, wondering if he would ever know

He didn't have to wait too long, as it were.

"I was, well, raiding a pyramid when… it started…collapsing," Lara was ready to tell someone, she knew it, but still she was struggling with the words. "All exits where sealed, I searched for a way out…but there was nothing. Darkness.

"I was so alone, Kurtis." Lara shuddered, not crying, but obviously still fearful of that time in her life. Kurtis wrapped his arms around her in a supporting embrace, friendly, almost paternally. But he didn't say anything.

"I was so Alone…I'd been abandoned. I couldn't do that…not after Egypt... I couldn't leave you there, in the Strahov, helpless…injured. Not after Egypt."

Kurtis stifled a remark at her calling him helpless.

"Mortality…it's so overwhelming…I'm not immortal, I know that. Now. I thought I'd died in there. It was all so suffocating. The darkness, the emptiness… the end…"

"It's okay. You're not alone. It's okay…"

He held her, letting her drift off to a deep, peaceful sleep.