"Sono" Part Four
Disclaimers in part one.

Her breath misted and dissipated in the still air. Now that the silence had been broken, he found the thought of leaving her out here unbearable. It had been peaceful inside, calm and lulling and out here--why had he forgotten to be wary?

When he sat down beside her, she moved over to accommodate him.

Malcolm, uneasy, said, "Hoshi, why--"

She turned her head to look at him and he fell silent, something in her gaze making him feel pinned. She dropped her head down and sighed, "I don't why. I just--I think I had a dream. I woke up and I didn't want to be in there. I wanted to be out here."

"It's freezing out here, Hoshi," he pointed out.

"I know."

She looked down and for the first time he noticed that she was holding one of those pink blossoms. She was twirling its stem between her thumb and forefinger, so fast it was a blur of pink.

Her cheeks were still wet and he wondered why she hadn't wiped away the tears yet, and if she even knew that she'd been crying.
He started to raise a hand and she looked up. He stopped.

She asked, "What?"

"You..." He swallowed, the words drying up in his mouth. He continued, switching the statement to a question, "Were you crying?"

She shook her head. "No."

"What's this, then?" He reached out and wiped what remained of her tears away.

Her eyes grew wide and she touched her cheeks, feeling the wetness.

"I didn't know...maybe I was remembering. They didn't tell us."

"Tell us what?"

"The Regent. The song was a remembrance for his wife. She was his sey-na. His voice."

Malcolm stared at her. He said, "You mean, his comm-interpreter."

"Yes."

"What was the song?"

She started to sing,

"Angel's wings
Angel's eyes
Angel weeping quiet
Angel keeping safe
my beloved."

The last note wavered a little. She coughed, then said "Rough translation."

He pulled his blanket closer around his shoulders.

"Come back inside, Hoshi," he said. "It's too cold out here."

He stood up and held out his hand to her. She looked up at him, but didn't move.

He waggled his hand at her, trying to coax her and she twisted her lips in annoyed amusement.

She stood up, saying, "You're such a party pooper, Malcolm."

He shot back, "What party?"

This earned him a smile and he felt better. There was too much free-floating angst in the air, and he was happy enough to have her smile at him.

He started back with brisk steps, the snow crunching under his feet. Hoshi followed behind him.

A soft whisper came to his ears and he stopped moving. He said, "What?"

Hoshi said, "I didn't say anything."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," she huffed, a little worry lacing through her voice.

"I know I heard something. It sounded like your voice."

"What did it say?"

He opened his mouth, prepared to say the words, but he said nothing. They were gone.

"I...I don't remember."

She raised her eyebrows.

He dragged a hand through his hair. Frustration trembled through his raised voice, "I'm going insane."

She grabbed his hand and walked away from him, towing him along. Her sudden movement made him totter. He almost dropped his blanket and he clutched at it, catching it before it fell to the ground.

Hoshi said, "I've had enough of this garden."

He couldn't help but agree. She pulled him along until they reached the entrance of the hogan. She let go of his hand and turned to face him.

"Do you think there's something here, Malcolm?"

"I didn't find anything."

"Just because we didn't find anything, doesn't mean there wasn't anything to find."

"You've been spending too much time with T'Pol, Hoshi."

"Jealous?"

He smiled down at her.

"I may be many things, Hoshi, among them sleepy and cold, but jealous?"

She raised a deliberate eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Let's go to sleep, Hoshi. We'll be leaving in the morning, don't you want your sleep?"

She gave him a contemplative look that caused the blood to heat under his skin. "Of course," she answered and ducked back into the hogan. Malcolm shook his head and followed after, grateful that the moonlight would not show the blush on his cheeks.