I'm sorry if it took longer than expected for this story to be uploaded. Work has kept me away from my computer for too long! I'm sure the next chapter won't be taking as long.
Friends of Fire 2
by: River
Will stepped down from his horse with Kate still cradled in his arms, and moved with speed in the water until it reached his waist. Her face was of a white he had never seen on a person before and it worried him. The cool water wasn't good enough to lower her temperature that seemed to have raised within the last few minutes.
He tried calling her name a few times once in a while, but received no reply, not even a moan or a movement. He looked up from her face and squinted in the sunlight to see if his friends were approaching. His arms were beginning to feel tired and numb due to Kate's weight. No matter what the position he put himself into, the pain kept coming back. But the pain wasn't one of his priorities right now. His mind raced for a solution to bring Kate to the next town as soon as possible. They needed to find someone with medical knowledge that could help her, no matter the price.
"William!"
Will lifted his head to see where his name came from and saw Jocelyn slide down the horse and running to shore, Roland close behind.
"Has she waken up?" Roland asked.
"No, she hasn't."
"What if her illness is contagious?" Jocelyn said.
"I doubt it is, Jocelyn."
"Why, William, you are a doctor now?" She asked with irony.
William sighed. "If it is indeed contagious, then we must find a cure at once."
"Then perhaps we shouldn't be too close in the meanwhile."
"And if I do that, what are we going to do with her? Leave her alone in the water for her to drown?"
Wat gave the horse to Chaucer and joined the others on shore. He stopped briefly before walking passed them to William in the water. A few words were exchanged before William gently put Kate in Wat's arms. He then rolled up his wet sleeves, something he hadn't had the chance to do before, and pushed away a strand of hair from her face before heading on dry land.
"We are staying for the night," he said when he stepped out of the water.
"But night is far away," Jocelyn protested, glancing at Wat with Kate in his arms before looking back at Will. "We still can travel before sunset."
"No," William disagreed. "She is too weak to travel today. Tomorrow we shall leave at first light to the nearest village and find someone who can help her."
The knight walked away, leaving Jocelyn and Roland alone.
-=-
Several hours after dinner, Kate had regained consciousness but quickly faded to sleep. Her temperature was stable, still high, but stable. While the others were preparing their own tents, William stayed by Kate's beside holding a wet cloth on her forehead. He had been unsure of what to do to help her until morning, and Roland suggested this. At least here, by her bedside, he could keep a close eye on her.
Seeing her like this made him unsettled.
She being always the tough person of the group was suddenly the most vulnerable. Pale as a ghost, weak as a plant, he sometimes wondered if she was going to survive the night.
"William?"
The knight pulled his gaze away from Kate and to the person calling his name from the entrance. He saw Wat stepping in and moved to give him a place to sit.
"Nothing?" His friend asked, his eyes studying Kate's sick features.
Will shook his head. "Nothing."
"Perhaps I should take your place. I know Jocelyn has been pleading for a walk in the area for quite some time now."
"I know, but it is better I stay here in case she wakes." William put the cloth back in the small bucket filled with water from the lake, and put it back on her forehead.
Wat was more than a little surprised at how gentle William was with Kate. Stroking her skin softly with the cloth was just enough to make him consider just how deep Will and Kate's friendship had become. He knew they always were great friends, despite the numerous arguments they sometimes had, but he never quite pictured them feeling for one another. Then again, he never was able to picture Jocelyn and William together, two beings with different past made it hard for him to believe they could be as one. At least Kate was similar to him in this department.
"Night is only a couple of hours away. You should prepare your tent while I take your place," he repeated..
William looked pensive for a moment before nodding. He stood, never taking his eyes off Kate, and sighed. "You are right, I better prepare my tent for the night or Jocelyn will have my head."
Wat didn't know if he should have laughed but the serious expression on Will's face made him reconsider. He took the cloth from his hand and stepped aside to let him pass.
"Don't worry, I will let you know if there are any changes in her condition," he promised.
"Thank you."
Then night came.
The fire was extinguished and the surroundings deserted. It would have been pitch black if it wasn't for the dim light the moon emitted from the midnight blue sky. Everyone has gone to bed, but not everyone was sleeping.
Jocelyn laid awake, eyeing the roof of their tent and listening to the sound of silence all around her. William was breathing deeply beside her but he wasn't sleeping. Whether it was because of the heat -- like her -- or because of Kate's mysterious illness, she couldn't tell. She turned on her side and comfortably put her head against his chest.
"William?" she whispered, not to startle him.
"Yes?" He replied with the same tone of voice.
"You are not sleeping?"
"Are you?"
"No," she sighed. "Not in this heat." She lifted her hand and began making small patterns on his chest. She raised her head so she could see his eyes and smiled seductively.
"We both cannot sleep, perhaps we could--"
William took her hand in his, stopping her sensual patterns, and brought it to his lips. He kissed her briefly then shook his head.
"Not tonight, Jocelyn. Too much has happened already."
The raven-haired beauty let her arm drop to her side and let out an annoyed sigh.
"Then have you forgotten about me? I've been ignored all day, William. I am lonely and in need of your company."
William sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "Jocelyn, listen to yourself, you are not making any sense!"
"Aren't I?"
"No! Kate is sick, it is normal we worry about her."
"I understand that, my love, I really do. But do I need to remind you I have left my life for you? I left my family and friends just to be with you. If we were to be married, is this the way you would treat your wife?"
Her question threw him off guard.
"Marriage?" He frowned.
"You *have* considered marriage, haven't you?" Jocelyn eyed him suspiciously.
William looked away, stunned. To be true with himself, the idea of getting married hadn't even crossed his mind, even before Kate had fallen sick. Suddenly the thought of being married made him dizzy. Was he ready for such commitment? Yes he loved Jocelyn and he had proven it more than once but was it enough to the point of talking about marriage?
"William?"
The knight looked back at the woman sitting next to him, waiting for an answer. An answer he just wasn't ready to give.
"Jocelyn," he started, taking her hand in his. "I haven't considered marriage yet. I--I do not think I am ready for it."
Jocelyn stared at him in disbelief. She blinked several times, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.
"You--you never considered marrying me?" She breathed.
William swallowed hard and forced a smile. "It is not I have never considered the possibility of being married to you, I am just unsure whether I am ready for such commitment or not."
"How can you do this to me, William?"
"I do not understand, why is this a problem? The important thing is we are together, marriage or not. And I never said we were never to be married," William argued, noticing how silent yet angry she looked.
"A woman cannot be with a man without marriage. What would the people say? What would they think?"
"Why do you care so much what other people think, Jocelyn? Love is all that matters, and I love you!"
She was about to reply when Chaucer suddenly burst in, making Jocelyn scream with fright.
"What is wrong with you?" William growled.
"Kate," he panted. "She is no longer in her tent!"
"What?" William gasped and was on his feet in a matter of seconds. "How is this possible?"
He pulled on his clothes as quickly as he could and without a word to Jocelyn, exited the tent. Roland was also awake and dressed, standing beside Kate's open tent.
"What happened?" Will demanded, walking quickly to where he was standing.
"We heard noises and decided to investigate. When we came to see if she was alright, we found her gone," Roland explained, glancing at the tent as Wat stepped out.
"We heard vomiting," he said.
"William--"
The knight didn't want to hear no more. He waved his hands for everyone to be silent and concentrated on the problem at hand.
"Enough talk. We need to find her," he said and patted on Roland's shoulder. "Shout if you find anything."
Everyone ran in different directions, all hoping to find her before morning.
-=-
Kate didn't know where she was.
She was leaning on every possible tree in sight in order to get away, but the constant shifting ground made her fall more than once. She stayed motionless for a couple of minutes, allowing the dizziness to go away, before pushing herself up on her feet once more.
"Kate?" she heard an echo of her name in the distance and froze. She couldn't let them take her back to the camp. She couldn't take the chance of giving them whatever she had caught. She resumed her walking, but quicker this time. She had decided to follow the small stream so she could always have water if something happened. Food, in her condition, was out of the question.
She heard her name again, this time it was getting closer. It was William. Panic-stricken, she started running as fast as she could. She fell on the ground, cutting herself with the sharp rocks and branches. Keeping the hurt to herself, she stayed quiet and scanned the area with her tired eyes to see if there wasn't somewhere she could hide. Seeing only trees and small bushes, she closed her eyes in defeat.
There was nowhere to run, they were going to find her.
Breathless, she began walking again. The strong urge to vomit haunted her for the past five minutes. She suddenly outstretched her arm to lean against a tree to relax but her hand missed the trunk and fell on the ground, hitting her head against the base of the tree. She moaned in pain and rubbed where she was hit. There was no blood, that was a good sign. She brought her arms around herself, doing her best to stop the shivers that's been running up and down her spine.
"Kate!"
She glanced up to see William jogging towards her. Shaking her head, she pushed herself away and with great difficulty she made it to her feet.
"Go back, William," she ordered, her fingers pointing in the direction he came from.
Will frowned. "Why?"
"I--You cannot risk yourself," she started, taking a deep breath so she could finish. "and the others by having me around."
"You are talking nonsense, Kate. Come on," he held out his hand in hope she was going to take it.
"I said no, William!"
"None of us are sick! I do not believe your illness is contagious."
"I will not risk it. I will be fine on my own."
"Fine on your own?" Will quipped sarcastically. "We are a day between two towns, no matter in which direction you plan to go. Better stay with us than lose yourself in these mountains!"
"Better stay alone than give everyone my sickness."
"I will never let you leave alone, certainly not here in these forsaken mountains. You are wasting your breath, Kate, my decision is final and I am not leaving without you!"
Shaking her head, she turned around to flee from him. Not more than five steps were taken that she felt his arms close in around her waist, pulling her to a stop. Exhausted, she had no more strength left to run away.
"We are going to get help," he breathed in her ear. "Tomorrow at first light."
"No!" She cried, struggling against him.
"Stop before your hurt yourself!" he ordered, tightening his grip on her until she calmed herself.
She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. The sick feeling she had when she was about to vomit came back to her at the speed of light. She quickly pushed herself away from him and fell on her knees in the cold stream to vomit. William was by her side in a second, his hand resting on the small of her back as a comfort gesture.
"We need to get you back," he said once she was finished.
Brushing away her tears of frustration, she nodded. He carried her in his arms, her head comfortably nestled against his neck.
Back to camp, Jocelyn waited for him with great impatience. She ran to him when she saw him emerge from the forest.
"My, God, William! I was so worried, are you alright?"
He nodded silently and walked passed her to kate's tent. He stepped in and lowered his shivering friend under her covers. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him.
"Do not blame me if you are sick, William."
He smiled and shook his head. "Never."
- t b c -