Riding carefully through the forest, Erik and Christine traveled through the day miserably. Their good fortune of having nothing but sunny or slightly clouded skies was no longer with them. Now, rain poured down in buckets and sheets. Despite being under a canopy of the heavy forest, they received nature's fury just the same. Christine was clinging onto Erik as if for dear life, even though they were going slow enough that she wouldnt have to hold on at all. Everything but her shoes and ankles were covered by Erik's long cape. Still on him, she wrapped one side of the cape around her, and plunged her head under.
Lightning lit up the dark skies, loud, booming thunder soon following it. Christine cringed and trembled as she clung tighter to Erik's middle. A cry rose in her throat, but she pushed it back down. She had stopped screaming at every lash of thunder an hour ago, much to Erik's great relief.
She could feel one of his brass buttons from his coat burying into her cheek, causing much pain, but she refused to yield to it. If she was to get through this storm, she would have to remain as she was.
"Sure you don't want to go back?" Erik asked her in humor, teasing to see if her fright would get the better of her, even just for a moment. But he was not rewarded - instead, she instantly screamed no from inside the ruffles of his cape.
A smile spread across his lips, but along with the smile came a low chuckle. Feeling his chest rise and fall quickly made her smile, knowing he was laughing, even in such a grim situation. She was filled with warmth; knowing that even with what they had been through, she had the power to make him laugh; to make him happy.
Thinking this, she pushed her forehead against his shoulder, getting close to comfortable for the first time.
"Keep moving in there and you're going to knock me off this horse, Christine! Then you really shall be the death of me!" Erik exclaimed, wobbling slightly as she wiggled to find a good spot.
She immediantly stopped, seeing that where she was would be all the comfort she'd be able to get.
When she was still, Erik could hear her muffled giggling. But once she stopped, she could feel something linger lightly on the top of her head for just a moment, then lift. A kiss? Had Erik really shown true emotion when both of them were awake? When usually he'd be hesitant to show anything? Laying her head down again on his shoulder, making Erik look like he had a large bump coming out of his shoulder, Christine closed her eyes, and with a smile, drifted off into a contented sleep. "Listen now. Are you awake? Stay awake." Erik said in an urgent voice that forced Christine's fluttering heavy eyelashes up.
"Like I said to you before, Nadir and I will not be on the best of terms. Perhaps the worst. This will not be a pleasant stay, not just for me, but for you also. He wont believe a word I say, especially about you. It'll be you who'll have to do the convincing. You convinced me several times on why you should stay with me; now work that magic into him. We'll stay one night, to freshen up and get food, if he allows. Even if he may wish me to hell, however, he will not let you starve. He'll give us enough food to last us a few days, which is all we can carry. Christine? Christine, you best not be sleeping!"
Christine's eyes fluttered open once more. She nodded her head; having heard everything, even if only faint. For once, she wished silence to him so she could rest, but that was not so. As soon as she told him she had heard, he was pulling her off the horse and onto her feet!
"Erik?"
"We're almost there. We'll walk the rest of the way, leading the horse. Now, did you hear what I said before?"
Christine nodded. Erik put the reins of the horse in her hands, then put his arm around her, standing like he was half crippled. Grabbing the cane that they managed to keep with them, they went walking in to the deserted, sleepy town.
Soon enough, they came upon the only house with candles still flickering behind it's thin curtains.
"This is it?" Christine asked softly.
"...Think so. Haven't been here in years, and all the houses look so alike in this dark."
"You think?" Christine exclaimed. What if he was wrong?
An odd chuckle rose in Erik's throat as he said, "Guess we'll have to hope I'm right, or else we'll be in a bit of a mess, now wont we?"
Had she not known better, she would have deemed Erik drunk with such a statement as that, and with his type of humor at a time like this!
Erik walked to the door, pushing her behind him as he knocked. Christine peeked from behind his one shoulder to see a heavyset man with olive colored skin answer the door. Immediantly his eyes were on flame. "What is the meaning of this?" The man that Christine took as Nadir exclaimed. "Surely you do not come to my own home for help! Surely I am dreaming this horrid nightmare."
Christine saw Erik wince at the words, yet his face remained sober. "I just need a room,some food, and your understanding."
"My understanding?" Nadir exclaimed. "Understanding that you have made many wrong turns over the years, but this one? Trying to kill the famous Vicomte? No, Erik."
With that, Erik took grabbed Christine's wrist and pulled her forward. She stumbled, but managed a weak, helpless smile as she looked upon the stern, yet slightly surprised face.
"So it is true? For your sake, I was hoping that this missing mademoiselle had run off in hiding from you...I had hopes that you didn't go so far as to really steal the Miss Christine Daae."
"Let me in, Nadir; I promise to make you understand."
"You mean you'll persuade me to believe you by pulling some horrid sorrow story? Tell me, do you have a punjab lasso with you to add to my understanding? No more, Erik. I wash my hands of you. I am too old to be following after you to try and help; as you are too beyond help."
"So you'll turn us away and let her starve, Nadir?"
"No, never. You will leave now, but the girl stays with me. I'll return her, make sure she is kept safe from all, and that her reputation is not ruined."
"You cant!" Christine suddenly cried out, even though Erik's disapproving eyes were on her. "Don't send me back, please! Erik, don't make me go. Not now, not after all this. Make him understand. Please, tell him."
Nadir's already large eyes went wider as he stared at both of them - looking at one, then the other, then back at the first. "You...you want to stay with him? What did you do to her to make her say such, Erik?"
"Let me in, let us stay for just one night, and I'll explain it all to you."
Nadir kept looking back and forth, trying to decide if he wanted to involve himself in anyway in this. Then, with his shoulders suddenly drooping, he realized he had no choice in it at all.
"May Allah help us all and get me through this night." Christine heard him mutter as he shook his head and retreated back into his house, indicating for them to follow.
Erik put his arm around her and helped her weary form up the stairs and through the doorway to keep us with Nadir.Once they were all in a large room with a roaring, warm fire, Nadir stopped and turned to his unwelcomed visitors.
"Erik, if you will be so cooperative, would you follow this maid to your room and...freshen up while I have a little...chat with Miss Daae here?" Nadir asked, looking at Christine. Erik quickly stepped in front of her, along with outstretching his arm to her side as if protecting her.
"Now listen here, Nadir; I am very grateful that you open your home to us, but there are conditions that I will have you aware of. I know it's second nature to you to interrogate everyone that comes within a mile's radius from me, but be merciful - Christine has been traveling through terrible storms for the last day and a half. She's exhausted, to the point of falling right off her feet. I'll tell you all you need to do, but allow her to get some sleep."
"I only ask a few minutes with the lady, Erik. I will not keep her up all night. I just want to 'understand' from her point of view before yours."
"No, you want to compare our separate stories to see if one of us is lying!" Erik snapped back angrily.
"If neither of you is lying, then you have nothing to worry about, now do you?"
Erik glared angrily at Nadir, wondering if he shouldn't just grab Christine and run at this moment. But he knew that it was already to late, and they'd have to go through with it all. They were in the mercy of Nadir now, which could be a deadly thing.
"You may talk to her. But I'll have you know that Christine never told a lie in her life. Your search will be in vain. The poor girl don't know how to lie."
"Then that just adds good light to you, now doesn't it? Away with you now, Erik. I'll have a servant come fetch you when I am ready. Mademoiselle? Would you follow me?"
Christine's stomach churned, not liking that she'd be asked questions, and without Erik there to help her. But in her tired state, all she wanted was to get it over with so she could sleep. Even the hardwood floors were starting to look inviting at this point.
Nadir indicated for her to sit on the sofa while he took a rocking chair. But the moment Christine's body hit the soft, luring materials of the cushioned sofa made her eyes droop until they shut.
"Miss Daae? No sleeping now. You may sleep all the night through once I have had my few minutes with you. We'll have to make this quick, or Erik is liable to break down my door if I bend my word a little and keep you too long. The man has a bigger temper than this world can deal with."
Christine couldn't help but smile. Did she not know that all to well already?
"That you do not have to tell me. His temper tends to get the better of him whenever I am concerned."
Nadir's head cocked to the side as he looked at her. "Could it be that you are really here because you want to be?"
"If I was not, wouldnt I use this time to tell you differently and get you to take me back home?"
"And that's not what you want?"
"No! All I want is to be wherever Erik is. If that means sleeping in deserted valleys and fields, then that's what I'll do."
"Do you love him?" He asked next.
"Of course. Why would I put myself through this if I did not? Do you find it so hard that someone could truly love him?"
"No...it's just...it's been to my knowledge that many women faked their love for him. Each got some use out of him, then passed him along, broken and hurt."
"Why would you care? At the door it seemed you were the one trying to hurt him."
Nadir sighed, shaking his head. "He makes many wrong decisions, Erik does. But hurt him? No...I couldn't do that. If I really had to, of course. If he really crossed the line, yes. But just being him? Asking for stay? No."
"So this crime you do not believe is over the line?"
"Of course it is! Had it been any other time, I would have allowed Erik in with few chidings. But not this time."
"But you just said-"
"This is not about me, Miss Daae - it's about you. Now, sit there and answer my questions kindly, so you can eat faster."
"That's not fair - I didn't come here to get interrogated. I don't deserve to be treated like this, just because you cant believe a woman can truly love a man like Erik."
"No? Were you kidnaped, Christine Daae?"
"No."
"Then you are helping a criminal to flee the police. That's a crime you yourself is committing, therefore I have every right to question."
"But you're not a chief of police - you're a daroga. They don't have darogas here. Even if they did, I heard that you were dismissed from your duties and are now legally inactive."
"I was dismissed because I was saving Erik's life! Do not question me! I may be 'legally inactive', but I still have very powerful connections. Now, Erik told me you both will have the same stories. What do you have to fear then, answering me?"
"You just told me that if I'm not kidnaped, I'm a criminal too. You're trapping me, trying to get me to lie or to find fault with me. Why would I answer to you?"
Nadir actually laughed at this. "So he picked one with as much wit as him, did he? It figures, that."
"What do you wish to ask me? I'm starving and terribly tired."
Nadir thought a minute, then realized that through his arguing, she had answered them all already.
With a grin, he asked "What would you like for supper?"
"Excuse me?" Christine asked, taken off guard.
"I'll have my servant cook you up something. You must be tired of eating stale bread and such. I'll get you a room then bring up your dinner. What would you like?"
Christine smiled, suddenly liking this man that Erik called his old friend.