Chapter 15
Pawn to King's level five
Erik sat on the horse with her against his chest his arms loosely around her holding the reins. Leaning back she could feel the muscles working in his arms as well as the hardness of his chest. Christine felt safe enveloped in those arms and rested her head back.
"Are you comfortable Christine?"
The horse's movement felt good and his warm body against hers even better. She remembered her resolve and refused to talk to him. After a short while she fell asleep against him.
Erik felt her head bobbing against his chest. He smiled and moved back a little to give her room to rest more comfortably. They continued to ride on the back roads until they reached a copse of trees denser than the others. Erik descended the horse and laid Christine across the mount. He led them through the trees into a crevice on the rock face. Just before he entered Erik took a candle from his pack and lit it. He continued to lead the horse into the rock. On the other side of the crevice was a small cave. The sudden darkness made the horse whinny and pull back. Erik stroked the beast and spoke to it as he guided the steed and its passenger to the back of the cave and followed a path which led down. After leading them for a few minutes they reached the bottom. There he found his boxes with provisions and after rifling through one found more candles and lit them. As the candlelight licked the rough surfaces a magnificent cavern was revealed.
When Christine woke up her first vision was of daggers pointing at her. She bolted upright and after a good look realized that it was not a dagger but some sort of rock hanging from the ceiling. She looked around in the semi-darkness and realized she was in a cavern lying on blankets. "Oh!"
"Christine, you're up. I was beginning to worry. How do you feel my love?"
Christine looked away and just sat quietly. "How do you feel?"
She turned around facing away from him and rubbed her eyes.
"Do you not hear me Christine?" Erik was beginning to lose his patience.
She continued to stare at the cavern walls.
"I see…" She had to be hungry
"Are you hungry my love?" he said in his softest tenor.
No answer.
"I made tea would you like some?" he didn't wait for an answer and scowling he growled "Stop being rude and face me" He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to him.
"Christine, stop this foolishness at once!"
She would not acknowledge his words and turned her face away.
"Christine, for pity's sake you have to talk to me" Erik tried to make eye contact but she would not even give him that. He caressed her cheek and she pulled away.
Erik thought of what Madame would say when she got wind of his new kidnapping exploit. He shook off the thought and concentrated on what to do to win her over as she had advised him. He began to sing a lullaby in his sweetest voice. Christine filled her mind with absurdities in order to block him out of her mind. She would not let the power of his song break her. Hard as he tried, song after song, her chin would not lower and her resolve remained
He stood towering above her his fists clenched at his side. "That is it. I have had enough. I demand that you talk to me now Christine"
"Christine!" He bellowed with all his strength "You try my patience woman"
"If by frightening me you think you have won let me say Sir that you are wrong. Your only accomplishment is that now I can say to your face how much I abhor being in your company" Her hands were trembling but she held them under her skirts so he would not see her fear.
"Well, well…she speaks. Anyway, I am the one that should be angry with you"
"Why may I ask?" She answered him but would not look in his direction.
"As soon as I left you replaced me with another boy"
"As you said, you left. And if you believe that Sir, then do so"
"I do not Christine" He had seen them chatting over tea several times. The vicomte had always been present and sometimes his older sister, the scene although irritating did not look intimate. When the man she called Léandre had said those words it nearly killed him. His Christine with someone else, that though burned thru him. It had taken him the entire ride to remember that Raoul's presence in the manor ensured that nothing could have happened. Besides, Christine would never fall in love with someone else so quickly even if they were as handsome as the young man. He knew his doubts were unfounded but they stemmed from his basic insecurities about his face. He couldn't let her know about his infernal doubts.
"Really Erik?"
"Really"
"Why don't you believe I would do that?"
He caressed her cheek and to his surprise she allowed it. "You are not like that my love"
She closed her eyes and he lightly brushed his lips against hers. She moved back but didn't chastise him. He felt his lips tingled and a warm feeling ignited in his stomach.
"Although, it was still infuriating to have that man imply that you had something to do with him"
"Raoul would have killed him if he'd tried anything, even if Léandre is his cousin" she said with confidence in her childhood friend.
Her words hurt him deeply and with a deep sigh he lowered his head. His childish actions had led to her continued dependence on the vicomte. He hated to admit that her honor had depended on the vicomte but he did not doubt that the boy would have defended her with his life. Erik felt ashamed that he had put her in such a position. It was his duty to defend her honor not the vicomte's and he had failed.
"I made you a pallet by the fire. I can imagine you would not want me near you even for warmth." He looked her way hoping she would show a little compassion for his repentant heart.
Sticking her chin up in the air again she said, "And you Sir, would be right"
He smiled at the fact that in order to retort she would answer him. "Mine is across from yours and if you are so inclined you may go over at any time of the night and join me I will be awake waiting for you"
"It will be a very long night for you Sir. I suggest you get your sleep"
He laughed and let her be for awhile.
Erik busied himself around the cavern. He unpacked some of their belongings while he made their supper. First, he gave her a cup of sweet tea to warm her up. She took it and drank it greedily. The hot tea felt wonderful going down her throat. "This tea is delicious"
"It is the Russian tea I like. Most people find it too strong"
She was still angry with him for leaving her but she was also getting bored. She didn't want to look or learn anything from him but his voice was so soothing and she was very curious.
"When I first woke up in here I thought those were daggers about to fall on me" she said pointing upward.
"Those are stalactites" he said looking up at the cavern ceiling. Erik pointed to a giant formation growing from the ground like a column that did not quite meet its destination "and that one is a stalagmite. This cavern is full of both. Later I will show you some magnificent examples toward the back of the cavern. Our water source is back there".
"How did you learn of this place?"
"I've used it now and again as a safe stop" He was being mysterious again.
"A safe stop?"
"It is like my own personal inn, without the prying eyes"
"I always imagined you under the Opera House. It never occurred to me you would travel"
"I have"
"Have you been to many places?"
"Quite a few"
"Have you ever stayed here overnight like now?"
"On occasion"
"I see" Her curiosity was sated for now. She sat back against the cool rock face and drank her tea.
Christine had planned on staying angry with him for days but it had been impossible. He was as contrite about his actions as he had been brave when he stole her in full daylight from the Chagny manor. Christine would not admit it to him but she had felt like a Princess in a fairy tale. She had her knight on a white horse. He had even fought a Marquis on her behalf. She giggled at her own silly thoughts.
Her eyes followed him as he performed different tasks. Erik turned a little from her and removed his mask to wash up. Her heart flipped. How she loved him like that. He approached the fire unmasked and shirtless. His wet body glistened as the flames seemed to lick his body. Erik stirred his pot quietly, unaware of the reactions he was causing in her. The anger would have to be put aside. Christine moved in close to him as he was on his knees tending the supper pot with the stew.
"Will it be ready soon Erik?" She placed her hand on his shoulder.
He did not acknowledge her touch and just answered "I think so my love. I just need to stir it so it won't stick. Are you very hungry?"
Christine hoped that with her touch he would turn and kiss her. She recalled that Erik did not pick up on subtleties. Meg had told her a secret she used on her last love interest. She was willing to give it a try.
"Ouch" She put her hand over one eye.
"What is it Christine?" he asked full of concern.
"I …I think I got something in my eye" She took her hand off and fluttered her eyes.
Erik took her face in his hands and tried to look into her eye. In spite of the fire the darkness did not allow him to see well. She got a little closer to him.
"Do you see it?"
"You have to stop blinking so much, dear"
Her brown eyes looked up at him innocently and searched his face, landing on his lips. She parted her lips a little. Erik's stomach constricted and he felt an uncontrollable desire to kiss her. With her face cupped in his hands there was only one thing he could do, even if she pushed him away. He lowered his lips onto hers. She did not resist. Thank you Meg! He deepened the kiss and she allowed him into her mouth. Softly Erik let his tongue caress the inside of her mouth until it met and tangled with her own. Erik pressed her body to him and deepened the kiss further. He let his mouth trail down to her neck where he nipped at the soft skin there. His need had become apparent to her and this aroused her further. His desire matched hers. Erik forgot himself and his hands began to roam her body and caressed her curves wantonly. Christine responded with low moans which served to spur him on. Panting he lowered her unto the ground not caring where they came together. His need was straining the bounds of his restraint.
Her hands stroked his chest finding it still moist from washing. Christine trailed her hand up to his face. She broke their kiss and kissed his marred cheek. She could not get enough of that side of his face and she continued to kiss it while running her hands over his back and chest. He was so delicious and she had missed him so much. Kneeling above her he slowly lowered his body on to hers when she noticed his leg.
"Oh my God, Erik, you're bleeding!"
"I…it is nothing Christine. I will take care of it later" He had almost forgotten his minor encounter with the Marquis's sword. Right now all he wanted was to continue his encounter with Christine. His lips found hers again.
Christine pulled away breaking the kiss and sat up. "What? And let it get infected? We will take care of your wound right now!"
His leg was not the part of him Erik wanted her to take care of. He knew Christine and she would not be deterred from her nursing duties. With great embarrassment he recalled the days after his overdose. "If you wish" he said and rolled his eyes. His wish was that she would forget about his leg and let him continue to kiss her. He knew he was still on tenuous ground and didn't push his luck.
Christine rolled up his pant leg and exposed his slashed calf. It was little more than skin deep. The congealed blood was beginning to seal it. "Damn Léandre"
He was shocked to hear her curse but it pleased him that it was on his behalf. She could curse that dandy all she wanted to.
Christine set about caring for her knight's wound. Her fairytale was complete; not only had he saved her and carried her off, he had even bled for her. She would not allow infection to set in while she had breath and strength to take care of him.
Under her loving care Erik's leg was now throbbing mercilessly. The wound had been reopened and cleaned thoroughly. It was freshly bandaged. "Honestly Erik, it can't hurt that much"
"It did not hurt at all before"
"You should be grateful it will not get infected now". She looked a little hurt.
"How could it? There is not enough leg left to be infected"
"You are such a baby. Just like before when you were sick" She smiled with satisfaction and put her head on his shoulder.
He groaned at the reminder of his previous humiliation.
"I love to take care of you" She looked directly in his eyes and smiled.
Erik sighed, "I know, thank you Christine". Grimacing he pressed up to a stand. Erik glared at her under his eyelashes and limped back to the fire. The only flames left in him were gnawing at his leg. Thanks Christine!
A/N: Please review and let me know if you want a "scene" with them to make up for lost time. I could alternatively continue with the upcoming action. R & R
