Hello again all! This chapter contains pretty difficult topics which I will list down below but first, thank you for all the kind reviews! It really surprises me that there are people out there who genuinely enjoy my work so from the bottom of my heart, thank you. A bit of filler in this chapter, hopefully y'all don't mind that too much.
tinyrubberducky: And I love you! Really, thank you for your support. Hopefully this chapter is worthy of you.
Without further ado, warnings for this chapter: Uncomfortable sexual situations, vulgar language, rape mentions (if you are easily triggered by this topic, I would ask that you view at your own discretion because I do care about your mental health. Rape is a touchy topic for me as well and by writing it I am not in any way, shape, or form condoning its normalization. Thank you for your understanding), and hostage-like situations.
Malukh shook me awake an indiscernible amount of time later and I forced myself to sit up despite the burning desire to go back to sleep in fear of angering him. My body ached worse than when I went to sleep now that I'd not used my muscles for a couple of hours. I rubbed at my stinging eyes with a groan, already hating life in Skyrim. It had only been three days and I was already starting to miss my home, my friends, and my family. The crickets chirped noisily outside and the fire was still alive and well, lighting up the cave in bright, orange hues.
"Your turn." he rumbled tiredly, already positioning himself on his bedroll. "Wake me if anything happens."
He had left his armor on just as I had, though in comparison his looked much more comfortable to sleep in. Lucky. He shifted for a moment before going completely still and I took that as my queue to take my seat at the log, lest I get drowsy on my bedroll. I stood, retrieved my boots and walked over, trying to be quiet despite the ruckus my armor made every time I did anything. I sat down and pulled on my shoes with a wince as the material rubbed against my sores and blisters.
It was still dark outside, lighter than before at the very least. I wondered what time it was now and how long he had let me rest. It couldn't have been any later than ten when I had gone to bed but there was no way to be sure. I was still dreadfully tired, my eyes drooping heavily as I stared into the firepit and watched the embers dance. Maybe I should splash some water in my face to wake myself up a bit. It would likely be a long night.
But I didn't. I just stared into the fire for what felt like eons, alone with my thoughts, occasionally snacking on some jerky from my pack.
What am I doing here? I really thought that this was all just an elaborate dream but.. I've yet to wake up. That means that this is undoubtedly real, all of it. Malukh the Orc is real. The woman he killed and whose decapitated head he kicked was real, too. Faendal the Wood Elf was real. I've seen them all with my own eyes.
I've seen things I never would have imagined in just three days. An actual dragon, larger than a house in size with massive, black wings unfurled as it lay waste to an entire village. I've seen dozens of charred corpses and watched as men were burned to ash in front of me. I can say that I've seen and smelled death and lots of it.
I watched two strangers, including a fictional race, decimate hordes of men and cut them down like they were nothing. And it had hardly fazed me. I could still the Captain's face and soulless eyes, the one I had so blatantly wished death upon, as if she were right in front of me. I ran my hands down my face and took in a sharp breath.
Fuck. This isn't what I had wanted when I dreamt about living in my favorite video games. I just wanted to be free. I wanted not to worry about living paycheck-to-paycheck and paying bills, or about living under the thumbs of corporations who could care less about me time and time again. It was dumb of me to think that this would be any better.
Now I live in a savage world where you must kill to survive, where creatures from my worst nightmare are real and can and will kill me given the chance. Hell, even the undead are real in this world: draugr, ghosts, and the ability to bring people back as zombies if you wish. It was .. terrifying. I thought about all the monsters it was possible to encounter and shivered despite the heat of the fire in front of me. Surely none of those could be much worse than a dragon.
The more I thought the darker my mood became. Was returning to my world even possible? What the fuck even had to happen for me to end up here? I still remember scrolling through twitter on my phone in bed before I passed out and woke up in the snow. Would I ever see my parents again? My friends? And.. why me? I can only hope that I am not intended to be the Dragonborn because well, frankly, I'm useless. I am the worst possible candidate for the position and if I am, this is the worst timeline.
Eventually several hours passed me by as the sky brightened outside the cave and I dragged my tired gaze in the direction of the exit, raising a hand to cover my yawning mouth. Morning already? I was just glad that the night had been uneventful, though I do need to make a note of acquiring some books for any future trips. There is nothing to do in Skyrim and I fear I may go crazy soon if I have to play with my sword for fun.
The fire was nothing more than faint embers burning and fighting not to go out, but I figured we would leave soon anyway and added no further kindling. I stood with a wince, my muscles taut and begging me to stop moving so much but they would only be in for more today. I walked over to the river, checking each side of the road for any passersby but thankfully finding none. I took this time to crouch down and cup my hands together, filling them with cool, fresh water before splashing it into my face. I shivered as several droplets escaped down my neck and into my shirt beneath my armor, but sighed in pleasure anyway. It felt really nice on my skin, a faint breeze cooling me further.
I suppose I should wake Malukh now. Hopefully he doesn't freak out or anything because I jumpscare easily. I got up from my knees and made my way over to his resting body. He was on his back, hands crossed over his chest and softly snoring. He looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake him up but I knew he'd complain about 'missing daylight' if I didn't. I crouched down, placing my good hand on his large shoulder and giving him a few shakes.
"Malukh.." I called softly. "Come on, get up."
He grumbled, ruining his calm expression as he raised a hand to rub at his nose briefly, still not yet awake. I pursed my lips, debating if I should just shake him roughly and pray he doesn't kill me on accident.
"Wake. Up!" I shook him harder now, jiggling his body and moving his head from side to side.
His large hand shot out and wrapped itself around my wrist, his grip bordering on painful. I yelped in surprise, trying to retreat but finding he would not budge. His eyes snapped open, looking at me like I was a threat until he registered my face and realized what he was doing.
"Malukh, that hurts.." I said uncertainly, heart pounding.
He immediately released my hand, causing me to fall backwards onto my ass. What the hell was that? I knew he would do some weird shit if I woke him up. He began to rub tiredly at his eyes, voice rumbling deeply in his throat as I retracted my hand into myself. He sat up and looked around almost confusedly before his eyes settled on me.
"Sorry." he sighed. "Not used to waking up with somebody."
"Yeah, I can tell." I grumbled, climbing to my feet and wiping off my behind. "Let's pack up and go. We're uh.." I paused, unable to contain my cheeky smirk. "Missing daylight."
Malukh gave me a deadpan stare before he got to his feet. I shuffled uncomfortably as he stood tall over me, never breaking eye contact, until he suddenly stepped around me and snuffed out the fire with his boot, kicking some dirt into the little pit he had created.
"You aren't wrong." he said as he bent down to go through his pack. "How is your shoulder?"
I blinked. At his question, I wondered that myself. I began to roll the joint around very slowly, afraid of the pain but finding little, only discomfort if I held it in the wrong position for too long.
"Much better than before, I think.. but it's definitely got a long ways to go."
Malukh stood to face me and handed me a vial of magical red vodka, though I noticed no bandages in his hand. I pursed my lips as I silently took the vial and he uncorked it for me. I downed it before he could tell me to, wincing at the familiar taste as it slid down my throat effortlessly. He took the empty bottle from my hand and dropped it into his pack, appearing pleased.
"Without potions, this would heal naturally over six to twelve weeks. The potions you have taken should've sped along the healing process considerably, cutting weeks off of your healing time." Malukh positioned himself so that he was standing directly in front of me and reached behind my neck to undo my sling.
I stiffened, now face to face with his chest, feeling as my heart began to beat faster at his proximity. Get it together, Sara. The beginning tingles of the potion began in my shoulder and spread outwards as it usually did and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from moaning beneath him. Fuck, fuck, this could be so embarrassing.
"You should be fine without a sling from now on." He told me, and I felt as the knot holding it together came undone and my arm was released. I eased my arm down until it was straight, thankful for the effects of the potion blocking out any pain. "Try not to overexert yourself, though." He added.
"R-Right." I whispered tightly, not trusting myself to speak any further.
The surges were particularly strong this time, spurts of euphoria coursing through my body uncontrollably. Damn, what was in this shit? I did my best to keep my knees from buckling beneath me, clenching my fists and praying for him to turn around.
Malukh finally pulled away and took my arm in his hands to begin removing any excess bandages, to my infinite chagrin. He appeared completely oblivious to my inner turmoil, taking his sweet time to unravel the cloth. I kept my eyes on his chest, unaware of how intense my gaze was as I focused only on the brown leather of his armor.
Finally, finally he pulled away and went to go pee or something, I wasn't paying much attention. When I believed he was out of earshot, I released a moan that desperately needed out of me, my body twitching and spasming from the potion. Ah, it feels so good when I don't have to restrain myself. I could feel the last vestiges of this strange phenomenon receding at last and sighed in relief. It felt great but.. almost too great.
I packed up our things for us while he was gone and reattached my bedroll to my pack, carrying his in my arms, ever the dutiful companion. I walked out into the chilly morning air, ready for another day of walking in these boots that I'd yet to break in. Yay, more blisters. Malukh appeared through some bushes, literally tucking himself back into his pants, oblivious to my watchful eyes. I blinked, then blushed hard.
He walked up to me, finally catching my stare and looked surprised to find I had already cleared the camp.
"Well, it seems we are ready to go, then." he took the bedroll from my waiting arms. "My thanks."
I tried not to look too giddy, but I'm sure I failed at that too. I ended up taking a bathroom break as well before we began our second day of the journey and let me tell you, shitting in the bushes was not comfortable. I was constantly afraid Malukh would just pop up if I took to long and I actually considered using a leaf to wipe before remembering we have bandages in our packs that could act as toilet paper. I then washed my hands off in the river.
I doubt the people of skyrim know what the fuck a germ even is.
Day two was more of the same. I spent most of my time looking at the beautiful, if not a bit repetitive, landscape around us. Malukh and I even had a little bit of small talk and conversation, which was a victory in itself. I was beginning to get a little sad at the thought of him leaving. A friend in this world could be everything and he was pretty chill for a medieval person, or at least when he wasn't all grouchy.
The road was long and winding, eventually curling downward as we went along. This was even more difficult on my legs and feet, unfortunately, and I was still sore from yesterday. The stone wall on our left that had been a comfort to me during this journey also leveled out until we could see the wide open expanse that was the woods clearly. I didn't like that, not one bit. Now there was nothing protecting us from any attacks that would come from that direction.
Malukh, as always, was unbothered. I'm sure he was highly confident in his abilities to kill anything that dared to threaten us and so was I, but… if we were outnumbered, not even he could save me. I found myself glancing nervously through the trees constantly.
At one point we passed the first group of travelers I'd seen so far, though we were far more wary of them than they were of us. I'm pretty sure it's because Malukh and I were still dressed as Imperial soldiers, so they just dipped their heads in acknowledgement and passed us by. I found myself trying to play the part of the authority, giving a haughty nod in return and puffing up my chest until we were all clear. When I released my breath and glanced at Malukh, he was looking at me funny. Peak comedy. He kept his eye on them until they were well enough away before returning his focus to the road.
We would need to remedy our armor situation eventually. I'm not trying to get attacked by random Stormcloaks just 'cuz we stole this armor in Helgen. And another thing: it's way too heavy on me. I'm pretty sure the weight of this steel was doing damage to my shoulder one way or the other. Speaking of, my shoulder still hurt, but significantly less so than before. I was simply happy to have use of the rest of my arm, though its range of motion was severely limited. Still, it meant that I could properly defend myself just a bit more, however small the improvement.
The rest of the day was long and harsh without clouds to block the sun rays that bared down on my skin. I was tired, sweaty and frankly, in a terrible mood by the time the sun set and this time our shelter would have to be in the open woods according to Malukh. There wasn't any caves nearby from what we could see and he didn't want to diverge too far from the path because it was 'dangerous'. He wasn't wrong. Whenever I played Skyrim and stuck to the roads, it was rare to run into any trouble. Camping in the woods without any protection (besides my scary Orc friend) made me nervous, though.
The sun disappeared surprisingly fast below the horizon as we settled down just off of the road, keeping the river in sight of us for any water-related needs. Malukh quickly gathered wood for a fire and we began the same routine as the previous night. He was hesitant to go hunting while we were open on all sides in wolf territory, so we just ended up eating what was left of our jerky rations, which was not much. Let's just say I'd been snacking frequently while traveling. What? I'm a big girl.
Malukh took first watch once again, but I found it difficult to fall asleep because of my paranoia. Eventually when I managed to knock out, I fell into a strange dream consisting of yellow eyes glowing in the dark, then multiple sets of eyes appearing all around me until I was surrounded. One pair, the first set of eyes I'd seen, prowled forward painfully slowly. I found I was unable to move or speak, trapped where I was prone on the ground. The creature stepped forward until we were face to face and I could finally see what it was. A direwolf, large and snarling with its hackles raised aggressively, mouth dripping with saliva while staring me down. I was frozen in fear, wishing to scream, move, do something but unable to. Suddenly the creature snapped its jaws at me and I awoke in a cold sweat, shooting up in my bedroll.
I panted as I checked my surroundings and was only satisfied when I found no eyes looking back at me in the dark. There was one pair though. Malukh's indifferent gaze, staring at me from where he sat on his bedroll, resting his elbow over his knee. I brought my hand up to my chest, placing it over my racing heart as if trying to calm myself. It felt so damn real. I could still see those eyes so clearly.
"Bad dream?" he prompted casually, his other hand poking the fire with a stick.
My lips fell into a straight line, unable to shake the fear I still felt as I hunched over, now running a hand across my damp forehead.
".. It felt so real." I whispered.
"As dreams do." he commented. "Do you wish to speak about it?"
I looked at him over my shoulder more fully, brown locks falling partly into my face.
"I saw eyes. Lots of them; bright yellow and glowing in the dark. One in particular came forward until it was right here," I gestured right in front of my face. "It was a wolf. I think maybe it was a.. A premonition, or something."
Malukh snorted from where he sat in front of the fire. My face became sour knowing he would likely make fun of me, as usual.
"You don't really believe that, do you, girl? I did not take you for the superstitious type."
"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have said anything." I snapped, immediately irritated. I forced myself to lay back down, turning my back to him.
"Oh, come now." I could hear the smirk in his voice. "Dreams do not mean anything. I have dreamt I met a talking goat up in the clouds. By your logic, that would mean I am due for a meeting soon."
I grumbled, turning to lay on my back and stare up at the sky through the canopy of pine leaves above. The moon was huge in comparison to the one on Earth and shone brightly down upon us. I rested my arms over my chest.
"I hate you for being right." I griped.
He chuckled at that. "Go back to sleep. You've got a few hours more until it is your turn."
I begrudgingly did so, my mind still thinking of the yellow eyes despite his words. Fucking Skyrim. I hate the wilderness. I rolled over and fell asleep after much trouble, sleeping until he eventually woke me up for my turn. Malukh went to sleep in an instant, and I wondered if he was more tired than he let on. I was still drained thanks to that dream disrupting my sleep earlier and I was finding it hard to keep myself awake. The fire only seemed to lull me further, head falling and rising repeatedly as I realized I was almost falling asleep.
The woods were eerily quiet. I found myself waking up due to the sheer fear of what could be in the dark. I subtly moved my bedroll closer to my companion, who of course would not notice in his sleep, his snore a soft grumble in his throat. I hugged my knees tightly to myself, leaving my sword unsheathed on the ground next to me in case I needed it. I missed my bedroom and the safety of it's walls - a place where nothing and no one could harm me, or so I believed. Anything was better than this wide open expanse I was currently surrounded with.
A few hours passed and my paranoia began to fade along with my tiredness. I rubbed at my eyes with a yawn.
Then I heard it. The crunching of leaves, approaching rapidly. My head shot up from it's lulling state, eyes darting to where Malukh currently resided, snoozing peacefully. If it's not him, it's probably an enemy, my mind thought slowly in it's tired state. I scrambled to my knees as the sound of what must've been several pairs of feet got closer, a hand lashing out to shake him awake- Thunk. I gasped, finding the shaft an arrow, inches in front of my hand and right next to Malukh's head, sticking out of the ground. I immediately searched out the source in the dark with wide eyes.
There was someone standing there amidst the trees, another arrow already nocked and aimed straight for me as they approached from the darkness, revealing a young man with a cocky smile. I froze, my hand inches from my companion. If I can just-
"The next arrow won't miss, girl." warned the man suddenly, his voice surprisingly deep for his face. He gave a nod of his head, looking behind me.
My head swiveled around to find several other men approaching from all directions. There had to be at least four of them in total, but for now I wasn't sure. Holy fuck. We are actually being raided and there's nothing I can do. My heart was racing so fast I was sure I would just do the work for them by having a heart attack right here.
Malukh was right. My dream was wrong. It wasn't wolves; it was bandits.
The man came closer as well, his bow trained on me, looking all too pleased. His long, golden locks were dirty and hung loosely past his shoulders and he wore the usual bandit garb; some low-level hide armor. His face was rugged and scarred badly, looking particularly pronounced in the firelight.
"A Nord woman.. with an Orc?" he actually laughed, the sound jarring in the stillness. It struck real fear into my heart. "Yet you aren't a hostage. How.. interesting."
My eyes were darting back and forth between the man and Malukh, who I was silently praying would wake up from all this man's jabbering. But no, he was deeply asleep at this point. All hope of survival was lost for me. Hot, wet tears began to fill my eyes. The man stared at me languidly, the fire reflected in his gaze.
"My, you're a pretty one. Tell me: how many times has this creature fucked you?" his eyes drifted to my companion with obvious disgust, Malukh's mouth open as he snored. "I can put it out of its misery for you, if you wish." He directed his aim downwards toward the Orc.
I couldn't mask my horror as I realized this man was insane.
"N-No!" I cried, lowering my voice to a shaky whisper when he gave me a hard look in warning, glancing at the arrow that was now pointed at me again. "Please, don't. Just take what you want and go."
A creepy little smile crept onto his face as he looked me right in my eyes. "Well, maybe I want you, girl. It's been a long while since I've raped such a beauty. I think we all wouldn't mind taking a turn with you, right boys?" he grinned, looking around at his comrades, who murmured in unison around me.
No, no way… I looked around again - definitely only four of them. If Malukh were awake, he'd have taken at least three of them down on his own. They were far enough away that If I could distract this one, they wouldn't be able to stop me in time. None of the others have a bow. My eyes darkened as an idea came to my mind, remembering my sword that had been resting at my side. If I were to die, let it be on my own terms. I won't let these freaks take turns raping me, not now, not ever. My hand was resting on the ground, grasping at the dirt until I was sure I had a handful.
Fear had a hold of me, but I feared what would happen if I didn't act more. This is it. While the man was laughing, eyes trained on his fellow bandits, I leapt to my feet, my other hand wrapping around my sword as I did. I simultaneously released the dirt in my hand, throwing it up into his face. He barked in surprise, loosing his arrow. It missed, plunking uselessly into the dirt behind me. I dove for Malukh, my only hope, screaming an array of things while shaking him as hard as I possibly could.
"Wake up!" I shrieked desperately as the bandit sputtered and coughed behind me. The other ones were approaching now, shouting in alarm.
Malukh's eyes shot open, hand lashing out towards his axe and I could've cried right then. He shoved me out of the way, already climbing to his feet with a deafening roar. I didn't stop. I turned to face the onslaught of enemies now approaching from the rear. I was terrified - they were coming to kill me, maybe even rape and kill me if they get their way. I clutched the hilt of my weapon with both hands, preparing myself for my demise. I had one day of training and they likely had years under their belt.
I heard a scream and the sound of something wet, then a dull thump. Three men were running at me looking outraged with weapons raised. I backed up in fear, when Malukh suddenly pushed in front of me, blocking their immediate path. A tear escaped my eye, then two. My legs shook beneath me; I.. I can't do anything. I can't..
He stood tall, taller than the rest of them, growling like an animal and covered in specks of blood. They all came to a halt, eyes looking up at his towering form in sudden fear. He was absolutely menacing, a seven foot-something mountain of muscle and an angry one at that. I can't believe I actually managed to get him.. The sheer luck of that brought me to my knees, dropping my weapon to the floor. I thought for sure that I was a goner.
He raced forward with another roar, a primal, dominant sound that would be seared into my mind for years to come. They stood no chance. He took out the first man with a single swipe of his axe, taking his head clean off. I watched it go flying and roll across the ground with hollow eyes, the body dropping to its knees before falling over. I didn't even think it possible to do that with one chop. The remaining two were backing away, clutching their weapons in almost the same manner as I had been.
The second victim began to scream as Malukh's axe found itself lodged his chest. The Orc yanked it free with no hesitation, slamming it down again and again. The third guy made a break for it at the sight of this, but Malukh didn't seem fazed in the slightest. He yanked it free one last time from the bandit's body and turned to gaze after the running man. He had booked it through several trees, but was still visible from here. I watched the Orc weigh his bloody axe in his hand and I couldn't believe it. He wasn't going to try and get him with that was he? He took a stance, measured the distance with his eyes and grunted as he lunged it into the air as hard as he could. There's no fucking way he expects to hit that.
I watched the guy running gain some distance, mouth agape when suddenly he just.. Dropped. Fell to the ground. An axe protruded from his back. My eyes slid over to Malukh fearfully. He actually got him… My lip quivered, hot tears streaming down my cheeks. I'm alive. We're alive. A choked sound broke free from my throat. Malukh's eyes shot towards me, my voice seemingly snapping him out of his bloodlust-induced rage.
He crossed over to me in three quick steps, kneeling down to my level. I couldn't look at him. I just couldn't. This was all my fault in the first place. He might just kill me next. I flinched when his hands settled on my shoulders, but not from the pain.
"Look at me." he demanded calmly, his breathing coming out in loud puffs. "Did they hurt you?"
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
"Sara!" he barked, his eyes already searching my dishevelled appearance. "Did they hurt you?"
I whimpered at the use of my name, shaking my head. He took a breath and brushed a hand down my hair, smoothing it along my skull, a surprisingly soft gesture compared to the carnage that just occurred at his hands. I pulled away from him, afraid. How can he just massacre people like flies and not be affected in the slightest? It was terrifying. The change in him at my reaction was immediate, almost as if he knew exactly why I was behaving this way.
"They would have raped and killed you, and they would have enjoyed every second. They were sick men, Sara, sick men who enjoy raping and killing and do it for a living! Do you understand that? Do you?" he shook me, the action jostling my shoulder, his words intense and voice rough.
A realization occurred to me. My lip trembled uncontrollably as I forced my eyes up, dragging them along the length of his torso until they stopped on his face. His painted, blood-covered face was illuminated in yellow and gold hues, veins bulging in his neck and along his temple in anger. His face visibly softened when I finally looked at him. I wouldn't say it now, not now. Later. Right now I needed comfort.
I couldn't help the sudden emotion that flared up in me, my heart feeling as if it was in my throat. I let out a truly pitiful sob, feeling embarrassed even for myself, eyes clouded with a fresh set of tears that were on the brink of overflowing. The fire crackled noisily beside us, the only other sound besides my cries. Malukh wordlessly pulled me against him as he dropped fully to his knees to accommodate this new position.
I cried. I just… cried, face pressed against his bicep. Several minutes passed where he just held me. The bandits of Skyrim had been my favorite part in the game, clearing out the hideouts and strongholds mainly to increase my skills. In real life however, these were real people, with all their disillusions and disgusting reasons for doing what they do. It was strange. For all our differences, he understood me pretty well. I thought back to the first day we met, just four days ago, and almost laughed; look at us now.
I froze when I heard a faint cough.
Malukh stiffened, immediately pulling away from me. I peered over my shoulder in horror. The bandit leader spit up blood where he lay a few feet away, and.. he was still alive. Malukh got to his feet, taking my sword from the ground beside me and prowling towards the last remaining bandit with a growl. I watched as he stood over the blond bandit's body, a foot on either side of his torso, and bent down to lift the man up by the front of his armor with one hand until he was holding him in the air. His legs dangled almost comically, blood pouring down the front of his armor from the open wound in his shoulder.
My face darkened as I remembered his words, lips thinning into a line.
"..He called you a creature. More specifically, he asked me, 'how many times has this creature fucked you?'" I spat as the bandit's hazy eyes slid open to meet mine from across the way. Malukh looked at me over his shoulder, expression darkening. "Said he hadn't... raped a beauty like me in a while." I choked up on the word, wincing. "That they would.. take turns…"
Malukh's fury was immediate. I don't think anything would have stopped his rage. Despite my distaste for gore, I didn't look away as he finished him off, his screams echoing into the night. I watched unflinchingly as he got what he deserved. As all rapists deserve. For the women before me who had suffered the fate I narrowly escaped tonight.
Malukh removed the bodies from our camp shortly after and retrieved his axe from that corpse as well. He washed himself of the blood in the river when he was done. When he returned, the crusted paint was gone from his face, too. I sat sullenly on my bedroll, watching as he strode up, looking particularly upset himself. Oddly enough, it soothed me to know that something bothered him. It should - this shit isn't normal. I don't care what world we're in.
He looked down at me tiredly as he said, "We cannot stay here. They had to have come from somewhere nearby, likely a camp of their own. There may be more of them. Pack your things."
He didn't have to tell me twice. At the mention of more bandits, I stood and silently did as I was told. Seeing me begin the process, he moved to start doing so as well, and soon our things were packed and the fire was snuffed out. Before we left, Malukh snatched the bandit leader's bow and arrows, slinging them over his back. He also looted a shield from one of the lesser bandits and gave it to me. There was a massive dent in the front from where they had blocked a single blow, but it was better than nothing.
I followed numbly behind Malukh as he we went along the road in search of a new place to rest. We walked for a solid twenty minutes until he found a small outcropping with a large tree in the center, surrounded by a nice array of bushes.
It would have to do. The rocks, bushes and tree would provide a decent shelter. If someone were to come looking for us they would have to look hard. I followed and helped him clear out a bit of the rocks beneath the tree so that we had solid ground to lay on. By the time we had finished all this, the sky was lightening with the beginnings of dawn. I was still tired and by the looks of it, so was my companion. Dark circles under his eyes showed me just how exhausted he was and his movements were sluggish as we began to lay down our bedrolls and backpacks underneath the tree.
"Rest." he said as he set his down. "I will keep watch."
"No." I replied quickly.
"..You must-"
"No. It's my turn." I repeated.
He sighed, sitting on his bedroll so that his back was against the tree, legs straight out. He watched as I repeatedly set out mine until it was perfect.
"Was this your first encounter with bandits?" he asked.
I chewed on my lip, only responding with a nod before sitting beside him, copying his position. He was quite large and took up a bit of my space, but I said nothing. I let my head fall back gently onto the bark of the tree, looking up at the sky.
"It won't be the last." he told me. "Do not lose sleep over it."
"I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I tried." I argued a bit frustratedly, keeping my voice low.
"What would ease your mind?" his voice was resigned, hands limp in his lap.
"I don't know.." I sighed, shutting my eyes. "I'm afraid. I've never had anyone talk to me the way those men did. I can't stop thinking about it." I let my head roll over so I could look at him. "He had an arrow pointed at my face threatening to kill you and.. I couldn't do anything."
Malukh's eyebrows lowered in question. "It was you who woke me. If it is as you say, how did that come to be?"
I paused, recalling what had transpired. It was a bit hazy due to the adrenaline coursing through me at the time. "I, uh.. I threw dirt in his face and he missed his shot. The others were too far away to stop me while I woke you up."
He blinked those strange green eyes at me for a second before laughing. I felt my cheeks warm in embarrassment, but I enjoyed the way it rumbled in his chest.
"That was clever of you.. but also dangerous. What if he had not missed?" Malukh's laughter died down as he met my gaze.
"Then I either took the shot and hoped I lived long enough to wake you or died on my own terms." I said, completely serious, twiddling my hands in my lap. "An arrow to the heart would be nothing compared to what they planned to do."
The humor in the air was gone. Malukh looked at me, really looked at me, and I couldn't help the way I shrunk under his gaze.
".. You are stronger than I thought." he said unflinchingly. "I am .. sorry for doubting you. If not for you, we may both have died tonight."
I shook my head, frowning. "It was my fault in the first place, letting them—"
Malukh grabbed my hand, firmly meeting my eyes. I froze mid-sentence, feeling the warmth of his tight grip. "Do not blame yourself. It was out of your control."
I blushed, hard. After tonight, my desire to touch him had grown exponentially. His hand was calloused and worn, but so unbelievably comforting after the night we had together. I smiled softly and he awkwardly cleared his throat when he must've realized we were blatantly holding hands. He moved to take his hand away, but this time I grabbed his, keeping a tight hold on him. His surprised gaze flicked up to mine.
"Just for now." I whispered, cheeks undoubtedly pink. "You can distance yourself later." I gave him a wry, almost sad smile, tearing my eyes away despite how badly I wanted to look at his bare face.
We sat in comfortable silence, holding hands as the sun rose further in the sky. It was oddly intimate. Nothing like a bandit raid to bring people together, I suppose.
"I will finish my watch." I told him softly, despite how tired I obviously was.
"Damn the watch." Malukh grumbled suddenly, pulling his hand away from mine with a gentle tug. I watched him dig through the pack at his side briefly. He pulled out those furs I had seen two nights previous and stood carrying them in his arms.
He hung them from a low hanging branch and they acted as a barrier from the outside world, as well as blocking out the light of morning. He sat back down with a grumble.
"We need to sleep, schedule be damned. I will hunt when we awake." he told me, hunkering down and laying on his side, facing me.
I was not going to argue. Sleep sounded beyond blissful right now. I mimicked his actions, shuffling until I was comfortable. My heart was racing for some reason, the dim lighting and close proximity making this more surreal. Malukh reached out and hesitantly took my hand again, looking almost sheepish.
"..Just for now." he quoted gruffly.
I smiled a genuine smile and squeezed his hand.
"Thank you." I whispered, and shut my eyes.
I was able to fall into a dreamless slumber thanks to his presence, thinking of green biceps and brow bones.