Chapter 16: At This Moment

Despite the darkness, Elizabeth was able to discern Darcy's form on a bed of turf.

"Are you badly hurt?" she asked tentatively. Not wanting to disrupt anything in the limited space, she started to move slowly towards the fire. She heard the Pict leave them silently.

As Darcy sat up, slowly moving into the glow, Elizabeth saw that his face, neck and shoulders were covered in perspiration. Yet the hands that reached to the fire were trembling as if from cold.

"The wounds are trivial. But they brought with them this fever. I was aware of the smoke, it was strong even as I climbed down, but then it tickled my chest, making it hard not to cough loudly. The fever was worse earlier, and I've little memory of coming here. The good monks say they tied me to the horse's back. What of you, Elizabeth? You bear no wounds, I trust? I am so relieved to see you safe, I cannot find words to express myself."

Elizabeth was able to make her way to the bed of turf, and knelt beside it. She reached out to hold Darcy's hands. "I'm perfectly well, yet am here before you in shame. I'm a poor comrade to you, sleeping while you fought. I should have…I'm sorry I did not help you."

Darcy carefully brought both feet to the earth floor, Elizabeth saw then how his left arm was bound tightly in sacking, and that one side of his face had a spreading bruise that partially closed one eye. He let go of one of her hands, and reached down with his free hand and tossed a log onto the flames.

"That's probably a log you had chopped earlier," Elizabeth said sadly.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Darcy said quietly. "I would have killed Wickham in my cold rage, but it was you that stayed my hand. And it was thanks to him that we all escaped as we did…it was he that came to you?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"True," Darcy said, "when I first went into that tower, I wasn't sure that I could trust Wickham at all, but I had no other choice in the circumstances. When I was at the top of that burning tower and hot smoke was already around me, I had lost all hope and thought that my choices were a long fall to stony ground, or mingle with my enemies as we became ash together. But then I looked down, and there was my own horse, with our wagon of hay hitched to her. Wickham had done as bidden. I thought nothing else, but leapt from that chimney mouth, and our earlier work was well enough done, Princess, for though I plunged through the hay as if it were water, I met nothing to pierce me. After wandering about the hillside, likely rambling delusions in my feverish state, I woke up here to gentle Father Ninian tending to me. The fever must already have taken hold by then, but if the gods favour us, the fever will pass soon."

"Where will we go then?"

Darcy started, and looked at her questioningly.

"When you are better, of course," Elizabeth clarified.

"That was not my question."

Elizabeth looked down. "It is 'we', of course. You are on your King's errand to slay Querig…and I will accompany you. Lydia as well, but she has no choice in the matter. She will have to do as I say. " Elizabeth knew that she could have easily stopped there, but she chose to say more so that there was no doubt as to her meaning. "That is…that is...if you will have me…"

"I fear that this fever has taken a hold of both of us. Elizabeth, you know not what you are saying."

"No, I know exactly what I am saying. Perhaps…perhaps I don't have your memory. I do not recall as you do. But now, even without my memory of what was, I know what is, and that is that I wish to be by your side. And if that includes having to slay a dragon, all the better, as that dragon holds my memory within her breath. And in my memories, I hold you."

"Elizabeth…are you certain of this?"

"After a very long time, there is clarity in my thoughts. I know where I belong, and that is right here."

Even with one arm bound in sacking and under the power of a fever, Darcy still had considerable strength left in him. He reached forward and pulled Elizabeth with his free hand over onto the tuft.

"You will be cramped…" Elizabeth started to protest, but fell silent when Darcy pulled her close to him, resting his forehead on her shoulder. He trembled, and she held him closer.

"Princess," he said eventually. "Suppose the gods allow us to succeed, and we bring down Querig. I'd like you then to promise me something."

She was sitting so close to him now, his head on her shoulder, her arm around him, so close that her hair ran down his back.

"What is it you ask?"

"Had I stayed by your side, perhaps…perhaps your memories would not have left. Should Querig really die and the mist begin to clear...should your memories return, and with that disappointment that you may have in me…I should have never left you then, no matter my duties. You may look at me and see no longer the man you do now. Promise me this. Promise, Princess, you'll not forget what you feel in your heart for me at this moment. Promise to keep what you feel for me this moment always in your heart, no matter what you see once the mist's gone."

"I'll promise it, Darcy, now and always." Holding on to his waist, Elizabeth gently pushed him downward. "Let us rest. A new dawn awaits."

A/N: I know it's very short, but it ends exactly where it should, and anything else would ruin it.