Here is another chapter…

Every part of my body was sore, from the beating to traveling in a new way, to stress, my extreme use of powers, so many variables have just broken me down. The trip back to his homeland felt insignificant, I wasn't needed at this time not even to worry about Kai. With Peace around chances are he stay at bay for some time while we plotted the best routes to the last three families, I knew Jennifer was from Sweden, Vic from Spain which we already left behind but at this point being worn down and tired was all I cared about. My body and mind are in no shape right now, I couldn't help myself let alone family lines.

People move in the dimming candlelight, we have been here a mere hour and Willo ordered me into the bed of a side house, an old barn that was done up. The bed was soft and the fur just made it so much warmer, but with Warren hovering over me the room was warm enough. She had a stern face, her face wasn't feminine by bone structure, nothing overly fine. It was her eyelashes that made her all-girl, long and black, framing eyes of darkest brown. Like many of her kin, her features were pronounced: arched nose instead of the "button," full lips and high cheekbones. A boy with her bones would be handsome, yet she was simply beautiful.

She and Warren spoke but again this language was not something I understood, and it never just came to me like when I first arrived. Warren his tone tired, but so husky, "You need rest, nothing is broken. You are already healing fast and in a few days, you will be as good as new. She is leaving to make a tea that will help, the ground tea after will be spread onto your bruising to help," that sounded good and then bad, having glop on my face.

His eyes move towards who I took as the man of the house, the leader even. Unsaid words pass between them, I wished to know but say nothing my body is stiff and wants to rest. This leader is resting against the wooden pillar with a face of utter nonchalance as if he were merely waiting for a bus on a spring day, apple in hand. He isn't slumped at all, his body is too muscular for that, yet it is just as relaxed as his face. He's almost smiling - smiling as if something good were about to happen.

"Here," Willo pushed the steaming cup into my hands. I smile, "Thank you," I've seen her smile once before, on Warren's mother the day we left. I sit up drinking the peculiar brown herb-brew which tasted like nothing else on earth, she just dabbed the paste on areas she felt needed extra help. "Now sleep," her words rolled off her tongue in a timbre of warmth, the melodic sounds distinctly foreign.

Warren didn't move from the chair as she patted his cheek giving him a devious smile, he blushed it colored his nose only. "I told Wiklow he could meet her, tomorrow," yes, the little boy with Warren's eyes who was watching from the open door. His tiny face pulled into worry, everyone leaves and the doors close behind them leaving us alone. The air was still and the flame barely flickered. It was steady and bright enough to relieve the darkness of the room, but it was not enough to read by. The items around the candle cast shadows that radiated out. The wick blackened and the wax slowly turned to liquid, running down the side and onto the brass plate.

My brain stutters for a moment and my eyes take in more light than I expected, every part of me goes on pause while my thoughts catch up. Warren moved like a panther, silent and dangerous his body was now nestled into the same bed I was in. I hated, I hated the fact his warmth made my bone's start to unravel, to loosen and relax after however long I have been here. He spoke after a few minutes; he lay on his right side his eyes dancing over me. "How about when we get home, I take you to Rocio's we get a large meat lover and ill let you add some veggies, and I'll toss in a coffee," I felt the tears burn wanting to be unleashed.

With a broken shaky tone I spoke, my throat and voice raspy still. "Do you even think we will get home," his face was a mask right now but when his large fingers that feel rough with physical labor touch the marks on my neck it soothes rather than make my heart hammer, his touch was soothing calming me in new ways. "I know we will, Bexley. We will be home and with our crews and an actual bathroom. Imagine it a nice hot bubble bath, a toilet, coffee, and last pizza," I did and my god I missed such a common thing, we take having these small luxuries like a tub with running water and a toilet as nothing, now I say try living without it.

I smiled in the dim light, "Mushrooms, green peppers, banana peppers, black olives, and spinach," hearing his chuckling until it died. "I don't understand how I am a month behind you, we left at the same time. My only concern was finding you; you can read my journal if I can read yours in turn. Whatever bullshit that we inflicted on each other back home is nothing. I want you to know that I am with you, I don't hate you, I hated Kai and worried for you. But right now we stuck together like glue because I will die to protect you," the heartfelt words, his tone was so sincere that I wouldn't and couldn't question his words.

Words left me. I stared into those bright swirling eyes burning with emotion, and my heart fell silent. Succumbing to the silence, "I don't hate you, but I find the number of girls you've been with disturbing and that makes me uncomfortable,"

He understood me by his facial features, "I disgust myself sometimes, but right now we need to sleep and no, I am not sleeping over there. I need to know you're okay and being this close tells me you're," while he spoke his hands pulled the fur blanket up covering us both, his left arm draped over me his fingers traced the side of my head, at times running through my hair.

I was pretty sure I smelled, and I thought that because I had not bathed and by his stank he hasn't either. "I honestly don't want you to leave, if you ever tell Vic, I will deny it and he will believe me too," I loved hearing his chuckle, it just hit me differently.

I always thought of "drowsy" as a soft word, like "blanket" and "hug." The chemicals in my blood fee more like a leech in my cranium, sucking my ability to keep my eyes open and my brain switched on. The world blurs like a painting caught in the rain too soon and once again the vivid dreams begin, always inserting Warren where he never was.

Waking up can be harsh, especially if your dreams are better than reality. The saddest part of it is, though, that eventually, even the memory of your dream will fade - if you are even lucky enough to remember it that is. Then you're left with this lonely feeling of detachment, left to explore in the empty void of emotions, the only proof that you ever had the dream, to begin with. But his arms are tight around me, it is dark out as I used the restroom and just prayed to go home.

Watching him was some form of comfort, I couldn't understand why, but in his satchel was a brown box filled with my absolute favorite candy bar. I just take one better he keeps these bad boys under lock and key, a single flame gives just enough light that I see a set of eyes flicker. "Hello," using a pleasant tone waving for him to come out, he should be sleeping.

Ever so glad they new broken English. "Beloved, you. Save our family line with protector,"

I had no idea about this beloved, but I answered his question. "We will save our families; your line will be safe you will have children and they will have more your family grows and see him sleeping. He is what the family becomes, brave and strong," his eyes watched the man to holding his figurine up and I understood to him that was Warren. "Should you be sleeping?" he smiled nodding yes.

"But you wanted to meet me?" yes again, not everyday a handsome man wants to be near me. I offered, "I can share with such a handsome little man like you," his fingers gripped the offered candy bar, I mean it was half. He looked like he was in love and this I understood before I picked him up ignoring the pain it caused, I placed his body into the extra bed. Placing a small kiss to his head, "Now you sleep," his eyes looked heavy and doubted he be awake much longer as I crept back into the bed, it was welcomed the heat that poured off him and the fur blanket.

I jumped but he held my body down, "You're good with kids when not threatening to yeet them, no clue of the time but you need more sleep. Give me a minute to piss and I'll be back," true to his words he returned after also checking on the now sleeping boy and maybe in another life I could see him checking on his child. But honestly, we're probably going to die here but would that be so bad as long as Kai died too.

"Think tomorrow and sleep now, Bex. I am here with you," and laud help me, I could feel his body running alongside mine as he pulled my back flush with his bare chest. I wore a tunic only and right now part of me wanted it off as to feel his skin on mine, shameful Bexley, shameful.

Vic would never let you live such thoughts down…

Again with the slow stroking of my hair, I yawned as my eyes became heavier and heavier until they shut.

Willo was bustling about cooking as I pointed at the map routes Uncle had made for us. "Navarre-Spain is at least a week ride, Birka- Sweden also a week, but from Navarre to Birka it is a five-day ride with three days of a vessel. That takes care of Vic and Jennifer, last is my Uncle's family they're in Warsaw- Poland which is only three days ride if that. We have to be careful and chose, I suggest my Uncle first he is a higher target for Kai, he killed Kai's father," Warren and the men listened many grunts later they smile.

"Beloved," all I can do is smile not knowing what they mutter after. Warren eyes me, in a new way. "We leave for Poland in the morning, it is just you and I," now the room went silent. I listened to Warren speaking Austrian and never understood it but they listened to whatever he said.

I interjected in private, "Shouldn't we have some with us?"

"You haven't grasped it yet, we're Killjoy and Rage the very first to battle. We have read all about this and now we're living it. They did it together with no more than that, I rather have my kin but it is us together, Bex," I was old, my mind was racing with so many random thoughts.

"We are old," I couldn't hear that laugh enough, Willo dreamily looked at us. I didn't mind the physical labor as much as Warren thought I would, "Not some prissy snot, Peace. My grandfather had a farm down in San Gerona Valley, you must have been thankful for the weeks I vanished to an unknown location," I held the wood in my arms along with a few other females as Warren was trying to take the load from me.

"Watch this, give me their loads too," I was showing off as the girls just grinned in awe as I was putting their men to shame. I carried a small tower of ten barrels, Warren was laughing at something that was muttered, but he clapped Daro on the back and soon Daro was laughing.

"It is only eleven in the afternoon; their day of work is done with your help. I am pretty sure they all left to make our family bigger," but we agreed never to tell them of the fertility issues Hero's face in the future how hard it was to conceive a baby. "I need a bath, where is a damn river,"

Answering, "I thought it was me, but it's you," waving his hand in front of his nose. "It is both but fuck you. Now it's your loss, I was going to share my supplies," He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. I guess he must get used to that, the sudden pause in a person's natural expression when they looked his way followed by overcompensating with a nonchalant gaze and a weak smile. But now he paused his face growing curious. "What supplies were you given that I wasn't," his tone had me running from him, but he gave chase and seconds later I was airborne and laughing like a banshee.

He gazed down, we were given different things, I had the smokes, lighter, money, real soap, some tissues, toilet paper, hair care products, a small nail kit that he was now sitting and using with care as to not break them. "I will eat every candy bar if you don't share," scoffing,

"Believe you said they are poison for your body," he countered. "And you stated so was my dick," and yet that wasn't in my body. For some time the silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground.

He stood after handing me my kit back, but he offered his hand out to me it was warm and rough but mine fit perfectly. "Get the stuff we are about to bathe, I have two furs," I took my clothes with me, but he tossed them back down just shoes, easier to dress in here.

I was walking unusually slowly, almost robotically, as if my brain was struggling to tell each foot to take the next step. It was as if I was in a stupor; like someone under hypnosis in one of those scooby-doo cartoons. Warren his strides are rapid and long and soon enough I had to hurry behind him.

The water tumbled down the hillside in a series of mini-waterfalls. The water tinkled in a laughing sort of way, the rocks were slippery as we crossed the stream but there was a handwoven rope to hold on to. He made sure I was in shallow waters and he was not far off as he demanded to use my things, but with a firm warning only small amounts because I wanted these goods for as long as possible.

Coldwater runs down my arm, almost freezing as it goes. But the water around me grew warmer and warmer, but it made me very aware of the man behind me and the dirty clothes that are on the ground in front of me on the shore. An internal pep talk, get this over with, come on get clean you dirty bitch. It felt good there was no lying about it, I slide down into the water, letting it block out the sounds around me. I used the Oatmeal soap Jennifer was favoring these days. There's something harsh about it, Scottish, penitential. Once I have indulged myself in sandalwood, cinnamon, musk, Arabian fragrances, pastel and lavish at the same time. "Here Peace hand the bottles over," he did and took the plastic bag that held the real soap and small scrubber poufy, I wanted to laugh hearing his mewls and groaning.

I measured the shampoo first just enough, scrubbing it in before tossing the bottle near my clothes letting the honey and cream just sit in my disgusting hair. "This feels so good," he groaned low like an animal. "You're taking this bath to new level's Peace," laughing feeling the water growing cold but again I laughed making it grow warmer and more to my liking. I rinsed and conditioned as he was finished and walking to his shoes and fur and leather towel, I wanted to not look but his skin was kissed by the sun, his back was chiseled and maybe from marble like a walking Greek god his tattoos all tribal. I have seen Kai naked when he was in the shower after not getting laid at least by me, and he had a smoking body but the way Warren looked was something more and I couldn't place my finger on it, but right now my eyes are on his ass and my laud.

I thankfully turned and sunk into the water to rinse my hair one last time, the last thing I needed was for him to see me gawking at him in such a way. He was covered and holding my fur to me as he looked away enough to give me the chance to cover my body and slip the old slippers on. "Come on, let's get back and dress," but he looked good all wet. "Makes you miss the showers at Sky High," he chuckled.

"Right, now my hair will take another hour to dry. So let's get near a fire," it was a shorter walk back and once we dressed we just sit by the fire with my brush. "Shame they didn't pack a razor; you are looking like a mountain man. Have you thought about when we return home if our physical changes here will still be present when we return," his hands run over the growing facial hair it was thick, although not quite a beard yet?

Shrugging, "Haven't thought about it, but nothing is simple like I thought it is. Travel is harsh and slow but faster than a bike everything is taking time and that's is also against us. I mean we have read about the two great first, now we get to live it and Jackie said Kai hasn't gathered he is Chaos. I know how our world has changed and how we are not fully adjusting, we still think of home and what we had. It has to stop because we don't know when we will return, but I know we will. We have to grow, we have to adapt to this time like you did today. You lived here longer than myself and survived over a month before I found you, I think about what I read in your journal, what you faced and how you're scared you'll get sick and die leaving me to face him alone. I could take him but no way you're going anywhere," his words muttered to the fire and not me, his own heart poured out and this was not something I ever thought of the big bad. Jennifer said he was very reserved in emotions and this was not on his level, but here I see a new side to him and me to him.

Dinner was more a party of a bunch of drunk people. I could hear them screaming with joy and could feel their feet disturbing the ground around me. Without looking, their smiles extended towards me, attempting to turn my face from what, from who, I was focused on. Their bodies moved together as they celebrated, rhythmically. The celebration went on into the night, everyone dancing like they'd forgotten how to stand still. Warren with a large wooden mug and a smile he seemed happier here, daily as I healed I saw him in a new light how this life was easier on us both.

I was with the woman who are laughing and drinking too, I was not everything about him had me tuned in. But a deep grunt had my attention, a young buck, only seen him once he was visiting and not kin to Warren. "Dance," Willo gave him a stern look, but I smiled refusing. "Nye," my eyes returning to Warren who was trying not to let Daro braid his now longer hair, but I liked it.

Like a jolt his eyes turn to mine, locking and he smiles brighter and at that moment I wanted to stay here and just grow old. Then he moves closer with those eyes that look so deeply into my own, "Dance," was said again in a angrier tone, I stood up. "NYE," my voice rising making attention come my way as Willo, touched my shoulder moving me back in time as Warren swung his fist nailing the man in his jaw, a small ping and the blood alerted us Warren knocked a tooth out.

His tone should alone have killed than man, seething. "Halte dich von meiner Frau fern," I was lost again, our original language came to us, but not others and I wanted to ask him what he said.

But his kin took the man and no more was he was seen by me. Warren just planted himself at my side. "What you say to him?"

"Nothing just a warning," but he was not smiling as I snapped, "Tha thu a 'laighe, tha thu a' whimp," now he looked confused as I left his side and he once again gave chase grabbing my shoulder, in anger I sent him head over heels his body slamming into the wall, it slumped down. Willo checked him he was alive as an uproar happened and I was lifted into the air as they cheered. I thought for a second it was a lynching but it was a party.

When the stars come out to play and the evening takes on that aroma of the night, when the crickets sing for the joy of living, my bed awaits. I love the softness, the quiet, the sense of rest. My thoughts were slow as I rest on my bed it is the four pillars beneath me, my safe place and cozy serenity. I could feel him sink into the same bed just as every night we have been here, I feel his arms snake around me pulling me close. "Bexley, I just warned him to stay away from you, that was it. Don't be mad at me, it make for a rough trip if we are angry. My kin are thrilled with you, you're family to them and we're to return from Poland before we head to Spain," I wished I stole Kai's power he can travel short distances and much more. I turned in his arms, "I am not mad, I have enjoyed myself here and for a little time I rather not leave and just grow old here," his face contorted in the dim light.

"I have felt that way too, but we're not meant to be here in time we will just vanish," I knew we had limits but it was a nice thought to be happy and grow old just being loved and happy. My face was pressed into his bare chest as we both drifted off to sleep and how we woke like we blinked but we had a journey ahead of us and in no way could we have a lay-in.

I stood ready with him talking to the men, "Protector, needs you. You need him," she was right as I agreed my eyes on him. "Yes," she touched my face with care her fingers just traced my features. "So much pain," Willo looked worried there was much Warren never knew of the real Kai and how vile he was and why I stuck around for so long.

I had Jackie's horse as the snow was gone, still cold but the journey would be a little easier. "Let's go," I rode off with him behind me, he was not as graceful as I was on a horse, but we knew I have been riding longer.

No building, no freeways just open terrain that mad for a smoother ride for now.