Disclaimer: Lost Girl belongs to Showcase or SYFY and I am only playing in their universe.
A/N: Thanks to all the readers, reviewers, favs. and follows. Your interest in the story is always greatly appreciated.
The bold proclamation of a one hour departure window had come and gone, Bo and Lauren had more preparation work than they thought. The horses were equipped with basic supplies but neither woman wanted to be lacking anything after Bryan the dwarf gave them an idea of where they would be traveling and who they might be facing. They both wanted to get on the road and find the men who had Hilde but the truth was that the hag was protected in the cage and a mistake before they took off could cost them dearly.
"Open land realm my ass, how about middle of nowhere realm." Grumbled Bo with a curled lip. The wilderness was just that, deep woods travel up a mountain, passed the tree line to approach the castle which was built into an outcropping of barren rock. "Are we going to need climbing gear?" Bo asked she had been in tactical mode since she returned from the woods with Kenzi. Her intensity had everyone but Tamsin on edge. The valkyrie was pleased to see the focus of the succubus. She found Bo's usual habit of running into a fight without preparation unnerving, this was much better.
Bryan thought for a moment and then said, "No, there are ropes in the saddle bags on each of the horses. That should be enough if the need arrives. Do you know how to work with ropes and make a climbing harness?"
Kenzi who happened to be walking by said, "Are you talking ropes, well let me tell you how much Bo likes to tie people…" She cut off that statement when Bo shot her a hard look. Her best friend was not in a joking mood. "Bo has the rope thing down Bry." Kenzi patted the dwarf on the shoulder and mouthed to Bo to ease up. The succubus rolled her eyes but then cracked a small smile despite her intense mood.
Lauren was upstairs on the phone with Trick again. He was calling with another piece of advice. The Ash of the Light had been reading various passages from books to the doctor and was now summarizing, "Now the Grand Lord works with guilt and remorse you need to be prepared to handle that. He is also incredibly strong and prides himself on his ability to dominate his opponents in fights and weaponry."
"Trick that is good information but anything on how to defeat him?" the doctor asked as she pulled on the leather armor she had agreed to wear. Bo had got these for her when they spared without Lauren's cat form being called. The doctor remembered teasing her lover about just wanting to see her in leather, Bo had not argued. Shifting the phone to wedge it between shoulder and cheek, Lauren had done fine with the pants and then the chaps that fit over the top made of a thicker leather. They weren't as broke in as she would have liked with the idea of riding miles a day on horseback, but no one had sided with her when she suggested she wear something else. Buckling the belt at her waist she realized the Ash had yet to respond. "Trick?" said Lauren, "Is everything okay?"
"No," he said miserably. "I have no idea of how to defeat a first fae. Hopefully you can catch up with Hilde before you ever see him." As hard as it was to hear, the doctor appreciated his honesty.
"Amen to that," sighed Lauren as she twisted around to try to get to the side buckles on the leather vest that covered her torso. She had managed the laces by her hips but her sore shoulder and hands were starting to bother her. "We have about forty minutes before we leave, give me a call back if you find anything. Thanks Trick."
The Ash answered, "I will and I am looking into the other thing too. Don't worry okay." With that the connection ended and Lauren tossed the phone one the bed in defeat. "Don't forget that other thing, that bad case of human I have," the doctor muttered as she reached for the buckles and then winced.
"Can I help you with that?" a soft voice came from the doorway and Lauren jumped. Bo was standing there as if waiting for permission to come in. Lauren threw up her hands in frustration and then turned. "Hold up your arms if you can." The doctor gave her a sharp look at the round-about mention of her injured shoulder which the succubus ignored and held her hands up covering the pain it caused her. With quick efficient movements, the buckles on both sides were snugged up and finished off. "There you go."
Bo picked up the thick leather pieces that would cap Lauren's shoulders. They fit over the shoulder itself then extend to cover her upper arms in three movable pieces. The succubus eyed Lauren's injuries and moved to the untouched shoulder and connected the protective leather with belt like straps that connected to the front and back of the leather vest. Keeping the unused armor piece with her, Bo said, "If it is alright with you, we need to do a double check of the supplies and then we should be ready soon after that. If you need more time then..."
"That would be fine." Lauren said and then ground her teeth as the succubus turned quickly and left the room without another word. "Just fantastic." The doctor snapped to the now empty space. Looking around the room that had been cleared of debris but was now littered with piles of personal items that were being judged worthy of making the trip. She had camped before but nothing like this. Going off for how long on this trek made Lauren sigh. There was nothing she could really do about it, but she wanted this all over sooner than later.
There was a soft knock on the door and Dyson stood there, "You look a little lost." He smiled and held out a hand. "Tell me what I can do." He was calm, sure and showed no signs of running from her, just what Lauren needed.
"How about you rewind the world about three days." Said the doctor as she grabbed for a pair of socks and then tossed them back on the bed. Dyson laughed and shrugged. "If only, right." said Lauren as she walked over to him and he pulled her into a hug. "You will take care of Kenzi and Bruce won't you." There had been no choice as to who would be making the rescue attempt. Lauren had to go, Bo would not leave her side. Kenzi needed to stay to help Bruce and Dyson would need to stay with her. The rest were caught up in fae politics and would not be traveling too far from home.
The wolf let out a low growl, "Of course, maybe even Tamsin too." Lauren let out small laugh and she ignored how her hand hurt from the punch she had landed. Dyson continued more seriously, "We have been giving you your space after what happened but are you okay to do this? No one wants to offend you, Lauren. God, Bo is treading the lightest of us all as far as I can tell. But we need to know, can you do this?"
"Is that what she is doing," said Lauren sounding a bit hurt and not for the first time thinking how she and Bo had been more than careful around each other since the attack. "To answer your question though, I am beat up but I can travel. I have to make this trip Dyson, it is up to me to get into that cage and free Hilde. Kenzi gave me some of her cure-all to drink." The doctor laughed as the wolf made a face. "And I have a whole travel container in my kit. I am in better shape than I should be."
"Being fully human again Lauren, that is what I am asking about." said Dyson
"I know what you are talking about wolf." Said Lauren with a growl of her own, "I just don't have an answer for you yet. I was human a lot longer than I was fae. Bo is going to be the one to get us close enough for the rescue. I will just have to remember what I was good at before the change and hope that is enough to help out when it is my time to act."
xxxxXXXXxxxx
"You are worthless, give me that." snarled Roldan grabbing the rag from the man in front of him as the princely fae worked to mop at his ruined face before he put on another makeshift bandage. Hyde who had been trying to help just walked away. It was not worth the aggravation. The Stoneling had no sympathy for the man. There had been no need to torture the woman at the farm but Roldan had insisted. It should not have been a shock that her fae nature would be different than anything he had touched. Roldan's arrogance had gotten the better of him and he paid the appropriate price as far as Hyde was concerned.
The Grand Lord had ranted about the mutant that his daughter had joined forces with until the court was sick of hearing about it. Hyde had to laugh to himself that after all the Grand Lord's blustering of the inferiority of the 'creature', as the first fae leader had called the woman, it had been proven entirely untrue.
Lauren Lewis had almost defeated the Grand Lord's executioner when she had been all but passed out from exhaustion. The hag was powerful as her protection spell showed and her might was to be expected but the hybrid was something unexpected. If they had met the woman at full strength, it would have been interesting to say the least.
Walking to tend the horses, Hyde wished for this all to be over. Placing a gentle hand on a thick strong neck of the first horse, he thought of his good friend Bryan. The old fae had taken care of the stables for as long as he could remember and taught him how to care for the beastly steeds when the young solider was at a loss for what to do with his time.
A mix of a Shire and Clydesdale with a touch of the horses of old, the animals at his side were truly grand in appearance and strength. Bryan had been sure to pack any needed supplies for the care of the horses with each team. Hyde wanted the animals to remain happy and healthy. There was an impatient huff from the horse nearest to him and Hyde started to move more quickly as he went about looking after the beasts' needs.
It had been no problem for the big horses to pull the cage but the nature of the magic that surrounded the hag had forced her captures to devise a unique method of transfer before they could even get started. The Stoneling had to use his control of rock to create two runners to carry the cage. It had been a testament to his power that he was able to drive the runners through the earth then up under the cage to lift it up. The runners making the cage transportable. The ropes could not touch the cage itself, so they had to be looped on the stone runners.
Given enough time the stone barriers holding the cage would fail. The edge of the stone runners would dull due to the friction with the ground. The stone devices would have to be remade by the Stoneling. Roldan had fumed at each repair lamenting the fact that the hag could not just be killed and they could be done with this. Hyde had just rolled his eyes and done his job doing his best to ignore the man's whining.
The path back to the castle had them moving through dense trees at times. With Roldan still tending to his injuries, it was up to the Stoneling to clear the path alone. Tired and sore, the young fae called an end to their second day of travel, he needed to rest. Pulling a meal pouch from the saddle bags, Hyde moved to find a quiet place to eat. Opening the leather bag and seeing the salted meat and potatoes he looked up and his eyes caught sight of the hag sitting in the cage looking calm and collected. Guilt slammed him in the stomach. Kidnaping, murder, torture were not his way. He was a solider and a member of the Grand Lord's guard he did as ordered but he had always felt it was for a greater good. This just felt so wrong on all levels. He had no taste for harming a woman who was with child.
Hilde had been watching the goings on throughout the day. Her brother was a mess and it was getting worse. She almost shouted suggestions that would have eased his discomfort somewhat just to shut him up, but he had taken to venting his anger at his situation by yelling insults at her through the cage bars. That had deterred her willingness to help quickly. The hag had focused instead on the horses and the Stoneling that rode with Roldan. Hilde had picked up quickly that he was not there of his own free will. Roldan was not his friend so the man must be in her brother or father's debt. Either way a horrible place to find yourself.
Now Hilde saw him looking at her as he had sat down for a meal. He was aware that she was watching him too. She saw him checking her brother's position and then place his hand to the ground. He pulled on his powers and Hilde watched as a small jagged outcropping of rock appeared beside him. The young fae then snapped the stone and with a push of his hand rolled it flat as one would form dough when baking. Again the Stoneling checked for Roldan and then placed half of his meal on the flat rock. Pushing more power he formed the disc into a ball trapping the food inside.
Standing and walking to the cage, Hilde was wary at what the young one was doing. He then carefully pushed the rock ball against one of the bars. It was different than an assault and the rock did not break into tiny pieces. Instead, the slow pressure against the cage caused it to flare with power and sliced the rock shape into thin strips which fell on the inside of the bars. To Hilde's delight each of the strips of stone held food in the middle. The heat of the exchange between rock and magic had heated the meal nicely. The end pieces of the stone fell like small plates.
Walking back to his seat Hyde saw the hag push the food from each slice onto a flat stone plate and begin to eat. She looked up and smiled at him in thanks. He nodded and smiled back but then turned back to his own dinner without a word. As Hilde quickly finished her food she thought of the actions of the young man. Maybe she had an unlikely ally in all this.
xxxxXXXXxxxx
"Tell them again about the other two teams out there." Insisted Kenzi as she started to look for Lauren's pockets. It had become a habit of the druid to arm the doctor. The druid had already pulled her best friend aside and given her a few goodies now it was Lauren's turn.
"With all the leather Kenz, I don't think there are pockets and I probably don't need…" Lauren started but was rapid cut off.
"This is my Hotpant's protection kit, you don't leave home without it." said Kenzi sounding very official. Dyson handed a small pouch with a thick strap over the druid's shoulder motioning for her to pack for the doctor with that. "Oh okay," throwing open the leather bag. "We have four bags of seeds," seeing the doctor starting to speak she raised a warning finger, "We have spark traps, slime traps, web traps and a whole bunch of drips." Motioning to the last, "It's a new one, use it when you need water." She said with a smile then added with a more serious look. "Don't drop those okay." The druid pointed to the plastic baggies then continued, "And then there are your Granola bars, two bags of peanuts and gum." Tying the flap of the bag down the druid handed the now bulging container to the doctor.
"Thanks Kenzi," Lauren said with a smile. "I appreciate it." The druid gave her a playful bump but smiled too.
Clearing his throat Bryan said, "There are two other teams out there besides the one that has your Hilde. One is made of three wind assassins, three sisters, and they are mean, sneaky women." The dwarf sounded discussed. Seeing his disquiet, Bo motioned for more. "Aw see I prefer a straight up fight, they work on ambush and surprise, hide in trees and set traps. Only one step up above the demon fae that rode with me. I doubt they ever made it through the rock road, it is my guess that they are waiting on the other side to steal away the prize…Hilde… and finish off their competition so they can take her in as if they had done the capture themselves." Seeing Lauren's clouded expression he grumbled. "No offence or anything."
"What of the other team?" ask Lauren trying to tamp down her anger that her little mother was being treated like a toy of some sort for others to play with for some game. "Are they the ones that did all the damage to the farmhouse and barn?"
"Aye," said Bryan, "They are a burly lot. Two trolls and a bugbear."
Kenzi winced, "What's a bugbear?"
"Think second cousin to a troll, humans sometimes call his species a hobgoblin. Smaller than a troll but quicker, better with finesse weapons, like a knife and bow and arrow. The bugbear is the one in charge. They are from the Grand Lords guard. My friend Hyde, a young solider, told me about them. No playing around here, they will come straight for you. I am sure they are the ones that did the damage to this place. Just out of spite for missing their shot at making the capture first."
"Thank you," said Bo sincerely, "I think we need to get going." She had been eyeing the sun and if they wanted to make it through the rock road and have some light to make camp on the other side they would need to get going soon. There were hugs all around and they loaded up. They took only two horses as Hilde's weight could easily be held by one of the big steeds.
Bo took in her ride, then rolled her eyes as she did a few bounces before she was able to get herself up and balanced. Lauren watched as the succubus did her best to look comfortable on the great beast. With one fluid motion the doctor was on her mount and ready. The look on Bo's face was priceless and any other time Lauren might give the succubus a hard time. Instead she stroked the neck of her horse and then with a quick touch of heels she was moving forward. Bo after a quick final goodbye to the group followed up quickly.
Feeling Bo moving up behind her Lauren, tapped her ride again and the big horse stretched out and ran. It had been sometime since she had ridden but it was something she had been very good at in her past. With the feel of the breeze hitting her face she wondered why she had ever stopped. Looking back she saw Bo was doing fine, technique was not great but she was far from falling off. The doctor actually laughed out loud as they headed for the canyon and the rock road.
Bo thought to herself that she should have known that Lauren would be an experienced rider. The succubus didn't know much about the doctor's upbringing and Lauren never shared so like many things in their relationship it went untouched. Bo's heart had broken seeing her lover in the hospital so hurt and she had not really recovered from it. Tamsin had hit it on the head when she questioned Bo's ability to protect the doctor. It had been something on Bo's mind. In a straight up fight she was good to go but she had to start to be more aware if she was going to keep Lauren safe.
Then this morning Lauren had just taken off, not a word shared beyond the niceties one would share with a stranger. The doctor's body language screaming that she wanted to be left alone after Bo had let her get hurt and Hilde be taken captive. To try to make up for her mistake, Bo had prepared for the rescue mission as completely as possible in the short time they had. Every time she saw Lauren she was careful not to make her run from her again, she was giving the doctor the space she need to deal with what happened alone as Lauren didn't seem to want to talk to her about anything.
Seeing Lauren urge her horse into a run, Bo gritted her teeth and let her ride follow. She had to admit the doctor looked happy and she didn't really want to disrupt that, but they were coming to the canyon and she need to be the one in front. It was about five more minutes when the rocky walls of the canyon surrounded them. "Lauren, hold up." called Bo. The doctor smiled back and then motioned for the succubus to follow her. "No, Lauren I need to get in front…" Bo insisted. Instead of listening the doctor direct her horse up a narrow twisting trail as if she hadn't heard a word.
Lauren knew that Bo was not as experienced a rider as she was, the trail was not for a novice to navigate. She heard Bo's shout but she was not going to let the succubus's unnecessary worry about her return to human put them in danger. Her lover had been being so careful around her, it was madding. Motioning to Bo to follow she made the decision to take the lead. The doctor walked her horse up the trail, looking for any pitfalls that might cause one or both of them harm. Thanking Bryan for his work with the big horses, they seemed to move with confidence unafraid of this type of terrain. The trail needed her full attention as it became much steeper and although she heard more growling comments from Bo she did not lose her focus as they worked their way up the narrow rocky path.
The dark depression Bryan had mentioned loomed in front like the mouth to a small cave. As the two women had understood it, if you just rode into it the path would illuminate and after a few steps you would be at the edge of the Open Lands. There was no room to take the trail next to one another so Lauren took a deep breath and moved her horse into the darkness, with Bo close behind her.
The inside of the cave was completely dark for a moment then the path began to glow. There was no open light on the other end and Lauren swallowed hard and kept her eyes on the two lines that bordered the flattened earth that created the path. With a fist of worry starting to take hold in her stomach, Lauren was about to say something about going back when she was suddenly in the light. In shock she looked back and saw first the head of Bo's horse then the rest move out into the daylight behind her. It was as if they had just moved out of a waterfall of darkness. "Cool," the doctor thought and then saw the look on Bo's face and wonder was replaced with concern.
They had moved out of the darkness not onto a trail but into a meadow. There was a large road that curved along the edge of the green space about ten yards away and looked to be well maintained. Lauren slowed up her horse but Bo did not move up to ride next to her, instead the succubus urged her horse forward and down the road forcing Lauren to follow. Reaching a thick patch of trees, a mix of Aspen and Cottonwood, the succubus moved her ride off the path and into the cover with steady movement farther into the trees. Using the protection provided by the shadows, Bo pulled up quickly and put her horse in Lauren's path forcing the doctor into a fast stop. "Just what the hell do you think you are doing?" said Bo her eyes reflecting the anger that the succubus was feeling.
"Jesus, Bo," Lauren snapped she reached down and patted the neck of her ride. "Horses are not like cars with brakes. If you are not worried about yourself or me, you might want to take some care with them."
"That's it." Growled Bo and she jumped from her mount with a quick couple of pats to his front that might have been an apology. "How the hell am I supposed to protect you if…" Bo was seething.
Just as fast Lauren was off her horse and moving up to position herself in front of the succubus, "So with all your great skills as a horse rider you were…"
"You just ignored me, I need to be in front so I can…" Bo was yelling.
Lauren was leaning in, "I am not some helpless being Bo, I can handle…."
"Shush…" said Bo fast holding her hand up.
"You did not just shush me Bo, so help me God I will…" Lauren roared and slapped at hand between them.
"NO…Shush..." Bo eyes started to glow, "Move," she yelled and pushed the doctor towards her horse as the succubus dove in the other direction. Three spears struck the ground where they had been having their argument.
Shrieking laughter rained down from the tree far off to the side. Bo's armor glowed as did the swords that shot out of her arms and with her two toned voice she said to Lauren, "Stay safe, the map is in the saddle bag. Ride off if you need to." Then the champion began to run. The laughter died and more spears shot out of the trees and with the swing of her swords Bo blocked each one leaving them in pieces as she move forward, With a quick jump Bo was swinging up into the trees getting off the ground and moving meet the attack on the level it was coming from.
Quickly she had used a search for chi to locate all three of them. They had to be the wind assassins that the dwarf had mentioned. They were in front of her and not moving forward towards Lauren. Two were in a tree directly ahead of her and one was on the ground. The thin forms of the women were completely immersed in the shadows and had to think themselves entirely cloaked. No so, their auras and chi were bright red and blue with the excitement of the fight and Bo could read them perfectly. The two in the trees were not moving so making a fast decision, Bo decided to take out the one on the ground first.
In an unexpected move Bo dove for a branch and then swung around to direct her motion and dropped to the ground. The succubus ran like she was unaware of the threat on the ground, Bo looked to the trees and appeared to pay no attention to the woman hidden in the brush. On her current path she would move right beside the hidden enemy. The wind assassin pulled a long thin sword from her back and readied to swing at her unsuspecting prey.
At the last second, Bo dropped to a slide and the sharp metal of the fae's sword sliced the air directly above her form. With a swipe of her arm as she passed, Bo sliced out with a chi sword. There was the thick sound of impact and then a startled laugh as the woman was pulled off balance with the deep wound. Regaining her feet fast Bo was up and just as the woman turned, the chi swords of the succubus took her head. Placing her sword on the body the woman's chi danced into the blade as the last of the assassin's life energy left her body. Bo ran back towards Lauren.
Seeing their sister fall so quickly the remaining assassins split, one moving towards the human and the horses the other pulling back to wait for the succubus. They recognized the Grand Lord's stock and knew that at the least there was information to be gained here. They had seen only one other team pass by, the one with the trolls, but they did not have the prize. They would squeeze these two for information then take their horse and move on in pursuit.
Lauren knew that each team worked in trios. Bo was on the move but would stay close enough to take care of her but she was a long way from helpless. Bo's suggestion to ride off to safety was flatly ignored. The doctor had to go with her strengths, grabbing for Kenzi's bag of goodies she then mounted her horse and turned the big beast. As if understanding the situation at the touch of Lauren's heels the big stallion reared and then came down to stomp its huge front hooves and then charged as his rider positioned herself low as she moved into the fight.
Seeing a horse moving towards her the wind assassin assumed that the horse was bolting, no human with knowledge of fae would ride into a battle with one. Then she saw the form of the human crouched low, "Stupid human," She grinned to herself, thinking of the blow she could land to keep the silly woman alive just long enough to answer a few questions before she let the weak thing die. She raised her bow and notched an arrow she pulled back and just as she was to release the deadly dart the woman on the horse appeared to fall off the far side, disappearing form sight. She watched as legs swung down to hit the ground and waited for the rest of the body to follow. It didn't.
Lauren gritted her teeth, hell she hadn't done this since she was a kid, and never on a horse this big. She had seen the woman approaching her. The battle experience of the doctor was rather impressive if she stopped to think about it and she knew right were to look for trouble. The light caught the sharp arrow and she knew she would have to change her position or get shot. She swung her legs down and then used the bounce from the ground and her grip on the thick belt of the bag to let her twist and then swing back up to a seated position.
Keeping a death grip on the belt and rains, pulling the baggie of one of Kenzi's traps from where it had been clinched between her teeth. Lauren tossed it at the archer who had paused just a moment too long. The web trap hit at the feet of the assassin and she ignored it stepping forward through the dust to reset her shot. The motion of her feet triggered the web and it started to grow, reaching up to begin to wrap around the woman's leg.
Wiggling her leg to free herself from the sensation of something grabbing at her, the bow was pulled back, the arrow following the horse just waiting to be released at the right time to take the human out. A black tendril wrapped around the woman's waist and she finally looked down, not only losing her shot but realizing she was in real trouble. Kicking and attempting to run spurred the black webbing on faster and soon she was cocooned in the sticky mess watching her prey ride back towards the other horse as she fell helpless to the ground. Not accepting failure and never to be taken captive, the wind assassin used her last free moments to jam an arrow into her neck and end her life free from shame.
Bo was running back towards Lauren and saw the team of fae split. Using her focus she followed the one that had moved to the side to wait for her and memorized her location. She then watched as Lauren rode out to meet the other one. Cursing under her breath, Bo moved forward fast and edged away from the fae waiting for her in hopes of helping Lauren first. She had no such luck, as if sensing her avoidance the assassin came for her. On the run the woman had her sword at the ready. Growling Bo, called for her staff and planting with her lead foot spun quickly. The chi staff shot out in a whipping arc. There was a smash with the brutal impact. The attacking fae gasped from the hard smack directed to her side as she felt a rib or two crack.
To the woman's credit she rolled and then regained her footing to move at Bo again. The succubus this time waited as the woman lunged forward with the blade extended she planted the staff and vaulted over the head of her opponent. Pulling her legs in to do a front roll in the air, the champion lost the staff as she recalled the blades. As the woman spun around readjusting from her missed strike, she found herself back pedaling from Bo's rapid attack. "We don't have to do this. Stand down and we can talk." Said Bo as she had the woman on the run.
"Never," hissed the woman who planted her foot and then made a desperate slash at her enemy. Bo had no choice she dropped to a knee and then took both blades up into the torso of her attacker. The sharp sword of the wind assassin made one almost lazy slash and then it tumbled from it's owners hand as she lost the battle. Bo watched as yet another white line etched its way on to her blade and the chi of her opponent was pulled into the blades.
There was a thunderous noise and Bo turned from her dead opponent to see Lauren riding up fast with the horses. The doctor said, "We might want to move away from here. I don't know what the powers are of the Grand Lord in terms of bloodshed in his land. Bo nodded as her pulled in her blades but not her armor.
"Please let me ride in front." Bo said as she did her couple of hops and then pulled herself up to the saddle. "If not for you, then me. Okay?"
"Okay," said Lauren glad to let her champion take up the protective position. Without another word they rode off till the sun was low in the sky. Bo motioned towards a dense set of trees and carefully scanned for any surprise. The doctor pulled up beside her, "Good enough place to camp for the night." The women agreed and dismounted. As if in a silent dance the two set up camp as if they had done it a thousand times.
They were both still jumpy from the attack and Bo would take time to scan the area for signs of chi often. Neither woman spoke about it, but the sudden attack was unexpected. They had only been through the rock road a few minutes before they had encountered another team. Would the danger be coming at them like this until they had Hilde safe at home? They had to assume the answer was yes.
As time moved on they became more and more sure that they had not triggered some type of response from the Grand Lord and began to relax. Lauren moved to care for the horses as Bo set up the tent. Moving to build a small fire, Lauren smiled to find a lighter in the supplies. Taking a pouch of food out, Bo frowned as she handed the food off. "What is it?" asked the doctor.
"Water," Bo said, "We have some in the canteens but I was hoping to find something we could use around here."
Lauren stood from her watch over the fire pit, "Well we could go looking or," walking to the saddle bags, then Lauren pulled out Kenzi's pouch. "Our resident druid gave us something called drips. Want to try?" Bo had to smile and then shrugged they looked for a spot downhill from the campsite. Finding a small group of medium sized rocks, Bo motioned Lauren back as she tossed the baggie against the hard surface about halfway up the rock face, a foot or so above the ground. With what the two women could had sworn sounded like waves, there was a crash and then water started to flow from the impact sight. First it was a small trickle and then it was like someone left a garden hose on.
Reaching in for a quick taste before Lauren could stop her. Bo shrugged, "That's our girl, who else could get water from a stone." Then the succubus beamed and both ladies laughed and shook their heads. Kenzi was becoming quite something. They each took a quick drink and then moved to fill up any containers they needed to top off not knowing how long the stream would last. "Think we could get her to set up something like this for Chokecherry wine?" Bo asked and that made Lauren laugh, the doctor caught the soft look in Bo eyes and reached out to touch her arm before they moved back to the fire to finish cooking dinner.
The meat and potatoes went down fast as darkness moved in and covered the duo in a clear starry sky. There was little clean up and Lauren had moved to an open spot to sit and observe the sky. She waited for what felt like a long time and began to think that Bo might not join her. There was the sound of footsteps finally signaling the champion's approach. Bo smiled as she took her seat by the doctor's side. "How's the Big Dipper doing tonight?" She asked as she settled down and looked up.
The succubus had finished a quick check of the surroundings. The chi signature of the doctor was the only blue glowing enough to signal a being of significant size. Dropping her head and then looking up again Bo altered her focus and took in the doctor's aura. The succubus gasp as the essence around the doctor glowed a brilliant white. Nothing like the pale wispy white from the hospital. Stopping to grab something from her saddle bag, she approached Lauren and took a seat.
"Ursa Major is doing just fine." Smiled the doctor as she felt the warmth of the body right next to her. The twosome sat in silence as they took in the beautiful view finally Bo turned and with a gentle tug she adjusted the doctor's body. Lauren started to protest but Bo put a finger to her mouth and shook her head. With a careful touch, Bo brushed a hand along the doctor's exposed bruised and red shoulder. Lauren's breath caught at the intensity of Bo's attentions. The succubus took Lauren's hands in hers and bit back a curse as she saw how bruised and red they appeared, the doctor must have felt some pain all day. Lauren went to pull back but Bo held tight.
"No," Bo said roughly, "Let's take care of these, okay?" She pulled out a small jar. Opening it she smiled slyly as the smell of the cure-all gel touched their noses. They both laughed but then Lauren had to fight for breath again and Bo started to massage the smooth cool material into first one then the other hand. Slowly she worked her thumb over the palm and then with slight pressure moved up each finger. Bo noted the bruises on the knuckles of her right hand and raised an eye brow towards the doctor. Lauren was going to answer but Bo started to work her way up the right arm. Working the tight muscles of the forearm then the well-defined bicep.
"That feels so good," the doctor said as she finally just let herself go and enjoy the feel of the caring touch. Bo was silent but gathered some more of the salve and started to focus on the tender shoulder. As Bo continued to work Lauren said, "I'm okay you know." The doctor felt the hands of the woman tending her shiver. Placing a hand to Bo arm Lauren stopped her. Looking the succubus in the eye, she continued, "The attack was bad and what Roldan did was terrible but I'm alive. It could have been much worse." Bo had put her head down. "What is it?" Lauren asked carefully.
"I'm so sorry," the succubus said quietly but her voice was choked with emotion, "In my mind I know there was nothing I could do. Hilde closed the passageway but, Lauren I feel like I failed you, failed to protect our family."
Lauren sighed, "Bo there was nothing you could have done. You didn't fail anyone."
"This morning when you could barely talk to me. You took off running on your own. I knew you were trying to get your head around all that had happened. What you had lost. You came back and where just all business." Bo sounded so sad. "Then on the trail with the horse earlier you ignored my warnings. I guess I thought you were mad or disappointed in me and…"
"Damn it Bo," Lauren grabbed the succubus's chin. "I could never be disappointed in you. I love you. Was I upset this morning, hell yes. The woman who calls me daughter was taken prisoner before my eyes, a part of my being was magically ripped from my body. But you came for me as fast as you could, you told me you loved me and everything was going to be fine. I woke up with you next to me. You being there has kept me this side of crazy." Lauren moved the fingers holding the chin down to stroke the side of Bo's face and then neck to drift to find her hands and hold them.
"I went for a run. It has been part of my coping mechanism for a long time now. I came back and you all were walking on eggshells around me. Suddenly I felt like I was less than before, maybe it set in that I truly had lost part me." Lauren groaned. "I started thinking about what it meant for us and…"
"Nobody, especially me wanted to ask you about it. Hell the attack only happened yesterday. When you were ready to talk I assumed you would. Lauren you have to know I love you no matter what, the rest will figure itself out. I need you in my life, not for feeding but for everything else. Damn I hate that we have to worry about this again. It is not a problem for me. Don't let it be for you. Please I beg you." Bo's tone was serious. It was Lauren's turn to shake her head.
Bo continued, "This morning, I didn't want to let you down again. I just wanted to be ready for this trip. Make sure nothing else would happen to you." Seeing the exasperated look on Lauren's face, Bo said, "I know, not my fault."
"The horses," Lauren said, "I didn't mean anything by it. You might not have as much experience on a horse as me and the trail was not that easy. I was just trying to help." The doctor was quiet for a moment, "Maybe I was trying to prove something, that I was still good at something."
Bo stood and then held a hand out and helped the doctor to her feet. They walked arm in arm back to the tent, "Tell you what. I will keep telling myself that you being hurt is not my fault. You keep telling yourself that you have to do nothing to prove you are enough. We concentrate on finding and saving Hilde together. Everything else we agree to work through as it comes."
"I don't know," said Lauren as they approached the tent. "I think you might have to convince me." Turning she gave Bo a wink and moved inside. The succubus stood outside and did a scan of the area. Finding that they were safe for now she let out a happy growl and ducked down to meet Lauren inside to hold the woman she loved all night long.
