How about a really quick chapter? Yes? Then let's get to it.
The moonlit plain lay before the four of us. It was an odd feeling to be travelling with a group again. Hilde and Cassandra had explained that they were searching for the ingredients of a potion; the King of Wolfkrone, Hilde's father, was gravely ill, and only this potion could save him. And there was only one person in the entire world who could brew that potion: Ivy Valentine. Cassandra innocently proclaimed that they needed "some big strong men" to help them out; Hilde gave her a sharp rap on the back of the head for that remark.
"Who's taking first watch?" Perseus asked, breaking me out of my reverie.
"I will," Cassandra offered.
"No," Hilde replied instantly. "You'll be asleep within minutes."
"No I won't!"
"I'll do it," I chimed in in a quiet tone. Cassandra looked at me hesitantly. Something within me thought that she was afraid of me. Maybe it was the fact that I still wore my helmet everywhere we went.
"That's cool with me," Perseus said, lying down on the grass.
"There we go then," Hilde's voice was firm. "Ranulph, you take first watch. I'll clean up the pots from dinner. Perseus, Cassandra, get some rest."
Cassandra's face broke out in an expectant grin.
"In separate tents."
The blonde woman pouted. Perseus let out a sigh of disappointment, which I laughed at as I walked off a short distance to take watch.
**RS**
Two hours later, Hilde walked up to me, presumably to take her turn at watch. She was still wearing her armour, sans her helmet, unlike me. "Midnight," she said quietly as she looked up at the sky.
"Yes," I agreed, looking up also. I winced slightly as my helmet once again clanged against my breastplate.
Hilde laughed throatily. "You can take that off, you know. I don't mind."
I looked hesitantly at her, but did as she asked. She gasped as she took in my appearance. I have no idea why. My face was plain, with brown eyes and blonde hair that was tied back in an Oriental-style ponytail.
My eyebrows furrowed. "What's so shocking about my face?"
She answered by hugging me. The gesture would have been romantic, were it not for the heavy clang made by our colliding armour.
I laughed somewhat awkwardly.
"Ranulph," Hilde whispered in a teary voice. "I thought that…after Nightmare…that…that you were dead…"
I chuckled. "As you can see, that's a highly exaggerated rumour."
She laughed at that. "You always were a joker." She touched my arm with one gauntleted hand, which was greeted with another metallic clang. We both laughed at that.
"You know," I said slyly, "if this is meant to be a romantic moment, the sound effects kind of ruin the effect."
She smiled shyly at me. I blinked. Did I see a blush in her cheeks?
"Could you…" she said awkwardly, "er…help me get these off?" She glanced meaningfully at her gauntlets."
I laughed. "Sure."
We struggled briefly with the gauntlets before I pulled them off, landing heavily on my rear end. Hilde laughed at me and pulled me back up.
As I rose, she gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
Stunned, I pulled away. She wasn't looking at me now. She was busy studying the grass at her feet.
"I had to do that…at least once…"
I looked at her sympathetically, placing my hand gingerly on her arm. "Why don't you get some rest?"
"But…"
"I'll take your turn at watch," I interrupted her. "I can't sleep now anyway." I chuckled slightly. "You've given me a lot to think about, Princess."
She looked up at me, her brown eyes suddenly huge.
I laughed openly and pushed her towards the tent. Obediently, she walked away, glancing back only once to watch my silent contemplation of the stars.
Following the long, action-packed chapter, there came a short, mega-fluff chapter.
Again, I am SORRY if Hilde seems REALLY OOC here.
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