Notes: It's been a very long time since I wrote for this fic. I hope those that follow it are happy with the chapter. It will still be a long while before we see any smut, but bloody fights and some Dirk abuse looms in the next few chapters.

It had been a week since the duo had last had a truly restful night. Even now they fled from Eridan's relentless warriors. They camped near rivers and in caves, taking turns and nearly freezing to death on more than one occasion. One of their horses was found dead that morning, both too exhausted to protect the night before. The other was found in a clearing not far from their resting spot. Dave insisted that Dirk ride while he walked beside it, the prince felt it an insult to his masculine pride and refused.

Dirty, shuffling figures entered the town, their first destination of their journey for refuge and redemption, near the outskirts of Derse. The town's people were either worried that they carried diseases, or weren't keen on outsiders, neither male was doing much to appear non-threatening either. Their food supply exhausted three days ago, both hungry and short-tempered; discipline and determination were the only things keeping them from lashing out.

Dirk's vision wavered and warped as he walked, his legs felt like lead, dragging him down, calling him to return the earth from whence he came. He willed the denial of any bodily discomfort, marching on to complete his first goal, Rose. Dave marched the zombie walk with him, ever forward, ever focused. So focused, they did not notice when a slight shadow appeared in front of them, a hood disguising her finer features. She approached, cupping Dave's face before shoving something in his mouth, then doing something similar to Dirk. They followed her to her house near the edge of town, the hope of further sustenance was her pied piper melody; wild herbs growing all around, the prince wondered if they were edible.

Once they stepped into the house a waft of delicious food filled the air, before them lay vegetables, and fruit of unimaginable variety, soup, bread, and pastries filled the table, the two dived for the food, stuffing their faces while the blonde woman hung up her cloak near the door and began preparing something in the back of the room.

Twenty minutes later the boys' bellies were filled and they reclined back in a sleepy haze, nearly nodding off were it not for a swift kick to Dave's shin, making him give a surprised yelp of pain. "Some knight you are, did you even recognize me before you and the prince wandered into my house? You allowed the prince to eat my food without testing it. I thought working as a royal guard would have made you tougher, I'm disappointed, Dave."

Dave looked away shamefully, it's true he had failed in his duty. He'd like to think some part of him knew that it was Rose in front of him, but he couldn't remember much since they were ambushed four days ago by Eridan's men. A swarm of them caught the boys off guard by the river, surrounding them. Were it not for Dirk's quick thinking and clever ruse, they would never have made it out alive.

Rose was knelt before Dirk's a thick green paste prepared. "My liege, you don't look well."

"I'll be fine." A small harsh tap to his temple caught him off guard, looking up he saw stern mouth and a face shadowed by something he wished not to cross. Something about Rose, now that he saw her clearly, rang of knells and tormented souls. As though her face was the very veil that he was trying to avoid.

"You will allow me to wash and treat any wounds." Not a question, an order. He was not even allowed a reaction before she was pulling at his clothes, cutting off his tattered and filthy garments before tossing them into a darkened corner of the lowly lit room. She turned him towards the fire to the east. The roaming flames called to him, of his dead loved ones and his hopes of the future. The fire engulfed him, showing him the fears and terrors of his mind's eye. Plan after plan laid out in his head, and every wipe of Rose's cloth across his back proved the fallacy of each.

The tinkling of the water, rung out of the cloth, turning the water black with dirt, soot, and grime; called him back to the moment and his situation. He looked around, unsure of how much time had passed. Dave was white knuckling the table beside him. "Dave get some rest."

"Sire, I-"

"Don't let Rose's words get to you. You've done well enough, I'm alive. Now rest, I want us out of here tomorrow."

Rose interjected. "You won't be going anywhere for three days."

"The end of this realm is only a little further."

"The end of the realm does not mean the Prospitian castle. You don't know these lands Dirk," A notable sound of Dave's disapproval sounded behind her, she continued, "There are a good many men that would kill you simply for the reward they could extort from Eridan. They would happily torture you for palace secrets, or cut pieces of you and send them to Prospit only to hurt your sister and ask for ransom. There are a great many evils in the world, fleeing one opens you to many more."

"And what does staying here accomplish exactly, Rose." Tired and weary from his journey, Prospit's setup was different. Rather than having the castle in the middle of the land, the royal castle was at the farthest end, near the ocean, brilliant really, but a pain in his ass now. It would take a minimum of two weeks to get there. He's entirely too tired to think straight or see what is likely a valid point in her argument, so if she could just fucking clarify, that would be great.

He hissed as she placed the paste onto a few open wounds in his back. "Some of these are infected, I can fix them, but it will take a few days. Plus, given the state that you and Dave are in, a single night's sleep isn't enough for you two to be at full strength. Not to mention the impending storm that will be here tomorrow."

"How do you know a storm will appear? The skies are clear, almighty Skaia smiles down on us."

"I take it Dave has never told you of my abilities?"

A loud disruptive snoring filled the air, Dave was out cold. "Should we move him?"

"He's not face down in the soup, he'll be fine."

"Good, I'm too tired. Tell me of your abilities."

A terse sound from a soft voice. "Tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Because you will join Dave in, three, two –" A soft, warm darkness slowly consumed Dirk's vision, all sound gone as he felt his body descend into a place of comfort for the first time in a long while. Glimmers of memories filled his senses as he felt gentle hands play with his hair, like his mother used to do when he was a boy, safety, security, soothing feelings washed over his plights as his mind quieted for the evening.

Dirk had less control of himself than he thought, his time in the quiet unreality lasted over twenty-four hours. He awoke to the sound of thunder and rain, Rose reading quietly by the fire, while his head of the guard was cowering under a mountain of blankets. As he rose, wiping the sleep from his eye, the girl took notice. She calmly left her place by the fire, book tucked under her arm and moved with grace of serenity even as the crashes overhead and static in the air threatened to leave everyone off kilter. She brought him fresh soup and bread. As he reached for it, he noticed the tightness around his chest, bandages, fresh ones. His hair felt clean as well, eyeing her with a gaze of inquiry he went about filling his empty stomach. The woman gave him a look of apathy and servitude, placing her book beside him and returning to her place by the flames, now with a pair of knitting needles and what looked to be three-quarters of a shirt.

"The storm should let up late tomorrow morning." She said to the fire. "If we leave around midday we should be in Prospit by nightfall."

"We?"

"Given my connections to your household, it would be suicide for me to remain here. I've many connections in Prospit, I can secure us loyal households for most of our journey. On principle, the Prospitians are the nicest people you will ever meet, but no place is without corruption."

Dirk merely nodded, while she did not face him, he nonetheless felt she saw the acknowledgement. His mind more rational now, he noted the single room dwelling he inhabited. Sun and moon imagery floated on the ceiling. The room was filled with luxurious cushions and a modest, but comfortable looking bed. An old cast-iron pot rested near the door, and candles twinkled in every corner.

The prince noticed a pitch black box not for from him, looming with a sinister dread that threaten to consume his very soul if he should touch. The screams of lost souls, scared and in pain, rang in his head as he continued to look on. Calling him to release them from their prison. A loud clamor from the heavens, a yelp from the blob of fabric, flailing, and kicking, hitting the box and sending it skidding into the shadows. Dirk held his breathe, waiting for some unholy horror to rain upon them. But nothing came, his moment of terror passed and he receded into his mind for most of the day. His mind was an endless loop of plans and theories for their journey and Rose's secrets, he hadn't even realized when his plans ceased to make sense or the sounds fade from his hearing, or when he ceased to see reality and Morpheus called him into the realm of fantasy.