7. Up in the night

Emie woke up in the middle of the night, curled in her sleeping bag at the back of Henry's carriage. It soon appeared that she couldn't get back to sleep.

She got out of her "bed" and wrapped a scarf around her shoulders. The night wasn't cold, but the wind could still sting.

She wandered between the soldiers' tents, head up to the starry sky. She gazed at it, novice as she was to starry skies.

She walked so far without noticing, she had reached the small river the soldiers were using as water supply, a little far from the tents, but still close enough in case she needed someone.

Emie sat on the grass and leaned back down to watch the stars. She knew the names of some. She knew which one was Sirius, which one was Venus, she knew the Virgo constellation, but that was it. Still, she tried to guess the shapes of unknown constellations.

The grass moved behind her head, and she sensed she wasn't alone anymore.

Someone lied beside her, and she felt the fabric of a soldier's cap against her hand.

Nicholls.

"Couldn't sleep either, Captain?"

He sighed, his breath being echoed with the silent night. "Please, Miss Tate. Call me James. I hate being called Captain."

Emie smiled into the dark. "Very well, James." The name tasted so good on her tongue. "But then, you'll have to call me Emie. Miss Tate was how my mother was called as a teacher."

She heard his head turn to her. "If you insist. Emie."

She smiled to the sky.

They both did.

Until the silence grew too thick.

"Why did your parents call you Emie?"

She snapped her head to her left. His eyes were focused on her hair, and then got down her face till they reached her lips. She couldn't stand having him stare at her like that. She thought whispering would help hiding her daze. "It's short for Emily. It was my grandmother's name."

"Then, you're full name is Emily?"

She smiled. "No. I got her nickname instead." She watched as he resumed his analyse of her face. She decided to distract him. "You? Why James?"

His blue eyes snapped back on hers. "I don't know. Never asked my parents."

Emie looked at him intensely. He did the same. For seconds. Minutes. Decades. Centuries.

"Thanks for accompany me back, James. I think I might go back to sleep, thanks to you."

He played with his cap for a second. "That was nothing, I-" He trailed off, and suddenly his eyes were desperate. Emie breathed deeply.

She knew what was going on in James' head. The following day was the one they'd all move on again and go further into French lands.

They could well not go back alive.

She took a pace forward and took his cheek in her palm.

He was so tall.

She caressed his skin for a moment, before putting her hand up on his neck, pulling him down to her.

Their kiss was soft and warm. Nothing like a passionate embrace. A soft kiss. Given with deep feelings. Not barely emerging desires.

James rested his forehead against Emie's, his cap still in one hand, the other on the small of her back.

They breathed together for a few seconds, and then their eyes opened and he let her go.

"Good night, Emie."

"Good night, James."

"Wake up, you lazy madam! See? That's what happens when you get up in the middle of the night to stare at skies!"

Emie's eyes snapped opened and stared into Henry's angry face.

Around her, the whole camp was already on the move. Apart from some of the soldiers, every one had their carriages ready.

Their own luggage was lying on the floor, before Emie's feet.

"How-? You've spied on me?"

He smirked mischievously. "Nope. No need for that. You were so noisy when you woke up I could follow your tracks down to the river!"

Emie suddenly thought the worst. Had he heard? Seen?

"When did you come up? Got back to sleep before you came back."

She refrained a sigh of relief. "Uh. An hour later. Two maybe. Not long."

"So what? Stared at the stars and then what?"

"Fell asleep on the riverbank. Oh, come on, Henry, I haven't waken up to hear you groan like a grandpa all day!" She got down her makeshift bed, wrapped her things quickly and threw it on the far end of the carriage.

Then, she turned around to help Henry with the luggage.

He was looking elsewhere. She followed her gaze.

Oh. So James had finally found a horse.

It was beautiful. Its robe was the colour of a deep sunset, and its hair was as dark as night. It seemed to be very feisty too.

But calmed when its master came to pat its cheek. From the distance, she still could read on James' lips. Joey.

His eyes found hers inexplicably. He smiled and put his opened hand down his chin, then waved it in a fist except for the thumb and last finger.

Emie smiled and signed back. He had remembered.

"You've taught him what exactly?"

Her eyes found Henry's, whose grey had darkened.

She shrugged. "Merely how to sign "Hello". Didn't think he'd remember it." Why was she feeling the need to explain herself anyway? Henry didn't own her, and if he felt something for her, he only had to make a move. James had. Sort of.

He snorted. "Oh, merely, eh?" He took her chin between two fingers, forced her head to turn at him, and took a pace backwards so she could see him square.

He put his two hands into a ball, gestured to break it, and then waved them as if he was juggling.

Emie's eyes widened. "Have you just...insulted me in sign language?"

Henry smirked at her, and rounded the carriage to get in the driver seat.

Emie got up next to him and crossed her arms.

She didn't say a word towards the journey.

Yeah, if you wondered, Henry signed "ball-breaker". I love that one. ^^

Review please!