Aella (manxman) - ON HOLD - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

I felt ill at ease in my sleep. I groaned slightly and became aware of a pressuring weight on my chest. When I peered between my eyelids, I saw my lover's eyes staring right into mine. I went to smile, but his hand was blocking my mouth. Confused, I removed his hand and he put a finger on his mouth, signaling for me to remain quiet. By the time I saw the fear in his eyes, I already heard their voices.
"Shit, you're getting mud on my clothes again, you stupid rat!"
"Just move away so I can drink!"
"You could wait a fucking minute!"
"And you could move away."
A silly conversation. It would be uninteresting as well, if it weren't two men from the ones we've left on the ship conversing at the foot of our tree. I was alarmed for a moment, but they didn't seem smart in the least and they didn't feel our presence at all. They continued bickering and making noises while pushing at each other. Ceri was practically trembling. I put a hand on his heart and found it hammering in his chest. I gave him a confident nod, and he returned it.
A very long half an hour of waiting ensued.
"Ithel," he whispered, "we need to leave this place!"
Once they left, Ceri and I escaped from our temporary hideout. I guarded the place while he drank and he did the same for me. Then I snatched some small branches with fruits and we took off, going deeper into the forest that was getting thicker the more we ventured.
I noticed immediately that Ceri was still limping. I motioned for him to climb on my back. He shook his head stubbornly. He smiled and whispered, "I want to be strong, like you Ithel." My heart filled. My dear Ceri, you are so strong, the strongest person I know. I wanted to tell him that as I helped him move around the rocks and roots, but I decided to stay silent and focus on our surroundings.
The forest reeked of age. Dark-brown trees surrounded us, larger and taller the more we explored. I tried my best to listen carefully; the complex branches made our movements even more difficult. Birds were screeching from a distance, and twigs were crunching under our feet.
We were walking side by side, as fast as Ceri could. Suddenly, I found myself knocked off my feet and falling forward.
Before I knew it, I heard Ceri's alarmed cry. I looked over my shoulder to find a man holding him with a fat arm around his throat. He was one of the men we escaped from on the ship. Precisely, the one who always stole our food and I never retaliated in fear his clan could hurt us. Now he had found us again, and he was slowly choking Ceri who thrashed and kicked in his arms, but the man snickered evilly.
"Told ya I heard something," another voice said.
The one holding Ceri laughed and added, "You really are the least lucky bastard on the planet."
"The Captain will be happy to see ya."
"Don't touch him!" I pushed myself off the ground and went to stand, only to be stomped on and pressed against the harsh ground again. A voice from above me scoffed, "Just wait for your turn tribe man, don't rush your death." There was three of them. How did they find us? Why did they get to us so quickly!
The one holding Ceri leaned in to brush his filthy mouth against his ears. "How about we fight now, huh? You were angry at me each time for taking your shitty dinner. You almost challenged me if your friend there didn't make you see reason. Too bad you always listened to him."
The man beside them put a hand on his hip and sneered at my boy. "Remember me, ya little weasel? I kept your secret. You should be grateful I didn't tell on you. I've been waiting to fuck you over since the day you pushed that barrel on me, soaking me to the bone."
"How about we take you back where you belong?"
The fear in Ceri's eyes intensified. And for a second, he was looking aimlessly to the ground before him, while taking in ragged breaths. He didn't say it out loud, but I knew it. He was terrified of what would be waiting for him if he went back to their ship, and I'm not referring to the filthy, heartless men.
Ceri gritted his teeth and drew his elbow back, causing the one behind him to growl. Then he threw his head back and the man's hold loosened, making them both fall apart. The man snarled some profanities and held his eye while my Ceri squirmed on the floor and grabbed the back of his head.
The second man growled and threatened to take his life before he started at him with a weapon in his hand. Ceri scrambled back to get away from him, but the man was too close to him.
The one who had his foot almost breaking my back seemed distracted by the show. I rolled to the side and made him lose his balance for a second. Then I took advantage of his mistake and snatched his weapon from his hand. "Fuck, my axe!" He yelled.
The weapon was an arm-long wooden bat with a metallic sharp object at the end of it, making it heavier than any of the weapons I was familiar with. I didn't wait to admire this axe, though. I turned to find the other one withdrawing his arm back and preparing to strike my Aella with the sharp weapon.
I instantly growled and threw the weapon in my hand towards him. It swirled in the air and cut deeply into the man's arm. My aim was less than perfect as the weapon only hurt his arm and continued its trajectory. It managed, however, to throw his awful skinny body aside and away from my Ceri.
"Ceri, run!"
I was instantly beaten to the ground once again as a knee found its way to my stomach. Pain exploded in my middle, but I managed to turn around and punch the man hard and break his nose before I grabbed my middle in pain.
I looked up to my Aella, only to find him limping towards me. "NO! Run!"
"I-I won't leave you!"
"I'll be right behind you. Just do as I say, NOW!"
My voice was more of a growl that shocked him for a second, before he made the right choice, pressed his lips into a tight line, and ran towards the thick trees.
Go, Ceri... please run to safety and don't look back.
I couldn't be with my Ceri if I didn't beat these three, and fast. I didn't need their friends to join them.
On a normal day, this would be an easy task, but in the state of exhaustion I was currently in...... it was safe to say I was glad I sent Ceri away.
I felt the movement around me, but it was too late. A punch dropped right into my jaw. I was thrown aside, but I quickly recovered my balance despite the slight dizziness that invaded my senses. I went to retaliate when something else alarmed me. The skinny man who claimed Ceri soaked him with water, jumped over his friend who was writhing on the ground while holding his bloodied arm.
"I'll get the smaller one!" He yelled, "I'll roast his entrails and-"
I didn't let him finish. I grabbed my only weapon and threw it at him, this time, I caught him right in the back, sending him flying forward and falling on his face, jerking a few times before his corpse gave up and went limp.
I heard it before I saw it. A swoosh of their sharp weapon went to cut me, but I ducked to the side and moved away from the now furious man. I almost thought I now had only this one to battle with, but the one with the badly injured arm stood up and turned my way, gone with the smug and playful smirk that always haunted his face.
They both stalked me slowly. The larger one smiled evilly and pulled a short sharp weapon. He spat beside him while he swayed his weapon in an attempt to scare.
The other one was giving me a promising glare while he moved around me, he held his weapon and cradled his other arm at the same time. He looked at me with confusion and anger and he growled, "You killed our mate!! I'm gonna skin you alive and make you walk the plank, you son of a bitch"
"Heheheh, this is very interesting. I've been looking for a good fight for a while now. A savage like you would make a good challenge. Come on, lone wolf, show me what you got"
I watched them both carefully. Muscles locked and knees slightly bent in preparation to counter their attacks, my head lowered and I turned slowly as I made sure to keep both of them in my sight at all times.
As I expected, they had no shred of dignity as they charged at me both at the same time. I whirled and avoided them. Before I moved aside from them completely, I kicked one in the shins and sent him crying on the ground, and then shouting in pain when he landed on his injured arm.
The one left standing didn't even blink at his friend's pain. He turned and lunged at me again. This time, my trial to avoid him wasn't as successful. Maybe I was slower than usual in my movements because he caught me in the middle and threw me on the ground. He went to deliver a punch to my face, but I rolled while pushing myself off the ground with one hand railed my elbow back until it collided with his chin.
The large man stumbled back and released more profanities, very few I understood but most of the words evaded me. He clasped his hand over his mouth and blood sputtered out from between his fingers. He had obviously bitten his tongue, which made him thoroughly pissed off.
A grunt behind me brought my attention to the weapon that almost cut my left shoulder. I sidestepped just in time to avoid it. Even with only one useful arm, the fighter wasn't as easy to beat as I first thought. The man immediately twisted his hand as well as the weapon with it, and changed the weapon's course, aiming to slit my throat. I fell back and barely kicked myself off the ground before the heavier one came at me from the other side and swung his small weapon laterally. I retreated instantly. I wasn't fast enough, however, and the pointy, sharp edge sliced the flesh over my pecs.
I grumbled at the burning pain and my head felt heavy for a moment, sending me down on my knee. I looked at the blood and winced. I was lucky the injury wasn't deep or I might've easily died. However, I was so tired that the loss of the blood was enough to slow me down even more.
The man smirked in satisfaction and started towards me again. I panted and heaved myself off the ground. I glanced quickly behind him to where his friend was getting up once more, pissed and looking more resolved to not being sent on his back again.
I, on the other hand, was starting to feel the weight of the past weeks in my muscles all over my body, especially my legs and shoulders. My head wanted nothing more than to take its time getting dizzy, but I forced my thoughts to focus on the task before me.
Deep in my mind and in my heart, another thought tormented me, one that I refused to entertain. Yet it managed to make my heart sink despite my efforts to block it...... My Ceri, he was alone in an unknown forest. What if he fell? What if something attacked him? What...... what if I couldn't find him given all the delay these two were causing me?
The fear was enough to get my blood worked up again, feeding strength to my body. This time, I decided not to wait for the weaker one to join us and I attacked the other one. I threw myself at the largely built man, avoided his weapon and delivered a punch to his guts. The man growled and doubled over. And I took the chance to punch his jaw making him stumble to the side. I immediately turned and ran towards the other one, taking him by surprise as I lunged towards him, knocking him to the ground. He sat up, and before he retaliated, I drove my knee to his jaw, making his seethe in pain. I took advantage of the situation to punch him in the face.
My attention was suddenly drawn by a movement at the corner of my eye. I raised my sight just in time to move aside and avoid the short weapon that the bulky man sent for my head. The weapon landed on a tree with a thud, and I panted heavily as I looked back to find the man charging my way. He threw himself on me and I grunted as I fell on my back. My bones suffered under his weight. He threw the first punch, then the second, and the third. I was getting very tired too fast from this fight, so I lifted my knee and it caught his gut, making him curse. I took advantage and threw him aside. Then I switched our positions. I straddled him, catching his throat and strangling his fat neck.
I squeezed my hands around him and he thrashed beneath me. He tried to send me off of him, to kick me with his legs and scratch my face. I took the kicking of his legs in stride and threw my head back to avoid his hands, my fingers clutching even harder. His face went from pale to red, and then he started turning blue while making choking noises and attempting desperately to release himself from my tenacious grip.
I showed him no mercy as I continued to pressure his throat until he went completely limp. I gasped a much-needed breath. And I was yet to withdraw my hands when I realized that his friend was standing right behind me.
He had pulled himself together and hurried towards me. This time, however, he was too close for me to act.
I heard his angry threat about ending me and expected to be instantly pierced in the chest by his long weapon, only for his voice to stop abruptly, the menacing growl was replaced by a choking, bubbling noise.
I looked over my shoulder to see the axe that I threw earlier stuck to the man's neck from the right, slicing half of it and making his head tilt awkwardly to the other side. His look became hollow and the blood dripped from his mouth. The horrible man made one last choking noise, making blood sputter out generously before he slowly collapsed forward. I had to shift to my right to avoid the weapon in his hand as the man fell forward, landing beside the corpse of his friend.
And behind him stood my Aella with his hands on the grip of the axe. Or used to stand, because as soon as the man fell, Ceri was dragged by the axe and he fell right on top of the dead body.
He lifted his head immediately and stared wide-eyed at the dead man. His eyes seemed to linger on the exposed flesh of his neck that was oozing blood until he suddenly yanked himself back and scurried to rise on his feet and move away from the bodies.
For some reason, I was momentarily frozen as I sat on the ground on my behind. I felt confused, in disbelief and yet mesmerized by what happened. His eyes met mine. I thought about something to say to him, yet words evaded me. And he surprised me, even more, when he yelled at me.
"He could've killed you! He almost hurt you badly, what were you thinking??"
He was angry. Furious with me, something that I found oddly heartwarming. And now, I was able to notice his chest that rose and fell in a fast rhythm to amend to his frantic breathing. He scanned the trees around us, most probably watching out for any other attackers. His hands were shaking, but he was too absorbed to notice or try to hide it.
He looked at me again, anger still lingering in his eyes, "We need to leave, right away o-or others will come."
I swear if not for the quick stutter in his voice, I would still stand there and watch him in awe.
My body regained its mobility and I moved towards his. He started to walk. I joined him and grabbed his hand to help him move around the trees. A moment later, I quickened my pace, urging him to do the same until we were sprinting the fastest we could despite his limp.
We've probably been running for an hour before he released his hand from mine, and went to lean with his right shoulder against a tree, his hands on his knees as he heaved.
"Just...... a minute... Just a... few......", he was catching his breath, and I stopped to do the same. He looked horrible. His clothes dirty and torn here and there, barely covering his skin and smudged with blood on one side. His body thinner than ever and his legs soiled with mud. He leaned on the tree while favoring his good foot. He had dark shadows under his eyes and his hair was messy...... no curls in sight. His mouth was breathing in soft puffs and his eyes were hooded from exhaustion.
He was a complete mess
And he was the strongest and most beautiful Aello I ever knew
Without much thought, my feet guided until I reached him. I held his shoulder and led him to stand, then I caught his mouth with mine. I kissed him hungrily, strongly and desperately as my hands swam to encircle him. He frowned and looked confused at first, but he didn't resist in the least and that only made me crave him more. I pushed him against the tree and moved my lips against his. He moaned softly and then gasped in surprise when I lifted his knee and pressed my middle into him.
He looked up at me, our eyes met and I saw no dirt, no weakness or paleness. At that moment, as I looked at his deep blush and into his light-green eyes, I saw my beautiful Aella with the unruly hair and the smile that overshone the sun.
I kissed him more and more, denying him to breathe most of the time. And even though it wasn't reasonable, for a handful of minutes, I completely forgot where we were. It was like there was no sorrow or fear looming around our destiny, only the two of us, standing against a tree, kissing and pressing our bodies together in a wish to become one.
He eventually pushed me, just enough so he could breathe, and he gave me a confused look
"Ithel?". His voice hoarse, and yet it made my heart thump and flutter for him. He stared at me with his enchanting eyes. He didn't hate this, oh no he did not. But he was confused by my sudden behavior.
"My savior", I said to him, with a smile tugging my lips. He frowned slightly, almost wincing as if he couldn't fathom what I meant. I chuckled and joined my forehead to his
"You are, without doubt, the strongest Aello I ever had the honor of knowing. You saved me, Ceri. I don't know why you disobeyed me and came back, but you were so valiant and brave...... You saved my life"
He blinked his eyes, looking adorably shy. "I couldn't leave you behind. I just...... I-I knew I shouldn't leave and I was afraid of what they could do to you, Ithel. It was wrong of you to face them alone in the first place!"
By the names of all the spirits, he was scolding me. He was scolding me so sweetly and I loved his self-confidence. I'd never understand where it came from, but this persistence of his was addicting
"You're right.", I admitted, even though I'd do the same thing if we faced such a danger again. But right now, I couldn't blame him or order him to blindly listen to me. Ceri was thinking on his own. In these darkest moments, he was making decisions and giving lessons! and my heart swelled for it.
"You're absolutely right, my love... You made a decision and you acted bravely and without hesitation in the most difficult time. It's what makes you a fearless hunter"
"A hunter?"
"Yes. Being a hunter is not just about weapons and traps. It's a behavior. A way of living. It is to think wisely, act with honor and bravery, and never giving up. That's exactly what you've been doing all this time, my hunter... my Leader"
I teased and he chuckled. The voice made me grin from ear to ear.
"If Cailyn hears you, he won't be happy"
"Cailyn never saved my life. You did. To me, you deserve the title much more than he does. And I'd tell him that to his face"
He laughed and shook his head. His leg found the ground again so he could balance himself. He remained deep in thought for a moment, one that I allowed him to have as not to rush his thoughts. Then he stretched a little, leaning towards me. I met him halfway and we kissed again. This time, it was a delicious simple kiss. It wasn't a heated one...... It was a kiss that brought calmness and peace to our hearts.
We stared at each other fondly for a long moment. Reality seemed to catch up with us a little too quickly. I pulled back and took his hand in mine.
"Ithel...", he stopped me, "please, I'm too tired."
I felt bad for pushing him, but safety was our first priority
"Just a bit more, I'll find us a good hiding and then we rest for the night, alright?"
He nodded reluctantly, pushing himself slowly away from the tree as if he didn't want to part with it. I didn't blame him. I too was really exhausted. So much so, that I didn't think I could go far if I carried him. I still offered though, and he refused.
... For days, we continued to run away. We weren't even certain if we were followed anymore. One thing for sure, we were quite far from any sea and we were worn out both physically and mentally. I shouldn't let him spend the night on trees anymore. It wasn't very safe, nor comfortable at all. My Ceri said nothing to that as he showed even more patience than I imagined. But the nights brought no more rest than the days did. It was still the safest solution I could provide because, every now and then, we came across the prints of some animals and I made sure to avoid their paths.
A little more than two weeks had passed since we set foot on this never-ending island. I haven't hunted for a few months now, and the continuous lack of a consistent meal and a decent sleep was leading us both to extreme fatigue and madness.
At a certain point, he dropped to his knees and I stopped to turn and go to him, "Are you alright? Did something bite you??"
"No", he answered, his eyes almost closing, "I want to rest. Please, Ithel?"
I sighed and nodded, looking upwards to find a tree that wouldn't be difficult to climb. But he pulled at my arm and wined, "Noooo, not a tree. I want to rest here."
"Ceri, I'm not certain it is safe here. I'm not used to this land-"
"A few minutes only. It won't take long. I'll just... right here, nnnnh". He laid on the ground and he moaned as his body relaxed.
I felt so bad for torturing him so much. He was right. Sleeping on trees wasn't comfortable at all and every day we woke up sore. I stood there for a while, looking around us. I guess a couple weeks walk should be enough to keep us away from those men and their nightmare of a ship. Maybe we could find a place here to stay for a while. Although, I was yet to spot any place that could serve as a den.
There were no imminent threats around us, it seemed. There were a few animal tracks that didn't look fresh, like foxes or maybe small wolves. I saw what looked like a lion or a tiger's footprints a couple of days ago, but we've avoided their trail and I haven't seen any of it since.
I sat down beside Ceri. My poor little pearl was snoring. I chuckled, but my smile fell as my eyes trailed down his torn clothes and all the bruises, many old and a few new scratches. My gaze reached the deformed skin on his foot and I couldn't stare anymore. I looked away into the trees around us.
I'd never forgive myself for what happened to him. If only I protected him more. If only he was secure in my den...
The silence only brought the guilt back to the surface to torment me. I knew that wouldn't help our situation, but I couldn't help but wish I was a better mate for him.
Everything was quiet. I focused on the noises of the breeze as it tickled the leaves on the thick trees, the sound of birds every now and then. As I listened deeper, behind everything that was around me, there was a hum in the air. I first guessed it was Ceri's light snores, but the more I listened, the more I was convinced that the noise came from somewhere else. And if my guess is correct, it would be a real relief.
I decided to check it out. The timing couldn't be better. However, Ceri was fast asleep, and even though he insisted it was only for a few minutes, I knew it would take him hours to wake up on his own. I also didn't have it in me to wake him, so I leaned down, grabbed his shoulders to me and shifted him until he was sitting. His eyes fluttered for a second, and when he was met by my smile, he leaned into me and curled his upper body on my lap to snug closely. I chucked and my heart swelled at his endearing attitude. He was so pure and adorable, even when he slept.
The hum continued. I could barely hear it earlier, but now it was loud and clear as I focused on it. I shifted Ceri again, slowly. I put his arms around my shoulders and pulled him on my back. And then we headed towards the strange noise.
The constant and unrelenting exhaustion and the weight of my beautiful sleeping Ceri hindered the speed of my walking towards the destination that continued to bring me hope.
It took a while, but the more we advanced, the stronger the noise became. And with it, the ground was less earthy until it became nothing but stone beneath my feet.
And there, surrounded by the forest, there was a hole in the ground. A stream of water broke free from within the rocks and dropped into the hole. I felt immediately parched. I approached the hole only to be amazed at how beautiful the place was.
The water fell helplessly, making a small waterfall that broke onto a set of rocks and shrubs at the bottom. It didn't smell like the ocean which meant this water was safe to drink, hopefully, become a reliable source of refreshment. The rocks' faces looked worn by many centuries of wind and water, leaving layers of different colors from light orange to brown so dark it seemed almost black. I could see many different types of plant, some of which were familiar while others were completely foreign, even after spending more than two weeks on this island.
I leaned over to check it closer. Ceri chose that moment to shift into a more comfortable sleeping position on my back. However, his shift made me stumble forward. My heart sank into my chest as we almost fell over. I barely catch my balance and took a step back with him to safety. He hummed contently in his sleep, unaware of the fright he just caused me. I gave him a quick blaming stare, and then I moved to inspect the place.
On one side, a set of rocks created what looked like a path into the cleft. In middle-height of it, a smaller cavity in the wall of stone close to the waterfall looked cozier than any place we've seen since we left home. I descended carefully, and then I moved Ceri and laid him on his side.
I sighed in relief and smiled. I kissed his cheek and felt like for once since a long time, we'd be able to truly rest.
"You have a place to sleep and all the water you need. You have life"
Now all I needed, was to provide him with food and clothes. What he wore was so used and dirty, he absolutely needed to change. I too would like something to wear other than the torn and unclean leather covering from my lower belly to my thighs.
But the food was more imminent. And I'd better provide it before sunset or he'll spend a long night, suffering from hunger, again. We tried to hunt yesterday and a few days ago, but we had no success at all. Together, we were too slow and too noisy. And small fruits or herbs weren't enough.
I kissed my Ceri and moved to some shrubs with soft leaves. I tore part of it and put it on his body, almost hiding him, just in case. Then I climbed the few rocks and went back to the forest to look for a prey.
Ceri
I turned to lay on my back, stretching my aching body. I felt relieved that I could feel the ground beneath me and not a rough branch. Soon, I stretched again, yawned, and then opened my eyes slowly.
And what I saw, was magical. The sky was torn softly by red and white streaks, announcing the imminent sunset, white clouds blending perfectly with the sight. And it all felt unreal because I was looking through a hole. My eyes followed the curved wall that stretched all around me, only to see the most alluring and mouthwatering stream of water, passing not far from me. I stared at it for a moment, unable to believe what I was seeing.
Heavens, if I was dreaming, please don't wake me. Just give me an Ithel and I'll be happy for eternity.
I moved, ignoring the soreness of my bones, and crawled to look closer to the waterfall. I pushed my head inside the stream of life and I took huge gulps of it, pulling back to breathe, only to get in again. The water hit my face and splattered on my chest. I savored its taste, its feeling, even its coldness. And I let it fall on my hair, cleaning it. I pulled myself up and sat on my haunches beside it. I put my arms in the water again, and let it slide over my body. I almost lost my balance for a second there, but I caught myself and continued to drink and bathe in the endless stream.
I pulled my face away from the water to breathe, and my senses awakened to a delicious smell of freshly cooked meat. By now, I was certain I was hallucinating. Plenty of water, delicious food. This was the best hallucination ever. I looked around me to search for the food. Only then did I notice the fumes coming up from the center of the cave, ignoring my existence and continuing higher. I got closer to the edge and followed the waterfall as it went past where I was, and dropped to the ground that was deeper in this cave.
And there he was, close to a small fire on the other side of the cave. He held a stick with something looking extremely tempting on the other end of it as he roasted it over the fire, his eyes drawn up, watching me with amusement and relief.
"Do you like it?"
I was stunned for a moment, my mind unable to decide if this was a dream or reality. When his smile widened, I didn't care anymore. And I ran down, limping my way to him. He said something about me being careful, but I didn't register it. I finally sat down before him. He smiled warmly at me. I leaned forward to take a deep breath out of the half cooked meat, then I reached to touch it.
When the heat stung my fingers, I grinned. "This is not a dream", I concluded. Ithel's smile turned into sympathy for a second before he smiled again and confirmed.
"This can be our new home for now. Do you like it?"
"I love it! Ithel, we have a waterfall!!!"
He laughed quietly and nodded, "Yes we do. And this," he grabbed another piece of meat that was already cooked and pushed it to me, "This is proof that this area is alive with animals, ones that will keep us alive and busy with hunting"
I grabbed the piece of meat directly, not bothering to hold its stick. Then I instantly dove my teeth into it. The taste invaded my mouth and I moaned, almost feeling dizzy with how delicious it was.
I finished that piece so fast. And Ithel only continued to smile while passing me another. He looked tired, but relaxed and relieved as he watched me eat. I was too happy to believe that we had meat and water, a lot of water. I drank nonstop as I waited for more meat to cook. We ate in silence. It wasn't awkward or anything. We simply savored this feast together.
A while later, there was nothing but the skin of a red fox, and bones. Shiny, clean bones. I dropped on my back, listening to the waterfall that poured continuously somewhere over my shoulder. I gazed at the sky through the large hole above us. It looked clear and bright despite the darkness.
For once in a what seemed like a very long time, the darkness didn't remind me of Drita. I wasn't flinching at almost every thought that crossed my mind. The water didn't make me think about the evil spirits or the sea. I didn't try to contemplate the 'what ifs' of all the scenarios that could've made the fates favor us. I didn't even attempt to shamefully hide my disfigured foot.
For once, I forgot about the ailments of my body and my soul, and I just...... existed.
The fire dimmed and Ithel approached me. He lied on his side next to me, with an arm draped over my chest. I turned my head to gaze at him for a moment. He smiled gently, his fingers caressing my side, then settling to gently touch my waist.
"Thank you", I said in sincere appreciation. He smiled more, then shook his head and went to say something sweet. I didn't let him, though. I knew he was going to be even more perfect than he already was. And while I used to adore his kindness, his favors were starting to weight on my heart. So I spoke first.
"I was of no help to you today. And yesterday......... lately." or ever really. "And......... sorry you had to carry me. From now on, I promise to help just as much as you"
"It's alright. I'm truly glad that you had a decent sleep. You've been through a lot, Ceri. You have all the right to rest and let your body become strong again"
Yet I wasn't the only one who's been through a lot. You went through everything with me. Because of me...
"Tomorrow, I want you to rest plenty. Sleep and eat as much as you can. You have to for your body to gain its weight back"
I peered down at myself. I was indeed much slimmer than I used to be. It didn't help that I was laying on my back, which encouraged my ribs to poke from under my skin that showed because of my torn clothes. I put my arms around my middle in an attempt to hide how awful I looked. Ithel shifted and moved his head closer to kiss my forehead before settling back. I smiled and pulled myself to a sitting position. He frowned at me slightly, making me lean down to kiss his mouth. I meant for a peck, but the kiss deepened.
"It's your turn to sleep", I said, my lips still brushing his.
"Let's sleep together"
I smiled at his innocent lie. "Ithel, I know you intend to guard us for the night. You're more tired than I am. And just like you said, you should give your body the chance to become strong again. I promise to be vigilant and not doze off. So please relax and rest. Trust me to guard you for tonight."
Ithel looked surprised and indecisive for a moment before he seemed to admit how tired he truly was. He shifted to lie on his back and he rested his head on my thigh. He kissed me there before sneaking a hand beneath it to caress me. I pushed his hair back, and we both watched the beautiful sky, soon his eyelids drifted to close.