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Darkest Night [DragonSong] [M]

Started by Zero, March 30, 2017, 12:12:18 PM

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Zero

Not a dream. Why did it seem so similar to his dreams then? It made no sense for her to act this way towards him. They had barely spoken to each other. Most of the interaction he'd had with this woman was in his own dreams.

Cole was too tired and sore to question it too deeply. His arms wrapped around her, hugging her to him as he kept his head on her shoulder, enjoying the embrace for what it was while he could.

"I have no right to ask you this, but please just keep holding me like this...just...just until I fall asleep...please." He let out a shuddering breath, his tears were soaking slowly into the torn fabric of her dress. They should get her a new one, but they'd spent all the money just to get him on the wagon with her.

DragonSong

Zahra let her hands slide down to rest against his back, pressing lightly to return his clinging hug. "Okay," she murmured. "Okay, Cole. Get some sleep, I... I'll be right here. I'm not gonna let you go."

She tilted her head so her temple rested lightly against his and she hummed softly, the first few bars of her lullaby, then went quiet.

If she was being honest, she was craving the closeness too, and it was hardly a hardship to extend it. Despite the fact that maybe it should have been. But feeling the dampness of his tears broke her heart, and in that moment she couldn't see him as anything but a young man in pain, and she just wanted to help.

"I'm here," she repeated in a near whisper, one hand sliding up to cup the back of his neck gently.

Zero

The way her hands moved down his back was soothing, and he shuddered softly again. Cole didn't know why she was so kind to him, but he clung to her anyway. He couldn't begin to understand what they were doing with each other. None of it made sense to him, but he didn't care if it was logical. All he knew was that it felt nice, that her hands and voice soothed him.

And he needed soothed so badly.

By the time her hand cupped the back of his neck, Cole was already mostly drifting. His wound was uncomfortable, but he could almost forget it entirely. He fell completely into sleep shortly, his body slack against her, head still resting on her shoulder and arms draped loosely about Zahra's waist.

DragonSong

She tried to hold out a while longer, but she was exhausted, and the subtle rocking of the wagon was lulling her almost against her will. Zahra's eyes fluttered and she let herself lean into Cole a little more, their bodies supporting each other as she felt herself start to drift off.

Surely sleeping for just a few minutes wouldn't hurt? They were safe now, weren't they?

A soft sigh escaped her and her other hand moved to rest against Cole's side, hugging him to her gently as she felt into sleep.

Zero

Cole did not slip into those strange void dreams where he conversed oddly with Zahra. Instead his mind conjured images of the man he'd just killed. He saw Jarvis' blood on his hands. The asshole had been just that, and undoubtedly a despicable human being, but it was still Cole's fault he was dead. A man he'd never liked, but had lived and worked beside for much of his life was dead because of him and over a woman that was essentially a stranger.

It left complicated feelings and the ever present and nagging guilt.

There were a scramble of other tidbits running through his sleeping brain. Faces of other women that had been left behind, ones that he hadn't been able to save. They were probably already at the market, either sold or waiting for their turn. Who knew what kind of masters they would find.

Needless to say, Cole's sleep was fitful, but he clung to Zahra unconsciously. Nobody tried to run the caravan down to question if they were there. If the men knew they were gone yet, there was no sign. Maybe they'd think it too much trouble to directly hunt them down? It would be a stroke of luck to not be pursued, but if they were ever seen again death or worse was definitely waiting.

DragonSong

It seemed she was too anxious for proper sleep, because Zahra found herself waking fitfully every so often, forced to remind herself that the body slumped against her was just Cole and that she didn't have to snap immediately into fight or flight mode.

The third time this happened, she relented with a sigh and admitted to herself she wasn't going to get anymore sleep. Carefully, she tried to slip out from the slightly awkward embrace she and Cole had tangled around each other and move toward the elderly woman who had offered the herbs she needed.

"Thank you for your help," she murmured softly, not wanting to disturb the other passengers.

Zero

Getting herself free of Cole's grasp was only mildly tricky. As she began trying to untangle herself he'd instinctively tried to hold her tighter, but soon he was slumped against the floor of the wagon instead of Zahra, and he even remained asleep. No doubt at least partly in thanks to the stab wound in his side.

The old woman looked at her curiously when she came to thank her. She kept her voice quiet as well. "You're welcome, child. I'm a baker, not a healer, but I couldn't not offer what I had. Especially when you both looked so rough. Got yourselves into a bit of trouble?"

DragonSong

Zahra's cheeks colored and she glanced back at Cole. "You could say that," she sighed. "But anyway...thank you. If I can do something for you, please let me know."

She offered a smile and turned to move back to Cole, kneeling beside him. She really should check in his wound... Biting her lip, she glanced at his face and hoped he would remain asleep as she lifted his shirt and tried to get a look at the gash.

Zero

"I could more than say it." The elderly baker chuckled softly, eyes glancing towards the unconscious drow. She didn't press for more, though. Simply gave Zahra a smile as she went back to tend to Cole.

When his shirt was lifted Cole stirred slightly, tossing his head to the other side and mumbling incoherently as his brow knitted together, but he sighed and quieted again without waking.

DragonSong

"Shh, shh." Zahra stroked his arm absently as she examined the wound. It was still closed, which was good. The bandaging need changing though. With a quiet breath, she tore another strip from her hem and started trying to carefully unwind the old bandage without waking Cole.

Zero

For a few moments it looked as if Cole would truly settle and sleep through the doctoring, but when the unwinding bandaging tugged gently at the dried blood his eyes opened to slits. He brought his hand up to grip her wrist gently with a groan, slowly looking about the dim interior of the wagon in confusion and pain.

Obviously he forgot for a moment where they were or what was happening. There was also a slightly feverish cast to his red eyes as they settled on her. "...sweetling?"

DragonSong

She winced. Damnit, she'd really hoped he'd sleep through that. She smiled and reached over with her free hand to touch his cheek gently. "Yeah, it's just me," she assured him softly. "I have to change your bandages, okay? Think you can sit up?"

She twisted her wrist in his grip so she could clasp his hand in hers, offering support if he needed it.

Zero

His cheek was hot a flushed under her hand as she tried to soothe him. Cole took a moment to answer before slowly nodding his head. He gripped her hand as he pulled himself up with a grunt of pain. Moving very much at all aggravated the injury just enough to remind him that it hurt quite a lot.

"Is it very bad?" Cole asked groggily, leaning heavily against the wagon to support himself and stay upright. If not for that he'd have probably fallen back to the floor.

DragonSong

Zahra quickly moved forward to help him brace himself, only starting in on the bandages again when she was sure he was secure.

"It could be worse," she answered vaguely, starting in on rewrapping the wound. "You'll just need to be careful with it for a while."

Zero

"Great..." Well fuck.

Be careful with it for a while. Maybe if they were super lucky Cole would have that luxury. Just thinking about being on the run from his own people while injured and unable to defend himself properly - let alone protect her - made him scowl.

He should have made her leave him behind. With his wound and pain, well, he was just going to slow her down if they had to abandon the caravan. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Cole certainly didn't think he could cross the desert alone.

"I'm sorry you're stuck caring for me like this." Honestly he thought Zahra should have left him to die, and would have considered her more than justified in doing so. Even now she didn't have to tend to him like this.

He wished he understood why she was.

DragonSong

"Don't apologize. This is what I do." She continued with her ministrations, frowning slightly. He was still too hot- she didn't think any infection had set in, but he was running a fever regardless.

"I was our shaman's apprentice," she said after a moment, not really sure why she did. "Before- before my sister and I left. She was always the fighter, not me. I just...liked fixing things. And music. I liked music." Zahra lifted her eyes to offer him a small smile, cheeks colored slightly with a confused sort of embarrassment.

"C'mere, you need some water," she murmured, offering her shoulder for support as she reached for a waterskin.

Zero

Even a healer could decide to cast away someone terrible. Someone like him. Cole wasn't worth helping, and he was far beyond saving. Coming along was stupid. It didn't matter where he was - he was still the monster that had hurt or killed countless people because he'd been told to.

At least listening to her voice was nice. Zahra was far too kind to him, and no matter that he didn't understand it, he still yearned for the gentleness she expressed.

"I don't fix things. I just break them." He told her in a sullen haze. Being a fighter had never been an option. In the company of his father you either learned to be a very good fighter, or you died like a dog. Cole had always been a fighter. Mostly fighting to survive in the harsh world of mercenaries.

At least he didn't fight her as she helped him lean against her. He was thirsty, and hot. Then again, it was always hot in the desert.

DragonSong

Zahra's frown deepened slightly as her eyes flickered over his face and she tilted the waterskin up against his lips. She couldn't deny that she didn't even understand herself why she was so hell bent on saving the drow, she just...was.

I like fixing things.

But this wasn't a broken bone or severed tendon. This was...deep. His scars were dark and painful, and she honestly wasn't sure they even could be healed, not completely. But she wanted to try.

She had to try.

"That's okay." A little hesitantly, she smoothed his hair off his brow and smiled at him. "I can show you how to fix things. Then- then you can choose. Between breaking and fixing."

Some people needed to be broken. Cole's father was one of them. But Cole... He deserved to be fixed, if she could.

"Like... Here, look." She slid her hand down his side to brush her fingers against his wound. "Do you know any medicine? Other than quick patch-ups for the field?"

Zero

Cole groaned softly as the lukewarm water poured over his lips, but he gulped it greedily after a moment. It helped soothe the dryness in his throat, but he wished that he could just drown in a small puddle of cool liquid just then.

He closed his eyes and pushed the water skin away as she smoothed a hand across his forehead. The drow still didn't understand why Zahra should care about helping him.

By all rights she should have been content to let him die.

"No, just the most butchery bits of patchwork you could think up." Cole hissed softly as she brushed her fingers against the wound. Medicine and healing wasn't a skill most mercenaries felt a need to pick up in depth. "It burns."

DragonSong

She winced in sympathy and shot him an apologetic look. "I know, I'm sorry about that. It's the disinfectant- those herbs that woman gave us. It's essentially burning out any potential infection, so the wound won't fester."

Carefully, Zahra peeled back the bandaging a bit to check on the wound, then nodded, apparently satisfied. "It's deeper than I'd like, but it shouldn't need stitching." She sat back on her heels to look him up and down, then reached out again to place her hand on his brow.

"You're still hot," she murmured, almost to herself. It could have simply been a result of the Essyrni sun, but she'd rather play it safe. "Here, drink some more water. Can't have you overheating."

If he caught a fever she didn't know if she had the supplies- or the skill- to keep him healthy out here in the desert.

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