Lost & Found

11: Temptation

The sound of rain had pulled her out of her sleep. She groaned inwardly at the thought of being delayed again, but it could be possible that it would stop raining by morning and they would still be able to move on as planned. At least he'd had the strength to brave the climb; otherwise they'd be caught out in the woods somewhere with no shelter from the rain. She got up to gather some extra wood just the same.

                She spared a glance at him. His eyes were still closed, but his brows were drawn together and sweat beaded on his forehead as he twitched under the cover of his cloak. Worried that he'd caught a fever, she knelt beside him and rested the back of her palm on his cheek to check. His skin was icy instead of warm, making her fret more.

                Pulling his old shirt out of his pack, she ripped a strip of cloth free and soaked it with some water from the waterskin lying beside him. After wringing out the excess water, she dabbed the cloth over his face. He murmured something incoherent as his face leaned into her touch. Maybe he was just having a bad dream.

                Setting the cloth aside, she combed her fingers through his hair, pushing it back away from his face. She continued to stroke his hair in the same manner her mother used to do when she was young and had had a nightmare. The tension in his face slowly eased, letting his brows to settle back into their usual relaxed position over his eyes. His breathing slowed to the steady rhythm of deep sleep and his limbs stopped twitching.

                She was just about to get up when lightning flashed, sending a booming crash through the air. His eyes flew open, growing wide when he saw her there. Confusion drew his brows back together making her frown. Whatever he'd been dreaming about must've had something to do with her, even though she'd done nothing to warrant a nightmare.

                She tried pushed herself off the ground with a huff, stopping when his hand closed around her wrist, "Where are you going?" There was a hint of panic in his voice. It soothed her irritation and she sank back down to his side.

                "Shhh," she tried to calm him. Retrieving the damp cloth with her free hand, she dabbed the sweat off his brow.

                His expression softened, his blue eyes focused on hers. "My enchantress comes to bewitch me in these cursed wild woods..." he murmured in his own tongue. She trailed her fingers through his hair, the motion relaxing him so that his eyes started to close and his grip loosened on her wrist. She continued to stroke his hair until his eyes closed completely and his fingers relaxed, releasing her. A little while longer, and his breathing evened out.

                His words should not have affected her, but she couldn't shake them from her head. It was better this way, for him to think of her as some legendary creature meant to strike fear into the hearts of men. It would keep him from knowing the truth of her identity, and no one would believe his story outside of her kingdom.

                Tucking his arm back under the cloak, she pushed herself up off the ground and stepped away from him. If she didn't go out and collect more wood now and the rain didn't stop, they'd be without a fire in a few hours. It'd been miserably cold, even huddled together the last time they were caught out in the rain and she didn't want to have to suffer while they waited for wood to dry enough to build a new fire.

                With a glance at his sleeping form, she stripped off her leathers. She'd rather keep them dry as well. If the rain did let up and allow them to walk, wet leather would be uncomfortable. She dropped them on her pack by her fur cloak and stood at the mouth of the cave where the water made a dark line on the ground. Peering out into the darkness, she tried to scout out fallen limbs that could be easily collected.