Chapter Text
Haurchefant looked up from the papers he was just about to sign when the large doors swung open, allowing the cold winds of the land to sweep into the room. It took him mere moments to identify his guests, his quill instantly laid down as he stood up from his seat.
„My friends! It is good to see you!” He greeted the Warrior of Light, followed closely by the young Elezen he’d come to know as Alphinaud and a kind looking Lalafell he had yet to get acquainted with. His initial bright smile fell as soon as his eyes met with the heroine's, smoothing out into a friendly expression which held more kindness than the initial excitement burning in his heart. He let his gaze shortly wander to the two figures tracking behind Chirisa. Their steps were not as steadfast as those of the Warrior of Light, gifting them with the look of warriors he’d seen being defeated not only by war but by heartbreak.
Normally the well-spoken Alphinaud would be the first to greet and state their business, but even when the small group came to a stop in front of his desk, his young eyes were hidden behind white hair, coated in a thin layer of snow. Haurchefant’s stomach stung by this and other foreboding signs, but he refused to let them sicker into his being. He shifted his gaze to the female Miqo’te with the star-kissed eyes, only getting a glance at the honey-coloured orb behind her fringe before he settled onto the blue orb which had always reminded him of a clear sky in the deepest of nights. Although her posture showed no signs of defeat like those of her friends, he would like to think that he could pick up her true feelings by those tale-telling eyes. Alas, he could have sworn his heart stopped when he saw the hurt hidden behind those lovely eyelashes. But he ignored his mind screaming at him, straightening his back to show whatever ailed those he held dear, could trust him to pass on some of the heavy load on their shoulders.
“Tell me, my dear,” he almost sing-sang, “How can this simple knight help you in your hour of need?”
_____________
Chirisa stared at the flickering flames of the fire as it slowly but surely ate away on the wood it had been provided not too long ago. Even though the radiating heat kept the chill from the outside world away, it could not reach the chill settled in her bones. She could not tell if the cold clinging to her had something to do with the powers she lost after the connection to the crystals had been severed by Midgardsormr, or if it was the hole that remained after the most recent events. Not even the now cold cacao in her hands had been able to fend off the numbness in her fingers.
“I believe even the Warrior of Light needs her rest after such trying days.”
Her ears flicked as the door behind her softly closed, wondering how she’d missed the Elezen entering. She really was a fraud, if she could not even pick up on these little things.
Haurchefant didn’t move from the position at the other end of the room, allowing her to dismiss his presence if she so wished for. The grip on the cup tightened ever so slightly but relaxed quickly as she remembered what position she currently held. She couldn’t allow herself to be this shook.
“My room is too far down the hall. I cannot hear them if they call for me,” she spoke in hushed tones. The blue-haired Elezen took this as a proposal to join her, swiftly setting two steaming cups of fresh cocoa on the table before taking a seat only two short steps to the right of the Miqo’te. To his dismay, Haurchefant saw that his heroine had yet to change from her armour into more comfortable clothes, while the bow and quiver he’d grown accustomed to were lying on the floor within arms-reach. But the soft smile on his lips didn’t waver.
“The terrors of the night can claim even the bravest of Dragoon,” he said as he stoked the fire, the light sparking into life yet anew. “It darkens my thoughts that a soul as young as the one of Alphinaud is prone to fall be prey to them.”
He glanced at the woman beside him, noting how the fingers ever-so-lightly twitched against the cup in her hands. He laid the stoker onto the cold stone floor in front of the fire, waiting for a reply. After getting none for several minutes, he slowly raised his hands as not to startle his company, carefully encasing the hands of his heroine, prying her fingers from the cold cup. It looked like the touch woke her from the dreams she’d seen in the fire’s flames. First, her eyes flickered to the intruding hands and then to the soul gates of the Elezen himself. Haurchefant didn’t utter a word as he set the cup onto the table behind them with one hand, as the other softly held onto her, refusing to let go of them for even a moment. Only when he held the cold fingers in both of his, embracing them with his natural warmth, did he look back into her eyes, searching for the hurt he’d seen only a few hours prior.
“My heart aches at the thought of what you and your friends had to endure. Though I will not allow myself to say that I know how you feel, know that I am also no stranger to loss and grief. Though many may think the Warrior of Light to be an indestructible weapon of the gods, these cold fingers which no flame can warm in this hour, are proof that she is but a mortal, like me.” A smile tugged on his lips as he drew circles with his thumbs on cold skin. “Allow me to take some of your burdens like you did since you bestowed me with your presence many months ago.”
“Haurchefant…” Her voice quivered ever so slightly, unheard by untrained ears. With dismay he saw how her eyes glimmered with unshed tears, only to be hidden once she lowered her head. Strings squeezed his heart, when she pulled back from his hold on her hands, leaving only the tips of her fingers to brush against his warmth. She shook her head, her lovely ears drooping.
“I cannot. Not yet.”
‘And I doubt I ever will,’ he could almost hear in the silence tracing her fair voice. Though it hurt him to hear such honesty, he wouldn’t allow himself to push the matter. Instead, he lifted her right hand, pressing his lips to the cold knuckles, restraining himself to go any further.
“Then at least let me watch over your friends in this dark night, so you can spend the few hours left of it in dreamless peace. I would fear losing you to the cold which seemed to have seeped into your limbs.”
It took some moments before he received the answer he so desperately wished for. A short nod was all he needed to keep his hope alive. He would not offer another word, only a smile of gratitude and another kiss onto cold skin. He would not comment as he carefully held her body close to his to aid the stumbling and unsteady steps of his most honoured guest as he led her to the already awaiting bedroom. He closed the door a tad reluctantly but promised himself to check on his fallen heroine in a few hours. He would call for a soldier to watch this cursed door separating him from her, in case the terrors of the night claimed her. Although he didn’t know if such darkness could ever befall the Warrior of Light.
He himself would return to keep watch over her friends as he’d promised. No other should be tasked with this other than himself since he gave his word and as a knight of honour, he took great pride in it.
Haurchefant’s hands trembled at the thought of the bitter cold which had seeped into the fingers he’d held close a few moments prior. A silent prayer brushed his lips, begging Halone to give his companion strength so the grip of despair may not cling to his love for longer than the night. Although he feared it was just a sign of more trying trials yet to come.
_____________
“Lord Haurchefant!”
The knight turned to the small Lalafell shifting from one foot to the other, standing in the entrance as she was not sure if she was allowed to enter. He dismissed the soldier with a simple hand movement, sending him on his way.
“Please, Miss Tataru,” he called warmly, “There is no need to be so formal. We are but friends. Please, come closer and tell me about your needs.”
The woman lost no time as she quickly followed his offer, a certain hurry clearly visible in her steps. “Have you seen Chirisa? I had hoped to speak to her about Alphinaud. He could use some words of encouragement, but it seems mine are not reaching him. I thought once Chirisa was awake she could cheer him up but then I heard she left Camp Dragonhead at dawn, for what purpose I don’t know.”
If Haurchefant’s smile seemed a bit more forced than usual, Tataru did not care to comment on it.
“Our friend has gone out to hunt for supplies dearly needed in this ever-lasting winter. Though I did not ask for her help, she gave it to me freely. My plea for her to rest a bit longer was quite regrettable lost in the cold winds. I feared she would not find peace here if I were to strip her from the little freedom I can provide.”
Tataru looked quite heartbroken at his words, her fingers intertwining with each other. She looked lost, her gaze searching the room for words she could not find.
“Miss Tataru,” Haurchefant called softly, snapping her attention back to him, “Do not worry yourself over the expense of your well-being. Our friends will call for us when they need us. How can we provide them with strength then if we don’t have any strength left for ourselves?”
Tataru stared at him in surprise, her fumbling fingers stilling. Soon after, her eyes sparkled with new-found confidence as she nodded her head in agreement. “You are right. I will ask if there is any work for me in the kitchens, so I can provide them with a warm meal in the meantime.”
With those words, the little Lalafell gave him a short bow before strolling out of the room with refreshed vigour. The tall Elezen watched her leave in silence, cursing the stinging in his heart. He had to remind himself constantly of the words his father bestowed on him. He could not yet allow himself to fall into panic, hence he could miss the moment his friends needed him the most. Though it provided to be a task growing in difficulty as the sun continued to stride across the sky without a trace of his dearest friend. He had already alerted all the guards at the gates to call for him if there was any sign of the Warrior of Light. But he could not stop the growing unease in his heart as the day continued to near the dreaded twilight.