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“And so, that’s why I chose… a-choo!- pardon me! That’s why I chose to collect this series, you see, because it’s so- a-choo!”
I look at Haurchefant worriedly. The two of us are standing in his library and he’s telling me about his most recent acquisition, and I’m putting off telling him about my next destination… though I have a feeling he knows, from the glances he’s been giving me out of the corner of his eyes. It must have been Aymeric, and I make a mental note to grumble at him about it later. My guess is that Aymeric, stung by Estinien telling him to stay in the city and do his job, petitioned Haurchefant to come with us in his place- though Haurchefant also has an important job to do, one that isn’t easily taken on by others.
He hasn’t mentioned it yet, but I’m onto him.
Once he’s finished blowing his nose, he looks at me with a charming smile. “It must be dusty in here!” he exclaims, though there’s not a spec of dust in the entire room and he and I both know it. I give him a level stare and he smiles innocently, and he almost gets away with it before another sneezing fit doubles him over.
I cross my arms. “You need to be resting,” I say, though I’m quite certain he’ll put up a fuss about it.
“Now now, I’m quite all right,” he replies, though the rather pathetic sniffle that punctuates that phrase tells me the exact opposite. There’s no way he’s going to the Aery like this, I think, and for a brief moment I am gleeful. Convincing him not to go would have otherwise been very difficult, and while it still may be, I’ll at least have his advisors to help me encourage him to stay in bed.
I sigh and reach up to touch his face. He smiles at me, and I briefly smile back- at least until I realize his skin is dry and hot to the touch. I draw back and shake my head, crossing my arms again and affecting the sternest look I can. “Bed. Now.”
He blinks, then grins. “Well, if you insist, but it is the middle of the day- wouldn’t that be a bit unseemly? Still, I’m not one to turn down such an offer!”
I roll my eyes and walk behind him, shoving him gently toward the door… and I’m glad, at that moment, that he can’t see the light blush that’s appeared on my face. Honestly, to say such things-! He is bolder than Thancred, and that’s saying something, given the bard’s absolutely shameless nature.
He glances over his shoulder, eyes sparkling with mischief. “You’re coming with me, aren’t you?”
I nod- I am, if only to keep him in bed and resting where he should be- and follow him to his chambers. Once the door is closed he catches me in a hug, and I instinctively relax against him before drawing back and pointing at the bed.
“All right, all right,” he replies good-naturedly, and turns away just in time for another sneezing fit. I watch him worriedly as he undresses and climbs into bed, then perch on the edge of it, reaching out to touch his forehead again. “I truly am fine, you know,” he says, his voice suddenly gentle. “You’ve no need to worry so.”
My lips curve and I gently brush soft silver hair away from his face. “I’ll be here,” I say quietly.
He sighs and closes his eyes slowly. “I suppose I am a little tired,” he murmurs, and before he can say much else, he is fast asleep.
I get up carefully and settle myself in the armchair by his bed, smiling as I watch him sleep before picking up a book on the nightstand and looking at it curiously. It must be what he’s reading at the moment, and I carefully mark his spot before flipping it to the beginning. This will be a good time for me to rest as well, and as I’ve precious little of those, I’m going to take advantage.
It’s only a couple hours later when he wakes, and when he does, he is absolutely miserable. His pale eyes are bright with fever and his face is flushed. I feel awful for him, and when I reach out to touch his forehead, he catches my hand and presses it to his face. “It’s so hot in here,” he mumbles, kicking at the covers until they’re bunched up at his feet.
I look at him sympathetically. He’s going to need medicine, I think, and I’ve nothing suitable on me- and so I stand, gently drawing my hand back. He looks up at me hazily and pushes himself up a bit.
“Are you leaving already?” he asks.
I shake my head. “You need medicine,” I say reassuringly, hoping that he does not protest too much- I’m going to get it regardless. When he simply sinks back down into the mattress and closes his eyes, and I make haste to fetch it while he’s still somewhat lucid. This will, I think, be an unpleasant day and night- but once his fever breaks he’ll feel much better, and I’ll feel better about leaving him to do my duty.
I find Corentiaux in his usual spot by Haurchefant’s desk and walk over to him. He smiles and nods when he sees me, but his expression turns worried when I tell him what I’m looking for. “Lord Haurchefant’s come down with a fever?” he asks worriedly. “There’s been an illness going around the camp, so as unfortunate as it is, I can’t say I’m surprised. Come, I’ll have medicine prepared and you can take it to him.”
I pause, then shake my head. I need to find him something to eat and drink as well, and I look toward the kitchen before looking back at the steward.
“That’s a good idea,” Corentiaux agrees with a quick smile. “Go fetch that, then, and I’ll have the medicine waiting when you return.”
As I think about it more, however, a dish comes to mind that I’d eaten many times in Gridania- and most recently, I’d thought about taking him there to eat it with me. I walk out of the building and look around, then focus my mind and reach out toward the aether, toward Gridania… and I feel myself lift into the air, and then the world goes dark.
Teleporting is a very interesting sensation, I think. It makes some people very sick, some ecstatic, and some just aren’t affected at all. I’m lucky to fall into the latter category. I don’t particularly dislike it, but I also don’t enjoy it so much that I try to do it as often as I can. It gives me the shivers to think about how the aether basically comes apart and drifts elsewhere, then reforms into what makes you. I’m always a little afraid I’ll wind up somewhere and be missing something vital.
Gridania is a beautiful place, and I daydream a little as I walk toward the marketplace, imagining him there with me. Would we hold hands, I wonder? Maybe, but it would be more likely because something caught his attention and he’s intent on seeing it with me by his side. That’s happened more than once at Camp Dragonhead, and more than once in Foundation as well. I smile distantly, picturing it in my mind. What would he think of the huge trees, of the way the sunlight filters through and makes patterns on the ground? What would he think of the green grass, the clear, cool water… and the warm air? These are all things I have to find out, I decide, and once I’m back from the Aery, I’m going to bring him here. I want to know.
I’ve always loved the marketplace in Gridania, and I find the vendor I’m looking for with ease. I explain that the food is for a sick friend and place my order, and once it’s prepared and wrapped, I step back outside and look up at the sky. It’s a welcome respite from the constant cold and snow, I think, and the only reason I ever look forward to returning is to see him… and so it’s with a smile that I reach out again and head back to Camp Dragonhead, to freezing cold air and snow drifts that stand taller than I do, to icicles that could quite feasibly kill a person when they fall from the buildings they’re perilously attached to- to him.
Corentiaux is waiting with the medicine when I walk back in, and he holds the bottle out with a nod. “I’m sure it tastes awful, but it will do the trick,” he says. “If you have any problems getting him to stay in bed, let me know.”
I nod. I don’t foresee any issues, but then again, one never knows with a man like Haurchefant. I take the medicine and thank him, then head back up the winding stairs to Haurchefant’s chamber, hoping that he’s still feeling well enough.
When I push the door open and peer in, I’m momentarily confused. I don’t see him for a second. I say his name and close the door behind me, looking around, and then the mound of blankets on the bed moves and he peers out. My heart aches for how pitiful he looks and I swiftly walk over, putting the medicine and the food down on the bedside table before crouching by the bed to look at him.
“You’re back,” he breathes, clearly relieved. “It’s frightfully cold in here, is it not?”
I frown a little and shake my head. It is not at all cold in the room- if anything, it’s a little warmer than usual, which suits me very well. He always laughs when he draws me in here and makes sure he puts a few extra logs on the fire before drawing me close and teasing me about being cold-blooded. I reach out and touch his face again, and am relieved to find that his fever hasn’t gone up by much it at all, and then I turn to the bottle of medicine. I hold it up so he can see it and he eyes it suspiciously, sinking further beneath the blankets.
“I’m sure that tastes dreadful,” he mutters. “Can we simply pretend I took it?”
I snort and uncork the bottle, carefully measuring out a dose into the small glass that came with it, and gently pull the blankets back. He shivers a little bit but obediently sits up and takes the glass from me. His bare skin shines slightly in places where the blankets hadn’t touched, a thin sheen of sweat that worries me further. “Drink,” I say, holding it out. I pause, then smile. “I brought a surprise, for after.”
He looks curious, and he reaches for the cup and downs the medicine in one shot. He shudders and shakes his head, handing me the glass and shifting so he’s sitting cross-legged with one blanket draped over his shoulders. “Vile stuff,” he mutters. “You’re very lucky you’re as adorable as you are, otherwise…”
I smirk faintly. He’s in absolutely no shape to resist me, and I’ve no qualms in forcing it down his throat if I have to. He’s tall and well-built, but I am also in excellent shape, as I have no choice but to be- he’d have to work hard to fight me off. I brighten when I pick up the bag with his carefully wrapped stew and unwrap it, then take the lid off and carefully hand it to him along with a spoon.
Now he looks very interested, and he lifts the bowl to his nose, breathing in the fragrant steam that rises from it… or at least trying to. He looks annoyed when he can’t manage the task and sighs, lowering the bowl. “I’m sure it’s lovely,” he says, “but… I fear it’s going to go to waste on me today.” I settle down in my chair, smiling ear to ear, and wait for him to eat it. He takes a bite, then another, and it’s a long moment before he gasps and quickly sets the bowl on the bedside table in favor of grabbing a tissue. “By the Fury!”
I sit back in my chair and grin openly, watching him. Apparently he hadn’t been expecting it to be spicy, but what good will bland food do someone who’s ill? The spice clears out the nose and makes it easier to breathe… and plus, if I’d warned him, he might have refused.
He finally looks at me in disbelief. “What have you given me?” he demands, though he doesn’t sound angry- just confused.
“Antelope stew,” I say calmly. “… with a few peppers.”
“A few?” he asks, flustered. He looks suspiciously at the bowl before cautiously taking it and sniffing at it. He blinks, then looks at me with a sudden bright smile. “I can smell it now!”
It should last long enough for him to get a good rest, I think, and I tuck my legs under myself to settle in. I am very proud of this idea indeed. I watch him as he finishes the stew, though part of me wonders if it isn’t more to please me than because he likes it- it takes him nearly half a box of tissues to get through it. By the time he’s done, though, he looks happier, and I prop the pillows up so he can lean back against them.
He studies me for a little while with that soft, gentle expression I only see when we’re alone. “You are very kind to take care of me like this,” he says softly. “I know you have other things on your mind right now.”
And there we have it. I sigh and shift a little, studying the arm of the chair before lifting my eyes to his, and I nod. As much as I want to tell him they’re less important, he wouldn’t thank me for it- and more than that, he wouldn’t believe me. He reaches out and touches my knee, and I quickly take his hand, holding it in both of my own. “You are not going,” I say, my voice soft and firm.
“I know.” He smiles a little and shrugs. “This illness is very poorly timed, sadly. I would be a burden if I were to go like this, and so I will remain here and wish you well instead.” His eyes are still fever-bright, but he is completely lucid… and this is a conversation that could border on painful if I am not careful.
I squeeze his hand tightly. I would be honored to fight by his side over and over, but this is a battle that rightly belongs to Estinien- I am the one who’s interfering, and only out of necessity. Estinien can disable Nidhogg, and it is up to me to finish him off- he cannot do both.
He sighs and looks up at the ceiling, then turns his gaze to me again. “Aymeric came to visit shortly before you arrived, as I’m sure you’ve guessed,” he said. “That’s how I found out what you plan to do.”
I figured as much. Aymeric has a fierce heart, and if he had his way he would be fighting with us every second- but Estinien hadn’t been wrong when he’d pointed out that neither he nor I have the authority that Aymeric has to organize the city’s defenses. I look at him again and smile, shaking my head. I don’t want him to worry about me… I’ll be fine, as I always am. I have too much to come home to to be reckless.
“Just take care of yourself,” he murmurs, and then pauses before lifting my hand and kissing the backs of my fingers. “Come home to me.”
I know I’m blushing again, but I keep my gaze on his and I nod. I will come home, of that I have no doubt, because what I have waiting for me is every bit as valuable as what I fight to protect- and is, in fact, one and the same.
When he falls asleep again I stay with him as long as I can, but the rising sun heralds my need to be on my way. I touch his forehead and find it cool, and I smile as I tuck the blankets more securely around him. I look around the room and find parchment and a pen, and I write him a quick note and leave it on his bedside table where he will find it before I sneak out. He will understand why I left like this, as he’ll likely sleep another few hours- and when he wakes, he’ll feel good as new, or at least close to it. He’ll likely be waiting in Foundation to meet me when I return, and I smile as I step outside and reach for the aether, heading back to the city to meet with Estinien.
I will always come back.