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The drawbridge slammed shut behind them with a loud bang. They were only able to escape the virus-infected villagers with the help of Luis; if he hadn't been there, they would both be dead now.
They walked along the bridge, a familiar light in the distance. Purple and gently flickering, the merchant's lantern marked a safe space. Ashley could barely stay on her feet, Leon had to hold her carefully by the arm and support her. She - no, he too - urgently needed to rest.
When they reached the Merchant, Ashley had a coughing fit and slid weakly down the wall. She pulled her knees to her chest and tried to breathe more calmly. Leon wanted to help her somehow, but knew no better than to kneel beside her and stroke her back reassuringly. Saddler, who had been watching in silence until now, cleared his throat quietly:
"here behind me, through the door, I found an old sofa and there's also a blanket of mine... the way I look at you my friends, you won't make it much further without a breather"
Leon did not trust the merchant without sight. He was trained to be suspicious and cautious. He stood there indecisively for a heartbeat. In a flash, he weighed up the danger against the potential benefit. He had no choice, Ashley and he needed rest, even if only for a few moments.
He turned to Ashley, who was still hunched over, breathing shallowly. He couldn't quite tell if she was trying to stifle sobs or because of the coughing fit. Carefully, he knelt down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head. Tiredness and fear looked out of her eyes at him.
"Can you get up?"
Leon asked carefully and held out his hand to her. She carefully allowed herself to be pulled up. He had to support her, but she managed to get through the door on her feet.
The room was small, but had a fireplace in which a small fire burned and kept it reasonably warm. The window panes had long been smashed and the thunderstorm whistled past the windows. Opposite the fireplace was a wide, red velvet sofa on which a woolen blanket lay, neatly folded. Scattered around the room were a few utensils, weapons, pots of herbs and bottles of water. It was unmistakable that the merchant had set up his private camp here.
Leon carefully placed Ashley on the sofa, her head slumped almost immediately onto the armrest and her quieter breathing told Leon that she had fallen asleep. He couldn't help but scan the room carefully, looking for possible dangers. He found none. No secret doors, no strange curtains, no large suspicious cupboards.
Exhausted, Leon let his back slide down the sofa. He would let Ashley sleep a little first and keep watch. He didn't trust anyone. Most likely the dealer, but no one completely. Sitting up, he carefully pulled the blanket over Ashley, who was so deeply asleep that she didn't notice.
After a few moments, the adrenaline in Leon's blood was completely depleted and he was overcome by an icy tiredness. His shoulders ached, his legs felt weak, his eyes burned. His whole body cried out for sleep and rest.
As if the merchant had read his mind, he opened the door at that moment and carefully stepped inside. Instinctively, Leon reached for the pistol at his side, the shotgun unloaded beside him. The dealer raised his hands reassuringly and then carefully pointed to the water bottle. Leon understood. Carefully, so as not to wake Ashley, he stood up and approached the door. He was about to reach for the water when he heard the merchant say quietly:
"You can trust me, I have more to gain from you living and you continuing to pay me than from harming you in any way. I don't care about the girl either, I like earning my money here, I like the adventure. I have enough money to get out of here, I don't do it because I need this way of life... but I know that's not enough for you, so here's the room key. I don't have a second one. You'll have to trust me. This is an old castle, not a rental apartment."
He put the heavy iron key in Leon's trouser pocket and quietly pulled the door shut. The dealer was right, his arguments were understandable, Leon thought. Nevertheless, it reassured him to turn the key in the lock and the door was locked.
Leon went quietly to the pile of water bottles and carefully took two. He didn't want to take advantage of the merchant's hospitality. He sat back down at his place at Ashley's side.
The cold feeling of the water was welcome. It wasn't until he drank it that he realized how thirsty he had been. Seconds after setting the bottle aside, he allowed his body to fall into a deep sleep, his head leaning against the sofa. Ashley was lying on the sofa and he didn't want to violate her privacy, so he made do with the floor.
Leon woke with a jolt because something was moving behind his head. He jumped up, the pistol in front of him in a flash, aimed at a possible target. Instead of danger, he saw Ashley writhing, her forehead wet with sweat. She was making whimpering noises, her hands clutched in the blanket.
Leon was overcome by a wave of pity. He put his gun away. He knew these kinds of nightmares only too well. After Raccoon City, he had had to go through them himself for months, waking up in a cold sweat with a racing heart. This time he knew how to help her.
Leon knelt carefully next to Ashley on the sofa and gently put his hand on her shoulder to wake her up. He couldn't prevent her from waking with a cry, but he was there.
"Leon, it's you" Ashley said, gasping.
"Yes, I'm here, Ashley. We are safe. You were having a nightmare, that's why I woke you up. Do you want to tell me about it? I know what it's like."
Ashley smiled exhaustedly and took his hand. Her hands were small and very cold. She shivered slightly. He gently squeezed her hand and looked at her openly.
"I dreamt how everyone in the village down there was grabbing me and pulling on me at the same time. They were scrambling to get their hands on me. It was terrible, there were more and more of them and then I heard a cruel laugh. Someone somewhere was pleased that I was being torn between the villagers. They wanted to do some kind of ritual with me," Ashley sniffed.
Leon knew what she was talking about. He had had similar dreams on the boat after the creature in the lake.
"Ashley, I found you and I'm going to get you out of here. Nothing will ever happen to you again. Your father has faith in me for a reason," Leon replied.
"Can I sit next to you? You're shivering and if you get hypothermia we don't stand a chance"
Leon knew that Ashley would have absolutely no problem with this, but out of respect he would always ask.
Ashley nodded silently. Leon sat down on the sofa next to Ashley. He pushed the blanket under her body to keep her warm.
"Leon, you don't even have a jacket and the blanket is big enough" Ashley said, holding his hand tightly. She tossed one end of the blanket onto his lap. He grabbed the blanket and began to wrap it around his shoulders.
"May I?" Leon asked carefully before taking Ashley's hands in his to warm them. They sat like that for a while, his broad arms warming Ashley's shoulders. Their legs touched. His warmth radiated to Ashley through the contact of their bodies and she stopped shivering.
"Leon, why aren't you scared?" He suddenly heard Ashley whisper softly. The question surprised him.
"I'm scared Ashley, but after everything I've been through and through my hard training, I've learned to control my fear. Fear is important, it shows you your limits. Fear is your protection. But fear should not control you. You have to learn to use your fear."
Ashley was smart, Leon knew she understood.
He knew she wanted to ask what he'd been through, but he also knew she wouldn't hear those stories yet. In a place like this, it didn't help to think back to terrible things.
"How do I learn to control my fear, Leon?" she asked.
"It takes a long time, Ashley. You have to practise it over and over again. But I can tell you what has helped me. I keep reminding myself that fear is not a must. Anxiety is your body showing you that you need to pay attention. Behind anxiety is an increased excitation of the nerve cells in the brain, anxiety makes your body use all the resources it has to master a situation. If it doesn't paralyze you and take over, it can even give you superpowers for a short time"
"I never thought about it like that, did you learn that in training?" asked Ashley.
"Besides my excellent skills with weapons, among other things, yes" Leon replied with a wry grin.
Ashley began to tremble again. Whether out of fear or because the night cooled the air further, Leon couldn't tell. It was probably both. He saw that Ashley wanted to ask something, but didn't dare.
"Ashley, you're welcome to ask me," Leon said. "I can see that" He smiled briefly again.
She blushed slightly and looked furtively at her hands clasped with his.
Instead of answering, Ashley rested her head on his chest. Her head was light and her hair tickled him lightly under his chin. For a few seconds, Leon was surprised. Ashley's head felt very human after all the contact with Las Plagas' victims. It was a welcome weight that grounded him. His breathing began to slow. He realized he was beginning to relax for the first time in a long, long time.
Leon put an arm around Ashley and held her close. He let her know that it was okay for him.
His warmth welcomed her. His chest was warm and muscular. His breath tickled her ear. She sank even deeper against his chest and was happy about the arm he had put around her. So it was okay for him. She almost didn't dare, but she was glad that she was snuggled up to him now. His breathing calmed down. She closed her eyes and pressed her ear to his chest, to the place where his heart beat. She heard the deep, powerful beat. She felt his heartbeat on her ear and on her hand, which she placed next to her head on his sternum. She listened to his heart beating and realized that she had stopped trembling. She began to relax further with each beat of his heart. Her heartbeat began to match his. His heart beat much slower and stronger than hers thanks to all the training, but it calmed her body to synchronize with his. His breathing, his heartbeat, his warmth... It all reminded her of life. He was alive. She was alive. As long as their hearts were beating, they would fight, she knew that.
For a few minutes she just lay there and listened to his strong heartbeat. She counted along, it beat about every two seconds. She counted 43 beats before she heard Leon whisper her name softly. He probably wanted to know if she was asleep.
"Hmmm" she just said mumbled "your heartbeat is very soothing"
"Then why aren't you sleeping yet? You need to rest!" She heard the soft smile in his voice.
"I want to enjoy living a little longer. We live and we breathe. You remind me of life, Leon. Besides, our hearts beat in sync," she said, laughing softly.
"Let me see," Leon said, grabbing her wrist and searching for her pulse. When he found it, he waited a few moments and replied, "Right. But now go to sleep, Ashley. We need to get some rest so we can get out of here alive.
A few moments later, they both had fallen into a deep sleep.