~*~*~*~ Chapter Twelve ~*~*~*~
Twenty-four hours had passed, and the survivors of the battle lay sleeping on low, dirty beds in the inn they had found. The best possible accommodations had been found for the city’s newest heroes, but even that was far from the usual standard of living. What little food had been scraped together, beds had been hastily cleaned, and the warriors had collapsed with exhaustion. Many of those who were already unconscious, like Arwing, Lil, and Bond, had not even been able to awaken, but were merely carried to their beds, and all of the slept the entire night and early morning through. Their wounds had been carefully tended to while they slept, but further examination would be performed by medics in Rivera’s army.
Now, as the sun passed its highest point in the sky and began to descend, the warriors began to awaken. Krystal was first, waking in a state of complete peace. She was wrapped in a wool blanket, with afternoon sun peeking through the curtains to warm her. She stretched luxuriously, forgetting, for the time being, how she had come to be here. Her muscles ached, and her wounds stung, but she was safe and rested. Sighing, she rolled onto her side, and came face to face with Bond.
Her heart leapt. How many nights had she dreamt of this moment, of having him beside her again, where he belonged. She had been far too long without him, but all the weeks of worrying and chasing him across the country had worked, and finally he was safe again. She sat up slowly and ran her fingers down his face, feeling the curves and angles, trying to commit to memory the way his blond eyelashes curled upward, or the silky softness of the beard growing on his cheeks, or the bump in his nose. That had been what terrified her the most in his absence, that she couldn’t conjure his face in memory, and she had feared she wouldn’t get another chance.
She brushed her fingers across his lips, and murmured, *I love you, Bond.”
26-Jul-2009 20:53:58
Almost there!