Something Lost (Original Draft)

Chapter 18: Centre Yew Lower Dungeon Day 2

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Day 2: Centre Yew Lower Dungeon

When I awoke the next morning, at least that's when I thought it was, I noticed that James wasn't doing so well. He was burning with fever and when he spoke, he sounded hoarse and weakened. I made sure to tend to him regularly, oftentimes forgoing my rationed water so that he may drink.

My emotions were returning little by little. I had hoped it wouldn't have been in such a dire situation, but its timing was something that I had no control over. I watched the light on the torches as they grew fainter, and knew it was only a matter of time before we would be sitting in the dark. My eyes looked over James as he rested against the wall. I watched him until all I could think about was the letter, I had to know what was written in it, something inside of me told me it must be done.

"Now is the time, James," I whispered into his ear waking him gently from his rest.

"What, are you going on about?" he replied weakly.

"The letter, I'm going to read it."

His eyes went wide. "No, I told you, we would be punished if we did."

"I'll be damned if I am going to die here like this, not after all the shit I've been through!" I screeched. My voice carried throughout the dungeon like a banshees scream. "I have to know, what it says," I choked bitterly, my voice parched from the previous shout.

I reached down into his breastplate and searched frantically for the letter but couldn't find it. I peeled away his armor, which I had offered to do earlier, so he wouldn't suffer as much as he was in this heat. Every time I offered, he would tell me that a knight on task should never strip his armor, that it would be a disgrace to him and his king. This time he didn't put up a fight, which worried me even more.

He shifted his position and wheezed, "That feels better."

"Of course it does, all of that metal trapped the heat in... you should have let me do this sooner." I looked him over, he seemed withered by whatever sickness he had.

The letter had not been trapped between his armor and tunic like I had presumed, which meant I had shoved it down his tunic mistakenly. There was only one way to find out. I briskly untied the small leather straps that tightened his shirt, and just as quickly shoved my hands inside to start my search. My small fingers slipped across his slick harden chest. I could almost imagine the perfect masculine physique that was hidden under it, even though I was trying my hardest not to.

I stopped my search noticing the weak mischievous grin that was forming across his lips.

"What," I asked with my hands still shoved down his shirt, my fingers were firmly planted on his muscular abs.

His smile grew stronger.

"I was wrong... this feels better," he replied.

I retracted my hands and he pulled up with me, like he was magnetized by my touch.

"Aww... come on," he laughed playfully. "Just when things were getting interesting."

I shoved him.

"Piss off James, where is it?" I asked knowing the letter wasn't in his shirt. I had searched thoroughly enough to know it wasn't there... he must have hid it while I slept.

"We're not to read it," he answered starkly as he fell back against the wall.

The letter couldn't have gone too far, he was bound to the wall after all, he still had it I knew that much.