Beneath The Ash

Campfire With Death

Jolting awake and scanning my surroundings I wonder what caused such panic to rouse me. Feeling cold sweat on the nape of my neck, I know that sleep won't come easy again tonight. 

"What's wrong?" Gaia sits up from her bed roll, brushing her hand on my arm.

"Don't know. Just a bad gut feeling." I sit up properly and put my knife back in its sheath. Looking past the fire and sentries into the dark of surrounding forest, I see little eyes everywhere observing us, scurrying to and fro. Extending my senses beyond my immediate vicinity, I try to see if there is someone or something around us that keeps sending my amygdala into overdrive. But to my chagrin and relief, I can only feel small creatures burrowing and scavenging for food, nothing out of ordinary. 

Unless you consider camping in the forest of doom, beside river of death as nothing out of the ordinary.  I roll my eyes at my own thoughts. 

"I haven't been able to fall asleep. Every sound sends me on high alert." Gaia runs a hand through her tussled hair, looking frustrated. 

"There is tea, in the pot." Minotaur that questioned our mission, says from his position by the fire. I take a moment to notice a mean looking battle axe that he has on his knees and alert look on his face. He must have taken over watch duties from Kai, as our guide is soundly asleep in his sleeping bag. 

"Thank you." I get up and move to get two cups of tea, wishing it was coffee. "Anything out of the ordinary?"  I look around once again. 

"No, everything is grimly still, like we have spooked local wildlife or they scurried away, because we attract too much attention and drawing other bigger things out." He grumbles out, tightening his grip on handle of the axe. 

"What's your name?" 

"Murtagh." 

"Get some sleep Murtagh. I won't be sleeping much tonight so I'll keep watch." I nod towards his bedroll.

Watching him, take a moment to observe me. As if trying to decide if I am testing him, but having come to some sort of conclusion he gets up towering above me by a good foot and a half. "As you wish." He bows his head and walks off towards his spot by the fire. 

Taking our cups, back to Gaia I can not help but notice how fire dances on her features and despite looking somewhat tense, she is still stunning to me. Handing her both cups, I quickly put sleeping bag over my legs, not so that it could constrict me if I have to move quickly, but enough to keep some of the heat in, even though I do not need it, but it provides some sense of comfort in. 

"Wish this was coffee." Gaia blows steam away from her cup, after handing mine back and snuggling in closer, our shoulders brushing and thighs flush against one another, despite all the layers still between us it feels cosy and warm. 

"Yeah me too. But it's still better than that concoction Magnus made for us, back in Indrus." I chuckle lightly at the memory, Gaia joining me a second later as if it took her a moment to bring up that memory. 

"What did he use to make it again?" Her scrunched up nose has me covering my mouth not to wake anyone with my laughter. 

"He used bark of some local tree." Memory of the taste makes me take a long gulp of the brew in my hand, just to try and wash it away. Looking into the fire, I realise that my best friend is hell knows where and not with me on this stupid mission in some forsaken by world place. 

"That is a mighty big sigh." Gaia nudges me with her shoulder. "You miss him don't you?"

"Mhm." Is my only response and for a long moment we just stare into the fire, listening to local wild life going about its business.  "Why didn't you ask him to join us?" I finally voice that one question that been eating at me, from the moment we stepped through the portal without him.