The Signal

"Seriously, you never tell me anything!", Katherine continued, regaining her former train of thought. "Not when you are hurt, not about your future plans, not even when it concerns me! Now, let me down, you dummy!"

With a quiet sigh, Nathaniel rubbed his cheek against her neck. He didn't want to let her go yet. To his soul, cuddling her was a more powerful medicine than her magic could ever be. "Dear, we shouldn't cure it now. Not here. What would we do with the poisoned blood? The soldiers will get suspicious with almost a liter of it on the floor."

"But you look so tired already. We can't just leave it be", Katherine protested, and struggled to free herself of his arms. "It's just blood. Maybe we can hide it somewhere here? Maybe in one of the closets?"

A kiss prickled on the skin beneath Katherine's ear, before Nathaniel carefully sat her down. "It needs to be disposed of correctly, my dear. Did you never wonder what Sam did with the basins of blood you left?"

"Uhm... actually, no." Both fell quiet for a few seconds as they wondered how the man in question was fairing right now.

Then Nathaniel spoke up again. "Anyway, it should not be found by the soldiers. We can't leave it somewhere either, unless we are sure it isn't found in the next half a year."

With knitted brows, Katherine stared at her husband, her hands still on his shoulders. "What exactly are you hiding this time? Why half a year?"

Nathaniel's lips twitched. If it was a smile, it was a wry one. "Well... the doctor lately had a theory we don't want to test. About what might happen to the poison's remnants if they are exposed to organic matter outside of my body for a longer time period... you know, the original dark magic eats organic matter. Besides, it is still poisonous to others if it's taken in, meaning poisonous like a herb or venom. But since it are remnants of magic, despite being strange, it evaporates after about half a year naturally if it leaves me. Or that is what we thought before the doctor's theory."

After the explanation, Katherine stared at him with dazed eyes for quite a while. "... just how come your magic transcends the impossible every time I hear of it? It keeps getting nastier and nastier. I can't even wrap my head around what you try to tell me. Can you perhaps break it down for me again?"

There was a slight blush of red on Nathaniel's pale cheeks, but Katherine didn't notice in her confused state. With a sigh, he raked his hand through his hair. "It's... let's just say it's not the right time to remove the poison now. But since we should leave here before your cousin's people arrive - or maybe ditching them on the way might be easier - it should not be long before we are in a safe, unwatched place again. I already have one in mind."

Reminded of another pressing problem, Katherine's worry grew, but she was not distracted so easily. Her finger brushed over his cheek, following the line of the dark eye circles. "Are you sure this is okay? You don't look well today. I don't want you to fall ill again."

His smile softened. "I do have the best doctor here, don't I?"

"That doesn't mean you can get reckless."

Staring deep into her violet eyes, Nathaniel felt his throat clench. Unsure how to appease her worry, he opened his mouth. "I just lack a bit of sleep."

Her delicate hand brushed the hair from his forehead and rested at his temple. "Then you should get some."

"They will not let me stay with you. And how can I know they will not kidnap you at night?" He leaned into her hand, his red eyes never leaving hers. That was when he saw a grin blink into existence that lit up her beautiful face.

"You have to trust your wife for a bit." Her other hand went to her back and suddenly, he felt cold steel on his neck. It was the dagger he gifted her to her eighteen's birthday. "I now know how to use this. Lady Brandon is with me as well, and as I know my cousin, he wants me untouched."

"Do you know that, yes?" Nathaniel's gaze was deep, neither surprised nor fearful. Yet, the mirth she'd hoped to find was also missing. Trusting her fully, he leaned into the blade to press a kiss on her forehead. "When you call me, I will find you. Don't let your guard down."

Her hand trembled, but the dagger rested so lightly on his skin that it didn't cause any harm. "I know."

With a deep smile, he stepped back, but there was a furrow between his brows that told of his remaining worry.

Sheathing her dagger again and securing it under her shirt behind her back, Katherine sighed. "I wished we had more time together. Let's escape quickly, alright?"

As if the soldiers outside had heard her reluctance, they knocked on the door and raised their voices. "Lady Balder? Are you not ready yet?"

.

Almost two days ago, on icelandic ground

Staring at the gate closing behind his master and the dear little daughter he adopted in his mind, Jack frowned. Something was wrong. He felt it in his guts. Something... wouldn't go according to plan.

Secretly, he gave the sign to be prepared to his subordinates and ignored the eyeroll of the annoying Cordcow. This man was more of a servant than a fighter, so naturally, he would ridicule the instincts of a veteran soldier when there were no outward signs of trouble.

Yet, the rest of the entourage wasn't like him. Despite hardly reacting - grabbing the weapons was too suspicious of a move while surrounded by double the number of enemies - Jack felt the air of the group behind him shift. It became sharper and quieter.

His lips parting to his signature bandit grin, Jack leisurely placed his right on the saddle horn. "The weather is looking really bad today. I hope you've got enough beer stored to sit out the storm. The towns are deserted till miles from here, so you might not be able to stock up soon. And right" he laughed a grumbling, carefree laugh as if there wasn't a single worry on his mind, "You might also need a bottle or two of stronger liquor for the wounded! I bet Dragsa won't go easy on you!"

Nobody answered, but Jack was amused enough for everyone. He leaned forward and his single dark eye glinted as he stared at the shut visors of the knights, looking along their rows as if to intimidate them all when in reality he searched for the weakest link for a breakthrough, "Or do you think you can't hold out anyway?"

Just when he noticed a knight fiddling nervously with his reigns between all these other steel-faced guys, a call drew his attention back to the wall.

"Black magic!"

Everyone turned their heads to the gate where the prince and princess had just entered. Dark tendrils like the arms of a sea monster moved in the air above the stones. Jack's eyes narrowed. This was a sign that things were completely out of control. It was also the aforementioned signal for retreat. If the dark magic of their master went amok, they couldn't do much to help anyway.

The icelandic soldiers were shocked by the sight, then the temporary leader commanded a team to head back to the wall as support. Silently, Jack drew his weapon, and as soon as the first riders left the circle, he made his move.

"Break through!", he bellowed, and pointed at the weakest link of the enemy's line. Then, at the spearhead of his team, he rushed out to clash swords with the better armed foe.