Two Teams

Katherine groaned. "Oh, come on, it worked just fine last time. You know I did not mean we need to - "

A kiss landed on her lips, effectively shutting her up. Her power was already active around their upper bodies, even before his tongue dived into her mouth. As always, one kiss sufficed to stop her thoughts and drive her annoyance away. When Nathaniel pulled back, she was almost purring.

He, meanwhile, took advantage of her relaxed vigilance to strike the hot iron. "Didn't you want to break up tents today? I just don't want you all exhausted on the first day of travel. That's also why I made you treat the poison yesterday, you know."

His arm securely around her waist, he looked at her with so much gentleness and concern that Katherine could not help but falter. She let her head fall sideways onto the pillow with a deep sigh. Then, as if on afterthought, she ruffled his hair with one hand until it stood in all directions. He furrowed his brows until he heard her following words. "You're a worrywart. But you're too cute to resist."

"You're the cute one," he mumbled and pulled her head against his chest. They cuddled a bit longer, then changed clothes and felt the hungry gazes of the other. Katherine teased Nathaniel a bit more, but he resisted the temptation. Barely.

Finally, they left the tent, and the smell of food from the campfire hit their noses. Suddenly, Katherine got all green in the face and turned to the side. "Oh no, I - I almost forgot this!"

Nathaniel held her hair and stroked her back as she dry-heaved. Though nothing was coming out, she didn't stop feeling ill and finally relented. "I - I think I will go back inside till after they had breakfast."

"I'll bring you something fresh," Nathaniel promised and helped her slip back into the tent while trying to keep the fragrant air outside. This tent was one of the few remaining in the camp. Most had already been packed up. Some soldiers had escorted the child mages to a safer place while others still waited for the order to depart.

"No need, no need, really... Oh, don't look at me like that. Alright. I will try. But only for the baby. Now shush." She weakly waved her hand, and he pressed one last kiss onto her forehead before closing the flap behind him.

"Oh my, this man will be the end of me," Katherine sighed dramatically and laid back on a mattress.

Outside, Nathaniel ate and collected some food for Katherine while he checked on the soldiers and made sure everyone would be prepared for departure. Then, he split the soldiers into two groups, one lead by Dellinger, and one by himself. "You will first scout the surroundings for search parties for that Duke we are housing. When we depart, follow closely behind and make sure not to be seen. Though I would love to leave my wife in your care - or better, bring her to the same place as the children - I highly doubt our prisoner will even feign to cooperate without her. If necessary, I will send you new commands per falcon. Any questions?"

"No, your Highness," Dellinger replied and bowed in all seriousness. "May you not fall into the trap you expect to find."

Nathaniel nodded curtly. "I hope so as well. Good luck." He was about to turn around when something else came to his mind. "Ah, and if, in any case, you need to decide to safe my wife or me, then remember that I will not live long without her anyway."

Stumped, Dellinger blinked before he belatedly lowered his head once more. When Nathaniel was a distance away, he finally dared to snigger. "As you command, your Henpeckedness. Who would have known that he would be this dramatic?"

When Nathaniel returned to the tent with an apple and a piece of simple bread, Katherine was asleep again, and it took much coaxing to wake her and make her eat. Luckily, her husband was sly and knew that kisses were the best bribe for a reluctant wife.

Thanks to these kinds of trouble, the sun was already above the treetops when Katherine and Nathaniel arrived at the shore of the nearby lake with the small island inside.

"How is he doing?" Nathaniel asked the guards while his eyes searched the island for the man they'd left there. Finally, they settled on a figure that was so dirty and still that he first thought it was part of the muddy ground.

The guards exchanged gazes after their usual bow, then one shrugged. "Doing okay, I guess. He held up that fireball till morning and fell asleep right after. The sunburn from the first day is not healed yet, and he was too proud to smear himself with mud until he got delirious and slipped into the water on the second. Tommy and Grey - um, they had watch duty that day - thought already they would've to rescue him. He barely crawled out himself, though. So, he's not doing great, but he's also not dead yet. We threw him some bread every evening, as requested. Lately, he's also been mumbling at night. Talking to himself, I guess."

Curious of her reaction, Nathaniel gazed at Katherine but she was focused on the island, her tiny nose scrunched up. It didn't seem like she was listening. In her hand, the knuckles white, rested a sharp knife. Though Nathaniel was glad she knew how to protect herself, the knife seemed like an ill omen today.

A thin wrinkle appeared between his brows. "Are you sure there was nobody he could've talked to?"

The guard was surprised for a moment, then rubbed his stubby chin. "No, your Highness. Unless someone hid in the water. He was way too quiet to be understood from the shore. There were no splashes either, so I guess..."

"Alright," Nathaniel acknowledged with a nod before he turned to Katherine and stretched out a hand. "Are you ready?"

"Hm?" Awoken from her thoughts, Katherine blinked. Her one hand gripped the knife even tighter before it relaxed somewhat. "Oh. Yes, I'm... I don't like this," she suddenly blurted out.

Calm like the deep sea, Nathaniel gazed back at her. "Me neither. But will you still speak with him? I can also go alone."

Her eyes widened. "Alone? No. Don't do that. I'll come with you. I'd be much more concerned if you went to see him alone."

Hearing that, a smile tugged on Nathaniel's lips. Who else would ever worry about him? Only Sam, maybe. "Am I no match for your cousin? Even in his current state?"

"Of course you are!" The answer was instant, but what followed turned it more ambiguous. "It's just... I just know he will be worse when I'm not there. And though I normally wouldn't say he is reckless, he is absolutely scheming and wicked. I would love to decline his help, but the bait is too big. We must at least try to destroy the organization once and for all."

"I know. I know, and I can handle it. Trust me, alright?" Again, he held out his hand, and this time she took it.

As they alighted the boat, Ethan Balder, the Duke of Sleipnir, opened an eye, and that motion cracked his newly dried armor of mud until he almost seemed like a brownish-grey scaled crocodile. He blinked several times but made no move to sit up, only staring at Katherine like a creep.

"You came back." His voice was just as broken as his hide, rough and more of a croak. "Water?"