Chapter Nine

It was dark. A void of nothingness spread out around him. He couldn't feel anything.

Is this what death is like?

The idea of it wounded his mind. He had hoped to die on a battlefield, the way his father had gone. No, instead he spent his last few moments rescuing the damned woman. But, did he regret it? He remembered the look on her face when he protected her from the plank. She looked almost vulnerable. Had no one done that for her before? He wanted to laugh at the thought of her depending on him, but her eyes stopped him. Those green eyes up close were engraved in his mind. He didn't expect to be thinking of her moments into his death.

Something gentle caressed his jawline and stopped by where he had gotten cut on his neck. He felt a stinging pain, but it quickly resided. The caress started against at his chest and moved slowly to his ribs. Along the trail there was a lightness that he hadn't felt before, and he felt himself relax. The stinging pain returned at his side, but it was quick to vanish. A soft sound vibrated in the air around him and settled in his ears. Someone was humming. It soothed him.

Heat rose up in his face, his head feeling like it might just burst. However, he felt chills running through the rest of his body, as if he could possibly freeze to death. Something soft snuggled up against his side, and he felt his body slowly start to heat up again. He must be running a fever, but what were they using to warm up his body? A thick blanket perhaps? No, that's not it. He focused on his side, feeling smoothness rub against him. The sensation felt... familiar. When realization hit him, he thought he could feel his face flush at the thought. But, who could it possibly be?

Sunlight shined in through the window when he finally came to. His eyes squinted, barely making out his surroundings. Once his eyes were able to adjust to the lighting, he was finally able to make out the environment. He recognized the broken window, and the chair positioned in the corner. His fingers brushed against the mattress that he was laying on.

"You're awake finally." she spoke softly, his eyes landing on Rayne and he inhaled sharply. She was wearing her golden locks in a braid over her shoulder, a few strands loose around her face. She had switched out of her armor into a tan button up blouse and what he could make out as brown trousers. He looked back up at her face and his heart thumped so suddenly. Her eyes were so gentle, her lips soft and pink. The dirt was erased from her face, but the dark circles were still under her eyes.

"Winters?" he choked out, coughing and clutching at his stomach where he felt bandages.

"Don't move yet, I'll ask Kiara to bring you some water and something to eat." she said, rising to her feet, but he reached out and grasped her hand before he could stop himself. She hesitated, peering down at him.

"Ignaar..."

"He's dead. It's over, so just rest for now." she said, taking hold of his hand and gently released it from her own and left the room. He glanced around the room slowly, rising to a sitting position and wincing as he did. He looked down to find bandages wrapped around his abdomen. Did she do this for him?

Charles' wife entered the room with a tray, smiling in relief to see him moving at last.

"Sir Ryder, I'm pleased to see that you awoke. That medicine did wonders for you." she said as she rested the tray on the nightstand beside him. He looked over to her as she took a seat beside the bed.

"Medicine?" he asked curiously, and she gestured to his neck. He rubbed against more bandages.

"Miss Winters went out and retrieved medicinal herbs to prevent the poison from spreading any further. After that, we had to wait it out for your body to fight off what was already inflicted in your bloodstream." she said, removing the cover off of a bowl, the smell drifting to him and he felt his mouth water.

"Beef stew..." he barely made out before catching the drool that nearly dripped from the corner of his lips. She smiled lightly, nodding and passed him a cup of water. He sighed in relief when he felt the liquid pass his lips.

"Eat up. You've been fighting this for a few days." she said, gasping when he spit out the water, coughing a bit.

"A few days?" he finished coughing, and she nodded, a sad smile on her lips.

"Yes. Miss Winters barely left your side while you were fighting off the poison," she took his cup and poured more water from a pitcher into it, "She even used her body heat when you had conflicting body temperatures." he coughed up again, his cheeks flushed at the thought. He ran his hand through his greasy hair shyly. She giggled as she rose to her feet and made her way toward the door.

"Wait, why would she even do such a thing?" he asked curiously, and she paused in the doorway, glancing back at him over her shoulder and smiles softly.

"That should be something that you ask her yourself." she said, and disappeared down the hall. Gideon sat back at the headboard, looking out the window to the clear, blue sky and let's out a sigh. The image of her curved body against his sent a feverish flare through his body. He took up the bowl of stew, hoping the heat of the food would overpower the heat within his body.

He carefully descended the stairs, putting an arm through a sleeve, his fingers adjusting the opening of his button up when Charles voice caught his attention. He and Rayne were leaning over a table, parchment rolled out on it.

"That covers rebuilding the barn then. Thank you, Rayne." he clasped her shoulder, making her wince slightly. He brought his hand back, "My apologies, you just seem so put together, no one can tell that you're wounded." he frowned at her as she rubbed her shoulder tenderly.

"I'll be fine. It was minor unlike Ryder's." she shrugged it off, walking over to the bar. Charles looks after her before seeing Gideon on the stairs and clears his throat, and rolls up the parchment.

"I'll have the others join me, take your time." he said, and leaves the tavern. The room filled with silence, and she let out a heavy sigh, running her fingers through her braid, loosening the strands until her hair swayed against her back. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back and takes a deep breath. Exhaustion finally hits her, and her body started to sway slightly until her legs finally caved beneath her. She waited to greet the floor, but the impact never came. She felt a strong and sturdy presence against her back as she slowly opened her eyes, meeting a pair of sapphire. She felt his hot breath on her cheek, the sensation sending goosebumps along her arms. She could only stare back at him, her eyelids heavy from the warmth of his body.

"Rayne..." she watched his lips move, trailing down to the shadow of a beard settling in. She followed the shadow up his jawline toward his eyes again, feeling her heart thump hard within her chest. They were just as dazzling as the gem itself, but there was a softness to them, and a glimmer of worry. Again, she watched his lips move, but it was blocked out. She lowered her gaze, unable to hold his and dropped to his exposed chest. She watched her hand move up as if it had a mind of it's own, her fingers gently grazing his collarbone. His chest tensed at her touch, and she ran her fingers along his skin slowly.

"Rayne..." she heard him say, his voice low and hoarse. Her vision began to blur around the edges, and she tried so desperately to keep her eyelids open, but she felt so weak within his arms that she couldn't resist any longer and fainted in his grasp.

Gideon raised a brow down at her, seeing that she had fainted so suddenly and bit his lip, carrying her to the stairs.

"You have been carrying along for so long now. It's you're turn to rest." he whispered to her, knowing she would not give him a response. He carried her to the room he was occupying just minutes ago, and lain her down on the mattress. He leaned over her, his hands resting beside her shoulders as he studied her features. Her lashes casted shadows along her upper cheeks, her blonde hair resting over her forehead and just slightly over her eyes. Her lips had parted slightly as her breathing steadied into a deep slumber.

He ran the back of his finger along her cheek, feeling how smooth her skin was and gently brushed her hair aside from her face. His eyes landed on her lips, running his thumb slowly over them.

"For a woman that can appear so cold, distant and willing to kill for riches..." his hand cupped her cheek gently, "You are quite mesmerizing." he barely whispered, and pulled away from her before he even thought of doing something stupid. He ran a hand through his hair, rubbing his fingers together and leaves the room, closing the door as quietly as he could behind him.

Rayne tied a pouch to the saddle of her horse, patting her stallion's neck gently. When the next day came, she felt new again after sleeping the rest of yesterday and through the night. She couldn't remember the last time she got a decent night sleep. She vaguely recalled her interaction with Gideon the other day, blush lightly covering her cheeks.

"How could I display such behavior like that toward him? I don't need to mislead him when there isn't anything to mislead." she lectured herself, looking over to Gideon as he was speaking with Charles and Kiara. She started noticing that length of his hair, his body frame, the way he held himself. She slapped her cheeks and lifted her cowl over her eyes when the little girl, Autumn, walked up to her. She wore a yellow sun dress, her hair in pigtails as she tugged her cloak.

"Do you have to go?" she asked sweetly, and Rayne knelt down in front of her, pushing a free strand behind her ear.

"Yes. You have your village back, and I have a mission to fulfill." she stated bluntly, but the girl frowned, the edges of her eyes watering. Rayne stiffened up st the sight, putting up her hands, "but I'll visit on my return back to the Kingdom." She panicked. Autumn smiled brightly, clasping Rayne's hands.

"Promise?" she asked, and Rayne looked at this girl with soft eyes. She nodded silently in response and Autumn squealed excitedly, throwing her arms around Rayne's neck in an embrace. Kiara calls to her, and she smiles one last time at Rayne before running over to her parent's side, Gideon finally joining her.

"Was that a hug I just witnessed?" he asked, and Rayne swung her fist around and planted it into his armor. He grunted softly, amazed that he even felt the impact of the hit. She mounted her horse, taking off into a gallop as Gideon said his farewells, following suit.