Heir of Dust and Wind

Chapter 59 - Recollections

Warm.

This was the first thing she felt when Ava woke from what felt like the deepest and longest sleep she'd ever slept. She couldn't even recall what she'd dreamt about, but throughout she'd felt safe and cared for. Keeping her eyes closed, she savoured the feeling a little longer until ...

... a heart-wrenching noise from the right side of the bed made her eyes fly open.

For a moment it made her mind cartwheel, flooding with images of her endeavour to the Nether Realm, Tina, Raban, the Fallen One, the pain, the blood, an unfamiliar voice. After a brief disorienting moment, however, she realised that she was safe now. Her hand on her chest confirming that therer were no remnants of the wound whatsoever. 

A glance at where the noise had come from confirming that it had been a particularly loud snore from Raban, who seemed to have collapsed face down into the mattress. Ava couldn't help but smile at him. It was truly baffling, how - and muffled by the mattress too! - her consort was able to produce such sounds. 

Knowing that she needed to deal with with aftermath of last night  sooner rather than later, Ava still couldn't help but think of creative ways to wake her consort, when a voice from the door made her pause and turn.

"Thank the stars you're awake."

Much to her astonishment, she found Trygve sitting on the floor next to the bedroom door, a still sleeping Gainor had his head rested on the large Dracaeni's shoulder, sitting close beside him.  The way he looked made Ava think that last night must have been much worse than she remembered.  

Yes, she'd been injured, but since the wound had already healed, it couldn't have been that bad, right? However, the lack of Trygve's usual stoic composure, naked relief plain on his features, the dark circles under his eyes and the fact that he and Gainor had slept in the room made her reevaluate this assessment. Only then it occur to her that she'd absolutely no recollection of how she'd gotten back to the headquarter let alone to her bedroom.

Oh dear.

"What," she had to pause and clear her throat since her voice came out as nothing more than a croak. "What happened?"

Before Trygve could answer, the Dracaeni's face disappeared from her sight as Raban shot up at the sound of her voice, positively crushing her in a tight hug. With her still in his arms, the Fae took a few deep, steadying breaths as it seemed, before letting go of her at last.

When he finally let go, holding Ava at arm's length and inspecting her closely, she found the same tell-tales of exhaustion and relief  that she'd seen on Trygve's face before.

"I'm good," she said softly, feeling that he needed reassurance. She gave him a smile which hopefully conveyed as much.

Raban didn't say anything, still holding onto her shoulders.

"I thought, I'd lost you," he said so quietly that is was almost a whisper, voice raw with emotion. It almost broke Ava's heart to see him so worried.

She touched his face gently, "but you haven't." Ava took one of his hands and placed it on her chest, right above her beating heart. "I'm right here."

Someone cleared his throat and burst the bubble she and Raban had just been in. turning towards the sound, Ava saw that Gainor was awake now and both Dracaeni had gotten to their feet. While Trygve looked awkwardly not write directly at them but still in their general direction - and Ava could swear that his ears were slightly pink - his significant other smiled broadly and openly at them in a way only Gainor could.

"About time," he grinned. 

Trygve muttered something under his breath that was no doubt meant to stop Gainor from making what he deemed inappropriate remarks when the door practically flew open and only their faster than human speed prevented them form being crushed by it.

"About time," Orla repeated Gainor's words from where she stood in the open door. Even the Goblin looked somewhat dishevelled and made Ava think that she desperately needed to know what in the name of the stars happened last night.  

But just as she opened her mouth to ask them, the tiny librarian held up a hand.

"Later," she urged and Ava noticed that her smile looked uncharacteristically tight around the edges, her expression somewhat weary. "You need to get dressed and down for dinner." She briefly paused seeming to look for the right words. "We have a situation" the Goblin put a strange extra emphasis on the word, " with the Human and the Kelpie."

Without waiting for either a reply or a reaction, Orla simply turned on her heel and left.

Kelpie? What's a Kelpie?  Ava asked no one in particular, simply reaching out in that mental space where they so often discussed these questions.

While Orla had left her more confused than before, the same could not be said about Raban, Trygve and Gainor. Instead her announcement seemed to have alarmed them somehow.

The two Dracaeni had already made to follow Orla, Trygve.as stoic as ever and Gainor no longer smiling, which left Ava to turn at her consort.

He too, however, did not answer her question, not directly at least.

"I'm afraid, Orla is right, my love." He too looked weary, but kept smiling. "Let's get you dressed so you can see for yourself." 

*****

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