Iron Knight - Clan of the Rim Chronicles #2

17

LATER THAT MORNING I found myself waking up before Calder, my head sleeping against the chair arm instead of his shoulder. I didn't know what time it was but the sun was now hidden with the curtains and it appeared that Calder's bandages had been changed. Had I been so tired that I didn't even realize the healer or his helper came in? I sat up and stretched, feeling as stiff as the wood, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

I leaned over and checked on Calder's condition, feeling his face and forehead. He was back at his normal cool temperature now, the deathly chill thankfully gone.

Sighing knowing I needed to leave him so I could change and check on Eeira's duties I had now taken on, I stood and quietly turned to leave. I abruptly stopped though as Calder began to stir, jolting in his sleep. I watched as he began shaking his head, huffing and clenching his fists.

"No," he mumbled, grunting with a stiff arch of his back as if just being shocked with a defibulator.

I knew by his actions that he was having a nightmare, so I sat back down and tried to wake him. "Calder. Calder wake up."

He twisted his head again, jerking his arms hard as if he was trying to free them from restraints. "No," he spoke louder this time with another grunt.

I placed my hands on his arm stuck with the IV so he wouldn't pull it out, but he was so much physically stronger than me. "Calder, it's just a nightmare. Wake up."

"No!" he then shouted, screaming in anger and jerking his chest once more.

The door then swung open to reveal the healer and a guard accompanying him, their faces holding shock.

"It's ok, he's just having a bad dream. I've got him," I told them so they wouldn't intervene. I looked back down at Calder and touched his cheek, gently shaking him.

"Calder-"

"jeg skal drepe deg!" he shouted in Norwegian as he then awoke and sprung up, his hand grasping firmly onto my wrist.

I made of a faint cry of pain from the amount of strength he was using, the sound of the guard's sword unsheathing seeming to echo through the room. They probably knew what he had said, and the looks on their faces told me it wasn't good.

It took Calder a split moment to realize he was out of the nightmare and see what was happening, and his eyes widened. He quickly pulled his hand away.

"Eerika," he breathed out, sounding like he'd just run a marathon. "I'm. . .I'm sorry."

"It's alright," I told him, throwing a hard side-glance at the guard. "You were just having a bad dream. You're ok now."

He nodded though his irises showed he was somewhere far off, and slowly laid back down. My expression towards the healer and guard told them they were to leave now, and they rightfully obliged.

I sat back down and turned my full attention to Calder. "How are you feeling?"

Calder clenched his jaw, something I hadn't seen in ages, as he darted his gaze back and forth from my face to my wrist. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine," I assured, chuckling after, "A bit dirty though, and I smell like the horse stalls. I'm going to go get cleaned up and check on a few things, and then I'll be back. I'll see if the healer will let you eat and drink now too. Maybe we can take out that awful IV."