The action was so unexpected that for a moment, Noble thought she had imagined it. She had wanted so badly to save the guard.
Had some postmortem spasm caused the movement?
Drusus's chest moved up and down. His eyes fluttered open in profound confusion.
"Drusus?" Orrin rushed back to the boy's side, cradling the young man's head. "Can it be?"
"C-cousin?" The guard furrowed his brow. He looked around at the others, confused by their presence. His dry tongue slurred his speech.
Flint touched the young man and frowned. "I think the sedative was meant to incapacitate, but not kill him. Now that we have removed the source, it seems to be wearing off. He needs something to drink."
Flint handed Orrin a canteen, which was still sparkling slightly from being summoned. The Shieldbearer held it up to the guard's lips.
While the young man drank, Flint ducked behind Orrin to check on the other victim.
After a moment, the water cooled Drusus's throat and cleared his thoughts.
"Thank you," he nodded at the second-in-command. "Where am I?"
"In the middle of the woods," Orrin answered, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "You've been on quite an adventure."
Noticing the Saint, Drusus struggled to move out of his cousin's arms to bow. He floundered and collapsed as he stuttered. "My Lady, forgive me! I must have fallen asleep on the night watch and walked in my slumber!" He paused. "Wait...did Titus say sedative?"
Noble could feel the man spiraling out of control. He was disoriented and groggy from the silk.
The floating Master tried to help him focus before panic set in. "What do you remember?"
Drusus blinked a couple of times. "I was making my rounds. I thought I heard something. The alarm had already been tripped once, so I assumed it was another person who had strayed too far."
The man's eye darted away, as if looking at Noble was a direct accusation. He tried to sit up, but his body still refused to cooperate.
"I can't feel my legs!" he cried.
"Take your time," Orrin cooed. "Keep talking and let your body wake up. Did you find anyone?"
Drusus licked his cracked lips. "I looked around, but I could not find the source of the sound. It was whispers I couldn't quite hear. Every time I went to investigate, they moved."
"That makes sense," Syrce tapped her cheek. "The creatures were drawing you out to abduct you."
"Abduct me?" Drusus's eyes went wide.
Orrin nodded. "You and Livia were taken by some of the Watchers. They brought you to their queen as a sacrifice. Lady Bel pulled you away from them just in time."
"You saved us. Thank you." Drusus sighed. "Where is Livia?"
"She is...taking longer to wake up," Flint said slowly. The healer's face was tense.
Noble frowned. She could not feel any emotions coming from the young woman, but she hadn't thought much of it. No emotions had radiated from Drusus either until he had woken.
"I want to see her." Drusus pulled himself to sitting.
Orrin moved out of the way and helped his cousin to Livia's side. Her blue lips were set in a peaceful pout.
"Wake up, sleepy head," Drusus stroked her long hair.
When she didn't stir, he bent down and kissed her, much to the others' surprise.
The man looked up at the commander with a guilty smile. "Don't worry, Lady Syrce. That isn't the first time. We have been together for a while, but have been keeping it a secret. I plan to walk up to her father and ask for his blessing to marry her when we get home."
"That may not happen." Flint's sarcastic exterior was noticeably absent.
Drusus looked up at him, frowning.
"What do you mean?"
"I helped your body as much as I could, but I found an injury that I could not influence." Flint coughed. "Your spine was injured in the fall. You won't be walking anywhere any time soon, especially not to Livia's parents to propose a marriage."
"Why especially?" The young man felt his heart begin to falter.
"I have done all I can, but I cannot help her essence circulate." The healer touched her arm and tried once more. "That can only mean one thing."
"No!" Drusus shook his head.
"How can that be?" Noble didn't want to believe her ears.
She had already witnessed one miraculous recovery and wasn't quite willing to give up that a second could occur.
"I am not sure. Unless something happened differently for her. Perhaps the poison was too much for her system." Flint rubbed the back of his neck.
"Poison? I thought you said it was a sedative!" The guard's voice cracked.
Flint released Livia with a sigh. "A sedative in large doses can be poisonous. And from what I can tell, you both had a copious amount."
"No, no, no. It can't be poison." Drusus used his arms to pull Livia to himself. "Her flaw...even a bit of bad food can kill her. She is always so careful!" The man sobbed, his heart shattering. "It cannot be!"
Syrce knelt beside the man, touching his shoulder. A soft radiance flowed from her fingertips into the soldier. "I am sorry. Losing a loved one is never easy."
Orrin patted Drusus on the back. "If the rest of you want to prepare to leave, I will stay with my cousin."
Taking the cue, Noble and Flint backed away. They still had a lot of meat to harvest and bring to the caravan.
The task would take them a while, but it didn't seem to matter just now. For now, they would make themselves scarce.
Digging his sword into the first moth, Flint sighed heavily.
Noble watched him out of the corner of her eye. Her thought leaked into his consciousness.
'Still think they aren't real?'
Flint cursed in response. 'Of course they aren't real.'
Furrowing her brow, the floating Master tilted her head. 'Then why are you putting off so much emotion?'
The man ignored her for a long while as he tried to cut a particularly troublesome section.
His hand slipped, and he cut his hand.
Blood flowed. Curses flowed. Anger flowed in double measure.
After healing his hand, the man went back to work.
He hacked at the meat haphazardly, nothing like the skillful knifework she knew he could do. Feeling the woman's eye on him, Flint waved the knife in her direction.
'Curse it, Blondie. You know what's wrong with you?'
Noble allowed a small smile as she set some of her neatly trimmed meat aside. 'I am sure you are going to tell me.'
'You let those disgusting things creep in and cloud your judgement.' Flint spat.
Syrce looked their way curiously. "Are you alright?"
"As well as we can be, My Lady," Flint responded a little too politely.
He shivered and added through the Memory. 'Ugh, more of those nasty little things. Like ticks under my skin.'
'Things? You mean feelings?' Noble's violet eyes sparkled.
'Yes, those. You broke the cardinal rule of conquering a Nightmare.' Flint scowled.
'Don't drink yellow water?' Noble's joke was met with a derisive sneer.
'You shouldn't kid about that one. I've had that happen more than once. The rule you broke is even more important: don't get attached.'
Flint slung the meat over his shoulder and carried it to the pile.
Noble shrugged.
'Is that so bad?'
Flint leveled her with a searing gaze.
'It's worse. You've made me care too…'