Under The Full Moon

Awakened

Broin sat with Gale for some time, though the dragon soon fell asleep when a lull in their conversation settled in after Toby had gone. Not wanting to wake her, Broin moved away and went to the campfire, sitting down with some of his friends and the soldiers. As they relaxed around the fire, they ate their fill of the venison that had been brought into the camp and discussed what they would do when they finally arrived home. Broin, having partially tuned out the conversations, watched the fire. He glanced over to Gale's father, watching the sleeping man for a few moments before he looked away again. Smiling a little, he thought about what he had discussed with Gale. He had meant it. If she wanted to move out to the valley and build a home with him, it was something he would truly make happen. And as he had told her, it was between both of their homes. 

Broin was roused from his thoughts when he heard his name being called, turning his head to look at one of the soldiers as they watched him, one brow arched. "What about you?" The soldier questioned, Broin blinking before he shook his head.

"I haven't decided just yet," He responded after a few moments had passed. The soldier eyed Broin, watching him for a few seconds before he shook his head. Broin didn't react to this, not wanting to give the others the satisfaction. Instead, he sighed, laying back to watch the sky. The stars were even brighter now, shimmering like diamonds against the dark sky. He couldn't help but think of how pleasant it would be if they did live out here. There would be silence, the stars would be open to them every night. Broin's eyes drifted closed, his thoughts happy. He remained this way for a time before a loud sound drew Broin from his sleep. Sitting up quickly, he looked around, dazed. There was the sound of a roar, horses neighing loudly, and the sound of metal against metal. When Broin brought himself further from sleep, he found that the sounds he had been hearing were in his head. Wysteria, who had been sitting with Dillan just a little ways away, looked over at him with concern. 

"Broin? Are you alright?" The sorceress whispered, watching as Broin turned his head just enough to meet her gaze.

The young man hesitated for a moment or two before he answered, shifting his gaze back to the ground in front of himself as he drew his legs under his body and got to his knees. "I think so... I... thought something was going on here at the camp. I could have sworn I heard fighting," Broin's words made Wysteria frown a little. She looked around the campsite, her gaze shifting back to Broin after. 

"It's been quiet," Wysteria's tone of voice showed that she was worried. Gently, she moved Dillan's arm, the young man had fallen asleep with his arm rested over her own. Getting up, she went over to sit beside Broin. "What exactly did you think you heard?" 

Broin shook his head, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I didn't think I heard anything... I know I heard it. There is a huge difference," Broin's voice was agitated, something Wysteria had halfway expected to hear considering the way he had woken up. 

"Alright... what did you hear then? Perhaps we can put a few things together and figure out what is going on,"

"It sounded like Gale was roaring and there was fighting... like with swords," Broin explained, moving his hand away from the bridge of his nose. He let his gaze flick from the ground toward Gale where she was sleeping, exactly in the spot he had left her in. His eyes remained on Gale for a few seconds before a soft hand on his arm made him turn his gaze away from her. Wysteria had set a hand on his arm as if trying to pull his focus back from his thoughts of the things he had heard. 

"I understand, Broin. All of this fighting... it's not easy. I can't say for sure, but that might be all it was. You have fought so much and for so long that even in your sleep, it's there. And the roaring... that's from being around Gale in her dragon form. I don't want you to take that as me saying that it is a bad thing, but that's just what I think it might be," Wysteria's words were gentle, and instead of being annoyed with her, Broin felt a little bit of comfort in her explanation for what she thought might have been the source of his hearing the battle. 

"I suppose so," Broin said, lifting a hand to run it back through his hair. The young woman's words made sense. Broin hadn't put that together himself, having believed at first that it really was a battle breaking out. Wysteria smiled softly, patting his arm, interrupting this train of thought. 

"Get some rest. We still have a long way to go from what the soldiers have said," Wysteria moved her hand back away from Broin's arm, moving back to settle in beside Dillan. Broin sat as he was for a moment or two before he got up, going over to Gale. He stood beside her, watching her as her body shifted ever so slightly while she breathed. Her breath rumbled softly in her chest, the sounds making him smile faintly. To him, it sounded just about like a giant cat. Drawing in a breath, Broin moved to sit down beside Gale. There was a faint change in her breath rate, though not enough to signal that he had woken her. Sitting back against Gale, Broin listened to her breathing for a few minutes, the sound serving to put him back into a light sleep. After the way he had woken the first time, he found it hard to truly fall asleep. 

Despite this, the rest of the night was filled with the soft rumble of Gale's breath, as well as the sounds of the insects in the trees in the distance. Where they were in the valley, there weren't many trees. There were patches here and there, the closest one being several feet away from where they had set camp, and it was from there they had gotten wood for the fire and the insects called from. To Broin, the mixture of sounds acted as a lullaby. Something that he and Gale would listen to nightly if they moved out to the area as they had planned. 

As the night wore on, those that were still awake fell into sleep, settling and resting before the morning light would wake them all. The first to wake was Gale, the sounds of the world waking up as the sun began to rise drawing her from sleep. However, there was something else. A calling of sorts. Turning her head to look back in the direction they had come from, she listened. It was almost like music, though she could hear faint words being chanted along with it. One ear going back, Gale tried to push the sound from her head and thoughts. Instead, she focused on the young man sleeping against her side.