All Behind Us

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 24th June 2006

Characters: Daigoro, Cinale
Description: Daigoro comes to soothe Cinale after she wakes from a terrible nightmare
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 12, day 13 of Turn 3

Cinale

The shrill screams echoing off the falling stones and crumbling walls were deafening. The whole kitchen seemed to be ablaze with a roaring, crimson light. Dark smoke filled the air, stinging at Cinale's eyes, filling her lungs as she fought to breathe, making her retch. "Run, run! Get _out_!"
she screamed hoarsely, pulling at the arm of one of the younger girls who stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Cinale realized that she was staring at an arm.

It was the only part of the body that was visible beneath the slab of dark, dark stone.

Again, she jerked at the girl. She couldn't think about who that arm belonged to. Not now. "_Move_!" Coughing, she shoved the girl forward and, nearly toppling over on top of her as the ground beneath them groaned and shook. Just ahead she could make out the doorway through the haze of smoke.

It was their only way out.

"Hurry!" she screamed to her girls. They were almost there! Scorching shells, why did the distance seem to be growing with every pounding step she took? And was that...was that Daigoro? Yes! There he was! Yelling and shoving his way _into_ the kitchens--to get to her!

"No! No!" she wanted to cry out, but she couldn't catch her breath. She couldn't breathe! Her head began to swim, her vision blurring and she clawed at her neck, drawing blood. She had to breathe! Had to open her throat...her lungs... Dazed she looked down at her hands--hands that were like a dragon's. Her claws were stained dark.

The last thing she saw before she crumpled to the kitchen's shaking floor was Daigoro screaming her name, trying to reach her.

~*~

With an agonized cry, Cinale started awake, sitting bolt upright in bed, fighting the sheets and furs that twisted around her, threatening to strangle her and pull her under. In her frenzy she didn't hear Fey give a frightened screech and disappear /between/.

Soon after, screeching flits appeared from /between/, blowing cold air onto the face of the man asleep in his bed. "Whaa?" Daigoro grunted as his eyes snapped awake. "What is it, what's happening?"

Two flits landed on his legs, chittering and squawking enough to rouse a Weyr. One he knew was his own Wort. It was easy to assume, despite the darkness, the smaller weight on his leg was Cinale's Fey. "Shush now.
What's the matter then?"

He could feel the unease, the confusion, the fear his Wort conveyed.
**Cinale?** Oh shards, what was happening?! The Hallsecond reached over trying to find a glowbasket before remembering that at Amber Hills they used electricity. **Shard it all...** He ignored their squawkes of protest as he rolled off the bed, trying to find his clothes in the dark. He threw the fist tunic he could feel over his head and tried searching for his shoes. The flits continued chatter just added to his feeling of urgency and he quickly gave up on them and padded through the Hold in bare feet.

By the time he reached her room and swung open the door, Cinale had thrown all the covers off of her body and now sat huddled around her knees, her long red hair obscuring her face. It seemed as though she was staring at her hands, looking at them as if she had never seen them before. Then she shuddered, letting out a soft sob.

"Oh my dear girl," Daigoro breathed as the light from the Hall floated across her. He quietly closed the door and made his way over to her.
Where was a sharding _glow_ when he needed one! He slipped onto the bed and gently reached out a large hand to cover hers. "Cinale, talk to me. It's just me, Daigoro."

Her eyes were eerily blank as she looked up. "D-Daigoro?" she whispered after another shudder racked her body.

"Yes, love, it's just me. I'm here with you. Now what's all this, hmmm?"
He gently brushed her hair back away from her face, his eyes adjusting to the dim light enough to see her.

Cinale looked down to her hands again. "I had a nightmare. It was...bad.
Terrible. About the earthquake."

"Oh, well, love, now you can see that everything is all right again." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "It was just a dream, girl. You're safe."

She nestled tightly against him, cheek resting against his heart. "I was trying to get my girls out of the kitchen. The fire was getting worse...the smoke was so thick... But I couldn't reach the door. No matter how fast I went, I just couldn't reach it."

"But you did reach it, love." He rocked her gently and smoothed her hair with his large hand. "There's nothing to be afraid of now."

"I was so lucky, Daigoro..." Her voice wavered. "So lucky."

"Yes, dear beauty, we _both_ were." Daigoro had thought several times since then just how lucky he was she was safe, that she had made it out of that kitchen whole and unharmed. Or maybe not so unharmed, he thought as he felt her tremble in his arms. "That's all over now, Cinale. That moment is passed, and the dreams have passed now too. You can sleep again and dream beautiful dreams."

The cook had had restless nights before, and dreams too...but this one had been so vivid. So horribly vivid. She thought she could still smell the smoke. "Would you..."

"Yes, my love. I'll stay with you till you are sleeping," he nodded. She need not even ask.

She took hold of his hand as she eased back once more to the pillows, hoping that once sleep found her, she wouldn't have another dream like this one.

He held her hand fast as he gently stroked her hair and kissed her brow.
"Don't think of earthquakes. That is all behind us. Think of all we have to look forward to. A gather wedding, with white flowers in your hair. Surrounded by our friends. And runner races. And then we will move into that cot we dreamed of, and there we will start a family. Two children, a boy and a girl. How glorious that will be, eh love?"

"Glorious indeed," she agreed softly, a smile at last curving her lips.
"I wish the months would go by faster."

"Oh, now, don't wish that, love. You'll be wishing precious time away."

"Hmm..." Cinale caressed his cheek, fingers moving lightly to brush against the silvering hair at his temples. "I'm a patient woman, hon.
I hope I can keep on being patient."

"You will need to be if you go through with marrying me," Daigoro chuckled, caressing the back of her soft hand with his fingers.

She smiled sleepily. "I love you."

"And I love you, my beautiful girl," he smiled, feeling a soft glowing warmth fill him as he thought just how lucky he was to have found her.
"Sleep now."

And she did, her hand still in his.

Last updated on the June 29th 2006

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All Behind Us