In The Arms Of The Beasts

Under the Stars

A few hours later

A lot of the drivers had switched over by now, except me. I needed to see this through even if it killed me, now was the perfect opportunity to be ambushed. I was exhausted sure, but the people needed a safe place to rest and heal up - they'd taken heavy fire leading to worse injuries than my own, we also had infants and elderly in a fragile state against the cold

"Let me take the drive, you need to be with your family" I hadn't noticed an elf come up behind me offering to drive the leader who'd been joined by other fellow officials of their group. Most of them were elderly or at least appeared that way but that's what happened when you lived for so long, their skin hung further and further from their cheekbones than it did in their youth

I glanced at the wagon to my left which had the two kings under a blanket snuggled together, I didn't want to disturb but I craved their warmth again...so much, the more I thought about it - the colder I realised my body was. Not moving except for steering really let the cold under the belt without realising it

The elf drifted the wagon nearer the vehicle so that I didn't have to jump so far to reach them, they didn't wake when my feet landed on the wooden surface before I crept under the blanket on the right of Bakugo who snoozed in the middle which was our usual sleeping arrangement. To be in the middle, you had to be able to handle two body heats all night at once along with your own and that was not me so I got crushed between the side of the cart and our king's bony shoulders

I think Bakugo got satisfaction from being in a protective position taking the central slot, he had the most movement range and could see both of us at once. It also helped that all of us were in the same place so he knew something was up if one of us was missing unless we'd previously announced a change of rooms for the night which was usually after minor fights or if the bed got too hot

Just as I was beginning to drift asleep, someone took my burnt hand into their own caressing it with tender love and care. My head lifted slightly to see Kiri sat up cross-legged inspecting the wound before he realised I was awake crawling over Bakugo to sit on top of me, there was something I couldn't quite read in his eyes but it hurt me whatever it was, I wanted it gone but how?

"You scared me, I thought you were right behind us - I really did..." tears began to fall down his face in the moonlight as I sat up wrapping my arms around his torso rocking his body back and forth lovingly. Kiri's hands clutched my back as his emotions unleashed onto me, he trusted me with this side of him so I had to be careful now, one wrong move and he'd close up again like a flower refusing to bloom

"Ssh, it's okay - I'm right here. We both are, everyone is safe" he cried into my shoulder as I hummed a soft song from my childhood into his ear calming him down "I just needed to make sure we all got out okay" my tail laid around his back as Bakugo began to stir in his slumber "it's okay to cry, it doesn't define your value - not in my eyes" after awhile, the tears turned into quiet sniffles as he began to relax into me while I kissed the side of his head

Bakugo sat up rubbing our fiancé's back "Have either of you slept? At all?" The king looked us both in the eyes already knowing the answer "alright, what if she goes in the middle? Then we all get warm" then his gaze drifted to me "and you won't disappear...again" I was starting to realise my record of leaving was piling up, I really needed to get rid of the self-sacrificial attitude

Kiri slowly crawled off my lap as slid down beside me as I scooted into the middle while he clutched my bad hand making sure I wouldn't go anywhere ever again "So why'd you leave us? Something you needed to grab?" My head shook from side to side as I gestured to the resting pile of leaders to our left all next to each other almost not visible under the amount of blankets they had - lucky bastards!

"They wanted to stay despite it all, I had to drag him out of the tree before the bridge gave way...I have everything I need right here and I never plan to leave, there's your insight for tonight" I placed a hand of each dragon's head watching both grow more tired as the road travels beneath us away from where I grew up. The fire was still visible even from our distance but I couldn't stop watching it...

I was trying to bury the hurt that my only home was gone forever and that humans had wrecked yet another thing in my life, they weren't all bad but it was enough to unnerve me. The lords were human and they didn't terrify me anymore - they'd gotten on one of the last wagons to save people they didn't even know which was respectable beyond compare, they didn't hurt anyone or judge

A sense of guilt settled inside my heart that I'd dragged my loves out here for a childish notion of belonging somewhere, I belonged with them! That's all I ever needed. Why search for a lost cause? If my mother had wanted me, she would've kept me or come looking - but she didn't. So why did she deserve to know me now? I wouldn't let her collect her benefits off of me...this was grudge I was willing to hold

"You're waiting," my eyes drifted over to Bakugo who was hugging my thigh as I sat up against the back of the seat. My eyebrow raised asking what exactly I was 'waiting' for "I know you - you've got it set in your mind that we're gonna get ambushed tonight" I was getting the message even if he wasn't saying it, he wanted me to let down my guard and sleep but what if? What if we did get attacked? We'd be torn apart!

"I'd rather chance it and see us safe than sleep and get torn through like carrion. I can keep us safe, it's my job - I'm the one who's got us all stuck out in the open like this so...yea" for awhile, he just stared up at me waiting for sleep to take over but I was serious "also what if Kiri needs me again? What if you need me?" A slight glint of pity took over his eyes as he realised how far I was taking this

"I'd listen to her, catfolk are usually right about these things - some say a sort of 'sixth sense' that they can tell when things are about to go wrong. Just look at her face, pure fear and unease" Bakugo sat up next to me watching my every move listening to our wagon driver who kept their voice low trying not to alarm the others, the people were already scared enough it is

"Why didn't they follow? If they didn't find any corpses or people in the village, why not come after us to finish the job? I can't understand it" I turned to him questionably as if the king had all the answers to my problems. Things just weren't adding up, they wanted to dismantle our society and take the land they just destroyed for themselves...they knew they'd failed so why stop?

Bakugo wanted to offer to take the watch but we both knew I could see and ear better than him so if anything was to happen, I'd be more tired but then again - I'd notice quicker giving us more time to escape which meant we'd be more likely to survive the event than if someone of a different species took watch

And that escape wouldn't be over for a few days...