The Fawn and Her Fox

Binding Threads

        The cold is all consuming, drowning me so thoroughly that there's no escaping death. Muted screams fill my ears, nails clawing at my legs, my arms, my body burning and burning, erupting. When the cauldron tilts, I am sprawled on the cold floor, shivering, nothing but the now see through night gown covering my body. 

        Cries, yelling, screaming fill my sensitive ears, my eardrums throbbing in pain at the sensory overload. The once dim light is now overpoweringly bright, burning my eyes. Fear coats my nose and tongue as if it's something I can physically taste and smell. 

        "Don't just leave her there." A low growl drowns out the rest of the overbearing sounds. 

        A warm dry jacket is wrapped around me and I am helped to unsteady feet, brought into strong and distinctly male arms. When I finally open my eyes I look up to one eye of gold and the other of russet, a jagged scar marring the otherwise devastatingly beautiful face. Sun kissed skin looking so golden that it's like the sun shines from beneath the skin. My heart beats faster and the world slows, everything slows, something inside my chest reaching out and latching onto this beautiful man. 

        Then the world spins faster and faster as I watch the people I love be torn apart. 

-~-
 

       My eyes are scratchy from lack of sleep and my head pounds with a furious headache. After last nights nightmare I couldn't stand to go back to sleep. I spent the night baking and when the early sun rose I went out into my garden. 

        This early it's so quiet with only the smallest sounds that the city is starting to wake. Birds chirp an the sun slowly makes its ascent. My night clothes are stained with flour, cooking oil and soil. My eyes droop as I sit at the table, leaning into the chair cushion. 

        I'll only close my eyes for a few seconds. 

        My lashes flutter as I try to keep them open, and my breathing starts to deepen. Then a warm hand touches my arm. Gasping, my eyes fly open startled by the touch. Lucien stands over me looking like the sun's incarnate and my sleep deprived body just stares, my mind not able to form coherent words. 

        "Are you okay, Elain?" He asks, his thumb smoothing over my arm. 

        Slowly, my body comes awake and my skin burns beneath his touch. My breath hitches and I rub the heel of my hands into my eyes. "I..." words fail me and I try again. "I couldn't sleep. I had a nightmare... They won't go away." My body physically cringes, I hadn't meant to tell him so much.

        He mistakes my cringe and yanks his hand back from my arm and my chest aches. I stand and when I sway, my head spinning, I grab his arm and he reaches out to steady me. "Cauldron boil me, how much sleep did you get?" 

        Before I can answer a yawn escapes me, exhaustion weighing down my body. "Maybe two hours?"

        Lucien hisses, his hands hesitant and gentle as they help me up the stairs to my room. Just looking at my bed makes my skin crawl and my skin tighten. "I-I don't think I need sleep.  I'll be fine."

        "Elain, it's not even midday and you can't keep your eyes open." 

        He's right, of course, my eyes are currently closing right now. "I can't dream of it again Lucy," I mumble, tears welling behind my closed eyelids. 

        He stiffens against me, but I am too tired to decipher the reason. "I'll stay with you, Elain. I'll fight the bad dreams for you." His words touch something in me.