DOOM SAGA I - I'll be home tomorrow

Lady or pawn

Argent d'Nur

His body tensed but just as he wanted to let go of the stack they heard noises from down the hallway. Only seconds later a group of three men came around the corner and she was with them. The one in the front held her on her arm, pulling her along harshly. Even in the dim light, he could immediately see her guilty eyes.
"Slayer!" The man spoke loudly, " you must be mad to let her roam around our sacred halls!". He was shirtless like the others, and there were still beads of sweat on their skin. He stopped a few metres before him and shoved her into his arms.
"This child just walked right in! You can be lucky that I recognized her! It's about time that you teach her some manners, goddammit!", he was seriously angered, but as he spoke through his gnashed teeth one could see his honest worry as well. He sighed, shook his head and turned around followed by both others.
As soon as they turned the corner again, he pulled her inside and slammed the door shut, some books from the stack tumbling to the floor from its force. She stood stiff where he had placed her and waited for his anger, wincing as he grabbed her head. But he got down on his knee and his thumbs brushed her cheeks as he checked if she was okay and pulled her into a tight hug. She heard his racing heart and realised how anxious he must have been, and tears bubbled up uncontrolled.
"I'm sorry!"
She sniffled into his shoulder a couple more times while he was holding her silently.
"I thought... I thought...", she stammered and he took her head again to make her look into his warm and forgiving eyes.
"I thought... if I'm... then they... and you could... you have to... it's more important... but I... because I'm not... and... you... I'm sorry...", she blubbered and even bigger tears fell as she felt truly sorry for making him scared for her again.
"I know, Io. But promise me not to go out on your own until it's safe again, will you?", he asked and she nodded her head in between two hiccups. He examined her once more and sighed deeply. His gaze showed nothing but kindness.
"You could have just asked me. You know I'm always here for you. No matter what."
She was calming again, standing there with his hands holding her like a trembling child.
"But y-you said... you n-need to do something else... something m-more important..."
His face furrowed and he sighed in regret.
"There is nothing more important to me than you, Io. Nothing!", he said calmly and shook her a little to make her understand.
"But...", he started and smiled at her gently.
"Before you can learn how to defend yourself, you need to become a little stronger, and to do so you need to eat and sleep and do your exercises, you hear me?"
She nodded again but didn't seem happy about it.
"Do you want me to help you with your exercise?", he asked and she nodded again with her eyes shut.
"There is nothing to be ashamed about. It has only been a month, and you are doing awesome. But now... it's time for bed.", he whispered and swooped her off her feet to throw her into the sheets, him on top and she squeaked from his weight for a second. He hurled her around in his hold and growled like an animal for fun as they tussled for a minute before she snuggled into his arms. He heard her pant from the exertion and tightened his grip when the emotions rose in her chest again and threatened to overwhelm her once more, but she clawed into his ribs and he let her feel his hot breath on her head, managing to suppress it for the moment. In the end, she fell into a light sleep, waking many times from shadows creeping along the walls when the moonlight shined through the sheer curtains. He stayed awake throughout, rocking her back to sleep with a low hum. He needed to train as well soon, feeling that he was losing strength and stamina from the long break, even wondered if he would ever be as strong as before.
Would anything ever be like before? And... did he want that?

Eight...Nine...
She counted as she focused on every muscle in her upper body to move accordingly.
"Ten...!", she panted out of breath as the tips of their noses touched once more. She spread out flat on the floor as he let go of her ankles and watched her chest heave.
"Tomorrow eleven.", he said and she moaned upset before he scraped her off the carpet to set her at the table for breakfast that had arrived a couple of minutes earlier. When they were finished he went to one of the cabinets and pulled out a big wooden box, from where he pulled a hand-painted board, dark brown and white squares with fitting flat, round stones.
"Dame?", she asked and he cocked his head at the shift in her tone when she spoke her mother tongue. She saw it and giggled.
"I don't know the name for it. We call it Dame, like in... fine lady? Maybe... queen?"
She heard an intrigued hm from him as he finished placing all the stones. He began and made his first move. Now it was her turn, but she hesitated and looked at it a little confused. She rubbed her eyes as if they hurt from light as she tried to focus. He raised a hand and touched her arm lightly with his fingers and she nodded.
"I just c-can't... I played a lot... I know I-I was g-good... But I don't re-remember what's good and what's n... ngh... My b-brain feels like scram-m-mbled eggs..."
She sucked her snot back up and took a deep breath as he held her hand. She moved one of the front stones forward, not a good beginning, but if she truly had played a lot maybe her muscle memory was doing her a favour.
They played a few slow rounds until she got tired, and she was getting better to some degree, but he noticed that she was forgetting her mistakes from before quickly as if her memory was not quite recovered yet. But even though she failed every time she did not become upset about it. On the contrary, she seemed to enjoy the challenge. He was glad he could offer her some diversion, offer her some easier problems to brood over. Yet, he saw her stop and stare into space often as the process that was occupying her mind continued.

The next couple of days continued nearly the same as he was building a routine to keep to. Wake up, exercise, breakfast, checkers, research. Then after lunch, he left her for a while, working on his other tasks with Lorz and his Owls, gaining information as they spied on multiple subjects, all sentinels themselves. In the town, it was way harder. People noticed quickly if they were snooping around, even a fight had broken out after some drunken men got angry about being followed all night.
But nevertheless, their plans got into motion slowly. She had not left the room since then making people begin to wonder what was going on with her every time he went around by himself. He heard some gossip here and there but it was mostly harmless. And the ones that couldn't shut up quick enough as he came by earned a burning stare and were hopefully silenced forever.
It would change rather soon, he was carrying some new clothes for her, some that were for a mores certain occasion. He would lie if he said he wasn't nervous.
The first test came in the dining halls the next day for lunch, and if everything went well he would bring her along for his training. That was the most dangerous part. It was like bringing a sinner into a church of very, very faithful praying but also muscle packed believers, and could escalate in a matter of seconds. But for now, showing herself in their mid casually should be more than enough excitement for her.