LOVE & CONQUEST-Colonel Quaritch-

T W E N T Y-T H R E E

           A prolonged gasp filled Kirey'a's lungs the moment her eyes shot open. Dry and encased by heat, pink in color as if she had slept with them wide open. Her back arched against the flat sleeping mat beneath her, lungs craving for air.
Abnormal breaths left her lips as she willed herself upward. Abs straining against the quick movement, hair flying over her face whilst she cranes her neck down toward her stomach.

     Kirey'a's rapidly beating heart slowly calmed as she soothes both hands over the familiar bump. "You're okay." She whispers between gasps. "You're okay." Weakly, she repeats.

     The dreams from the night prior had returned. Though different as Kirey'a had chosen a separate path. One she could not remember so clearly. Although it was enough to add to her already distressed mind.

     The moment Neytiri had grabbed her wrist, she had ripped from her and gone to Miles despite the malevolence he proudly carried. In turn, her husband welcomed her with open arms. A distant visual of the broken blade raised toward her mere seconds after.
      She simply woke up after that with no outcome, only the idea of one. Dark and despairing. Resulting in a restless sleep for the young mother to be.

     Kirey'a turned her head to observe her surroundings. She had continued to sleep beneath the roof of Toruk Makto and his family, despite her awful words the day prior. However, no one could be seen from within the pod. Kirey'a was as alone as she felt.

      With an exhausted huff, she rolled to her knees before weakly managing to stand. Her body was overexerted with the lack of needed rest. Her head, overwhelmed with an unsettling ache and her eyes heavy. Tired dark circles lay beneath them.

      With one hand on her stomach, the other smoothed over her forehead. The ache blurred her vision and pounded against her skull. As she slowly made her way to the pods entrance, Kirey'a leaned against its struts. Shifting her hand to cover her eyes as the burning sun blinded her even more.

      Many things entered and left her mind, too fatigued to focus on one thing. Like, why had the dream returned? What did it mean? Did it mean anything at all?

     She wanted to cry away the tiredness. Frustrated by her sleepless night. She felt it was a risk to be such way as Miles could arrive at any given moment. Kirey'a needed to be ready when he did.

    "Kirey'a?"

     With much effort, she lowered her hand in order to find the source of the voice. Squinting her eyes as the light slowly gave way and her vision adjusted on the owner.

It was Neytiri who stood from a small distance, basket full of fabric in her arms. A perplexed, however hesitant look on her face. "Are you unwell?" She asks, slowly placing it by her feet whilst never taking her eyes off of the seemingly ill women before her.

"No..." Kirey'a hastily responds. Dropping her hands by her sides and carefully taking a step away from the archway. However, her weak legs would betray her as they stumbled beneath her.
Quickly she grabs onto the stilt once more, desperate to keep to her feet. "I am fine. Go back to what you were doing, Neytiri."

Kirey'a pressed her back to the leather, warmed by the rising sun. Slowly she began to slide against it until she sat, legs sprawled outward with a quiet hiss between clenched teeth. The ache in her muscles came to an ease, followed by a faint sigh of tampered relaxation.