As the Ash Settles

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Lesser Restoration.

The next few days of travel were very much the same, though Citrine did get to sleep wrapped in Astarion's arms. Though they had not made love, she figured he was not ready or didn't want to be with her like that again and she would not push it. He was still working through centuries of trauma and there was the fact that he was leaving. She brushed the thoughts aside as they rode. Soon they would be in Daggerford and soon Wyll and Karlach would be free, or so she hoped.

A sudden thick, nauseous feeling caught Citrine by surprise she pulled Storm to a halt apologizing as she ran off into the woods. She tried to swallow it down but could not, she purged her stomach of its contents when the sound of her friends catching up to her perked her ears. "Please leave, bad berries or something please-" She could not help but continue. She felt a familiar feeling flow through her one that was a daily occurrence Shadowheart had cast Lesser Restoration on her once more but it did not stop the purge, she held her hand back firmly, begging them to head back so that she'd catch up. She heard her friends back away but they did not leave. When she finally finished she cleaned her mouth with the canteen on her side. She walked to her friends her face greened.

Astarion when she approached grabbed her by the waist. "What has got you ill?"

"Well, it's not some sort of poison, if it was you should have stopped." Shadowheart looked to Gale who shrugged.

"Perhaps just a bug, something everyone goes through from time to time."

"I'd have to agree with Gale, I probably just caught something." Citrine got back onto Storm once they made their way back to the road. She still felt ill and every smell turned her stomach. Astarion rode close to her, pestering her. "I don't know Astarion, people get sick." agitation rang in her words.

At camp that night she brewed herself some tea. Two more days and they'd be able to talk to Lucretious. Two more days and they'd have some sort of answer. Robin laid his head on her lap as she drank. She petted her owlbear friend and made sure to rotate Scratch and Olivia as she did. Before letting the others know she was going to bed she gave each of the horses a rub.

The dirt below her bedroll felt more uncomfortable than usual, every position she tried felt achy to her muscles. Astarion's familiar touch gave her pause. "I'm fine."

"Are you though? You were sick, I don't like seeing you unwell."

"Just a bug Astarion and careful you might get it too." He laughed at her words.

"Vampire my love." He got in bed behind her kissing her head. The once comforting feel made her upset. "When you're feeling better I want to talk to you about something?"

"How you'll have to buy a new bedroll when you leave? There is plenty of gold in the chest Astarion." He pulled back from her some.

"Ouch, no. Did I do something?" He pulled her to face him.

"No, Astarion how could you of done something wrong." Her words were filled with mockery. "You only do things like, kiss my head, stitch our bedrolls together call me your darling or your love when you have every intention of leaving me. You did -nothing- wrong." The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them. His eyes looked pained. "That's not what, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well and I took it out on you. I am so sorry Astarion, you have every right to leave I'm being unreasonable. I'm sorry."

"I understand you're hurting. I'll stop if you want." He brushed her cheek pushing her hair away from her face.

"No, I don't want that. I don't want that at all." She laid her head on his chest the smell of bergamot made her gag she swallowed it down. "I am sorry."

"As am I Citrine, as am I."

Morning broke and the sickness went away, Citrine woke Shadowheart up with a tackle. "Teach me please." Shadowheart wiped the sleep from her eyes, pushing her friend off of her.

"For the love of the Gods teach you what? How to wake someone without a heart attack?" Shadowheart playfully shoved Citrine.

"Lesser Restoration, I know I can learn it. Please?" Shadowheart's eyes grew stern.

"For?"

"Astarion, let's not play coy. I want to learn it so he doesn't leave." Citrine's eyes begged her friend.

"Next time I want breakfast in bed before you ask me anything. I won't teach you it for some man but I will teach it to so that you may learn it for yourself." Citrine tackled her friend with a hug. "Stop pouncing on me until I've woken up." Shadowheart laughed a yawn escaping her.

Citrine watched impatiently as her friend readied herself for the day, eagerly bouncing and twitching. "Now?"

A groan left Shadowheart. "Fine, firstly focus on the affliction, then you're going to want to focus on wanting to expel it. Say the words, touch the person and there you go."

"That's it?" Shadowheart smiled at her.

"If you want it so bad you've got to learn it, I've done it for you many times, you know the feeling. You're smart you'll figure it out. Besides you may not need me anymore if I teach it to you fully." Her smile gave her away, Citrine tackled her.

"You're mean."

"And you love me for it. You'll figure it out, and I'll tell you what if you're really struggling I'll help you more. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Now get off of me" Shadowheart's laugh made Citrine smile.

Citrine made her way through camp getting everything ready for the day, repeating the words. "kay absolvo" mumbling them to herself over and over, she fed the others and the animals, ready to hit the day, she made slight hand motions similar to the ones Shadowheart had done so many times.

"What are you muttering about my love?" Astarion broke her thoughts.

"Working on something for you." She kissed his cheek smiling ear to ear.

"Oh, for me? Wouldn't happen to be an epic poem about my beauty and dazzling mind?" He laughed pulling her in for a kiss. She melted into his arms.

"No, not at this moment but I'll remember that for later." She kissed him again, thankful for his touch. "I'm not telling until it is finished though."

"Be that way."

"I will." They laughed together. "What was it you wanted to tell me about last night before I went- before I was mean."

"Now isn't the time, I want us to be alone, night sky, beautiful moon, romantic things." He kissed the top of her head.

That night at camp Citrine waited for Astarion to pull her away but he never did. Tomorrow night they would be in Daggerford maybe then she thought. She was anxious about what he had to say but tried to keep it down. She also tried to keep her nausea down, it came back in little floods but she did her best not to appear ill. The sickness annoyed her as she tried to figure out what she might have eaten or who she might have gotten from.