Back Home (Edited) Book 4 of the Guardians Saga

CH 3.1 The Useful One

Alex stirred in her sleep, feeling a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Rile's gentle face hovering above her. Alex sighed. "I don't know how you do it – staying up for night watch would kill me," she said. Her mind filled with worry for Gabe, which gave her the strength to force herself out of the bedroll.

Rile stroked her hair. "You're a devoted follower of the goddess of sleep. Do you want me to come along?"

Alex shook her head. "Cale needs you more than I do." With that, she stepped outside of the tent into the cool night air. Glancing over to Gabe, she watched as he paced an invisible perimeter, his steps almost mechanical and his gaze fixed far away.

"Time to switch," Alex said softly, trying to break his trance.

He ignored her and kept pacing past her, back to her, and past her again.

"Gabe, please come to bed," Alex pleaded, desperation in her voice.

Gabe stopped but didn't turn to face her. "I never thought I would hear that again."

"Well, you just did," Alex replied with a hint of exasperation, "so hurry up. We need two warm bodies for Cale tonight."

"He has two." Gabe said, resuming his march around their camp.

Alex scrutinized Gabe's exhausted form with a heavy heart. "Gabe, you look like you haven't slept in weeks. You need your rest. Please don't make me beg you to come to bed."

Gabe kept walking, not acknowledging her plea.

Alex huffed and stamped her foot. "Fine, forget begging. So help me, Gabe, if you do not enter that tent right now, I will blast you senseless and drag you in there!" She brandished her hand threateningly as white power danced across her fingertips. "One...two..."

Gabe halted at her tone and turned back around to face her with raised eye-ridges. Alex readied herself for his rebuttal but was surprised when he only laughed in response, the sound echoing off of nearby trees.

He saluted with a grin on his lips. "Yes, captain! Anything you say!"

Alex stuck her tongue out at him defiantly, then yanked open the tent flap. Rile silently took up Gabe's pacing but Cale slept on, unaware of the drama unfolding around him.

"You take that side," Alex said, tugging Gabe's arm and motioning to the other side of the sleeping man. "You're as cold as ice yourself. Get over here so I can warm you up."

Gabe pulled his arm from her grasp, looking away.

"Gabe, don't do that," Alex pleaded in a soft voice, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "This isn't how it should be. You were supposed to have a large clan around you, a beautiful wife by your side, and a bunch of little ones running about. That way, I could watch you both with envy."

"You really thought that? You'd be jealous?" Gabe asked incredulously.

"Absolutely," Alex replied through her tears. "I am such a selfish witch after all. But here we are—you thin and shivering and Cale hurt." She sniffled and her tears began to fall freely. "At least let me do this one thing for you—warm you up, since he needs warm bodies on both sides."

Gabe settled onto the bedroll to show his assent. Alex was careful to warm every inch that she could with discretion. She kept her power low and focused on providing warmth. She ran her hands across Gabe's chest and arms, feeling every curve, every dip of his body that had once been full of muscle. His hide was icy to her touch, and she could feel the tips of his sharp bones peeking through.

When she finished, he murmured his thanks in a hoarse whisper. He arranged himself so they sandwiched Cale. As soon as Alex was sure Gabe was asleep, she sidled between Cale and Gabe. Then she turned on her glow, intensifying it as much as she could. Her heart lurched at the sight of them so helpless in her presence, so dependent on her meager light. She prayed Gabe was too weak from cold and hunger to be aroused by its power.

**

The next morning, Alex had the unusual situation of waking up first. She shimmied out from between the two brothers, careful not to wake them. When she exited the tent, she found Rile tending the fire, a battered kettle steaming over it.

"This is awful, Rile. What are we going to do?"

Rile sighed and stirred the fire with a stick. "We follow Cale's advice: stock up on supplies, let my brothers rest and build up. Then we'll find out what's going on. It traces back to whoever slaughtered our clan, I'm sure of it."

Cale soon exited the tent, his shirt rumpled and his gentle brown eyes blinking blearily.

"Cale, you look like hell," Rile said with a chuckle.

"Thanks, brother," Cale groaned. He turned to Alex with a grin and said, "At least I feel better, thanks to Alex."

Alex couldn't help but smile in return as she thought of her own comfortable bed back home. "I miss my air mattress and pillow," she said wistfully.

"You went on a Calling without them?" Cale teased, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I was going to get them, but Rile pushed me through the portal," Alex pouted playfully.

"He's an insensitive brute." Cale winked at her.

"Hey!" Rile protested with an outrageous fake scowl.

***

The days blended together into a comfortable rhythm. Every morning, Alex set off with either Cale or Rile in tow, their bows and arrows slung over their backs, high in the hills. Gabe never joined them; Alex could sense his reluctance to be alone with her, and she wasn't sure if she wanted that either. With her speed, Cale or Rile could access remote hunting grounds full of game. While Alex didn't mind preparing the nightly roast, she still balked at the bloody tasks of gutting and skinning.

"This was a great hunt." Cale helped Rile and Alex with their trophies. "It's great to have you fly us to these isolated spots that haven't been hunted out."

"It's nice to be the useful one for once," Alex said, but her smile faltered when Gabe stiffened, then stood up and walked away.

"Gabe, wait! I didn't mean it that way, I'm sorry," Alex called out as she jumped up and ran after him, her heart pounding in her chest.

Gabe stopped and turned before Alex could touch him. He held up his hands to ward her off. "No, I'm the one who's sorry." He directed a sad half-smile at her before turning back away. "I'll take first watch."

Rile ran up and grabbed Alex's hand. "He should be the one who's sorry. He's the one who said you weren't useful. Don't apologize to him."

"My pride is pretty plastic." Alex hugged Rile and kissed him, which allowed her to free her hand. She slipped away with a triumphant look at him, snatched up the oil jar, and trotted after Gabe. When he stopped, she walked next to him.

"No thank you," he told her.

"I'm sorry if I'm not good enough to touch you anymore, but you'll have your hide oiled one way or another. Cale is exhausted and I think you prefer me over Rile. Am I right?"

"I'll do it myself." Gabe took a step back, arms crossed in defiance.

Alex narrowed her eyes, trying to look intimidating. "Fine, I'm sitting here and watching. "Then I'll oil any spots you miss." She sat down on the ground, folded her legs underneath her, and tried to look immovable.

Gabe glanced at her from the corner of his eye before untying his shirt with careful precision. His sunken chest with ribs showing caught the light as he worked, and Alex grieved again for him. In the end, Gabe didn't miss any spots not covered by his pants. Alex forgot how sinuous they were. In defeat, she took the jar of oil and walked back to the tent.