A Kind of Magic

Sixty-Five

She was the sweetest, most precious thing, and he would happily spend his life in her worship, Peregrine mused, gathering the still sleeping woman in his arms after he returned from the bathroom in the morning, dressed and ready for another day of their journey.

"Just give me a moment, will you?" He spoke in a whisper to Gollum who bumped his large head against his shoulder, his charcoal fur gleaming with the sheen of silver bestowed upon it by the first light of the new day, which Peregrine had let inside the bedroom when he had opened the heavy shutters of the tiny window. "I'll take you out as soon she wakes up, we need to saddle the horses, you know?"

As on cue, Fiona opened her eyes, banishing the sleep infused confusion clouding her mind and smiled brightly at him, the simple gesture making Peregrine's heart soar. He knew that she loved waking up cradled in his arms, and he loved giving her such simple pleasures... By the old gods, she held his heart in her hands... and he didn't mind. It belonged to her.

"It's time to get up," he whispered, chuckling when she fisted her hand around a handful of his black shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. 

She was a dream come true, his hand, taking a stroll around her warm, bare body-- hidden from his sight by the sheet he had pulled from her bed at night, not wanting her to get cold sleeping on the floor-- to confirm that she wasn't just a figment of his imagination, informed him.

"I'll take Gollum out, I need to saddle the horses anyway. You get ready and wake the others up. I bet Rosie won't allow us to leave without breakfast, and we don't have much time to waste. I want us to sleep in Elvenshire tonight, and it's not close."

Fiona closed her eyes, sighing. "What's the rush? I'm quite enjoying this journey. Aren't you?" she asked, her eyes pouring into his again. 

He kissed her before he replied. "I would never want it to end if it was for me. But I bet that Emrys is watching our progress in his purple ball of magic and Alaric must feel our approach through his rings, and if we'll take too long and he will get bored of waiting, your father will dispatch his men to get us. He's not the most patient of people." 

Peregrine sighed, making Fiona frown. She still could not see her father's castle on the distant horizon, but she could already sense its cold shadow creeping upon her. She shuddered, and he drew her closer, kissing her again.

"Let us go," he murmured finally, standing up and helping her to her feet, wrapping the sheet around her to guard her from the coldness of the early morning. "I'll be back soon to help you all with the luggage, unless Rosie and Sam wake the servants this early only to look after us," he announced, bestowing a kiss on her forehead before exiting the room, Gollum at his heels.

Not only did Rosie provide them with the help of her servants and a rich breakfast, she and Sam obliged the company to accept bags of provisions for the rest of their journey too.

They were in the saddle within an hour since Fiona woke everyone up, waving at the old dwarf couple huddled in the gate of their farm, their curly brown hair streaked with silver, their sun-kissed, wrinkled faces and soil-coloured clothes making them an inseparable part of their wheat fields and vegetable patches, thanking them for their hospitality, promising to look after their Gilderoy and come back to visit whenever they could.

It was a gorgeous summer day, and for once, Peregrine was happy with their progress when they stopped for the night in an inn in Elvenshire he knew well.

They would reach Alaric's castle in the late afternoon the day after tomorrow, he told Fiona as he wrapped her in his arms at night after having checked the surroundings of the posh elven inn. But they were safe here; both Fiona and Peregrine had realised as soon as they crossed the province's border. Every single elf of Silmarea seemed to recognise Leodhais and treat him as something of their prince; no one would dare to mistreat him or his friends.