Guardians of the Prophecy

Bonus Chapter: Recovery

Note: This chapter contains some sexual content.

A few months after the battle...

When Alistair startled her awake that night, Rima instinctively wrapped her arms around him and tilted her face up to kiss his cheek. She felt his chest heaving, and the panicked, hot breaths gusting against her arm. She ran a hand through his hair, since it usually comforted him, but he pushed her away and got out of the bed.

Rima watched as Alistair pulled on a shirt and a pair of pants before leaving the room. She sighed, missing his warmth and the feel of her body against his. Shaheen, who had woken nearby as well, seemed to sense Rima's loneliness and fluttered over to nuzzle her warm, feathered head against her hand.

Rima smiled a little and stroked the falcon's feathers. She looked back at where Alistair had left and wondered how much longer he was going to be like this. Ever since they had defeated Ak'Am, and whenever her Protector woke from his nightmares, he had drawn away from her. It felt so foreign to her, and for a moment Rima wondered if Alistair's usual touchy, affectionate self had spoiled her. After all, becoming touchier and more affectionate herself didn't seem to affect him whatsoever...

~*~

The next night, Alistair returned to his and Rima's bed after his near-daily attempts at meditation. Even focusing his attention on the stars above and contemplating the cosmos, one of his most recent interests, would usually help. Meditation had nearly always allowed him to sleep. But sinking back into the mattress and soft blankets, with Rima's warm body beside him, didn't help tonight.

He got up with a sigh and glanced over at the two bottles on the dresser near the bed: one was an herbal drink, and the other a potion; both were supposed to help with sleep. The herbal one was just more "natural" than the potion, Laurel had said. Alistair shook his head and kissed Rima on the cheek before leaving the room.

Alistair stepped out of the inn and was disappointed to see that the horizon was already starting to lighten. Another sleepless light...

Probably should've tried to sleep more instead of meditate, he thought to himself, a little irritably.

He began to make his way down the road and wondered if he would ever "recover" or forget his nightmares and memories regarding his torture. Sure, they were far less frequent now, but he was sure that if he didn't recover soon, he'd go crazy.

As Alistair leisurely walked, he watched as men and women bustled about the street with empty baskets and pots, some returning with freshly picked fruit and herbs or water. Others were setting up their stalls and stocking them with ingredients, cloth, jewelry, and other items in preparation for the morning-to-afternoon market rush hour.

He took a deep breath, relishing how the crisp, cool air filled his lungs. He spent about an hour walking along the road before making his way back to the inn.

As soon as he opened the door to his and Rima's room, the Guardian nearly knocked the wind out of him when she rushed towards him and embraced him tightly.

She looked up and caressed his face, her eyes wandering over him.

"Where were you? Are you okay? You didn't leave a note or anything; I was so worried..."

Unable to bring himself to say anything, Alistair hugged her back and planted a slow, tender kiss on her mouth, his hands tightening their grip around her waist and molding her against him. She sucked and lightly nipped at his lips, and he deepened the kiss, slipping his fingers beneath her clothes and beginning the task of discarding them on the floor.

Their hands caressed each other's bodies as they stumbled to the bed, a trail of clothes following where their feet had stepped. Soon enough, both were naked on the bed, and Alistair rubbed his fingers between Rima's slick folds, withdrawing to find them covered in her arousal.

Panting, and locking gazes, he rested his forehead on hers, heart pounding in his chest, he slowly pressed inside. She whimpered a little, and by the time he was deep inside, he began rocking into her. He relished the feeling of being surrounded by her tight heat, her soft, breathy gasps with each thrust. Alistair leaned down and sucked at one of her breasts and sensed her approaching her climax.

Finally, he felt Rima's inner walls contract around him as she cried out, and he followed shortly after with a low groan. After a few moments, he managed to collapse beside her with a satisfied, if dazed, smile. She was looking equally satisfied herself, he noted with pleasure.

Alistair pulled her in for a kiss before falling asleep with Rima in his arms.

A couple days later, Rima gave him a number of books on astronomy, including one on the constellations' names and histories in all cultures: Antium, Bonum, and Han. She'd even shown him a secluded grove she had found about a mile away from the city complete with a grassy area and little waterfall so he could meditate in peace.

As soon as they'd returned home, Alistair wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and buried his face in her neck.

"Thank you, Rima," he sighed.

She turned around, placed her hands upon his chest, and kissed him. "You're welcome," she whispered back. "As long as you're happy."

Alistair kissed her back tenderly, caressing her hips and bottom with his hands.

Being with you makes me happy.

They eventually made their way over to the bed, and when Rima pushed him onto the mattress while kissing him, he reluctantly pulled away. He noticed her expression fall, but he took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry for what I've been doing to you, Rima."

She crinkled her brows at him and sat upright on the bed. "What did you do?"

He sighed heavily, shifting a little so his back was resting on the headboard. "When you try to make me feel better after I've had..." He paused and mumbled hesitantly, "Nightmares... I just push you away."

Alistair looked up to see Rima watching him carefully, but she didn't say anything; she was waiting patiently. "I don't want you to misunderstand. I do that because I sometimes want to handle it on my own. Occasionally, I need some time to calm down myself. Some space."

There was another long pause as he considered how to word what he wanted to say, and he was grateful that Rima seemed to understand and merely nodded at him, placing her hand on his.

"I hate the nightmares. Just being reminded of the demons—" He shuddered a little. "— makes me remember how helpless I was when I was trapped there. And I still get panic attacks. I'm sorry for any trouble. Probably made you lose sleep."

"It's not a huge problem," she reassured him. "I'm happy that you're communicating this, because I'm going through what you're experiencing, too. And it's not as bad as you think it is. Everyone needs their space sometimes. I do too, when you're off meditating. But what matters is what you need to get through this."

"I'm grateful that you're trying to help," Alistair admitted, reaching out to caress her cheek.

There was another brief pause as they kissed each other.

"It's pretty good though," Rima said as she drew back, and Alistair looked at her questioningly. "The sex is a little better when we haven't been with each other for a few days. Touching, too. More intimate."

He smiled when she watched a light pink spread across her cheeks. "It is," he agreed.

"Thank you for telling me," Rima smiled gently, moving so that she was laying her head upon his chest. "Don't forget that I'll always be here for you, okay?"

He smiled back at her and kissed her forehead before resting his chin on top of her head. "And I'll always be by your side too."