King and Lionheart

Bubbling River

Diarmuid made sure to take the potion Merlin gave him as instructed. He hadn't missed a dosage for an entire week and it was working, the burning sensation was no longer keeping him up at night, what was making him an insomniac were the nightmares that started a few days back. For some reason, one night, he'd begun having a reoccuring nightmare.

His sleepless nights were filled with cold sweat, lurking shadows, wilting flowers, and endless screams. He'd searched his mind over and over trying to find the problem, trying to find what was causing him to have such horrid dreams. He found nothing.

He opted to keep silent about it. He wasn't ready to tell anyone just yet, plus, he assured himself they would dissipate and leave him soon enough. It could just be the fact that he was tired, the overworking of his bones every day in practice, the potion subduing him from the pain in his shoulder; there were a number of explanations, nothing pointed to the supernatural or magic.

The sun was still young in the sky, the birds chirped as they did so every morning and Diarmuid laid in his bed, starring up at the wooden planks of the bunk above. His eyes threatened to shut and let him drift to sleep, but the nightmare telling his brain it wasn't such a bright idea. He shot up from the bed after gathering his energy; all he'd done all night was replay the mistakes in his life.

His fellow roommates were still fast asleep for it was their day off and they could sleep till noon if they wished. Diarmuid pushed himself off from the bed, reaching towards the cloth he hung up next to it in order to prepare himself for the day. After he gathered his clothes and shoved them into a satchel, he dragged his feet towards the door and made his way to the small part of the river that the knights were instructed to use. Personally, he preferred walking a bit more up stream for he was able to immerse himself in nature and the water was deeper.

The walk to the river brought a smile to his face. Since he needn't walk through the city, the serene and empty alleys eased his headache. When he reached the edge of the forest, he took a deep breath and entered, glad he was away from the noise and bustling streets. Upon arriving at the river, he set down his satchel and pulled out the cloth.

Undressing, save for his undergarments, he stepped into the thick river. The water was chilly to the touch, not quiet freezing but not exactly cool either. He let the water soothe his muscles, his eyes closing at the feeling of the rocks underneath his feet, the way the water rushed past him. He simply loved the river. The brand seemed to feel better under cool water and so he threw water over it between washing his face.

"You're as handsome as ever," he flinched at the voice, dipping his entire body underwater, save for his head, as he turned around. "You needn't hide from me, Dia. I already know every inch of you."

Diarmuid's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed at the woman atop a boulder. "Youth," he all but hissed.

"It's so nice to see you too, how long has it been now?" She shifted, her white dress hiking to her calve. Her hair cascaded over her shoulder in crimson waves, like a river of flowers. Her hair was adorned with jewels, and her white dress was thin and made of fine silk. Her creamy skin looking delicate and soft, freckles not seeming anything close to an imperfection but rather made her face even more gorgeous.

He didn't reply to her question, feeling vulnerable in the water without his armour.

"Oh, pity, I've missed you so." She tilted her body, indicating to Diarmuid that she was about to stand.

"What do you want?" He eyes her movements carefully. "Why did you brand me? I am not some lamb that belongs to you."

Her feet sunk into the greenery as she shrugged. "I beg to differ," she hummed and took a step into the running water.