Abased - The Exiled Warrior

Chapter 15.2 - Snow Strike

Shaleh jumped up and moved to the travel stove. There was no wood next to it.

"I'll be right back. We need to get more wood."

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere," Nurlan said with a hint of a smile.

Shaleh tried to laugh back but apprehension made it false, even to her ears.

She closed the tent flap behind her, making sure it was fastened shut, and sprinted towards the supply carts. The only good thing about the bitter cold weather was that no guards had been posted to protect them. The glow coming from nearby tents was insufficient to illuminate the thirty or so supply carts. She would have to find the wood by touch. She unfastened and lifted the oil skin of the closest cart - mutton carcasses. She quickly re-fastened the oil skin and turned to its neighbour - more mutton. On the fifth cart she found the wood that she sought. She loaded her arms with thick sticks and sprinted back to the black tent. Her footsteps crunching through the snow would normally have alerted tents she passed that something was amiss, but the whistling wind carried the sound away.

With cold, shaking fingers she unfastened the door flap of the black tent and re-entered.

"Nurlan, I am back. How are you feeling?"

He grunted something incoherent.

She opened the travel stove and inserted a thick stick. It was too long to fit in and she didn't have a hatchet to make it. It would have to do. Once it had caught flame Shaleh removed her boots and outer garment.

"Move over sleepy, I'm coming in," she tried to keep her voice light, but her heart was full of dread.

She lifted up the blanket and slid in next to him. His hands and feet were like ice. His whole body shivered. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"This is nice," Nurlan smiled. "Have you tied up the horses?"

"What horses?" Shaleh asked.

"I thought you said you were putting the horses back in the corral," he slurred between violent shivers.

"No," she said with concern. "Remember, I went to get firewood."

"Did you?"

"Are you feeling alright? You're not making any sense."

"I'm just tired, that's all," he answered.

She pressed herself up against his side but could not feel any warmth through their clothes. She knew if she couldn't make him warmer that the delirium would become unconsciousness, followed by death.

"This is no good," she announced to herself as much as to Nurlan. "You're not going to warm up like this. Take off your shirt," she ordered as she sat up and removed her clothes.

"This shirt was a gift from my father," Nurlan slurred. "Some people thought he was dead, but he isn't."

"Come on!" Shaleh urged. Panic started rising in her stomach. "Sit up!"

She pulled him by the arm until he complied.

"Ah!" he grunted. His hand went to his wounded right side. He laid back down.

"Come on!" tears formed in Shaleh's eyes. "We have to get you warm! Please sit up so I can take your shirt off. I'll be as gentle as I can."

"You're naked," Nurlan pointed out with a smile. "You look nice when you're naked."

Shaleh quickly wiped the gathering tears away from her cheeks.

"So let's take off your clothes too so we can get even closer."