Short Stories and New Ideas

Fire Full of Bad Dreams

            A smell of burning wood fills my nostrils as I lay beneath the canopy of trees. My eyes slit open slightly to catch a glimpse of the bright stars through autumn leaves. I close them again a heave a great sigh as my body relaxes into my wool blanket. The heat from the fire tickling my skin and easing me to sleep.
             I hear a chuckle beside me as I turn my head to them, eyelids heavy but opened enough to see the source.
The man beside me smiles wide and pokes the fire with a stick, more than likely bored out of his mind.
            "Sorry for waking you." He states bluntly while he continues grinning like the big idiot he is. I close my eyes again and sit up slowly with a stretch. "You don't have to get up. I'll go grab more fire wood if the warmth helps you sleep."
             I look over at him. This guy has been with me since I was a child. Being only a year younger than him has made him like my older brother, he watches over me and explores with me. We're almost never separated. I smile as I open my eyes once more. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
             He looks at me and frowns as I ask him such a simple question. Running a hand through his long black hair he sighs. His dark brown eyes closing as if he's deep in thought.
The flames from the fire animate off his tan skin as a crackle for two fills the silence. I sit up in a more comfortable position as my smile fades into concern.
      
       "Aaron? Hey.....are you.....okay?"
          
           He looks at me and grins, "I'm fine." He states bluntly. I have a worried look on my face as he continues. "Just a few nightmares, nothing too important." He knows that I'm gonna say something, he tenses a bit waiting for a response.
           I smile, my green eyes reflect the motion of the fire as my brown hair blows slightly in the soft breeze. My pale skin covered by a blanket as I pick myself off the cool dirt floor. I walk over to him humming a small tune I heard in our last village run in. He calms and relaxes almost instantly as I sit beside him and lay my head on his shoulder.
            "I won't let those bad nightmares get you while I'm around." I say giggling. He smiles again as he gingerly lays his head atop of mine.Laughing loudly at my little remark he puts an arm around me pulling me closer and trying to keep me warm. Especially since it was freezing out.
              I laid us both down near the fire as we held eachother, both of us soon falling asleep. I, the warrior keeping the nightmares away, and he, the one who protects me from the cold.