Momentum (Completed)

Chapter Thirty Eight: In Sickness and Health

(Nephele) 

Elanor looked smug when I saw her a few hours after Lyra had spoken with her mother... and Angus, well, he just wouldn't shut up about it. 

"You see," he said, taking a bite out of the smoked fish he had caught earlier that day, "always trust in the Spirits and their guidance." I glared at him from across the fire, not really touching my food; it smelt poisoned. 

Elanor laughed, it's ethereal sound ringing out around us. "It's not poisoned, friend. It's fresh." 

I muttered something in Russian under my breath and continued to look around the camp. Elanor's mind reading trick had grown old with me very quickly. I had not been granted council with Kida, but every now and then the old woman would catch my eye and stare intently at me. At first it was uncomfortable, but I soon forgot about her; there were far more interesting things around this fire. 

Opposite me sat Angus and Elanor. They spoke in hushed tones and would often have moments of laughter, swiftly followed by complete silence. Beside them was Kida, then Lyra and Felix, then Kassandra and Lexio and finally Dimitri and myself. The Animus' had the other side of the fire, using it to warm themselves. 

I had to hand it to the old lady - whatever she had said to Lyra had worked some sort of magic, because not only was she smiling and making light conversation. but she was laughing as well. Actually laughing. Felix was playing with her newly formed hair, holding it under her nose to make a moustache or under her chin to make a beard and Lyra was in fits of giggles . 

"You were brave today," whispered Dimitri, as he snuggled up closer to me. I felt myself blush; we'd never been this close in public before.

"Thanks," I said, "but so was everyone else. We wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for Elanor." 

"Don't underestimate yourself," he said, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "You risked your life for Lyra again today, and if you hadn't have given Elanor the time to conjure up whatever it is she does, Lyra wouldn't be here."

I shivered at his touch, but when I looked at the camp and saw everyone who might be looking, I froze up a little and instantly felt uncomfortable. Never had I been close with Dimitri in any form of a public situation; it was always in private, behind closed doors, but now he was pushing me to new boundaries. 

"Don't worry about them," said Dimitri, leaning closer still, "they're not even looking."  He kissed my neck, then my jaw, then lightly on the lips. I didn't kiss him back, but I didn't flinch and all was fine because, as I looked around the camp, everyone was smiling at me, encouraging me that it was okay... then I saw Lexio. He was staring intently at me from across the fire. When Dimitri leaned in again, his resolve wavered and Lexio got up and stormed off into the night.

Kassandra hurried after him. Elanor, Angus and Kida watched with wise eyes, but luckily Lyra and Felix didn't notice. "I think I'm going to go to bed," I said to Dimitri moving away from him. 

He groaned, "why? Don't worry about Lexio; he's just doing it for attention."

I ignored his pleas and got up, heading toward my bed for the night. "Goodnight, Dimitri."

                                                                                  ~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day everyone was up early and it seemed to be a joint decision for us to leave. Granted, we hadn't been with Kida very long, but Elanor informed that her mother did, in fact, have a camp of sorts to get back to and it wouldn't be wise of us to leave Lyra's - and my own - camp without a leader once again.