Skyrim: Dark Firewood

Half-Moon Mill - Part 2

"You'll be alright, friend."

Faendall started carding his fingers through Kerev's hair. The Dunmer seemed to be deep in a nightmare. It made Faendall's heart ache.

"I promise."

Faendall paused, noticing a small red mark on Kerev's neck. He slowly peeled away the tunic, pushing the cloth down past the shoulder. He gently shifted Kerev's head so he could see, and the slumbering elf showed zero signs of waking up. He dismissed Kerev's sudden clothing as his hosts being a bit too kind.

There was a small cut on Kerev's neck, right in the crease. It looked clean, and a bit like someone had pressed a cloth into it. Possibly to stop the bleeding. Faendall frowned, leaving Kerev's shirt pulled down. Did he cut himself? 

Faendall had a sudden realization. Werewolves. The howl from the Altmer they freed, the one that attacked Kerev. He had theories, but now he was desperate for any other explanation. He placed a hand on Kerev's burning forehead, taking a calming breath.

"You're gonna be okay," Faendall assured his sleeping friend. "I won't let it take. You're going to be just fine."

Kerev stirred a bit in his sleep, snuggling closer to Faendall. His nightmare seemed to be on pause, releasing some pressure off the Bosmer's chest. He let himself nod off, a protective arm over his friend. His sleep was restless.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Darkness. Wetness. 
All that surrounded Faendall was cold darkness and falling streams of water.
He ran, ran as fast as he could. He couldn't see what he was running from. But he could hear it.
There was a scream to his left. An axe chop to his right.
Screaming for help.
Someone was screaming for help.
There was a flash of brilliant light, magma emerging, slipping over unseen valleys. Inching closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Kerev leapt out from the molten rock, hissing. Glowing orange eyes, the flicking of a demon tail, claws the size of knives.
Faendall couldn't even pull back as the ground swallowed him whole.
He was falling.
Falling.
Into the warm unknown.
Passion burned bright, lighting the darkness he was falling into.
The heat carried emotion, raw, unfiltered.
The pain wrapped around him in a deathly embrace.
He let it hold him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Faendall slowly woke up, groaning as the dream finally slipped away. He found the source of the uncomfortable heat, hearing Kerev mumble and snore softly in his sleep. The Dunmer was completely on top of him, center of gravity curled up around his chest. Faendall wondered if this was how house cats woke up their owners.

"Kerev," Faendall wheezed out, starting to push his friend off him. "Wake up."

Kerev didn't listen, all but flopping off Faendall. He stayed asleep, curling up almost completely. He still seemed to be stuck in a bout of bad dreams. Faendall sat up, sadly gazing over his friend. He gave Kerev a pat on the head and got out of the bed. 

Faendall stretched and tied his hair up, looking over the cottage. Hert and Hern weren't anywhere to be seen, but the sounds of chopping wood let him know his hosts were awake. He tried again to rouse Kerev, gently shaking him. 

When he failed to wake his friend up, Faendall decided to grab the blankets. He laid Kerev completely straight out and tucked him in. He made sure the blankets were wrapped completely around the Dunmer, rolling him up in a tube of comfort.

Faendall stood over Kerev for a bit. He didn't want to leave his side. He waited a bit longer to pick up his things, watching the Dunmer sleep. Despite the need to toss and turn, the blanket roll kept Kerev laying relatively still. He couldn't curl up, anyway.