Flight Of Fate

Chapter Four - Dark Nights

Kira stayed on the rock Thranduil had led her to. She stared at her feet as she waited for his return, casting the occasional anxious glance in the direction he'd disappeared. Time seemed to slow down to a stop, and she started to fidget.

She leapt to her feet as the foliage parted and he reappeared.

"There are three bodies back there, spread out," he told her as he approached her and came to a stop in front of her. "I would assume that they had been sitting relatively close, and were thrown from the wreckage at the same time."

"Poor souls," she said softly as she shook her head. She dragged a huge lungful of air in. "I can't imagine ever getting over this or forgetting it. It's horrific."

"We will get over it, through time, but we will never forget what happened here," he answered. He turned and dropped to a squatting position and washed his hands in the pool. "I have moved them some way away, so that you can bathe and freshen up here without feeling too uncomfortable."

"You didn't have to put yourself through that. Thankyou."

"I thought we discussed this thankyou nonsense," he said over his shoulder. A hint of humour was infused in his voice. He stood back up and wiped his hands on the back of his jeans. "It would not be pleasant trying to clean yourself knowing what lay just a few feet away, Kira."

"No, that's true," she acknowledged. "Thanks for...moving them, anyways."

He shook his head as he looked back towards where they had crashed. "How about we go back and bring some towels, and a change of clothing? We could both do with a wash; we're covered in blood, dirt, and every kind of grease and grime I can think of," he suggested.

"Good idea. The travel bag you found has soap of some sort in it," she said. "And a couple of razors too." She grinned wickedly.

One eyebrow arched. "What are you implying?"

A laugh escaped. "Nothing. The stubble really doesn't do you justice," she quipped. She lifted a hand and trailed her fingertips along his jaw as she passed, chuckling to herself.

He inhaled a deep breath, purposely ignoring the sparks that had blazed to life at the innocent touch. She hadn't meant anything by it, yet it had woken an awareness that he'd thought was dead.

*****

A couple of hours later, the pair stood back and observed their work. Thranduil had his arms folded, and Kira had her hands on her hips. Both were a little flushed. Having returned to their camp for towels, soap, and clothing, they'd gone back to the waterfall. He'd insisted on her going behind a tree with lots of low-hanging branches so she would have privacy, and he'd forcefully turned his back as he'd washed at the other side of the pool. On their return, the tarpaulin needed some attention if they had any hopes of making some sort of shelter from it.

"I think it'll do," she said, breaking the silence. Her deep blue eyes met his as he glanced down at her. "It's waterproof, at least."

One side of his mouth quirked. "I thought it would have been a little bigger," he said. "There really isn't a lot of room in there for two grown adults."

The tarp, when spread out on the ground, had seemed reasonably large. But folded and tied over a fallen tree, the overall size seemed small in comparison.

"You just said it – we're grown adults," she pointed out. "I'm sure we can find a way to fit in there. The main thing is protection from the wind, the rain, and the cold. What's worrying you?"

"I am not worried," he retorted. "I perhaps feel that a lady should have more room-"

"Oh stop that shit," she said in exasperation. "I'm not listening to you anymore."