{"id":1373,"date":"2012-08-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1373"},"modified":"2012-08-21T21:04:16","modified_gmt":"2012-08-22T01:04:16","slug":"winter-chapter-19-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1373","title":{"rendered":"Winter – Chapter 19 – 03"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The cold had nibbled its way through his gloves to every part of his hands, leaving them frigid and stiff by the time Cameron stumbled into the second of two lean-tos he\u2019d built at their campsite\u2014one for their horses a few feet away, the other for he and Neve, their tent, and their fire.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The snow had begun an hour before, heavy with thick, wet flakes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The wind was starting to pick up as he ducked into shelter, gratefully, gracelessly falling onto his rear next to Neve and the fire.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She reached up and dusted some of the snow from his hair.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHopefully we\u2019ll find a town or something soon where there\u2019s a sporting goods store we can loot.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We need more cold weather gear than what we\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron could only nod in agreement as he tugged his gloves off an studied his hands in the fire\u2019s glow.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Red, but not blue or white.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Just cold, then.\u00a0 <\/span>Not frozen.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>He stretched his hands toward the fire, setting his jaw so his teeth wouldn\u2019t begin to chatter.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve was already starting to unbutton his coat for him.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Even after weeks on the road, battered and bruised as she was, she still somehow managed to look amazing to him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He stared at her for a long moment, letting her divest him of his cold weather gear as he let his fingers thaw near the flames.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>As he warmed, he became increasingly aware of the smell of rabbit roasting over the fire, which they\u2019d managed to snare before the snow started.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Hanging from the same rod over the fire was a small pot of instant potatoes, seasoned with a little freeze-dried cheese and salt from their supplies.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDinner smells amazing,\u201d he mumbled, shucking his coat fully off and hanging it from one of the tent poles to dry.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Beyond the trees and the lean-to, the wind began to howl as the storm finally hit.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThanks.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Sounds like you got under cover just in time.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Do the horses have enough room to graze?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThey\u2019re tied to a bush they can nibble on.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I watered them and gave them some of the oat cakes from your saddlebags.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ll check on them after we eat.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He slid his arms around her and stared at the fire.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He glanced toward one edge of the lean-to, watched the snow sheet toward the trees.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>West.\u00a0 <\/span>Almost due west.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>He closed his eyes and buried his nose in Neve\u2019s hair.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt feels like it\u2019s a long way away,\u201d he whispered.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat you\u2019re running toward?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He nodded against her hair and sighed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI think it\u2019s running toward, anyway.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t think your brother scared me that badly.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 Of course, he told me that I\u2019ve been sucked into a war older than most of the world\u2019s religions and that I\u2019ve got some kind of destiny that neither of us quite understand\u2014one I\u2019m not sure I\u2019m up to fulfilling, especially if it means abandoning everything I\u2019ve begun to care about in order to pursue.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The lean-to rattled and he sighed, opening his eyes and glancing up.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve\u2019s fingers tangled in the fabric of his sleeve.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019ll hold,\u201d she said softly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cStay here.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He relaxed in fractions, forcing himself to stay put.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHow do you know?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI just know,\u201d she whispered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMy brother\u2019s not the only one with a strange kind of prescience.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She took a deep breath and exhaled it shakily, shifting against him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>His arms closed around her shoulders.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron managed to laugh, though it came out slightly strangled.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve twisted in his arms, not quite concealing her wince, and took his face in her hands.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCam,\u201d she said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCam, talk to me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He shook his head and the words tumbled over each other.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t know that I can do this, Neve.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t know that I can do all the things that your brother told me I was supposed to someday.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s in me, but I\u2019ll be damned if I fail.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He rested his forehead against hers.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Her eyes crinkled at the corners as her brows knit together.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Damnation, Neve, I don\u2019t need your pity, I need your strength.\u00a0 <\/span>I need you with me.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He kept talking.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m not a knight-errant and I\u2019m not a hero and that\u2019s what he said I was, what I would be.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He said that broken world would change us all but I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s in me, Neve.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m too damned selfish.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>All I want is to find a safe place to hide with you.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Is that so terrible and wrong?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHe said the cost could be dear\u2014could be everything.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s not a price I\u2019m willing to pay.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnyone who says that they\u2019re willing to pay anything\u2014any price\u2014is <\/span>lying<\/span><\/em>,\u201d Neve said, her thumbs stroking his cheeks and jaw.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNo matter how selfless someone is, there\u2019s always a cost that would be too high, one they\u2019d say hell no to.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She kissed his forehead.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAs for a hero and a knight-errant, I don\u2019t think you should sell yourself short.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You wouldn\u2019t have cared so much for a little Black Irish girl you met on the road if you didn\u2019t have some kind of spark.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron smiled crookedly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI had ulterior motives.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cLiar,\u201d Neve said with a grin.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou didn\u2019t realize how you felt until <\/span>after<\/span><\/em> I saved your life.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYeah, well.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>His cheeks warmed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou still need to heal up so you can get me using that crowbar properly.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCrowbar!<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s a magic sword you\u2019ve got with your gear.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron froze.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The cold had nibbled its way through his gloves to every part of his hands, leaving them frigid and stiff by the time Cameron stumbled into the second of two lean-tos he\u2019d built at their campsite\u2014one for their horses … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,58,14,52,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-2","category-chapter-19","category-story","category-winter","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-m9","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1373"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1374,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1373\/revisions\/1374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}