The Morning After The Years Before [for gunslingerqueen]

[toweredingly]

He came awake with a barely-stifled groan, tears still wet on his face and his arms empty, the song still ringing in his ears. The fire had burnt down to ash, and there was a grey caste to the sky, the not-yet-dawn of a day he was going to have to drag himself up into. Roland closed his eyes, weary and heartsick in every way, and listened to the morning, slowing his breathing down to almost nothing.

There was Nathan's breathing, a warm huffing close against his ears. Further off, he could hear Kaine toss and turn, and Alain's low, steady snoring. It all seemed too loud, too much, especially set against the other sounds of the camp. Somewhere, a throcken yelped, a disconcertingly human sound. Bert moaned quietly in his sleep, something that might have been a name or might just have been a cry. Roland closed his eyes more tightly, then, giving up abruptly, sat up.

There was a shape nearby that hadn't been there before. Even before he'd fully registered that, let alone recognised Nariko in the dim half-light, his gun had leapt into his hand like a live thing, and he was wide awake. Then he did recognise her, and the weapon fell out of his suddenly nerveless hand.

"...Nariko?"

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[askthelookout]

Cuthbert laughed, kissing her soundly before letting go himself, and raked his hair back from his face. "Could've done a lot worse, couldn't I?" he said lightly, then, clearing his throat, turned to follow Roland back towards the gunslingers. The smile lingered, though, tugging at his lips despite himself.

"We'd be best to decide now who's fit to ride, and who'll go pillion," Roland said matter-of-factly, when they were all gathered. "The more can ride alone, the better - if we find others, there'll be more space for them that way. Alfred, ride with Percival. I won't hear argument," he added sharply, as the one-legged man opened his mouth. "Mayhap you can ride one-legged, and mayhap you can't, but that's a thing to learn another time. Bert, you'll take a horse along riderless. Rope one up, and keep it in tow. You're up to that, aren't you?"

"Aye, Ro'." Cuthbert nodded, trying to look serious, but that smile kept sneaking in around the edges.

[apassingafternoon]

That Roland could maintain himself so well had to be some magical testament to his strength or focus as a leader, but Kaine was pleasantly below that. She couldn't really stop herself from grinning either, and didn't do nearly as much to hide it as she should have. And while Roland doled out orders and Cuthbert followed them, she mostly stuck to Bert, idly noting who was who, but otherwise keeping to herself.

Somewhere in the back of her head she could hear that ever familiar voice reminding her to observe and be watchful in a new situation but - She could get to that later. What did catch in her mind was the group opposite of them, and she reached over to tug at Bert's arm gently.

"... He'll be okay, right?" She meant Alain, of course, because there was no question about Nariko or the rest of them.

[askthelookout]

"Sure." Bert looked only a little worried, and it was easily missed under his smile. "He's got a better head on his shoulders than any of us, you should kennit by now. Save your worry for yourself, you're the one heading into occupied territory with two madmen as your guides." Finishing his work of knotting the reins of one horse to the saddle clasp of the other, he turned to look at her, reaching up to brush her hair back tenderly with the tips of his fingers. "He'll be fine. And so will we. The worst is past, I think."

[apassingafternoon]

"You're probably right." And she really did believe that. There might still be challenges but there was never a day or week without one of those. The apex was falling behind them, everything on the downward tumble would be simple enough. But knowing that wouldn't really calm her down, the best cure for her mood was to get going.

"At least this'll be interesting."

It would also be quiet and full of far too many men, but Kaine would hold her own. She gave the opposite party one more glance as they began to head off in their own direction, and suffocated the part of her that wanted to follow.

and scene?

[askthelookout]

"That's the spirit!" Bert grinned at her, and leaned in to kiss the corner of her mouth before turning away and vaulting into the saddle. "We'll do just fine. All of us. You'd best get ready to move, though. There's a long road ahead."