[mark12_30]

The next morning, Gamba and Kesha were quite stiff. Azraph stretched and went to the kitchen to find them all something to eat, and the children got up and began exploring Adaruin's room.

Gamba looked around the cabin, still holding Phura. Adaruin came in from on deck, and studied Gamba and Phura. "How is he?"

"Still asleep, " Gamba replied.

"No," Phura murmured. "Resting." He sounded weak.

"What happened?" Gamba asked him.

Phura shook his head. "I don't know, " he replied. "Where are we?"

"In my cabin, on board our ship, " replied Adaruin. "You are safe."

Phura sat up. "Barra? Daga, Tamba?" He turned to Gamba. "Esta? Meridoc?"

Gamba shook his head, worrying, wondering. "They're gone, Phura. They're all dead."

"I thought-- I had hoped--"

"What?"

"I dreamed I saw them."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Come. Rest, " Adaruin said, lifting Phura out of Gamba's arms and putting him on his own bed. "Sleep again."

Just then Azraph re-entered, bringing more warm stew. Adaruin held Phura up and Azraph held the bowl, and Phura drank the stew, grimacing. "It's different."

"Bad?"

"No.... salty."

She set the bowl aside, and gazed at him, full of concern. He met her gaze, and his eyes were confused; he lay back down. She held his hands, and he drifted off to sleep.

Adaruin turned to Gamba. "Andril wishes to see you, " he said, and Gamba took a lingering look at Phura and headed off to find out who Andril was and what she wanted.

***************

Andril led Gamba to Azra's bedside, telling the story of the little Maura and the spear as they went. Gamba didn't understand it. Nitir looked up as the door opened, and Gamba came in alone. "Andril says you rescued my children, " he said, and then stopped, looking down at the wounded girl in the bed.

"Azra?" he said, in disbelief. "What-- what happened?"

Nitir wearily repeated the entire story, and then looked up as she heard Gamba moan.

"No." Gamba had gone pale, and he knelt by Azra's bedside. "No, not you. Not now. No." He clenched the bedclothes in both fists, and waves of grief and anger fought for control of his soul. Nitir shook herself. She was weary beyond belief, and here was another burden. She stared at him, numbly, and forced herself to respond.

"Gamba. Gamba, get a hold of yourself."

"Not her!" His voice grew wilder.

"Stop it, " Nitir replied. He wasn't responding. Finally she grasped his shoulders and pulled him to face her, her face drawn with weariness.

He was crumbling. "I should have been there, " he panicked, his voice breaking and squeaking. "They're my children. I should have been with them, not her. It should have been me."

"You were a little busy, " Nitir scowled at him, exhasperated. "You can't be everywhere at once." She was weary beyond reason and endurance, and could muster no compassion, nothing to give to the boy but the sheer will to stand by him.

He fell apart, and she could only hold him as he sobbed. He clung to her, and she wearily and awkwardly sat down on the floor; he sat beside her, and she rested her own head on his shoulder as he wept.

He was utterly unreasonable, and stubborn as a mule. She thought of several derogatory names to call him; thinking back to her first dream when she saw him arguing fiercely with his brother, she wearily smiled, and raising her head for just a moment, gave his curly head a gentle kiss, and her heart filled with tenderness towards him. More and more, she wanted this unreasonable, rascally, mule-ish scamp to be a part of her life.

She lay her head back on his shoulder and rocked him gently as he sobbed.

[ November 04, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

Gamba stirred, wiped the tears from his face, looked up at Nitir, blushed, muttered something unintelligible, and she let him go. Gamba returned to Phura, subdued. Phura was dreaming. In a gentle voice, Gamba told Azraph that Azra was hurt, and Azraph hurried to see her.

"Hello, " Azraph said to Nitir as she came in.

Nitir smiled. "Hello."

"How is she?"

Nitir shook her head. "I do not know. How is Gamba?"

Azraph shook her head. "Quiet." She knelt down beside Rose. "Azra, listen to me. You have to live. You have to." She put her hand over Rose's. "Don't go. Don't. We need you."

Nitir looked at Azraph. "Do you know her real name?"

"Azra--?"

"Azra's real name is Rose. And my real name is Cami. Camelia."

"Cami." Azraph struggled. "And... Rose."

Cami wondered at Azraph's sudden frown; then Azraph said, "Nobody's calling me Rosph."

Cami smiled wryly. It should have been terribly funny, she thought, but she was too worried about Rose to laugh. Azraph stayed a while longer, and they talked about men, boys, and war.

"Where is your family?" Cami asked her.

"They'll find me. I'm not worried. I've heard that they are all right. I'm not leaving Phura, though."

"Is he all right?"

Azraph tightened her lips, and did not answer. But just then the door darkened, and Gamba re-entered, with Phura leaning on him.

"Hello, " Azraph said, surprised to see Phura up and about.

Phura smiled wanly at her and then looked down at Azra. "How is she?"

"I don't know."

Gamba guided Phura to the wall, and they sat, leaning against it. They stayed a while, and talked with Cami, who repeated her and Rose's real names again.

Phura frowned, and looked at Azraph with a twinkle in his eye. "Rosph."

Azraph indignantly shot him her fiercest glower, and Phura smiled again, but there was a sparkle in his eye. Gamba and Azraph both tried not to look too pleased, and Cami bet herself that Phura was going to be just fine.

She wished she could say the same for Rose. The visitors left after a while, and Cami returned to her lonely vigil.

[ November 04, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[ November 04, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]