Re: [RP] Haunted

[Aasha]

She didn't relax, even when his arms tightened. She could get to her dagger if she wanted to get free badly enough, she was just sure of it. Instead, Aasha listened, pushing down the instincts she had come to rely on. Emotions were too close to the surface though, and a tear tracked down her cheek. I dun care 'bout the spies ya found, they is bett'r off dead, they nae give any bett'r inf'rmation than wha' we a'ready find on our own, an' wha' we find ou' is more trustw'rthy. Aasha blinked, a small smile showing through the hurt at the idea that he killed someone because they were going to take her...not that the guy would have gotten far. Even sleep deprived, she fought better than most English she met. Bu' Lars...if'n ya knew I was makin' rounds, why didna ya show me ya was there? I was lookin'...I thought I felt ya 'round, an' took more rounds jus' to see if'n I could find ya. Bu' I nev'r did. All I saw was shadows... She looked deeply into his eyes, and whispered; dun ya think I'd be sensin' it was ya 'fore I would be hurtin' ya? I w'uldna be lettin' anyone else 'ere be doin' it e'ther. I'm a capo in the group, means folk list'n when I talk. She paused, thinking hard about what it meant for him to be with her here, then sighed. She would have to tell him, just not tonight. It was all too much, and she didn't want any more arguing, especially since she really had missed him desperately. Aasha moved up slightly, as much as his arms would allow, and kissed him, pouring all of the longing and love she felt into the contact.

[Aasha]

She fell asleep long before she heard an answer, the warmth of his arms not letting go even after she tried to a comfort she hadn't expected. And the exhaustion had taken too tight a grip for her to fight any longer. Aasha didn't think about what might come when she dreamed, and no longer cared. She would wake to Lars, and for now that was enough.

Of course, the knowing did not help. The nightmares returned, even with him trying to banish the spirits that haunted her. Aasha's own guilt building them into monsters that clung tight, causing her to moan and thrash against him in her sleep. No, please. Go away; she mumbled fitfully.

- Thomas laughed evilly, the sound echoing eerily in her mind. His answer a resounding no, as it always was. His voice and face mocking her cruelly. Yer never going to amount to anything girl, and we both know it. He will leave you, he has no reason to stay. No matter what you think. You will disappoint him, how could you not? And when you do, you will lose him. The loss will be worse this time, we both know that. Funny, a girl such as yourself giving your heart to someone who can't help but crush it. He will crush it, and you in the process. And I will be here waiting for you in a hell of your own making. -

Aasha slept on, the dream a constant torment, her body having shut down too thoroughly for even self preservation to wake her.

[Lars]

He had no answer for her that wouldn't sound as an excuse except that he did not come in right away because he felt something wrong that he couldn't quite put his finger on until he saw her up close and then heard her in her tent when he snuck into camp. he curses himself for not coming sooner or figuring it out that she was so distraught over everything and Arthur was the catalyst which started her down this road. He knew she wasn't as strong as she puts on, but he didn't know until now that she was so fragile. So, instead of answering, he stayed quiet and let her have her say, hoping it eased her mind a little. It wasn't long before he heard her soft sounds of sleep as he laid with her in his arms. Shortly after that she started to dream and fuss I her sleep. He held her tighter and kissed her head. whisper into her ear that he was there and will always be there for her no matter what, and while she slept, he felt it safe to tell her the words. That he loves her and always have. That there was no other woman for him but her. He didn't sleep at all that night, instead laying there and tried to break through whatever dreams tormented her with his words. He never let her go, no matter how hard she would thrash around or strike out in her sleep. He wasn't sure if she heard him, but he never stopped trying during the night and he never let her go. Come morning, he was exhausted from trying to pour his love for her into her to break her nightmares through his words and his touch.

[Aasha]

Days passed, the nightmares continuing, even with Lars presence a constant reminder of the truth. The ghosts words couldn't matter to her, not when she had him to hold on to. And she did, barely clinging to her sanity, losing herself in the emotions she refused to name, holding him tightly every night until she fell asleep. Waking through the night to take comfort in him before drifting off again. Aasha knew she had to sleep, so she had stopped fighting it, but only because she had Lars to wake to. And then the war began, consuming their days and nights. Even with Lars, and the reality of fighting upon her, Aasha couldn't break through the hauntings. She still saw Arthur everywhere she looked, she heard his voice, felt his spirit. And it wasn't good, breaking her concentration at the worst moment on the battlefield. She had lost count of how many times she'd missed when she shouldn't have, too many that were barely blows, let alone killing slashes, her sword arm aching and finding little purchase. Any other time she would have dodged, to minimize the damage. She lay there stunned, barely cognizant of the fact that she was bleeding out. Seeing malevolent spirits around her, laughing as blood stained her bodice.

By the time she focused properly, she was dizzy from blood loss, the wound to her stomach deep. It should have hurt, but she felt nothing...blackness at the edge of her vision, but nothing else. And she was on her stomach somehow, her face pressed into the ground. She couldn't see her sword, sweat staining her brow and running into her eyes. Not that she could hold it anyway, she was too numb. Pulling herself slowly, trying to not only stay out of the way, but keep from being hit again, the girl made her way off the field. She had no idea how she made it to their tent, her fingers were bleeding, a few nails broken off where she had dug in to drag herself away. That was as far as she could go, the darkness creeping in until it was all she could see, right before she lost consciousness.

[Lars]

He was helping with the retrieving of injured from the field since Aasha respected his feelings about fighting the English. Other than needing to show to others once, they left him alone even if they didn't trust him, but put up with him there because of Aasha. Every night he laid awake late into the mornings to hold her and speak softly to her when her nightmares started. Everyday, he fell more and more deeply in love with her. Each time she went off to fight, he silently preyed to his gods that she would come back safely and asking that her nightmare would leave her alone. To let her rest and recover her strength of not sleeping well. Today, had been no different. And after returning from the field carrying an injured man to the dr's tent, he took a minute to stretch his back and get some water. He saw someone laying near their tent and when it dawned on him who it was, he dropped the cup and ran to her. Reaching her in a slide on his knees when he dropped to them. Gently checking her back before turning her over carefully and seeing the blood on her clothes before seeing the slash to her abdomen. Ripping her top off her to better see the damage, sucking a deep breath between his teeth when he saw the wound. Tearing his shirt off and pressing it against her wound, he lifted her in his arms while kissing her lips, I'm here my love, stay with me. Don't ya dare go to them ghosts luv.

Carrying her to the medic's tent and yelling at them to help her as he pushed another off a table to put her there, uncaring if the person that she replaced on the table was alive or not or hurt worse by the fall. Grabbing the closets person that looked like a dr or medic, he pushed their face close to the wound, and growled at the person. Fix her, save her or join her on the other side cause i'll squeeze your head till your brain pops out your ears! Shaking the man roughly as he spoke before releasing him to go to Aasha's head, leaning down to kiss her lips lovingly. Telling her to stay with him and that he loved her.

[Aasha]

Her vision came and went, the darkness creeping up to take her more often than not. She was vaguely aware of Lars lips on her, or was it a dream? Aasha blinked her eyes open, sweat causing them to blur and sting worse, the pain in her stomach still not registering fully. Lars? Yer 'ere? Dun... and she was out again.

Fingers probed the wound, the doctor keeping a nervous eye on Lars, the rest of his focus on the girl. Threatening me won't help me save her. Let me work. This wound is bad. You brought her in? Why does it look like you dragged her? That only got dirt and debris in, making this worse. He ignored the glare, calling for water and whiskey, flushing the wound with one then the other, and repeating the process. Dirt, leaves and blood all flowed down the girl's stomach and sides, dripping unheeded to the ground. Grimacing at the look even after it was thoroughly washed, calling for a needle and thread. You'll need to hold her down, she's going to wake and I can't have her moving. Calling for another to help, not trusting the brute to listen to her when he saw the man's face. Hold her still. And he began stitching, having to close the inside first before he could even think about the outside.

Aasha jumped and screamed when the needle pierced her damaged skin, eyes flying open in panic. Gets tha' off'n me. Bloody hell, tha' hurts dammit. Jus' leave me be. Then the pain hit hard, from the wound and the fixing of it. Tears flowed down her face, her moans sounding tortured. Please...jus' leave me be... And the ghosts were there, creeping into her vision. Haven't ya dun 'nuff? Yer killin' me mor'n any English goats ken do. Go 'way, let me be...damn ya all to hell. Dun ya takes 'im 'way from me...dun...takes 'im...ya ken have me, jus' leave 'im 'lone... The ghosts only laughed, knowing she sounded insane and not caring. Torturing her with her own inadequacy, taunting her with the idea that Lars was gone. And she couldn't focus, having no idea what was real and what was not. She thought she saw Lars...thought she heard him...her mind was not right. Was it him? Or was he now a spirit come to haunt her as well?

The doctor continued to work, having called another over as badly as the girl was thrashing about, opening stitches before he could complete them. He worked for what seemed like hours, finally closing her abdomen inside and out, then covering it loosely. It can't be wrapped yet, there is too much drainage still. If it gets infected, He looked up at the man, then moved back a little; If it gets infected, there will be no saving her. Not as deep as that was. Meeting the man's eyes; Her mind may already be gone. Not sure if its that, or the pain. But she isn't right, you heard her, she isn't right. Then he saw her hands and sighed, braving the man to take one into his hand gently. More whiskey, more water. My Jah, it looks like she clawed her way out of hell. The fingers were easy to treat, none broken. When he finished, both hands were wrapped, the bleeding mostly stopped in all but her abdomen. Change the bandages often on her stomach. The ones on her hands only when you can see they need it. Her fingers need the pressure to stop the bleeding. I've done what I can, you can take her out, or move her to the other tent where someone can watch over her. Up to you, but we need this table for others who haven't been treated yet. Not saying he thought that saving her might be more torture for the girl than letting her die if her mind was as broken as he feared.

Aasha's eyes stayed open the whole time, glossy with pain, unfocused. The malevolent spirits her only constant, that and the vision of Lars that swam in and out of her mind. Lars...I'm sorry lad...I...ya...tis my fault...a'ways...my...fault...Please dun leave me Lars...nev'r...leaves me... Bless the gods Lars prayed to, or maybe just the pain had overtaken her, but Aasha passed out again, right as the doctor finished. The pain having overwhelmed her, not only from her stomach, but from the torture in her mind and heart.

[Lars]

He growled at the doctor when he spoke to him that way before treating Aasha but remained quiet as he tended to her. he held her tight as he was instructed and never looked away from her face in case she would open her eyes, in case she would need him. he prayed again to his gods to help her to live and be fully healed. He gently picked her up after the doctor finished and carried her to their tent. asking one of the women nearby to layout more covers and rugs to make it more comfortable. After the woman finished he took her inside and gently laid her down and saw to it she was comfortable. Moving about the tent to place everything he needed in reach, he sat beside her and gently held her wrapped hands and kissed them before leaning up and kissing her lips and cheeks. Listen ta me lass, im not going anywhere without ya. I told ya before that ya be stuck with me luv. He then took one hand and cleaned her face gently with the wet rag from the nearby bowl. Then her neck and down her front after. He didn't know how long it would take for her to come back to him and he didn't care as long as she came back. He still prayed to his gods and he still cursed them too at the same time for this, and for the war.

He slept little through the days and the others would bring him broth for her to drink as she lay there unconscious and talking in her dreams or fears. Sometimes the words were clear and most times not. It didn't matter the time and anytime he had to leave her side, he made sure someone sat with her as he hurried to do what he was doing so he could get back to her. The days went by in a blur. He kept her clean and he used some ointments and salves that were brought to him. The doctor would stop by and shake his head in wonder that she still breathed and would tell Lars he needed to sleep, but he would just shake his head and the doctor would walk away shaking his. eventually tho, after many days he laid his head next to her on there bed, and even tho he did not mean to, fell asleep there with his ear against her chest as he would do to listen to her heartbeat. It's sound lulled him to sleep this time. Maybe the fact that it sounded stronger gave his tired mind rest and allowed his body to force him to sleep. He dreamed of the night they came together and for her to understand how he felt about her after he took her to the room and showed her. He dreamed of the other days and nights they would sit and talk after he came walking into camp and to her tent as bold as any. He dreamed many things while he rested there beside her, his head on her chest and her healed hands in his hand.

[Lars]

The recovery was long, hard and at times he feared he would loose her. But he stayed awake, rarely sleeping until she was strong enough where he felt she would make it. He worried still but the toll of the restless nights, the stress of his worry kept him going but took it's toll on his body. He eventually was forced to sleep, well tricked into sleep is a better way of saying it. Some of the camp women made a drink and dinner for him, spiking it with something to make him sleep. He was asleep before finishing half of the meal or drink. The only thing they didn't think of was his size. They had to have several men carry him to their tent, where they placed him silently beside Aasha. They smiled as in his sleep, he rolled over to her and pulled her close and held her to him. Her mouth close to his ear so he can hear in his sleep her breathing. He didn't know he did this. Only knew in his dreams he had to keep her by him, watch over her. She meant the world to him, and he may not admit it to others, he needed her. He would tell her if she asked, but words were hard for him to speak. His feelings hard for him to express. The others of the camp watched over them as they slept. Him being so worn out that he slept for days.

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