With the...Horses?

After checking in on Lexie and administering another dose of the salve you grab a thick wool blanket and some food to eat from the carriage and carry it outside. You can see Zoe off by the River sitting down in the dirt leaning against a tree. She has built up a small fire right there in the sand and the orange and yellow flames are flickering into the sky dancing so magnificently.

With a grin on your face you make your way over to the Sunrider as the final remaining rays of sunlight slowly fade behind the horizon diminishing the shadows for the night. The heat from the sun is gone and the very light breeze and clear skies make the desert start to cool down immensely as you feel a chill in the air. It makes you want to get under the blanket and move by the fire as quick as possible.

"Hungry?" you ask the Sunrider causing her to turn her head to look at you, giving you a smile "I brought some stuff from the carriage."

Zoe is sitting on the sand, her knees pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around her shins. After nodding at you but not saying a word, very unlike her, she just looks back at the crackling fire and stares deeply into it.

You set the food down next to her which consists of bread and some type of mush that you can add water to that makes a type of gruel, not the most appetizing but it's packed for of nutrition and is very filling. Afterwards you take the thick wool blanket and spread it out before draping it over the shoulders of Zoe. Shortly afterwards you sit down next to her cross legged and pull the blanket over your back as well, basically covering the two of you from behind with this thick wool blanket while the front of you is in the open but heated by the fire.

You grab the container of water and mix it together with your gruel, stirring it together before setting it closer to the fire so it can warm up. You can technically eat it cold but it'll make the two of you feel much better if it's warm.

"What's on your mind, Zoe?" you whisper to her "Unlike you to be so quiet?"

Her chin almost slumps down further into her knees as her stare into the fire continues "I try to make the best of everything but I worry about Lexie. Like, a lot. A lot a lot." she says.

You throw your left arm around her back and pull her body into your side "Yeah, me too." you comfort the Sunrider "But she's strong, you know that, I know that, she'll hold on and once we get to Rathkin, I know Lady Bree can help us out."

"How do you know?" she immediately asks "What if...she can't do anything."

"Well, to be honest, I don't know." you grumble out, going silent for a few moments as the two of you gaze into the dancing flames "But you can't give up hope, can't give up faith, you have to believe in Lexie, believe in Bree."

"I'm sorry for being such a downer..." Zoe mumbles "it's just now with the sun setting and us getting closer and closer to Rathkin, it's starting to all sink in, what we are actually doing... It makes me sad."

"It's my Fiance and child on the line...I'm scared shitless. I'm worried, sad, emotionally unstable right now, but I push that aside because I know it'll do me no good. I need to stay strong for them, fight for them, do whatever I can." you rub Zoe's back with the palm of your hand "If Lady Bree can't help Lexie, then I'll find somebody who can, I'll go to Errian if I have to, go to Loner's Reach, go to one of the Eastern Kingdoms, no matter what, I'll fight for her and I know you will too." you see Zoe turn her head and give you a smile "There she is." you grin back "There's the Zoe I know. Not the sad, mopey one she's being now."

"S-S-Stopped!" she smiles with her teeth and looks into your eyes "Can't a girl be sad for once?" she pushes out her lower lip.

"Sure, you can be sad." you pull her into your body again, comforting the Sunrider "I'll be the happy one for the time being."

With an exhale of air "There doesn't always have to be a happy one..." she begins to grumble again.

"To be fair, I wouldn't be happy either if I had to sleep outside with the horses..." it causes Zoe to burst out a good few laughs "Hopefully they'll cuddle with you to keep you warm." you once more pull her body into your own, rubbing up and down her forearm.

"You're a jerk!" she replies "But a good jerk. Thanks..." she raises her head up off her knees and tilts it to the side, resting it on your shoulder as the two of you watch the flames emit their sparks into the air.

Eventually the gruel is warm enough and the two of you eat to your belly's desires. Between that, the bread and drinking much water you're both completely stuffed and full of nutrition. Sitting side by side your High Commander, watching the fire dance, the stars sparkle and the cool air just made the night all that much more enjoyable.

"Ya know, if you want, we can drop you off in Murnic?" you ask "You can stay there, see your mom and brother again and I'll go to Rathkin." you ask.

"I do miss them..." Zoe says "But I can't leave you, can't leave Lexie, not like this. I'm here for you Darien! To help you out! I'll have plenty of time to see my mom and brother at some other time if needed."

"You sure? I mean, I can handle the ride to Rathkin myself and I'm sure I can manage Edmin and Bree if needed."

"Yeah, I'm sure Darien" her voice is so soft "I want to make sure Lexie is okay and also...make sure you're handling it alright." she lifts her head from your shoulder and looks at you "If Lexie doesn't wake up right away, or if Bree can't help and we need to go someplace else, or do something else, I want to be here for you! No matter what!" her eyes are glancing all over your face "You've always been there for me, guided me, helped me, cared for me..." she pauses, watching your reaction briefly "Well, I want to be there for you when you need it. For you, Darien." she smiles. You just reciprocate her happiness before both of you turn back to the fire and just bask in its glow.

It isn't much longer before a giant yawn forms from Zoe's body which you take note of "Should probably call it a night." you whisper off "Got another long day of riding tomorrow." you rub your arm over Zoe's back again.

"Ahhh..." Zoe sucks in a giant sum of cool air again "Yeah, that's a good idea." she drops her chin into her knees again "Mind if I have this blanket for the night? It's a little chilly out here since I'll be sleeping with the...horses." she looks down into the dirt as her finger draws circles in the sand.

"Really Zoe?" your voice is quiet and rasp as you raise an eyebrow at her.

"What?" her body doesn't react at all.

"I'm not letting you sleep out here alone." you push yourself up to your feet "Come on, you're sleeping in the carriage with me." you reach your arm down, extending your hand to help her up.

You see her eyes look at your own as she gives a huge smile before reaching for your grip and pulling herself up. After lifting her to her feet you turn around and kick some sand over the fire to snuff it out.

"I guess you finally get to sleep with me!" she teases as her cheerful self is starting to emerge again. She carefully bunches up the wool blanket around her body, covering herself completely while slowly shuffling back towards the carriage. "Not with the horses! Not with the horses!" she says with every other step.

With a grin on your face you finish spreading the now cooling ashes of the fire before making your way behind Zoe.

You watch her disappear inside and in about half a minute you are entering the carriage as well and close the door behind you. Zoe used another blanket off the seat and threw it on the ground to give the wooden floor a little more cushion. She's sitting on that blanket as she unfolds the wool blanket and starts to spread it out "Umm..." she whispers softly as to try her best to not disturb the sleeping Lexie "I guess we have to share this blanket..." her cheeks go a little flush. "You don't mind, d-do you?" she bites her tongue.

"Oh Zoe..." you grumble out as you sit down on the make shift bed next to her "I should make us sleep naked, it's warmer that way." you give her a friendly wink before falling backwards into the bed.

"N-Naked?" she questions "Uhh...What???"

"Relax, Zoe. Come here..." you pat your chest with your hand as you look up at the dark haired girl. She begins to set herself down, resting her head by your shoulder as she drapes her right arm over your chest.

"You're warm." she says "And I like this sabre tooth fur...it's comfortable on my cheeks!" she lets a soft chuckle out "although it tickles a bit."

You pull her body in close and shimmy the wool blanket over your bodies. You wrap your arms around her body and hold her tight "Thanks Zoe..." you kiss the top of her head "For being here with me. I don't know if I could do this alone..."

She gives a soft purr out from the comforting grasp you're showing her "Now I get it..." she says as she pushes her body up with her arms, looking down at you.

"Get what?" you glance a curious look.

"Why so many women want to sleep with you." she bluntly states as she leans forward and gives your cheek a longer than normal kiss. Her warm lips feel good on your face as she holds it there for a few brief moments, longer than a friend would, almost as long as something who really cares for that person, who really...loves that person. She eventually backs away and smiles at you again "Sleep time! No funny business mister." she teases "Your Fiance is right there!" her tongue pokes out.

"Oh hush up!" you throw your arm around her body and pull her into you again "Good night, Zoe." you hug her deep in your chest.

"Good night Darien, sleep well, I lov..., err, I mean, good night." she corrects herself.

You let out a soft puff of air before kissing the top of her head and closing your eyes to drift off into slumber...