The bump of the wagon startle him back awake. "Sorry," John said, rubbing his eyes.
Blade...Shun wave it off, giving him a smile. "No need. You had night patrol and then help us pack before leaving. The story can wait."
Before John could ask him to continue the story, a letter drop into his lap. He glance up in time to see the postmoogle flying off in another direction. He pick the letter up, holding it for a few moments. "Howl..."
"Open it, Eagle and let's here what your friend has to say."
John open it and knew immediately that it wasn't Howl who wrote him. The writing was elegant flowing cursive handwriting. Terror well up in his mind and he knew that this was the letter telling him that Howl was...Howl was...
"Read, Eagle, and breath as well," Blade said. He had notice that John seem to think the worst was going to happen.
'Yeah,' John thought to himself. 'Read...it might be from Lady Sno...Sei, it's Sei.' He groan, realizing that Howl had even got him calling her Snow. He took a calming breath. "Dear John. Sorry for writing you so much, hope it ain't annoying you none. It helps out here on the front to get word in from home, makes it feel less lonesome. Hope you ain't lonely too." He closed his eyes, thanking Thaliak for watching over his friend, his own loneliness flashing in his heart. He so wanted them back here, now.
Blade shook his head, watching the emotions flash across the miqo'te's face. Too have so many people around him and not being able to connect. No wonder the young eagle hadn't found his will to fly. "John," he said.
"Oh, sorry." He glance at the letter, finding the spot he left off at. "I figured you'd want to hear all about the big battle... We took the Fifth's positions back, which is the good news, but at a pretty damn high cost in lives, which is the bad." He smile a little, "They did it but the cost..."
"It is a cost that any warrior knows they may have to pay in time."
John could only let the grief wash over him, realizing the pain that Howl and must be feeling over lost comrades. He turn his attention back to Howl's letter. "I kinda got in bad news from Warren right before the battle - he wrote Snow and told her that he was disappointed in me not telling him about my promotion. Sometimes I feel like I can't do right by him, you know?" Warren and Howl fighting...no, he had to fix it. He didn't know how but there had to be something he could do to make it better.
"So I guess I threw myself into the battle harder than I should've, ended up taking a claw to the stomach at some point. I'm having Snow write this out for me 'cause she won't let me sit up to do it myself." The letter drop from his hand, the words burning into his mind, 'claw to the stomach'.
Blade saw the shift in movement, knowing that John try and fly to the other. He was quicker, taking one of his dagger and pining the other's jacket to the floor of the wagon. "You are not going anywhere, Eagle." He handed the letter back. "I'll only let you go if he actually ask for your help."
John try to glare but if felt more like a pout. He took the paper, scanning over it before relief flood. "He's ok. A healer already seen to him." Even if he wasn't the one that took care of him, he was glad that Howl was alright. "He said that he got hurt because he let his emotion get in the way of thinking."
"And that is why you will remain here," Blade said, pointing to the dagger that pin his coat to the floor. "You rush into battle and you only put yourself into danger."
Bandit look back from where he was driving the wagon. "Anything else that he said about the battle?"
"It was a victory and they're able to get supplies into the city. Still can't use the airships though."
"With Dragon's in the sky," Slayer said, "airships are grounded." His chocobo kept pace with the wagon. "The main knights will be protecting the wards on the bridge. If those go then..." He spread his hands out, letting everyone mind play out to the wholesale slaughter that would take place.
"He berated me for just thinking of myself as just a healer," John said, his cheeks reddening. He pull his hat down to hide the blush as some of the others chuckle.
"Just a healer my right eye," Axe said from the head of the group. "I rather have just a healer if it means I'm going see the end of a battle."
Nightingale laugh, "Need to get you to do that more often, Kid." The Seeker lean in close too John. "My sisters and I have never done it with a Keeper before. What to be our Nunh for tonight?"
John frown, looking up at her, realize at that moment her scent was heady in his nose. His face turn even redder as the female lean in closer. "I...I should...I mean write Howl...."
Nightingale sat back up, throwing her head back into laughter. "Gods, the look on your face. Whoever beds you is going to have a good laugh?"
"Ok, Kids. That's enough picking on the new guy," Sam said. He rod up beside the wagon, place a hand on the miqo'te shoulder. He could feel the muscle tense under his fingers. The ears laid low on his head and the tail wrap around his feet. "She was just teasing, John."
'If not for my curse,' he thought, eyes scanning over the letter, 'I wouldn't mind someone getting a laugh.' He search through his bag. "Howl, wants me to keep writing to him." He pulled out paper and quill and ink.
"Then why don't you do so, Eagle, and I'll finish up the story."
John frown. "Why do you call me Eagle?"
"Because you wish to protect and the eagle has always been a guardian of my family," Blade said. "You write and I'll tell you the story about how the eagle came to guard our family."
As he wrote, he listen to the tell of a young boy, just having learn his first weapon, setting out to try and find the siblings taken from him. The eagle that he found, injury by the same bandits that had raided his village and taken his siblings. As the story drone on, the hand slow more, and his head drop closer to his chest.
"'And why do you not fly at your enemy?' the Eagle asked. The boy reply, 'I am just a boy and do not have graceful wings, like your.' The eagle snorted at the boy's statement, 'I see your spirit and it is like mine.' He lower himself to allow the boy to climb on. 'I shall be your wings then, young eagle until you remember how to...'" A soft thud sounded and Blade look over to find John had fallen asleep again. "If seems I'll have to finish the story for another time." He frown at the shadows that stole across the miqo'te's face. "What burden weights you so, Eagle, that you have given up the will to fly?"
Something heavy press down on him, grounding him into the inky darkness around him. He try to speak, try to call out but nothing came from him. 'Kit' he call in his head and hear her respond. He turn his head a little, and saw 'her'. She was tiny and look hyur...except for the wings on her back. Said wings were trap in that darkness as well, one small hand reaching out for something.
He turn his head, eyes widening as he realize what he was seeing. A huge dragon standing in the distance and facing the monster was Warren and two dragons? 'No, no, get away,' he call out, fighting the hold but it only seem to tighten on him. 'Nnnnoooo!!!!"
"Nnnnoooo!!!!" John scream, jerking away as hands caught him. It took him a moment to realize where he was at. Blade was looking at him in concern, the rest of the unit also gather around the wagon. "I'm ok...I'm ok," he said, trying to shake off the nightmare.
"Sure didn't sound ok, Kid."
"Nightmare...that all." He wave them off. "Probably too much talk about dragons." He needed to finish up the letter before they left Black Brush station and make for home.
Blade...Shun wave it off, giving him a smile. "No need. You had night patrol and then help us pack before leaving. The story can wait."
Before John could ask him to continue the story, a letter drop into his lap. He glance up in time to see the postmoogle flying off in another direction. He pick the letter up, holding it for a few moments. "Howl..."
"Open it, Eagle and let's here what your friend has to say."
John open it and knew immediately that it wasn't Howl who wrote him. The writing was elegant flowing cursive handwriting. Terror well up in his mind and he knew that this was the letter telling him that Howl was...Howl was...
"Read, Eagle, and breath as well," Blade said. He had notice that John seem to think the worst was going to happen.
'Yeah,' John thought to himself. 'Read...it might be from Lady Sno...Sei, it's Sei.' He groan, realizing that Howl had even got him calling her Snow. He took a calming breath. "Dear John. Sorry for writing you so much, hope it ain't annoying you none. It helps out here on the front to get word in from home, makes it feel less lonesome. Hope you ain't lonely too." He closed his eyes, thanking Thaliak for watching over his friend, his own loneliness flashing in his heart. He so wanted them back here, now.
Blade shook his head, watching the emotions flash across the miqo'te's face. Too have so many people around him and not being able to connect. No wonder the young eagle hadn't found his will to fly. "John," he said.
"Oh, sorry." He glance at the letter, finding the spot he left off at. "I figured you'd want to hear all about the big battle... We took the Fifth's positions back, which is the good news, but at a pretty damn high cost in lives, which is the bad." He smile a little, "They did it but the cost..."
"It is a cost that any warrior knows they may have to pay in time."
John could only let the grief wash over him, realizing the pain that Howl and must be feeling over lost comrades. He turn his attention back to Howl's letter. "I kinda got in bad news from Warren right before the battle - he wrote Snow and told her that he was disappointed in me not telling him about my promotion. Sometimes I feel like I can't do right by him, you know?" Warren and Howl fighting...no, he had to fix it. He didn't know how but there had to be something he could do to make it better.
"So I guess I threw myself into the battle harder than I should've, ended up taking a claw to the stomach at some point. I'm having Snow write this out for me 'cause she won't let me sit up to do it myself." The letter drop from his hand, the words burning into his mind, 'claw to the stomach'.
Blade saw the shift in movement, knowing that John try and fly to the other. He was quicker, taking one of his dagger and pining the other's jacket to the floor of the wagon. "You are not going anywhere, Eagle." He handed the letter back. "I'll only let you go if he actually ask for your help."
John try to glare but if felt more like a pout. He took the paper, scanning over it before relief flood. "He's ok. A healer already seen to him." Even if he wasn't the one that took care of him, he was glad that Howl was alright. "He said that he got hurt because he let his emotion get in the way of thinking."
"And that is why you will remain here," Blade said, pointing to the dagger that pin his coat to the floor. "You rush into battle and you only put yourself into danger."
Bandit look back from where he was driving the wagon. "Anything else that he said about the battle?"
"It was a victory and they're able to get supplies into the city. Still can't use the airships though."
"With Dragon's in the sky," Slayer said, "airships are grounded." His chocobo kept pace with the wagon. "The main knights will be protecting the wards on the bridge. If those go then..." He spread his hands out, letting everyone mind play out to the wholesale slaughter that would take place.
"He berated me for just thinking of myself as just a healer," John said, his cheeks reddening. He pull his hat down to hide the blush as some of the others chuckle.
"Just a healer my right eye," Axe said from the head of the group. "I rather have just a healer if it means I'm going see the end of a battle."
Nightingale laugh, "Need to get you to do that more often, Kid." The Seeker lean in close too John. "My sisters and I have never done it with a Keeper before. What to be our Nunh for tonight?"
John frown, looking up at her, realize at that moment her scent was heady in his nose. His face turn even redder as the female lean in closer. "I...I should...I mean write Howl...."
Nightingale sat back up, throwing her head back into laughter. "Gods, the look on your face. Whoever beds you is going to have a good laugh?"
"Ok, Kids. That's enough picking on the new guy," Sam said. He rod up beside the wagon, place a hand on the miqo'te shoulder. He could feel the muscle tense under his fingers. The ears laid low on his head and the tail wrap around his feet. "She was just teasing, John."
'If not for my curse,' he thought, eyes scanning over the letter, 'I wouldn't mind someone getting a laugh.' He search through his bag. "Howl, wants me to keep writing to him." He pulled out paper and quill and ink.
"Then why don't you do so, Eagle, and I'll finish up the story."
John frown. "Why do you call me Eagle?"
"Because you wish to protect and the eagle has always been a guardian of my family," Blade said. "You write and I'll tell you the story about how the eagle came to guard our family."
As he wrote, he listen to the tell of a young boy, just having learn his first weapon, setting out to try and find the siblings taken from him. The eagle that he found, injury by the same bandits that had raided his village and taken his siblings. As the story drone on, the hand slow more, and his head drop closer to his chest.
"'And why do you not fly at your enemy?' the Eagle asked. The boy reply, 'I am just a boy and do not have graceful wings, like your.' The eagle snorted at the boy's statement, 'I see your spirit and it is like mine.' He lower himself to allow the boy to climb on. 'I shall be your wings then, young eagle until you remember how to...'" A soft thud sounded and Blade look over to find John had fallen asleep again. "If seems I'll have to finish the story for another time." He frown at the shadows that stole across the miqo'te's face. "What burden weights you so, Eagle, that you have given up the will to fly?"
Something heavy press down on him, grounding him into the inky darkness around him. He try to speak, try to call out but nothing came from him. 'Kit' he call in his head and hear her respond. He turn his head a little, and saw 'her'. She was tiny and look hyur...except for the wings on her back. Said wings were trap in that darkness as well, one small hand reaching out for something.
He turn his head, eyes widening as he realize what he was seeing. A huge dragon standing in the distance and facing the monster was Warren and two dragons? 'No, no, get away,' he call out, fighting the hold but it only seem to tighten on him. 'Nnnnoooo!!!!"
"Nnnnoooo!!!!" John scream, jerking away as hands caught him. It took him a moment to realize where he was at. Blade was looking at him in concern, the rest of the unit also gather around the wagon. "I'm ok...I'm ok," he said, trying to shake off the nightmare.
"Sure didn't sound ok, Kid."
"Nightmare...that all." He wave them off. "Probably too much talk about dragons." He needed to finish up the letter before they left Black Brush station and make for home.
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