I ran over to Theo and knelt beside his body, tears clouding my vision. My hands and breath were shaking as I gingerly turned over his body. I heard his soft breathing and had relaxed a little. I then examined the body. There was a small scrape on the top of his forehead, and his face was smudged with dirt. I looked down at the wound on stomach, that was drenching his shirt with blood. The tears that were weld up my eyes began to fall. My insides ached at the sight of his pain. I need something to stop the bleeding. Unlatching Theo's satchel, I pulled out the cloak the inn keeper in Mendrick had given us. I ripped off a large piece of it, wrapped it around his waist.

The rain began to increase, and the world was dimming with the setting sun. We needed somewhere to spend the night. The inn we had visited that afternoon came to mind. We weren't far from the city.

As the rain strengthened he began to come through.

"What's going on?" He groaned drowsilly. His eyes opened, squinting up at me.

"Are you okay!?" I anxiously asked, wondering the seriousness of his condition.

"Well, besides everything hurting, I feel fine. Now, what happened?"

"You got hurt." I said frankly, gathering up everything, then draping his arm over my shoulders. "Now stand up, we need to get back to the city." He gently stood up with me. As we started walking, he began limping, and unbalanced.

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"Think it's just a sprained ankle." He hissed in pain as we walked. "Now, how did I get hurt?"

"We were attacked by grievers." I frowned. "Wait, what's the last thing you remember?"

"In the castle."

I stopped walking. My thoughts instantly went to the kiss. Then a question popped into my mind.

"What's the last thing you remember is doing?"

"Just exploring. Why, did something happen there?"

I blushed at his question. "Oh no, nothing of importance." I lied nervously. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why so nervous? You probably embarrassed yourself, and are just glad I conveniently lost my memory." He laughed then quickly regretted it.

It was my turn to laugh. "I'm not the one who embarrassed themselves." I silently cursed my self for igniting his curiosity.

"Wait, what do mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

"What happened in the castle?"

"Nothing."

"Skyler."

"It appears the universe wants you to forget."

"Really?"

I smiled. Then I frowned. I probably should tell him, but how to tell him? I'll just leave that as a problem for future me. It's been a long day, and is gonna get even longer.

We entered into the city, and I made sure our cloaks were covering anything that would attract attention. We made our way back to the Kings Crown Inn. We entered and the blazing fire felt good against my soaked clothes. Theo squinted at the light of the common room. I set Theo down in the first empty chair there was. He sagged down into it with a groan. He untied a small pouch from his belt.

"Here take this." He held out the pouch, and a blank look took his face.

"What is it?"

He sat there staring off at nothing, unresponsive.

"Okay then." I sighed taking the small bag. I felt coins rattle inside it.

Theo blinked at me as I opened the pouch. "What?" He asked confused.

"Oh, just your concussion." I said leaving him, and walking over to the blind inn keeper. "Excuse me," I captured the inn keepers attention. "I'd like to get a room."

"What kind of room you looking for?"

"Just somewhere warm."

The man clicked his tongue, then said, "Okay, that will be two silver." I dug in the pouch for the money as he called out for someone. "Aliya!" A young woman with short brown hair came to my side as I handed the man my money. He fingered the two coins then smiled. "Could you escort this young lady to one of the bottom left rooms?"

"Come this way Ma'am."

"One moment ." I went back to Theo and helped him up, and made my way back to Aliya with Theo stumbling on every step.

Aliya eyed Theo. "Is he okay?"

"Yaeh, he just...um...had to much to drink."

Theo looked down at me. He stared at me for a moment, then said, "What?" I ignored Theo for a moment, and led him on after Aliya.

We entered a room with one bed, a wash stand, a few chairs, and a small fire.

"Is that all Ma'am."

"Yes, thank you."

I laid Theo carefully on the bed, and poured some water into the bowl on the wash stand, then plopped a small rag into the water.

"So, could you fill in for me exactly what happened with the grievers?" He was in undoing the clasp on his cloak. He then slowly took off his swords, dagger and, belt.

"There were three of them." I began saying while taking the bowl of water over to the bed. Unlatching my own cloak, I continued. "One of them was about twelve feet tall, was loaded with armor, and had a giant hammer. The other two were more cunning than usual, they had quick reflexes as well. They each had two long swords." I took both of our cloaks and draped them by the fire.

"How did I come out of the fight completely beat up, and you untouched?"

I thought back to the fight. Really the only reason he got hurt was because he was saving me.

"Well...it was because you were...saving me that you got hurt." I looked down and preoccupied myself with undoing the quick bandaging I had done around his waist.

"What did you say?"

"You just want me to say it agian."

"No, I honestly don't know what you said."

I pursed my lips together then repeated, "The only reason you got hurt was because you were saving me."

"Oh, now that makes sense."

I then continued taking off his bandage on a rough fashion.

"Gentle." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did that hurt?" I responded emotionless. He narrowed his eyes at me annoyed.

I looked down at his stomach, examining his torn blood covered shirt. Theo carefully lifted the shirt over his head. My breath hitched in my throat as he did so. His skin was smooth, and his chest looked chiseled perfectly. The only problems there were the wound, and the bruising beginning on his side where he was hit by the hammer. I let out my breath slowly as I wringed out the cloth.I began to mop up the blood on his abs, trying to focus on the task at hand, and not his flawless body.

I finished cleaning up the blood, and opened the satchel, pulling out a small bottle of alcohol.

"Brace yourself." I warned right before poring some of the liquid on his wound. He dug his fingers into the mattress, and tightened his face while releasing a pain filled grunt, as the liquid seared his flesh.

Now on to the part that I'd been dreading. Closing the wound. Out of the satchel, I took a needle and thread. With the needle fully prepared, I stared down at the injury, unmoving.

"Umm...Skyler? Why aren't you starting."

"I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for this moment." I took in a deep breath, then put needle to skin and pushed it through. Theo winced while I gagged, and it kept to that pattern till I tied the thread off.

Theo moved a thumb gently over my stitching. "Nice handy work. It's a good thing I don't scare." He winced as he touched harder then he ment.

"Okay," I whisper. "I need you to sit up now so I can bandage it." He nods as I slowly help him into a sitting position and a pained expression falls over his face. Once he's positioned comfortably, I found some bandages from out of the satchel. Holding the end on his stomach I begin wrapping it up with him carefully leaning forward so I can get around.

"How long do you think we're going to be here?" I questioned as I tied off the bandages.

He looked down at his ankle. "Three days or so," he replied wearily and rubbed his temples. I gently layed him back down.

I moved down to his swelling ankle, and took off his boots. Now something to bring down the swelling. I clicked my tongue.

"Do you think they have got any ice?"

"Doubt it," he huffed.

"Then we are going to have to improvise," I whispered under my breath. Grabbing the soggy cloaks, I tied one around his right foot and used the other in an attempt to elevate it. For the next few minutes we sat in silence as I cleaned up his head injury.

"I'm going to go get some food. I'll be back in a few minutes." His eyes were closed and he didn't respond. I grabbed the money pouch and went to the inns common room. There I was able to access two bowls of soup. I looked at them with relief, my hunger had been gnawing at me all day. But then I smelt something heavenly, wafting from the kitchen. I later went up with the two bowls of soup and a belly full of chicken. Entering the room, Theo blinked an eye open at me.

"I brought you some soup."

"I'm not hungry," he rasped closing his eye.

"I don't care, you're eating it. You need it." I handed him the bowl. He gives me an irritated glare before grudgingly accepting. I sighed back into one of the chairs in the corner, and drained the soup. I looked back at Theo and found him examining me.

"What?"

He emptied the last bit of soup from his bowl, and began to sit up.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You can take the bed for the night"

I laughed, "Did you really hit your head that hard or are you just an idiot."

"No, I'm serious. We have been traveling for days and you haven't slept in a decent bed since we left Almera. You're exhausted, and you deserve this," he said while slowly getting more out of bed.

"No, Theo," I say sternly, stopping his progress. "You've traveled as much as I have with the same circumstances, except now you're injured. You need the bed."

"You saved my life today, at least let me repay you with this."

"You've saved me twice— no three times today. You've repaid me enough."

"I have no memory of this," he replied defiantly.

I gave him an irritated glare.

"Skyler, you're sleeping on the bed." He continued moving off the bed.

"Stop it. You're sleeping on the bed." He attempts to to stand up, but every movement pains him so he falls back down. I walk to him and gently push him back on the bed and get his legs repositioned. " Listen, Theo, I'll be fine. You rest."

"No."

I growled in frustration. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Just sleep on the damn—"

"No!"

We stared at each other in silence, till I couldn't take it.

"Fine." We both said at the same time. The realization of what we had both just agreed to hit me, and a trickle of heat sparked in my cheeks.

"Interesting compromise." Theo broke the second moment of silence. He shifted to the right of him and looked at my expectantly.

"You can't be serious," I exclaimed.

"Well, it's either this or I sleep on the floor, your choice."

I growled in frustration, then gave in. "Fine," I said being too tired to care anymore. After helping Theo get under the bedding I kicking off my boots and I climbed into the bed as close to the edge as possible, but I had to admit it felt good to have a bed again.

I sighed staring into the dancing flames of the fireplace, and pulled the blanket over me and began to let my tiredness take me. Taking a moment to slow myself to forget the troubles of the day, and Theo.

The mesmerizing flames finally hypnotize me to sleep.

I woke up in a dream. I was sitting on a bed in a small room dimly lit by a small fire. It looked much like a room you would get in an inn.

A man was standing in front of me, some one I'd no memory of seeing before. He was average height, with a strong body. His features were sharp, and his eyes gray. There were white flakes in his head of hair that was made of soft black curls.

I tried asking, "Who are you?" but nothing came out. I tried to frown on confusion, but my face stayed stone.

I quickly turned my gaze to the floor, with no command from myself.

"Come on Ari, you can't still be mad at me." The man said. Who's Ari?

"And why not?" I found myself replying in a voice that wasn't mine.

"Because there's nothing to be mad about."

Ari scoffed. "Are you that ignorant." She tilted her head back at him with crossed arms.

"If I'm so ignorant, than please enlighten me. What is the problem?"

"It's your carelessness."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Your carelessness in danger, in battle."

"If I were careless, I'd be dead."

"That's my point!" She stood me up. "You go around risking your life like your invincible."

"No I don't—"

"Then how do you explain today?"

"I knew exactly what I was doing today."

"You call almost getting killed knowing what you're doing?!"

His face softened.

"I'm sick of seeing you almost die." Her voice dropped at the end. We looked down, a bit of cherry heat blossoming in our cheeks. He gently tilted our chin up to meet his soft eyes.

"I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"You don't know what's in the future."

"Don't worry about the future. Enjoy right now, it's called the present for a reason."

"But I'm just worried about something happening. You going off and making a dumb mista—"

He stopped Ari's words with a kiss of deep rhythm. I felt Ari kiss back, her lips moving to his beat. Our tense shoulders relaxed as we fell into him.

Ari pushed away, our legs backed up against the bed. "But what if—"

His soft kisses on our jaw silenced her words. He reached our ear.

"Stay in the present." He whispered, and then he was gone.

I woke up staring at the fading embers of the fire. I recalled the strange dream I'd just woke from. Great dream to match today.

I sleepily shifted my position, and dropped into a dreamless sleep.

A/N: Please remember to vote, and thanks for reading!