Tanden never wanted to move again. He was warm, there were arms around him, he was comfortable. The man beside him—Soren, his sluggish thoughts reminded him—was breathing slowly, his chest rising and falling gently. Tanden could have stayed there forever.

Then he shifted, and pain shot through his left arm.

His eyes shot open and he sat up, stifling a moan. Or a whimper. He wasn't exactly sure what noise his body wanted to make, but he stopped it. He held his breath as if that would help, and once the pain subsided, he inhaled deeply. Exhaled, inhaled, exhaled again.

He looked around the room as he tried to mentally force his arm to stop hurting. It was bound in a sling that seemed to wrap around his back, holding his arm snugly in place. Soren was asleep peacefully beside him. They were in a small room, dark except for a flickering fire and faint daylight. Their amazingly comfortable bed was really a thin mattress and pile of blankets on the floor. Around the room, there were five other piles of blankets.

The day before came back to him in flashes. Walking through the caves. Rald Caro. The boy's family, reluctantly laying a mattress by the fire for them. Some sort of warm tea.

Tanden eyed the nearest window and tried to determine if the faint light was sunrise or sunset. Had they slept through a whole day? And then a whole night? He lay his hand on Soren's shoulder and shook him, hoping Soren wouldn't be as disoriented as he felt.

"He won't wake up."

Tanden flinched, momentarily confused until he realized that the voice was speaking in Teltish, and that it was Jale. "What? Why?"

She crouched beside him and held out a mug. Tanden watched the steam curl in the air, and then it occurred to him that she wanted him to take it. He remembered the tea from the day before. The night before? He shook his head.

"I don't want it." He sounded whinier than he meant to. "That's why I can't think. Something in the tea."

"Yes, but you're feeling your arm because your last dose wore off," Jale said.

Tanden blinked. Jale's features were getting clearer as the room brightened. So it was sunrise. "What?"

"Oh." Jale exhaled as slowly as he had earlier. It was almost a sigh. "The tea put you to sleep," she explained. "It also warmed you up and helped block the pain in your arm. Soren isn't going to wake up because his dose wore off a little earlier than yours did and he's already had more."

"But I can't think."

"You'll be asleep, you don't need to think. You need to rest." Jale picked up his hand and placed the mug in it. "I'm glad you woke up. I need to ride to Morie Caro. Hopefully I'll be back before you wake up again."

Tanden reluctantly sipped the tea. He didn't want to, but he trusted Jale. "Why are you leaving?"

"You probably don't remember, but you offered this family a lot of weis. When Soren was awake, he told me where your money is stored in the Wayfarer. So I need to go get it."

Part of that sounded familiar, if Tanden really tried to remember it. Stumbling out of the mines hungry, dehydrated and cold. The exhaustion making it hard to think. Worrying about Soren, just wanting to get him dry and warm. His arm throbbing in time with his heartbeat. He remembered Jale trying to ask people in the town to take them in. He remembered turning to the boy and offering an obscene amount of money. Easily five times what they would actually be charged in an inn.

He swallowed more of the tea. It didn't taste good, but he could feel the warmth of it sinking into his stomach. It was already putting him to sleep. He forced his eyes open and tried to focus, just a little longer. "When you come back, we'll all ride to Morie Caro?"

"We'll go tomorrow," Jale said.

"And what about my arm?" The tea was doing its job. He couldn't feel his arm at all.

"Your elbow was... out of place."

"Dislocated," he said, supplying her with the Teltish word that he assumed was correct.

"The healer put it back while you were asleep. She said you shouldn't move it for weeks." Jale slipped the mug out of Tanden's hand, just as he lost the strength to hold up his arm any longer.

She put it aside and helped him lie down. "If you wake up before I come back, just keep resting."

Tanden pressed himself against Soren. He was so warm. "I'm hungry."

"Well, you can ask the family for some food, then. You've definitely paid for it." Jale stroked his hair. "Go to sl—"

The next time Tanden opened his eyes, he thought for a moment that he was dreaming. Soren was sitting up, making weird noises. A little boy was sitting cross legged nearby, staring at him and giggling.

Tanden tried to push himself up with his left arm, but it was stuck. Stuck to his chest. He used his right arm instead. Once again, things were coming back to him slowly. The cave. Rald Caro. Jale and the tea.

"Jale drugged us," he muttered.

Soren glanced over his shoulder. In his bandaged hands, he was holding a small wooden figure that looked like an animal. Suddenly the weird noises he had been making made sense. "I don't speak Deoran, Captain."

Tanden blinked. "I wasn't—" He paused and forced his mind to switch into Teltish. "That was Navirian, actually."

Soren smiled. "Ah. Forgive me for not being able to tell the difference. How are you feeling?"

"Jale drugged us."

"Aye, but it's a good thing. You were asleep when they reset your elbow. How does it feel?"

"How does it... Soren! We both nearly died and then we were drugged, and you're... what? Taking care of children? Is Jale back? I'm starving."

"All right, relax," Soren said. "Jale isn't back, but my friend here," he paused to gesture at the little boy, and pick up a wooden bowl, "brought us this. I ate already, the rest is yours."

Tanden sat still so Soren could place the bowl on his lap. Tanden didn't recognize the nuts, but he more than happily started eating them. "So," he said after swallowing a few handfuls. "What's your friend's name?"

Soren shrugged. "I have no idea."

Tanden switched to Tallenese. "What's your name?"

The boy's face lit up with delight. "Ruro. What's your name?"

"Tanden, and this is Soren. I'm very happy to meet you, Ruro. Your big brother saved us, didn't he?"

Ruro's hair flopped over his eyes as he nodded. "Lar is very brave!"

Tanden smiled. "Yes, I agree. He's very brave. Do you think the woman who was with us will be back soon?"

Without answering, the boy sprung to his feet and dashed off.

Soren was still fiddling with the wooden animal, passing it back and forth. "What did you say?"

"I asked about Jale," Tanden said. "It's Ruro, by the way. His name." He ate the last few nuts and put the bowl aside. The tea was wearing off, he remembered more and more of their walk through the mines. He remembered how cold and wet he had been, and how worried he had been for Soren. Then suddenly, he remembered something else he had said and he cleared his throat.

"Do you remember what I said before we went into the water?"

The wooden animal—Tanden thought it might be a bear—stilled in Soren's hands. He nodded but didn't say anything.

"Well... I just want you to know that it wasn't exhaustion or delirium talking. I meant it. When I was sitting in that cave I realized how much I needed you there. How much I just... need you, nearby." Tanden reached over to lay his right hand on Soren's right forearm. "What happened to your hands?"

"I tore them open trying to dig through the avalanche." Soren looked at Tanden's hand, put down the animal, and placed his left hand on top of Tanden's. "I don't know what I would've done if I had found you, crushed. Why did you make me get out first?"

"It was just the way we were standing. It made the most sense," Tanden said quietly. "I don't want to dwell on the decision. I don't want either of us to. What matters is that I made it out of the way, and you came to find me. We're sitting here together. A little damaged, maybe, but alive and together. That's the most important thing in the world to me. I've known it for long enough, but being faced with that cave. Just... being alone in the dark. I realized that I never want to be alone again."

Soren smiled. "Do you think I'm ever letting you out of my sight after this? I might never let you leave the Wanderlust."

"Hold on. That would be torture."

Soren shrugged. "You won't be alone."

"Well, I suppose if you want to ruin my romantic declaration with a threat, I—"

Soren cut him off with a kiss. Tanden couldn't move his left arm, but he snaked his right around Soren's shoulders. After a moment, Soren shifted, throwing a leg over Tanden's lap and gently pushing Tanden to lie back down.

Tanden broke off just long enough to say, "Careful with the arm, mate."

Soren didn't verbally indicate that he had heard, but when he leaned down over Tanden, he did seem to be aware of the bandaged arm trapped between their bodies. Soren kissed him again and Tanden slipped his hand into Soren's hair. Holding him as closely as possible.

In the moment, his injured arm was more frustrating than it was painful.

It reminded him a little of the day they had once spent on the Wanderlust, when Soren had asserted dominance and attached Tanden's wrist to the headboard. But having one arm out of commission was the only similarity. On the Wanderlust Soren had been tentatively playing with their dynamic, testing what he was capable of and what Tanden would allow. Now, Soren knew exactly what he was doing. His confidence was intoxicating.

Soren's attention shifted and he started to kiss Tanden's neck. He was resting almost all of his weight on his left arm, so that he wasn't lying across Tanden's arm. His right hand trailed down, across Tanden's chest and stomach to temporarily settle on the bare skin between his tunic and pants. Then Soren's bandaged, wounded hand slipped under Tanden's tunic.

Tanden desperately wanted to free his left arm so he could guide Soren's hand lower. He wanted to feel Soren's skin on his own, without the cloth that was protecting Soren's sliced palms, without the clothes that Tanden suddenly realized he didn't recognize.

Tanden's right arm was still tangled in Soren's hair, and he gave it a light tug. "Sor—Soren, mate, wait. I need... I need..."

Soren laughed against Tanden's neck, before lifting his head. "You hate not bein' able to use your arm, aye? Reckon I kinda like it."

Tanden groaned. "Don't do that. Don't put on the accent when I can't do anything about it."

Soren grinned. "That's what I like, Cap'n. You, just lyin' here helpless. So I can do whatever I want, I reckon. And you're enjoyin' it too much to really stop me." He kissed Tanden's lips, lingering for a moment before pushing himself upright. "I know what you want."

In an attempt to follow him, Tanden propped himself up with his right arm. "If you know what I want, mate, then do it." He tried to sound firm, tried to salvage some sort of control over the situation. He was used to letting Soren take control, he wasn't used to Soren taking it. And taking it so damn effectively.

Soren kissed him again. "I'll get to it. Lie down."

Tanden did, trying to convince himself that it was because his arm was tired, and not because Soren had told him to. Then Soren slipped both of his hands under Tanden's tunic, and Tanden forgot to be annoyed. The way Tanden's arm was bound across his chest meant that Soren couldn't take his tunic off, and Soren quickly moved on to fumble with the lacing on Tanden's pants.

Soren was taking an excruciatingly long time. "Soren, hurry up," Tanden said. He was pleading, but he wanted it too badly to care.

"My hands don't exactly work," Soren pointed out with a laugh.

"What?" That cut through the fog of need and Tanden tried to sit up again. "Are you hurting yourself?"

"Lie down," Soren said, without answering the question. He waited until Tanden was lying down again before continuing to work on the laces. "I like it when you're like this."

Tanden slid his right hand down to clasp Soren's wrist. Not to stop him from moving, but just to feel his skin. "You like making me fall apart?"

"I like that I'm the only one who can." With a triumphant smile he finished with the lacing and—

An excited, high pitched voice burst into the room. "I found her, I—"

Tanden sat up in alarm, and Soren froze. The way he was straddling Tanden's thighs was the only thing blocking Tanden from Ruro's gaze.

"Oh," Ruro continued, "are you fixing his arm? My father said that the healer already—"

Before Tanden could fumble through some sort of explanation, Jale spoke in Tallenese.

"Ruro, your guests need a moment. Let's go find your father."

They scrambled to get dressed in their own clothes, which were drying by the fire. Soon, they joined Jale and Ruro's parents outside. Their conversation trailed off as Tanden and Soren joined them. Jale crossed her arms and eyed them.

"Sorry," Tanden said in Teltish, flashing her a sheepish smile before switching to Tallenese. "Thank you for your hospitality. I would have died in those caves without Lar, and we both needed a warm place to rest. I understand Jale retrieved our money so we could pay you?"

The man nodded. "She did."

"We packed some food for your trip," his wife added.

"Excellent. Again, thank you. And, oh..." Tanden paused as two boys ran up to join them.

"I found Lar!" Ruro declared cheerfully.

There was a mischievous glint in Lar's eyes as he smiled. "I'm glad your eeto found you."

"Oh." Tanden glanced at Soren. "Yes, I'm glad he found me, as well. But without you it wouldn't have happened, so thank you."

"Ruro says you were sitting very clo—"

"Lar," his father snapped.

Jale poorly disguised a laugh with a cough, and said, "We need to go if we're going to reach Morie Caro before nightfall. Runer, you have wonderful boys and a very generous family. I will ask Tigo to smile on your household. Now, it's time I get my boys back to our caravan." Switching to Teltish, she said, "Come on, the horses are just down the road. We'll take it slow."

Jale had barely taken two steps when Ruro said, "Wait!", and dashed into the house. A moment later he returned, carrying the wooden bear. With a very determined look that was slightly undercut by his floppy hair, he marched up to Soren and held up the bear. "He will protect you."

Soren accepted the bear, and looked at Tanden.

"Thank you, Ruro," Tanden said. "Soren will take very good care of your bear. I'll feel very safe with him guarding our caravan."

Ruro smiled, then ran to hide behind his mother as if suddenly hit with a bout of shyness.

Tanden smiled and waved at the family one last time. Soren tucked the bear into his pocket, and they followed Jale towards the horses.