U.O.T.W. Chapter 29 Lover's Scent

• Posted by Sotek May 28, 2015 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,119 views

  

  

   

  Through the mist the grey cold rocky terrain of a mountain formed but unlike any of the ones from Skyrim that Farkas or Sotek could recognize. Even Vilkas who knew all the passes in Skyrim by heart couldn’t place it in Skyrim’s landscape. A cave could easily be seen near the base so with no other direction in mind, the three companions proceeded towards it. The cave was an ordinary looking hole in the rocks. One you culd easily expect to find bears or even wolves inside. Except there were no carcasses outside it. No bones or any remains whatsoever. There weren’t even the slightest sign of an animal’s tracks. The only thing which stood out was an old weathered board nailed into the rock. The wooden plank had a simple message painted on it. One which sent a shiver down the companions backs. Over the entrance was a wooden board which had a message splattered on it with wild uncaring strokes of the brush slapped across it.

   

  ‘Neither man or beast has ever left alive’

   

  Farkas glanced up at it and groaned as he turned toward s the other two Companions.

  “Oh great! Its painted with blood, nice touch”.

   

  After huffing at Farkas, Sotek spoke aloud as he was beyond caring as to who could hear him.

  “I hate Daedra”.

   

  Vilkas snapped at him for his lack of discretion.

  “Sotek… Shut the hell up we’re in enough crap as it is”.

   

  Sotek just let out a loud sigh then followed the other two inside.

   

  The tunnel opened up to a small cave. Over the far side were stone steps leading up to another tunnel heading deeper inside the underground structure. Scattered around at various positions on the floor were a multitude of stone pillars which supported the roof of the cavern. There at the top of the steps was a solitary figure sitting on the top step with an old wolf fur wrapped around her.

   

  The moment she heard footsteps behind her, she leapt to her feet to see Sotek and the other Companions heading towards her. Aela screeched out them the instant they stepped out from the shadows.

   

  “Sotek!” She promptly burst into tears and started running up to the three of them, crying as she ran. Distraught she called out to the other companions. “Farkas, Vilkas, you came. I hoped you would, I prayed you would”. Farkas stood there, watching her run up to them. She threw her arms around Farkas at the same time she clinged on to Vilkas with her other arm. “I couldn’t get out. I can’t get out. The tunnels, they all lead to here”. She burst into tears once more as the situation overwhelmed her.

   

  She reached out to Sotek with a trembling hand. “I knew you would find me, I knew”. She broke down into tears again. Sotek took a step towards her holding out his arms, she went to wrap her arms around him to hold him. Sotek gently ran his fingers through her hair,  holding her head to his chest.

   

  “We’re here, we’ll get out together”. Just at that precise moment he froze. His mind raced along like wild horses. There was something wrong, he knew it but didn’t know what. To him everything seemed a blur like he was trying to think while a thick dense fog cloaked his mind. Playing on his instinct he made a rapid decision. “We got to move, we got to move now”.

   

  Vilkas looked at him in alarm. He couldn’t mistake the tone of anxiety in Sotek’s voice. “What’s up?”

   

  Slowly a chill ran down Soteks back as something gripped his mind. A single thought of realism which screamed at his very soul. Sotek looked back at the tunnel where they just came out from as he tried to work out his next few moves. That in itself proved harder than he had initially thought due to his belief that the groups very lives were dependant on him getting it right first time. His instinct screamed at him, leaving him no other choice other than to obey.

   

  “Aela, Something’s coming… Stand behind us”. He quickly maneuvered her behind himself, and sent her towards the stairway. “Farkas, Vilkas… We’ve got to fight”.

   

  Farkas glanced at the tunnel where they just came from. His eyes tried to pierce the darkness but he could see nothing.

  “Fight what?”. He looked as hard as he could, but he just couldn’t see anything.

   

  Sotek suddenly turned around and faced Aela. She gave him a weary smile but a second later his dragon shout echoed across the cavern. “Fus Ro”. Aela was sent tumbling down the steps to the stone floor.

   

  She instantly recovered and drew her dagger and shield, before she ran up the stairway towards them screaming as she charged.

  “You stupid bastards!”

   

  Sotek drew his bow and fired at Aela’s chest. Before the other two could react he desperately shouted at them to force them to act.

   

  “Her! We’ve got to fight her… She’s not Aela”. His arrow flew at her hitting her in the stomach, but she ignored the blow and ran on. She thrust her dagger at Farkas’s side, who being totally confused, just managed to block it. Sotek fired again at point blank range. The arrow having only traveled just a few feet smashed its way through her armor, penetrating her ribs and tore into her heart. She collapsed near instantaneously.

   

  With the illusion spell now broken, instead of Aela lying in front of them, there by their feet lay a dead mage with Soteks arrow protruding from her chest.

   

  Vilkas stared at the corpse in disbelief while Farkas almost screamed in shock at Sotek.

  “How the hell did you know?”. Farkas demanded.

   

  Dismissing the entire episode, Sotek carried on towards the far cave.

  “Her scent was wrong”. He simply stated.

   

  Vilkas glanced at Sotek as he expressed some of the concerns he had.

  “Well it smelt right to me. Just go easy yea? no mistakes”. The three of them passed through the cave they were in and headed to a tunnel which laid beyond the initial chamber.

   

  Once again the tunnel opened into another cavern. In front of them this time was Aela, holding a dagger to another Aela’s throat. The second one was bound and gagged, sitting on her knees. Her eyes were full of fear. The moment she saw them enter the cavern she started to struggle with her bonds until a small blade rested against her throat. The first Aela screamed her demands at them.

  “Give up, lay down your weapons, or she dies”. Just for empathise she pushed the dagger hard against the bound Aela’s throat. Sotek growled softly as he saw a trickle of blood drip from the faint cut of her neck.

   

  Farkas’s reaction was immediate. He drew his sword as he took a bold pace forwards.

  “That’s her”.

  Vilkas however didn’t agree, he pulled Farkas’s arm back as his only means to restrain him.

   

  “Wait! Hircine said there will be doppelgangers”

   

  Instead of jumping to obvious conclusions, Sotek sniffed at the air like some strange humanoid animal.

  “They both smell of her”. Once again he felt a wave of anxiety as he struggled to reach any sort of adequate conclusion.

   

  All the three of them could do was to look on helplessly as none of them had the faintest idea of what was going one. Sotek stared at the two ‘Aela’s’ as his mind tried desperately to figure out who and indeed if any were the real Companion they were so desperate to find.

   

  His nose felt bunged up from all the different aromas so he snorted loudly a few times like a dog would to clear it’s nose of a multitude of smells before sniffing at the air once more. Then Sotek could smell what he was after, or rather he couldn’t smell what he was after.

  “That’s not her”. He drew his bow without giving the slightest explanation and fired an arrow straight at the Aela who was standing up. Without giving the slightest of pauses he then drew his axe and charged against the other Aela who was desperately trying to scream despite the gag in her mouth. Her eyes opened wide in terror as Sotek’s axe bore down at her skull cracking it open in a single devastating blow.  

   

  Before Farkas and Vilkas could even think about stopping him. Both corpses turned into dead mages lying on the blood soaked floor.

   

  Vilkas shouted angrily at Sotek due to his feelings becoming overwhelmed. He struggled with overwhelming emotions of desperation, fear and hopelessness.

   

  “Damn it Sotek! Go bloody careful”. He couldn’t help but be concerned for Aela. He honestly felt Sotek was just guessing as to whether the mages were actually Aela or not. His reasoning was simple. Sotek didn’t know her like they did. What he didn’t know was a far simpler truth. Neither he or Farkas knew Aela like Sotek did. The fact was simple in its execution, Sotek wasn’t guessing at all.

   

  Sotek knew far more than he had let on. However he also knew that they might not be alone so for Aela’s sake indeed for all of their sakes he had to keep it to himself. Being totally void of empathy, he just looked at Vilkas and shrugged at him almost like he was carefree.

  “Why go careful? She wasn’t there”.

   

  Farkas shouted at him angrily due to his frustration.

  “How? How do you know? How the hell did you know they weren’t her?”

   

  Sotek just shrugged at him.

  “Because the scents wrong. Sheogorath, he screwed up… He’s made a mistake”. After he smiled at them both, he headed along the next series of tunnels while the other two just stared at each other.

   

  The next tunnel came to another cavern, which stank of sulphur. The cavern walls glowed a strange orangey red due to a vast volcanic lake below them. A large rock bridge spanned across the cavern which led to yet another tunnel in the far wall. The thick volcanic air burned their lungs as they struggled to breath as the cavern was filled with hot vapor.  Below them there was a ledge carved out of the rock. Just a few feet from the ledge was an old rusty iron cage. They all looked on horrified as it slowly started to lower towards the lava. In the cage was a Nord girl with red hair. Aela.

   

  She shook the iron door franticly, screaming in fear desperately trying to open the door to get out. Her face was full of tears from the terror of her fate if she couldn’t get out of the cage to escape. She looked up and saw them there, then shrieked hysterically at them. Vilkas immediately ran to jump to the ledge, but Sotek was just a bit faster and grabbed him before he could jump.

   

  “Get the hell off… That’s her!” Vilkas yelled as he struggled with Sotek’s grip on his arm, desperately trying to release himself so he could help his comrade whom he saw as his little sister since the day she was born.  

   

  Sotek however threw him on the ground instead. He kept Vilkas pinned to the ground with his foot as he tried to explain what he could see. Vilkas stopped struggling long enough for Sotek to let him go. Sotek backed off from Vilkas then drew an arrow and fired it at the ledge, the arrow passed straight through the illusion just to land in the lava below. Moments later the arrow disappeared as it slowly sank and melted into the larva.

   

  He then coldheartedly pointed over to the cage.

  “It’s not her… It’s a trap”. He shook his head then started to walk on, ignoring the petrified screaming coming from the cage as he went.

   

  Staring in utter disbelief at Sotek’s attitude, Farkas yelled at him defiantly.

  “It’s her, damn you!”

   

  Sotek grabbed him by the collar. He hissed angrily at Farkas.

  “It’s not her scent, it’s wrong. Her scent is all we got to go on, so trust me. It’s not her”.

   

  Vilkas’s eyes were fixed on the cage which was now inches away from the lava. He desperately pleaded with Sotek. “We got to get her out, it’s her. We know it’s her, we can smell her”.

   

  Sotek screamed at them both.

  “It’s not! It’s her scent all right, her perfect bloody scent”. A second later he angrily fired an arrow hitting Aela in the side. Instantly a mage screamed out from the agony of the arrow protruding from her hip. Her face turned to pure terror, while her screams floods the cavern as the cage is slowly swallowed up from the lava.

   

  Over her screaming Sotek grabbed both Farkas and Vilkas by the arms. “You have to trust me. Don’t believe what you hear, what you see, especially what you smell. All you got to do if you want her alive is trust me”. Then he threw their arms away from his grip. He glanced down at the cage where the girl was still screaming as she tried to lift herself up out of the way of the lava. Sotek notched an arrow and fired at her, hitting her in the chest. She fell landing in the lava and instantly bursts into flames.

   

  Over the course of a few seconds she sank into the lava and disappeared. Her remains swallowed up by the ever hungry molten rock.

   

  Sotek stopped and took a deep breath. He glared hard at the other two then let out a loud sigh.

  “Look, I can’t explain it. I’m sorry but I can’t. I know Sheogorath has messed up. I really do know. I can fix this, but I need your help. I can’t do this and fight you both”.

   

  Farkas grabbed him by the shoulders.

  “Just tell me you know what you’re doing, tell me you will get her out”.

   

  Sotek leaned forwards and glared right in Farkas’s eyes.

  “Oh I swear to you both, I know exactly what I’m doing. I swear I will get her, we will get her. We’ll free her and bring her home”. Sotek stood there solemnly.

   

  Vilkas shook his head at him, he tried so see Sotek’s reasoning but he just didn’t understand.

  “I just wished you would tell us how you know they weren’t her”.

   

  Soteks shoulders sank. He knew how they felt, the desperation, the fear, and complete lack of control.

  “I can’t, I’m sorry. If I tell you then Sheogorath will know.  If he knows then he may change things. If that happens I lose her, we lose her. Just trust me please, for Aela’s sake”.

   

  Vilkas forced Sotek into the cave wall, pinning him there against the rock. His gauntlet tightened around Sotek’s red throat holding him in place as he made his violent threat.

  “If you’re wrong I’ll kill you”. As he threatened Sotek he pointed his fist right in Soteks face.

   

  Sotek’s eyes narrowed as he stared intently at them both. The next second he threw Vilkas back a foot, giving himself a bit of space between them all. Then he made Vilkas a Solemn promise. 

  “If I’m wrong you won’t have to. I’ll do it myself”.

   

  Vilkas froze, he was unable to shake the feeling that he actually believed Sotek. Something in the way Sotek had said it convinced him that if indeed Sotek screwed up and Aela died, then Sotek would see to it that she wouldn’t die alone. Both he and Farkas looked intently at each other, as a shudder shot down each other’s backs.

   

  Sotek however was having no such qualms. He boldly took the lead and headed on through the next tunnel. It opened into another chamber, this time however it was a large dome shaped one with the added feature of a large tunnel at the back of it in the middle of the far wall.

  In the cavern were three circular platforms. Each one stood about half a foot high, however standing on each of them was the biggest dilemma yet. On each platform was a perfect original Aela. They all held a dagger dripping with poison, and every one of them had in front of them, kneeling down, tied and gagged at their feet, another Aela.

   

  Farkas smelt the air in despair.

  “By the nines, they all got the same scent. Her scent, they all look the same”.

   

  The three of them stared across at the six Aela’s. Immediately Soteks heart sank while Vilkas struggled to comprehend what they were all seeing.

  “Even the ones holding the daggers looks the same. How the hell do we tell her from the others?”

   

  Sotek stepped forwards a few paces, each Aela that was standing lifted up her dagger threatening to cut the bound Aela’s throat. Sotek held up his hands and slowly backed away. He turned to face the others and pulled them close to him.

  “She’s here!”

  Farkas looked across at the three bound Aela’s each one seemed equally terrified, each exactly identical, each an original. He felt the cold fingers of despair grip his heart once more.

  “We can’t tell them apart, what the hell do we do? Her scent, it’s on all of them”.

   

  Sotek stepped forwards slowly, one pace at a time.

  “They all have it, they all have her scent, perfect in nearly every way”.

   

  Vilkas walked over to him feeling somewhat puzzled regarding Sotek’s latest remark.

  “Nearly? What the hell do you mean?... Nearly?”

   

  Sotek blanked him as he chanted a quiet prayer. Vilkas and Farkas could just make out the words as he whispered them.

  “Don’t fail me now Hircine you bastard and don’t fail her”.

   

  Just at that very moment he could smell the scent he was so desperately after. It was very faint, but it was there in the air. Unmistakable. He slowly turned to the other two and whispered.

  “Don’t look, they will kill her if they think we know… She’s there on the left. That’s her I swear it.”

   

  Sotek then rapidly organised the group for the upcoming fight. “Farkas you got the boon of speed, head to the centre. Kill them both as soon as all hell breaks loose. Vilkas you follow Farkas. Kill them, don’t either of you dare hesitate. kill them, there may be more in the tunnel. I’ll go left and protect Aela. As soon as it kicks off run, if we keep the middle we got them”.

   

  Farkas groaned as he held his head. It pounded due to the constant emotional strain. By now he was totally confused.

  “But they all got her scent”.

   

  Sotek knowingly smiled at him in agreement.

  “Yes they do”. He walked forwards a few paces then cast his spell. Initially nothing happened then suddenly on the left behind the standing Aela a spectral wolf appeared. It immediately attacked her back howling out as it did so.

   

  As one the three Companions ran towards their perspective targets. Sotek stopped after running half way and aimed his bow. He fired as soon as he took aim then started running again. The arrow slammed into the Aela’s arm spinning her around but she still managed to defeat the wolf. She then immediately turned to the Aela who had fallen to her sides as she struggled with her bonds.

   

  She stood over the bound Aela but instantly got thrown backwards as the bound Aela rolled on her back and kicked out with both her feet. The Aela who had the dagger dropped it as she fell backwards. Winded from the blow, she lost a vital few seconds before she could get to her feet. While she was still on the ground a second spectral wolf attacked her from behind. Moments later Sotek shouted out.

   

  “Wuld”. He shot across the ground at a ridiculous speed then broke straight into a run.

   

  His opponent just managed to defeat the second spectral wolf to see Sotek swing his axe. Her face turned to horror as he bought his axe crashing down on her skull, killing her. He then cut Aela’s binds with his dagger.

   

  Aela instantly burst into tears, gripping him tightly. Before he could even think about holding her, Aela’s rage took over. She forcibly shoved him out of her way as she snatched his bow. Almost instantly she started firing off arrows at the mages as they came out of the central tunnel, shouting out curses and obscenities to each one she hit.

   

  Sotek picked himself up off the floor then cast a look at the other two companions. They easily dispatched the few mages that survived Aela’s attacks. The other mages from within the complex didn’t even get a chance to cast any spells as they were cut down the moment they entered the cavern. Both Farkas and Vilkas stood over numerous dead bodies which lay piled at their feet.

   

  Sotek wrapped his arms around Aela, but all that achieved was to  overload her emotions. She broke down as she was unable to stop crying while he gently held her, trying desperately to stop her shaking.

   

  As Farkas came up to them both, he demanded an answer as he still had trouble understanding Sotek’s reasoning.

  “How did you know? How the hell did you know?”

   

  Sotek initially ignored him, but then he whispered to Aela gently.

  “We need to tell them. You know that, don’t you. They need to know”.

   

  She tried to reply but Sotek just held her tightly.

  “Sssuuussshhh… Not now you’re not ready”.

   

  From the other side of the cavern, Vilkas gave out a triumphant cry.

  “Hey you lot… There’s an exit here. At least I think it is!”

   

  They went through the tunnel, which opened into a large square room. On the far side however, instead of finding their freedom they came across three doors which were situated on the far wall. Each door had a picture carved into the woodwork. All four Companions immediately guessed that the pictures represented themselves.

   

  The first door had a picture of a farmer working his crops.

  The second door had a picture of a wolf in the woods.

  The third door had a woman selling bread.

   

  Sotek groaned loudly when he examined the doors.

  “Did I mention I hated Daedra?”

   

  Farkas looked at the pictures, then the solution came to him in a flash of inspiration.

  “Well this isn’t so bad, we go through that door”. With that he pointed to the farmer. “And Aela’s a girl so she goes through this one”. Then he smugly pointed to the woman. Finally he turned towards Sotek. “Sotek, no offence but you’re a beast race so you go through that one. The door with the wolf”.

   

  He then stood back and waited for the applause for solving the puzzle.

   

  Vilkas studied the doors, then a horrifying thought came across his mind.

  “Hold on”. He sat by the back wall and glanced over the three doors once more. “Oh you bastard!” With that remark he walked over to where Sotek was. “No offence but Farkas, Aela and I need to talk… I’m sorry but we do”.

   

  Farkas shook his head at the very idea of delaying them any further.

  “No we don’t, let’s just get the hell out of here. Look at her, she’s had enough”. As he complained, he pointed to Aela, who obviously wasn’t herself. She sat by the wall quietly, watching everyone else.

   

  Vilkas stared at the doors, then he turned his attention back to Sotek.

  “Now ‘is’ the time. I’m sorry Sotek we have to talk… In private”.

   

  Sotek gave Aela a slight smile then poked Vilkas hard in the chest.

  “Don’t leave her alone, stay with her”. Then he headed off back down the tunnel to give them some space.

   

  Farkas huffed but then he saw the look on Vilkas’s face.

  “What’s up?”

   

  “She’s no woman and we aren’t men. We need that door” As he quietly but angrily spoke he pointed to the wolf.

   

  Farkas looked at the doors again with fresh eyes, only now did he realize just how difficult it actually was to pick the door they wanted. “Damn it to hell!” His face was filled with frustration.

   

  Aela got up and pounded on a door with her fist.

  “What the hell is this place”. Her frustration and emotions came to the fore, making her shout out. “You bloody bastards!”

   

  On hearing her, Sotek came back in the room. The three of them were standing there, just staring blankly at the doors. Sotek thought back to what Hircine said and the whole journey through the cave, then he remembered something. Instantly he burst out laughing as he examined the doors once more.

   

  Aela headed across the room towards him, muttering under her breath.

  “He’s fucking lost it, he really has fucking lost it”. The next second she slapped him across the face.

   

  “Owww” Sotek instantly stopped laughing as he held the side of his cheek. Aela stood there right in front of him, looking at him like he was crazy. “What the hell was that for?”

   

  She pointed a finger right in his face as her eyes bore into him.

  “No insane laughing, we need to stay focused and figure it out”.

   

  He leaned right into her face defiantly.

  “Hissss”.

   

  “Don’t you hiss at me you bloody pathetic excuse for a reptile”. She went to slap him again but he quickly grabbed her by the wrist.

   

  She instantly glared at him. “Let.. Me.. Go”.

   

  Sotek released her then walked confidently over to the doors.

  “I laughed because the answers simple. We go through this door. All of us”. He gave them all a smile as he headed back to Aela and held her hand. “Aela do you trust me, do you really trust me?”. His voice was soft but it had a sense of purpose and knowing to it. Aela couldn’t help but notice the confidence in him as he asked her.

   

  She buried her head in his chest.

  “Yes”.

   

  It was barely auditable, but they all heard it. Sotek led her to the door with the picture of the woman selling bread then opened it. He walked through the doorway holding  Aela’s hand as he went.

   

  The same white mist that brought them to the mountainside returned, enveloping them all. Sotek felt Aela’s hand disappear causing an overwhelming sense of panic fill him to bursting point over her loss. Through the mist, the cave below the Skyforge started to reappear causing Sotek to calm down slightly as he recognized the three shrine bases and the bowl carved out of the rock. Even the Harbinger was still there waiting for their return. As soon as he felt solid ground beneath his feet, Sotek ran to the door. He leapt down the stairway, ran across the wind district and burst into the temple throwing the doors back in an almighty crash. Aela was there in floods of tears slowly getting up from the stone bed in near hysterics.

   

  Sotek grabbed her and held her tightly. On seeing him she lost what little control she had and completely broke down in tears. He just held her, gently swaying her side to side with her arms tucked in between them both. Her hands griped his armor as tight as she could, the intensity was  such that her knuckles started turning white. Kodlak entered the temple followed by Vilkas and Farkas. Sotek looked up at them all.

  “I hoped you would follow me through”. Then he looked down at Aela, whispering softly. “Hey the Harbingers here, he’s been worried about you”.

   

  Aela looked up as much as she could manage. Upon seeing the Harbingers face full of concern, she broke down in tears again. Sotek calmly called the Harbinger over.

  “I’ll bring her back when she’s ready”.

   

  The Harbinger rested his hand gently on Aela’s shoulder for a few seconds then turned back around and headed outside.

  “See that you do”. Then he left, taking Farkas and Vilkas with him.

   

  After around ten minutes, Aela simply burned herself out. She was too tired to hold Sotek tight, and way too tired to cry. Despite the priestesses protests, Sotek picked Aela up in his arms and carried her back to Jorrvaskr. In the few minutes it took to walk across the district she was asleep. He gently pushed the doors open then walked inside. Farkas and Vilkas were at the main table while the Harbinger was busy pacing up and down, all three of them impatiently waiting.

  “She needs sleep” Sotek stated and started to carry her downstairs.

   

  In her bedroom he tried to lay her down, but she awoke with a start. On pure instinct she grabbed his arms in fear.

  “Don’t go, don’t leave me”.

   

  Sotek tried to comfort her while at the same time free himself from her grasp.

  “Aela, it’s ok, your home. We’re all here”.

   

  “Please, please, please… Don’t leave me”. She started crying again, begging uncontrollably.

   

  “Aela, I need to tell them about us”. Sotek gave her a reassuring hug but she gripped him tightly, unwilling to let him go.

   

  “Please, please, don’t go. We’ll tell them, we’ll tell them tomorrow. We will.. I’ll tell them, just stay.. Please…” She held him so tight, her head was almost forced into his chest as she pleaded not to be left alone.

   

  A deep heavy voice rang out from behind making him jump with a start.

  “Sotek!” Sotek shot around having been caught totally off his guard to see Kodlak, Farkas, and Vilkas who were all standing there at the doorway watching them both in each other’s arms. It was obvious that they were listening to every word. “Stay with her tonight. Aela are you ok with that?” Kodlak’s voice was gentle and soft, but each word hung in the air.

   

  She just gripped Sotek tighter, they all saw the tension in her hands.

   

  Kodlak sighed lightly as he saw the anguish in her face.

  “Tomorrow we talk… Ok?”. She tried to look at the Harbinger, he saw the strain in her eyes. With his face full of worry and concern he turned around and closed the door.

   

  Aela just laid there, it seemed like it was for hours. Her hands held onto Sotek as tight as she could but gradually her grip lessened. Her breathing became slower far more steady than it was earlier. Even though she was far more relaxed, she just lay there holding him while her eyes peered out into the darkness of her room.