The Man I Love

A/N: So finally next chapter up ( a bit longer than the rest hehe )!!! Sorry for the delay!

 

A/N 2: Please let me know what you think so far!

Ratings and reviews are mostly welcomed and appreciated !!!!!!!! :)

And Thank you for the reviews and rates so far!  :D

 

 

 

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‘’Tell her, then, she will be coming with me.’’ He asked the Night Elf, turning on the girl’s direction and approaching her. ‘’My name is Crikton, let her know.’’

‘’Fine’’ The Elf answered, and turned to face the girl. He spoke rapidly, and the frightened look on the little child’s eyes was enough for Crikton to notice she got the message. Tears flowed down her cheeks again; her little body shook in fear. The cold air also brought chills down her spine, and she began to tremble.

‘’Come.’’ Crikton said, approaching her and placing a hand on her right shoulder. She moved away some centimeters and began walking. ‘’Thank you, so long.’’ Crikton turned, directing to the men that were staring at them leave; the darkness of the night soon engulfed them both, and it wasn’t long till the petite elf was hugging Crikton’s forearm in fear and clinging on to him.

‘’What is it?’’ He said, tilting his head downwards and trying to watch her expression in the dark. Her eyes glowed in a silver faint light, and her cheeks and nose were barely visible thanks to that.

‘’Crikton.’’ She whispered, her little hands clutching his arm stronger. ’’Fear’’ She said.   

     They were walking down the road and in the direction Crikton knew was right towards Felwood, yet he couldn’t keep out of his mind the thought of the three Horde men that might just be around the corner, and also of Zeyhan, alone and nowhere to be seen in the vast, pitch dark forest that surrounded them. He slid his arm around her back and hugged her towards him, pulling her close.

‘’It’s okay, just a little further.’’ He replied, facing forward; the road barely illuminated by the faint lights scattered at its sides.

   They walked in the night for some minutes, but then some noises off the road caught the Warrior’s attention. He drifted and turned, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness at the sides of the road, but he could see nothing in there. The wind blew, cold, chilling their flesh and bones. Ghyra shuddered.

‘Who’s there?’’

‘’Crikton…’’ A faint voice replied, and a body made itself visible, walking up towards the road.

  A moment caught the Warrior’s breath, holding it right in his lungs, and then he exhaled in relief. He approached the Elf and looked right into his eyes…

‘’You stupid fool.’’ He said as he punched the Blood Elf, it was not his hardest punch, but it was filled in anger and fear, and that fact did hurt Zeyhan.

 He whined as he recoiled a few steps back, looking at the girl that stared at them in utter surprise and confusion.

‘’What could you expect?’’ He tried to defend himself. ‘’I was not leaving her, you know I am not like that.’’

‘’I know. You should try to wisen up, Elf.’’ He spat at him. ‘’You could have died, you foolish little –‘’ He restrained himself from insulting his friend further; nevertheless he still felt angry inside. He began walking again, dragging the little girl along with him. ‘’I was worried hell when I saw you at the Outpost. What the fuck was going through your mind?’’

‘’It was the only way I could stop those men back there.’’ He said, approaching Crikton again.

 The warrior bit his lower lip and stared at the paladin as he followed them up the road.

‘’Next time you tell me before doing something like that.’’ He said, halting his strong, heavy steps to turn and give Zeyhan a bone crashing hug, his relief finally flowing through his veins. He realized he couldn’t afford to lose that man, and next time he would be stronger. He would be wiser.

 A sudden desire of kissing and touching the Elf had risen inside him; he had to let Zeyhan know… He needed to feel his warm, soft and frail body against his, he needed to be reassured he was there; that he was fine, but the only thing the Warrior could do to the Elf at that moment was hug him, for the girl was staring at them in confusion.

‘’Hey there.’’ Zeyhan saluted her after Crikton broke the unexpected hug; he bent on his knees and faced her. ‘’I am Zeyhan.’’ He said placing a hand on his chest whilst he pronounced the words.

 She nodded, walking away from him. He looked too similar to the Blood Elf that had grabbed her inside her house and did horrible things to her family; and though she could make out that he was not him, his face surely reminded her of the other one, and recent memories of despair and pain flooded her mind.

‘’I won’t hurt you, ‘’he said worried, noticing her fear. He raised a hand to place it over her shoulder, but she quickly ran behind Crikton. The last thing he wanted to do was to look like someone mean…

‘’Hey, try that later then.’’ Crikton said as he noticed the girl wanted nothing to do with the Paladin. ‘’He won’t do anything.’’ He reassured her. ‘’Let’s move on, there is a big road ahead until we reach Felwood and we can’t afford to rest any longer.’’ He told the Blood Elf; whose look was confused and a bit angry, though he could not blame the little she-elf for being so afraid of him.  

‘’It’s too dark to keep on walking; it will be less risky if we stop and rest until the sun comes up again.’’ Zeyhan suggested, mildly striding off the road into the darkness from where he had emerged.

‘’You are probably right…’’ Crikton thought loudly, following his friend into the darkness. Ghyra gave a faint cry.

‘’Hey,’’ The warrior talked to her, pulling her even closer to let her know he was there. ‘’Nothing to fear, see?’’

    Zeyhan laughed; well they couldn’t see a damn thing.

 A few minutes had gone by in the ones in which they had been walking into the forest, not too far away from the main road, but enough to find a place that they thought would be isolated from other possible encounters.  Strange noises came from some bushes nearby, and their hearts gave a leap. Both men thought of the same thing, could it be…?

‘’Sshh.’’ Zeyhan said as he approached slowly to the plants.

 The atmosphere was cold and tense; in the utter darkness they couldn’t see a thing and their hearts beat faster at the thought of an enemy hiding behind them. The wind blew howling through the branches and the leaves; the grass beneath his feet creaked and little sticks broke as he stepped on them. His senses became more alert and his eyes tried to focus in the darkness.

 The Blood Elf jumped swiftly after some seconds, kicking the bushes, and a wolf growled, walking out of them

‘’Stupid animal!’’ Crikton grunted, running towards it and charging against the soft, hairy body of the wolf. The animal gave a loud cry and ran away from them in fear; and soon silence engulfed the three of them.

‘’Ghyra, here, come. ‘’ Crikton called her, and he soon felt as a small, cold body grabbed his left leg.

‘’Here is fine then, if that wolf doesn’t come back…’ Zeyhan spoke, sitting in the grass, resting his back against a tree, and looking in Crikton’s direction.

 The Warrior sat beside him, sitting Ghyra on his lap and tenderly passing an arm around her waist, hugging her and bringing her little head to his chest and left shoulder, conforming a sort of cradle out of his body.

She hummed and tried to conceal sleep; a soft, rather sad lullaby was being sang by her.

Zeyhan stared at the little Elf and then looked at Crikton, though in the complete darkness the other man didn’t notice the Blood Elf was watching.

‘’What are you going to do with her?’’ He asked out of curiosity. He had saved her life, but he never thought on the things that could happen afterwards; he never considered the fact that they had to make themselves responsible of her in any sort of way…

‘’Well, keep her unless you have a better idea.’’ He replied into the cold night air.

‘’Does this mean I am also responsible?'' He wondered, not really fond of the idea that being responsible for other's life brought to him, '' And... Do you even know how to raise a child?’’ He whispered, a slight tinge of fear and concern denoted in his voice, though he sounded rather angry at his friend. What the fuck was he trying to play as? He was no parent.

 Crikton kept silent, the question pounding in his head. Zeyhan was right… What was he thinking? He had no children and was never good at handling children, even the less if it meant rising them up and teaching them how to live.

‘’I really don’t know…’’ He said thoughtfully, trying to figure out a solution to his problem. ‘’She needs someone better than I am… Also someone to communicate with, and other children her age.’’ He finally sentenced.

‘’Well then we’d better find her somewhere to live or else we’ll fuck it up, dude.’’ Zeyhan told him, a bit worried for the youngling’s future. She was not like them; she needed still to be educated, to grow up in a place with others of her age, to have friends and someone who knew how to take care of an orphaned child. ‘’And we need to do it fast before she finds herself comfortable with you…’’ he inhaled deeply. ‘’We shouldn’t be doing this…’’

‘’Then why did you save her?’’ Crikton snapped at him. The question was surely meant with no harm, but Crikton didn’t realize before it was too late.

 The Paladin bit his lower lip and moved away, facing in the other direction.

‘’I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to offend you’’ the older man apologized.

‘’Well you didn’t, but you just made yourself look like a cold hearted person. How could you question my actions… She is just a child.’’ The elf hissed.

‘’Hey,’’ Crikton called for him, the Paladin shook himself from the thoughts he had submerged his head into. ‘’Come here’’ he asked of him.

    The Elf did as he was being told, leaning closer over the warrior and trying to ignore the offence that had been made towards him. Their noses touched; their mouths just inches away.

‘’I’m sorry. You are right.’’ He apologized again. ‘’I’m not cold hearted, but I was afraid…’’

‘’You? Afraid?’’ The paladin snorted, backing away and laughing a bit at his friend.

   Crikton kept silent, thinking on what to say next.

‘’You couldn’t possibly be afraid… You are a warrior, things such as fear shouldn’t bother you.’’ The Paladin demanded.

‘’Well they do, we are living creatures and it’s only natural that emotions show up within us. Fear is no different, Paladin.’’ He snapped, trying to shield himself from the shame he suddenly felt his body succumb to.’’Besides….’’ He added, ‘’I was not afraid for myself. I was afraid for you.’’ He declared.

‘’Me… huh?’’ he couldn’t really believe that the Warrior was being so open about what he felt, but it certainly didn’t bother Zeyhan the things that the man was admitting to him.

‘’Yes, ‘’ he nodded, ‘’when I heard you approaching those men back then, I feared for you.’’ He admitted, a hot sensation running up from his stomach to his face and head. ‘’I cannot let you do things like that, Zeyhan.’’ He whispered. ‘’Please, don’t get yourself hurt’’ he pleaded.

   Zeyhan nodded, leaning towards the Warrior and understating his concern for him. He placed his head over Crikton’s cold, shiny shoulder pad and closed his eyes.

‘’Its okay, sleep. Don’t worry too much for others. Let me worry for myself.’’ Zeyhan denied the warrior’s request; he couldn’t let the human take full responsibility for what happened to him. If, some day, something bad occurred to him, the Elf certainly didn’t want his friend blaming himself over something he couldn’t foresee nor avoid; so it wouldn’t be fair to promise Crikton that he wouldn’t get hurt anymore.

   

         After the small conversation they shared, both men and the little girl slept until the sun was dimly lighting the forest in pinks and oranges once again. Their bodies felt hard and cold, their muscles cramped and their backs and butts hurt from the position in which they had slept; and the only one not complaining from body pain was the little Night Elf, who had comfortably slept in Crikton’s arms.