TM Challenge 209
"Gaheris! God, Christ, shut up, what's the matter?"
He struggles up out of the bed, against Mordred's hands, crying wildly. "My lady--!"
"Shut up, shut up! Lynet's not here! Calm down, it's all right," Mordred mutters quickly, getting an arm around him and holding him to the bed, lying down beside him to keep him there. "Shhh, little brother, it's all right. There's no one here but me. God, when did this start?"
There's no answer, only choked screams and tears and his shaken voice. "Forgive me--forgive me, don't be angry, I didn't mean--my lady--"
"There's only me, I swear to you. You're dreaming. Shhh, quiet." Mordred strokes his hair. "Shhh."
It's a long while, though, before Gaheris is quiet.
In the morning, Mordred catches Lynet at breakfast and pulls her aside. "Your husband dreamed last night to wake the dead, lady."
She shrugs, rough. "So he does."
"Often?"
"Every night."
Mordred runs a hand through his hair. "He didn't when I last saw him--"
"Aye, that was before," Lynet says sourly. "Thou dost not know him now."
"The hell I don't."
"Dost know what he's dreaming of?"
Silence.
"His mother," Lynet says, and turns sharply away to go to the table, and sits beside Gaheris, who smiles at her.
Words: 212
He struggles up out of the bed, against Mordred's hands, crying wildly. "My lady--!"
"Shut up, shut up! Lynet's not here! Calm down, it's all right," Mordred mutters quickly, getting an arm around him and holding him to the bed, lying down beside him to keep him there. "Shhh, little brother, it's all right. There's no one here but me. God, when did this start?"
There's no answer, only choked screams and tears and his shaken voice. "Forgive me--forgive me, don't be angry, I didn't mean--my lady--"
"There's only me, I swear to you. You're dreaming. Shhh, quiet." Mordred strokes his hair. "Shhh."
It's a long while, though, before Gaheris is quiet.
In the morning, Mordred catches Lynet at breakfast and pulls her aside. "Your husband dreamed last night to wake the dead, lady."
She shrugs, rough. "So he does."
"Often?"
"Every night."
Mordred runs a hand through his hair. "He didn't when I last saw him--"
"Aye, that was before," Lynet says sourly. "Thou dost not know him now."
"The hell I don't."
"Dost know what he's dreaming of?"
Silence.
"His mother," Lynet says, and turns sharply away to go to the table, and sits beside Gaheris, who smiles at her.
Words: 212