She was asleep before her head even touched the pillow, drawn deep into another existence as her breath slowed and then deepened. She dreamt of the Grey One and of Brody who had followed her. She dreamed that they were riding together on the back of The Grey, amongst rivers of mist and fireflies. Mystical and awakening were the visions that filled her slumber. He had stayed with her to keep watch over her whilst she slept, because he was worried about the strange connection she had with the Netherby. He knew he could protect her psychically but on a deeper level...? That went beyond his capabilities.
In an adjacent bunk, he drifted off himself after some time sleeping lightly as was his custom as guardsman of the village. But his sleep was not filled with fanciful dreams instead his subconscious was drawn to the encounter he had had with Malishka and how close he had held her to him. Reflecting on those moments - likely seconds of time, he recalled now how she smelled, and felt under his touch. He begun to develop a sense of warmth within himself thinking about her.
Then as if she sensed his thoughts, she started to stir under the blankets on the bunk, rolling over to lay on her side she opened her eyes slowly and rubbed one with the back of her hand.
"Oh, hello there." She spoke somewhat slurred towards the watchman, who seemed to be smiling back at her beneath his blonde scruffy facial hair. "Have you been there all night?" She asked him.
"Hello, aye that I have." Brody responded as he scratched his chin asking her, "Slept well?"
She finished rubbing her eye and sat up a little in the bunk, realising that she was still wearing her cotton dress, she felt relieved momentarily. "If you could call it that!" She blurted, feeling uncomfortable slightly from his questioning eyes, she played with one of her braids.
"I thought as much. That's why I stayed with you." He said.
"Oh right."
"These kind of things don't happen to just everyone ya know Malishka. I had to be sure the Netherby wasn't going to linger..."
She looked back at him at that point, straight into his pale blue eyes, 'was that him?' She wondered, his real self, not his role talking. 'Did he care about her?' She had never given it a moment's thought before now, even the times when she walked past him at his post in the village, she knew who he was, but she never gave him a care of thought until now. Until this very moment when their eyes seemed to meet across the bunks.
TBC...