Sir Arthur

• Eighteen

Sir Arthur paused in his actions, he hesitated for a bit and then rose on his feet. He nodded towards her his gaze lingering on Kim for a while longer and then left the tent.

Faye took his previous position and continued to clean the lady's hair. Kim's face was still pale, her hands too cold as she gently wiped the dirt that stuck on them.

She was extremely worried. Lady Heather was probably by now helplessly pacing around the compound with Madame Paula trying to put her at ease.

They had never stayed out for so long and Faye was sure everyone in the manor would be looking for them. Lord Heather could have come to search for them if he'd been home. He left a few days back to prepare for war.

Kim stirred uncomfortably in her unconscious state releasing a small gasp and Faye shook her awake. She always had a hard time recovering from her shock and she would at times begin to have nightmares.

She opened her eyes just as Sir Arthur walked back in with a tray of food in one hand and a cloak in his other hand. His eyes widened a fraction once he saw Kim try to sit up from where she lay.

He passed the tray and cloak to Faye and rushed to her side. Kim stared at her surroundings and then back to the figures before her. She remembered being with Faye but was Sir Arthur doing here? She tried to catch on but didn't remember a thing.

Her head was pounding really hard that her vision began to get blurry again. A large hand held her by the neck guiding her back to the soft covers she woken up on just as her eyes closed again.

The night stretched on and Faye was grateful that she was now feeling warmer. The cloak she had been offered was making her doze off and after also eating to her fill, she found herself barely staying awake.

Even in her drowsy state, she could make out Sir Arthur's occasional trips into the tent. After Kim had fallen back into unconsciousness he had been getting back to the tent every now and then to check up on her.

"She gets like this when she is in fear," Faye began to explain to him as she saw him enter the tent once more. "Her anxiety takes over her but she will be fine in the morning."

Faye eventually fell asleep on her words draping the cloak closer to her body to secure the warmth it gave. She was completely exhausted and when she couldn't take in any longer, she closed her eyes and drifted off.

She wanted to be alert incase anything were to happen to Kim, but with the knights surrounding them, she felt protected. The man who was still beside her friend also had her assured that they were safe.

It was almost dawn when Kim stirred awake. There was something stroking her hair softly and holding the palm of her hand. She tried to move around and just then, the movement stopped.

Her eyes met the dark orbs of a concerned face that she recognized immediately. Before she could register what was happening he asked, "How are you feeling?"

Kim nodded affirming that she was well and after he studied her for a while, he dropped his hands from her and left the tent hurriedly. She shivered involuntarily from the cold secretly missing the warmness his hand brought.

Kim glanced around and spotted Faye just a few feet away sleeping soundly. She still didn't remember how they had landed here but with Faye here, she felt that everything was fine.

Sir Arthur walked in later after a while with a mug in his hold that had some hot substance from the steam that escaped it. He sat beside Kimberly who was now wide awake and was looking at him.

"You need to drink this," he offered the mug to her placing it before her. Kim peeped through it and noticed that it was porridge. Her stomach being empty, she took hold of the handle and held the base of the mug to her mouth to drink but then released a small cry.

"Ow, it's too hot." She cried as she placed the mug down. Sir Arthur panicked at her words and took her hands that she had been rubbing on her dress to dissipate the heat and softly began blowing across them.

He repeated this several times and once he was sure she was okay, he ordered another mug from the knights outside who had been awake and were waiting for training to start.

He then used the new mug to cool the porridge. Sir Arthur felt it with his own hands confirming that it was safe for her to hold before offering it to her.

"Thank you," Kim gratefully drank the porridge now realizing how hungry she had been. She was done with it in no time and Kim wished she hadn't looked like a glutton chugging it down that fast.

Sir Arthur didn't seem to mind as he stared at her content that she had finished drinking and was looking livelier.

For one who was supposed to be training the young knights hours ago, he had to set his priorities right.

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