The walk towards camp seemed like it was foreign to Pearl. Knox walked along with her, his warm velvety nose nudging at her arm or her back every so often as if he were trying to stay in contact with her and offer his comfort to her; which seemed as foreign to Pearl as the walk towards camp. Her heart was aching and there seemed to be no release for the pain.
She felt something at her shoulder, only this time it wasn’t Knox, it was a warm hand that offered a gentle squeeze. When she turned to see who it was that had touched her, she was immediately drawn into his arms and pulled in against his chest. His hand cradled her head as he held her there, his lips pressed to her hair over and over again as he offered her silent comfort. His touch wasn’t unfamiliar to the woman; quite the opposite, for they had found comfort in one another's arms on many occasions throughout past seasons.
After a moment, she looked up to him and spoke, “I’m on my way to get Garrison,” she explained; her voice as dull as her eyes.
His hand came up to cradle her cheek, “I cannot bear to see you in such pain,” Bayon whispered as he leaned in to kiss her.
Pearl’s fingers slid between them, just before his lips met her own, gently pressing to his. “No,” she said in a whisper.
Bayon pulled back slightly, looking to her. “You don’t have to stay with him now.”
“What do you mean, stay with him now?”
“You and I both know Trail arranged the marriage to keep you away from me.”
Pearl looked at him as she took a step back, her hand upon his chest, “No Bayon.”
He took her by the shoulders, holding her in place, “Don’t you see?”
Pearl shook her head, “No, I love him,” she knew the words were difficult for Bayon to hear, but they were the truth. She loved Dravite as she had never loved Bayon. Their coupling, when both of them were single, had been from physical loneliness, a loneliness they had both shared at the time. Bayon was married to his job, and Pearl knew this to be truth.
Bayon refused to believe her, “No, you don’t. You just think you do. I never should have stepped away and let Trail marry you off to another. I should have stopped it.”
As if her head weren’t reeling enough without this, she turned away from him, or tried to, but he held her in his grip with his hands upon her upper arms, drawing her in quickly, this time his lips meeting hers in a rough kiss he forced upon her. Pearl shoved at his chest with both her hands, forcing him away from her as she pulled herself back, a hand lifted and struck him soundly across his cheek in a slap. When he withdrew, so did she; the hand that had struck his cheek now covering her own mouth in whole. Without a word, she turned and threw herself up onto Knox’s back awkwardly, then urged him on towards camp and away from Bayon.
Garrison was upon Knox’s back with Pearl walking alongside him, her hand upon her Strider’s back when they entered The Watch area. Several men greeted her with polite nods and quietly spoken hellos to her and the small boy. Garrison, not understanding fully what was going on, smiled wide upon seeing Dravite and Skunk and called out, “Da!” in his child’s voice. When he saw his grandfather lying there, he looked confused. “Grandpa?” he asked.
Pearl couldn’t speak, not even a comforting word to her own son when she saw her father lying there before her husband. She reached up and lifted the young boy from Knox’s back and hugged him to her chest, letting Knox wander where he would as she simply stood there, holding her son and looking to her husband. Finally, she walked up to where they were and knelt down beside her father.
.
.
.
She felt something at her shoulder, only this time it wasn’t Knox, it was a warm hand that offered a gentle squeeze. When she turned to see who it was that had touched her, she was immediately drawn into his arms and pulled in against his chest. His hand cradled her head as he held her there, his lips pressed to her hair over and over again as he offered her silent comfort. His touch wasn’t unfamiliar to the woman; quite the opposite, for they had found comfort in one another's arms on many occasions throughout past seasons.
After a moment, she looked up to him and spoke, “I’m on my way to get Garrison,” she explained; her voice as dull as her eyes.
His hand came up to cradle her cheek, “I cannot bear to see you in such pain,” Bayon whispered as he leaned in to kiss her.
Pearl’s fingers slid between them, just before his lips met her own, gently pressing to his. “No,” she said in a whisper.
Bayon pulled back slightly, looking to her. “You don’t have to stay with him now.”
“What do you mean, stay with him now?”
“You and I both know Trail arranged the marriage to keep you away from me.”
Pearl looked at him as she took a step back, her hand upon his chest, “No Bayon.”
He took her by the shoulders, holding her in place, “Don’t you see?”
Pearl shook her head, “No, I love him,” she knew the words were difficult for Bayon to hear, but they were the truth. She loved Dravite as she had never loved Bayon. Their coupling, when both of them were single, had been from physical loneliness, a loneliness they had both shared at the time. Bayon was married to his job, and Pearl knew this to be truth.
Bayon refused to believe her, “No, you don’t. You just think you do. I never should have stepped away and let Trail marry you off to another. I should have stopped it.”
As if her head weren’t reeling enough without this, she turned away from him, or tried to, but he held her in his grip with his hands upon her upper arms, drawing her in quickly, this time his lips meeting hers in a rough kiss he forced upon her. Pearl shoved at his chest with both her hands, forcing him away from her as she pulled herself back, a hand lifted and struck him soundly across his cheek in a slap. When he withdrew, so did she; the hand that had struck his cheek now covering her own mouth in whole. Without a word, she turned and threw herself up onto Knox’s back awkwardly, then urged him on towards camp and away from Bayon.
***
Garrison was upon Knox’s back with Pearl walking alongside him, her hand upon her Strider’s back when they entered The Watch area. Several men greeted her with polite nods and quietly spoken hellos to her and the small boy. Garrison, not understanding fully what was going on, smiled wide upon seeing Dravite and Skunk and called out, “Da!” in his child’s voice. When he saw his grandfather lying there, he looked confused. “Grandpa?” he asked.
Pearl couldn’t speak, not even a comforting word to her own son when she saw her father lying there before her husband. She reached up and lifted the young boy from Knox’s back and hugged him to her chest, letting Knox wander where he would as she simply stood there, holding her son and looking to her husband. Finally, she walked up to where they were and knelt down beside her father.
.
.
.
