Scotland! pt 2

[likeroaringlions]

They do reach the Clyde by nightfall, though too late to cross at the ford. There's just light enough left for hunting: dusk, with rabbits coming out. William has them a supper in no time. And the rain has stopped, more or less. A dry-enough night for a cooking fire, and it's not a bad prospect, spreading out the sheepskins and blankets to sleep on.

Cold, though. It would have been nicer traveling a month ago, or even just a couple of weeks.

Comments

[harryhotspur]

"Thou shouldst see it cleaned," Harry says, and that's definitely Joly's voice somewhere in the back of his head reminding him to do so.

[likeroaringlions]

"S'pose I should." He's in no rush; he steps over to the horses to calm them. But they don't like the smell of blood on him and set their ears back and sidle away. William laughs again. "What's wrong, you lot? Don't recognize me?"

Ha. Horses, fucking idiot horses. He runs his clean hand down Strawberry's neck despite her discomfort. "--All right, I'll wash up. Which way is that stream?" It's still dark; the whole adventure has been lit by the moon. What time is it, midnight? One?

[harryhotspur]

"We'll go together," Harry says, bending to untie the horses as he says it. "We know not if any others yet linger."

[likeroaringlions]

"Ach, those poor bastards, they're a mile off by now and still running." But it's a fair point.

He should stand away from the uneasy horses--look for the stream nearby--but he can't be bothered, and it's all too funny. When Harry straightens, he slings an arm around his shoulders.

[harryhotspur]

"Thou didst well!" Harry says, happy to let him. He knows it's a touch patronizing, but he can't help it. How is it possible, to be eighteen and never fought a man before?

[likeroaringlions]

"'Course I did. I'm a Douglas. Take to it like a duck to water." He has fought before, but as a member of a larger group under someone else's direction, tagging along on raids and frightening farmers. Not the same. Not the same.

He rests his forehead on Harry's shoulder for a moment, pressing into him, nudging, one moment more before shaking himself off and making in earnest for the stream to clean up. "No sense trying to sleep again tonight," he calls as he goes. "Want to ride on? There's moonlight enough."

[harryhotspur]

"Let us do so," Harry agrees. He's still humming with energy from the fight-- if only it had been harder, if only it had been longer, if only it had been over something interesting--

He hangs back a bit with the horses. "Hast need of any help?"

[likeroaringlions]

"Eh, I'm all right...can't say the same for my shirt." There's that stream. It had looked clear enough by the evening light when they'd picked a spot to camp; it should be all right to drink from and wash in. Jesus, he's thirsty, all at once. And now, pulling off his shirt, the cut starts to sting properly. Tomorrow it'll hurt...

"I half want to chase after them," he says, loud enough to carry to Hotspur. "Just to--Christ, I don't know." Just to keep moving.

[harryhotspur]

"Ay," Harry laughs. "But let them flee. They are but robbers-- there is no honor in such a chase."

[likeroaringlions]

"I know, I know." He holds his arm under the running water. "It's just I'm not tired yet. Don't want it to hit."

[harryhotspur]

"But we shall rise until it doth," Harry says. "Not so good, perhaps, as a chase!"

He suspects they're not quite going to end up taking the watch in turns tonight. But that's alright, he's spent sleepless nights before.

[likeroaringlions]

"No. But we'll get a few miles in."

Well, that's as clean as his arm is going to get. He pulls his shirt back over his head, aware of unpleasant cold sweat now. Ugh. This is why you have to keep moving.

Even if it's just to rejoin Hotspur and saddle the horses again.

[harryhotspur]

Harry gives him a hearty pat on the back once he draws near.

[likeroaringlions]

William answers by bumping his shoulder into Harry's. "Having fun in Scotland, Percy? --Whisht there, Strawberry, Parsnip. Do I smell better now? No blood? Idiot beasts." Good idiot beasts.

[harryhotspur]

"Mock them not! It is no more their fault than-- why, than thine, that thou has not grown accustomed to the smell of blood."

[likeroaringlions]

"Aw, get tae fuck, I'm no such a babe as all that." He's almost angry for a moment, happily angry, ready for a friendly fight; but he's aware he's acting like a bit of a fool already.

[harryhotspur]

"No indeed?" Harry retorts. "And have you not said you have never seen a proper fight, and you a man of eighteen?"

[likeroaringlions]

"Never fought in a proper fight, it's not--I've seen plenty of blood!" Augh, he sounds younger and younger with every word, doesn't he. So he aims a loose punch at Harry's shoulder to make up for it.

[harryhotspur]

Harry just shoots him a look. Does he really want to fight about this?

[likeroaringlions]

Ye-es, but only if it's in good fun? Hotspur doesn't seem quite game for a teenage-boy wrestling match, which...makes sense, really, so William just shoots him an only-half-repentant look back. (The grin probably makes it less than half repentant, to be honest.) "All right, all right, let's get on the road."

[harryhotspur]

Contrary to popular belief, he wouldn't fight over just anything.

Just most things.

"Let us," he agrees.

[likeroaringlions]

It's not just restlessness--it makes sense to move on, of course, on the chance that their attackers might come back with reinforcements. But no one consulted the horses about their extra midnight shift, and they're more inclined to amble than to trot; and indeed fatigue hits William hard and suddenly about an hour after they're back on the road.

...Harry may not be terribly surprised to notice William nodding off in the saddle.

[harryhotspur]

"Come," Harry says when he noticed this. "Let us stop, and rest."

[likeroaringlions]

William grunts a no-I'm-totally-awake grunt. Because see how awake he is? So awake. That's why it takes him several seconds to formulate a reply...which ends up being a rueful agreement. "Next good spot we see, aye."

So it's not too long before they're laying out their sheepskins again, rolling up again in their cloaks, bedding down. And William's offer to take the first shift of watch duty comes out rather less convincing that he means it to.

[harryhotspur]

"Rest you first," Harry says. Because yeah, that's not happening. "I will wake you."