4-4

Late into the night, Sol yawned and announced that he would be hittin’ the hay, and the others quickly followed.  They would sleep on the open bed of pine needles; the night was far too warm for sleeping bags.  As the three men stripped out of their sweaty shirts and Braith kicked off her hiking boots, Rob called, “Hey, when are you gonna take off your shirt for us, Braith?”

The woman smiled sweetly, stretching out upon her back with a sigh.  “Tonight. In your dreams.”  The three men chuckled and a small smile played over Braith’s lips as her eyes drifted shut.

After a still, silent moment, Bill asked the night, “Uh, so you think someone should be watching the killer?”  Four heads simultaneously looked up at Valence, who could not halt the smile easing across his face.  He wondered if he had been forgotten by the amateur mercenaries.  

Rob spoke up, “Quiet little boy, ain’t he?” and Sol announced, his voice now full of authority, “Alright then.  Rob, first watch.  In two hours, wake me up.  Then Bill, then Braith.”  A murmur of agreement rose over the crickets and Rob sat up, frowning begrudgingly.  So as the fire slowly ate itself, Valence waited patiently with one of Rob’s boots on each of his shoulders while the boy sat above him on the rock to which he was bound, muttering bitter insults and threats and occasionally driving a boot heel into his chest to ensure that the prisoner couldn’t rest while Rob was kept from his bed. But Valence had no intention of falling asleep.  He watched as Rob slid to the ground and moved to awaken Sol, who sat staring thoughtfully into the dwindling fire for two hours before climbing to his feet to prod Bill awake and laying down himself.  Bill sat against a rock, yawning and nodding, but didn’t doze for his two hour watch.  The fire was a dim bed of shriveled rose petals now as Bill gently woke Braith, then quickly fell into a deep sleep.  

The woman yawned and sat up, watching Valence from across the dark clearing.  He was a shadow, now, a black outline with a white face, his dark eyes still shining red with a tiny reflection of the dying fire.  He stared at her from the edge of the faded circle of light, for the cup was nearly drained, containing now more dirt than blood.  She stared back, solemn, cheeks rosy with sleep and lids heavy over striking blue eyes.  An hour had passed before the shadow’s red eyes had begun to drift shut, and Braith smiled as his chin finally tipped forward onto his chest, rising and falling very slowly and methodically, his face hidden behind a net of straight, dark hair.  Soon, her own eyes grew blurry, and she allowed them to close, then slowly she fell to the side, curling into a warm sleepy bundle, and then she was gone.  A moment later, Valence’s eyes popped open, his face snapping up to ensure that the woman was truly asleep. Finally.