Undusting Skills

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The storm outside was barely noticable in the forest, especially inside the tent. It almost had a cosy homely feeling
now that the crew was complete with their captain again. It was the first night since, that Sirius could fall asleep peacefully.
Also Nört and Libertad slept peacefully and deeply, even now, injured and exhausted, Lyo had a protective aura.
When he was in sight, things were bound to work out, it always did. Only Mari was awake, working over the maps
in detail. He tried to make a copy of the map Lyo received for the journey but he added the parameters he had
collected along the way. He made notes on the altitude differences he estimated and paths that proved to be safe.
There had to be a way to get back faster than the way they chose to get here. He slowly could puzzle together an improved map,
hoping that this road would lead them relatively smoothly back to the coast. Just when it crossed his mind
if Lyo could mount a horse the next day, he started coughing and moaning painfully, it was obvious on his breathing that
he was suffering and that he was in some state between consciousness and comatoseness. While rolling up his papers
and sliding them back into his leather case, Mari was wondering wether or not to ask Lyo how he was feeling, if he thought
he could ride a horse the next day or if they should try and build a make shift sleigh out of the tent...
He didnt want to make decisions above Lyo's head but he chose not to ask, he would rather listen to his complaints afterwards
for not being asked, than to make his captain say it, that he was not able to do something. 
Lyo lightly started to pant for air but it became shivery, he turned his head away and seemed to be in immense pain.
Mari earlier tried to make him drink more than what was just needed to make him swallow some painkillers and carefully
settled next to him to give it another try. He opened the flask and slowly laid a hand on his shoulder not to surprise him too much.
Lyo started to speak with a bitter voice "Damon..." he swallowed hard on some sobbing sounds but didnt quite manage,
"I lost your horse. I am so sorry.... so sorry...He..he saved us but i lost him...i'm so sorry" his chest was trembling and suppressed deep inhales.
Mari watched him confused. Not only was it a once in a century occasion that Lyo admitted a failure but also was he never seeing him so battered, 
He never saw this man even closely give up or lower his head ever since he got to know him as 19 year old self proclaimed captain.
The day he was sentenced to death was still clearly in Mari's memory, he was wounded, overpowered on his own ship and getting canon balls
stuffed into his coat before making him walk the plank, yet there was no sign or regret or fear in his eyes. Mari carefully turned Lyo's head
to have a look, there was dried blood in his hair and a wound that didnt seem to be from today, it dawned him that the fall took it's toll and
Lyo must be having a severe concussion.  Now and then Lyo blinked awake and Mari tried to catch his glance but as if he turned blind,
he seemed to look right through him. "Lyo" the navigator rarely called him by his name "You did not lose him." he hesitantly stroke Lyo's arm,
not wanting to believe the damage these injuries and the loneliness had done to him, nobody should see him this way and he would make sure of that. "Lyo. can you hear me?" he had doubts, but Lyo nodded with belated reaction, "Listen" he kept stroking his arm "Zlatobor is safely
tied to the other horses. He was here all along. You succeeded... You survived.  We got what we came for and tomorow we are going
back to the Crocus. But we need you to rest... we need you by our side to have someone to believe in. We all had too much uncertainty these days"
he leaned a bit closer and held his hand tight "iiii need you to believe in me. Nobody ever believed in me as much as you do and that is 
what brought us back to you in the first place" Mari could feel Lyo squeezing his hand back lightly,it was a response, that all his faith was in him.
"Hang in there Captain everything will be alright"


Mari's words were stronger than any medicine and Lyo drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep where suddenly all pain was gone,
but the next morning he could not be woken up.  





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Lyo, Mari © by the Cursed Pirate
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