le_coffre_a_jouets

He takes his hand and leads him back out of the White Elephant. He's not really in a hurry, but he isn't dwelling at any of his spots, either. It's only a few minutes of a walk before they're at the dock and Godric shows him into the ship that no longer floats on its own. In fact, if it wasn't just lashed to the rest of Flotilla, it would absolutely have sunk. But Godric's made it into a home for himself. The windows are covered, but he lights the lantern when they enter and reveals a nicely decorated home in deep red fabrics and even a rug. There's a bed in the middle, nothing particularly fancy, but he still closes the door and pulls Dorian against him to kiss him.

Having a newborn is nothing like he thought it would be. Still, Eric's presence is soothing, and Godric's constant companion just makes each evening an adventure.

The night's cold, but Godric doesn't even act like he feels it. There's snow underneath his bare feet, but he doesn't make a sound as he walks, the scent of a campfire in the air. "How many are there?" he asks his companion softly, the trees the only thing able to hear them at this distance.

But they can hear them.

Three heartbeats, lazy with exhaustion and drink. One man, far up ahead, keeping watch over the his two sleeping companions. Easy prey if they wanted to kill them all, but the lesson today is control. While leaving a trail of bodies behind is easy, it's also messy, and if they intend to survive the winter, they need to do better than that.