A thin slice of sunlight just broke over the top of the eastern horizon when Nigel shifted and yawned. The air was icy, prompting him to burrow deeper into the warmth of the sleeping bag. Slowly, his mind registered that there was something wrong with this picture.
He risked opening one eye, then the other, then slammed both eyes shut tightly. *How the hell did that happen???* He was in Sydney's sleeping bag - with Sydney!
Swearing under his breath, his frantic fingers fumbled for the zipper. He hoped to be well out of sight before she woke. That hope more or less died when a familiar voice shrieked, "Nigel, what are you doing?!"
He was out of the sleeping bag in two seconds flat, his face flushed. Hopping from one bare foot to the other in a futile effort not to walk directly on the thick layer of frost, Nigel spoke in a panicked rush. "I'm sorry, Sydney, I don't know what came over me. I swear, it will never, ever happen again."
Sydney groaned and flung a hand over her eyes to shield them from the unforgiving sunlight. "It's okay, Nigel. It's just that it's freezing out here and you threw off the sleeping bag without warning me. Next time, please don't do that." She eyed his uncovered feet. "And put your shoes on, for heavens sake. They're -" She gestured in the general vicinity of the SUV. "Over there. Somewhere."
Next time?
Her very confused assistant mouthed the words, rolling them over his tongue in an attempt to digest a meaning that escaped him. He alternately brightened - she knew he'd been in her sleeping bag and didn't seem to object (AND hinted of a repeat performance) - and scowled when she dismissed him so quickly.
Finally he decided on a diplomatic approach. "I'm willing to pretend it never happened, if you like," he braved as he plopped onto the frozen ground and pulled on his shoes.
"No!" Sydneys emphatic reply put an instant smile on his face. "You shouldn't try to forget it. It was too important to ignore it. Besides, what if it happens again?"
Delight now poured from his face. "Do you think it might? Happen again, I mean?"
Like, maybe when I can REMEMBER IT?
"I don't know," she admitted reluctantly. "I was a little worried. I didn't know exactly what was going on, if you were dangerous, if you might hurt me or yourself. When you touched my face, I nearly jumped out of my skin."
He softened at the confession. "I'd never hurt you, Sydney." Standing, he reached out and gave her a hand up. His fingers brushed over her hair, marveling at the silky texture. "I hope you know that."
"Yeah, well, you werent exactly yourself last night."
"I'm sorry. Next time I'll try to do better." He buried his pride, wondering again what he might have done wrong. While he wasnt exactly virginal, neither was he all that experienced.
Sydney craned her neck to look at him, her expression carefully neutral. "I didn't think you had that much to say about it."
Now that was a bit insulting! "I was there, wasn't I? And so were you, weren't you?" he snapped, indignant.
"Yes, and so was SHE."
His face crumbled in astonishment. "SHE?? She WHO?"
Sydney stared, comprehension dawning. "You don't remember," she whispered. "You don't remember any of it, do you? Not your mom's letter, not the fire, nothing."
Slowly, reluctantly, he shook his head, confessing, "No, I don't."
As gently and succinctly as she could, Sydney recounted the incidents of the previous night. She pointed out the charred remnants of his sleeping bag, the damage to the vehicle, and told him of his personal encounter with a ghostly presence. And gradually, Nigel's memory crept back. From time to time, he commented on details she'd missed or differences in perceptions. He also kept his eyes averted throughout.
Sydney crooked a finger beneath his chin, raising his face so their gazes connected. "You don't have anything to be ashamed of, Nigel. You didn't do anything wrong."
He swallowed, his face growing redder. "I made some rather... inappropriate assumptions when I woke up in the same sleeping bag."
"If the circumstances had been reversed, I might have thought the same thing." She shrugged. Then, on impulse, she leaned forward and brushed a kiss over his cheek. "But trust me, if anything like that ever happened, you'd remember it."
That achieved the desired effect. His embarrassment gave way to surprise, and she strode away to see if she could get the truck running, making sure he couldn't see the grin on her face. She was rewarded to hear him loping after her, his shoes crunching on the frost. Without turning around, she remarked, "Your parents were chasing down the same relic were looking for now, weren't they? Your mother called it the Nordic Staff. That's one of several common names for the Staff of the Valkyrie. I guess they never found it." She groaned. Looking at the vehicle in full daylight, their own quest was in doubt. "If we can't get this truck moving, were going to have to hike back to Kilpisjärvi. I dont know about you, but a seventy mile walk doesnt hold much appeal for me."
The SUV started without complaint. Unfortunately, the scent of gasoline was even stronger now, and mixed with the lingering smell of smoke. They were forced to drive with the windows down and to pray that another explosion didn't ensue, that the tires hadn't been dangerously weakened by the short-lived inferno, and that they had enough fuel left to get back to the tiny community that was the closest refuge.
In the course of trying to get their vehicle cleaned out and running, Nigel discovered that his mother's tome had survived intact, with only a few dark smudges to testify of the fiery history. With Sydney in the driver's seat, he pulled the brittle letter from its envelope and began to re-read it.
He frowned, wondering if his perceptions had truly been altered that much. "Sydney, how many pages of my mums letter did you read last night?"
"There was only one page, Nigel, why?"
"Well, now there are TWO pages."
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