Sword of Kings
Chapter 26 – A Long Night

by Bill W

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Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. 
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.
Don’t read this story if:
**You’re not 18 or over,    
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don’t want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story.  Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author’s permission is a violation of that copyright.  Legal action will be taken against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with this chapter.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other ‘constructive’ comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

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As Rhys ran off, in an attempt to follow Kieren, the rest of the company watched them in stunned silence.  All of them observed the two figures walking into the distance and tried to comprehend what had caused Kieren to react in such a way.  A few minutes after the warrior and teen had disappeared completely from sight, some members of the group decided it was time to deal with more pressing personal matters.  Following Turquinine’s lead, Hadwin and Alaric began to dig through their packs, trying to locate something to eat.  

Garreth and Romaric were not even aware of what the others were doing, as they were focused entirely upon Kieren.  They were so engrossed in watching and worrying about their friend that they were even ignoring their stomachs.  Both teens kept their eyes on him until he disappeared from sight, and then they turned towards each other.   After a moment of awkward silence, they realized there was nothing they could do or say that would help or make a difference, so they both instinctively just moved toward their bedrolls.  When they reached them, the boys did nothing more than sit down and stare blankly off into the distance.

Both young elves were extremely perplexed by their friend’s recent erratic behavior.  Never, in all the years they had known him, had they ever seen Kieren react the way he was as of late.  They recognized how upset he was about Doenilio, but nearly everything about him seemed different.  No matter how much this troubled them, neither elf had any idea how they might even try to deduce what brought about this severe metamorphosis.  Regardless of what caused his outbursts, both elves could still feel the pain Kieren was currently coping with and wanted nothing more than to think of a way they might be able to make him feel better. 

The warriors, on the other hand, had taken their food and moved to the opposite side of the camp.  They felt they needed to discuss what was happening, so they could understand why the entire mission seemed to be falling apart before their very eyes.  None of them had ever dealt with such inconsistent variables as the three boys before, especially not during any of their professional obligations.  These troopers couldn’t help but feel maybe there was something more going on here, something they weren’t seeing.  Each of them felt horrible about what had happened to Doenilio, but they couldn’t understand why Kieren was taking it so much harder than the rest of them.  Of course, they understood the boys weren’t trained to deal with situations such as this, but none of them could comprehend why neither Garreth nor Romaric seemed to be having as much trouble coping as Kieren did.  Why did Kieren seem to be taking the dwarf’s death so personally? 

Hadwin was having the most difficult time dealing with this incongruity.  Even though he was trying hard to find some reasoning that might explain Kieren’s actions, he had other concerns he wanted answers to as well.  Giving up on his ability to reason this out alone, he walked toward the one man he thought might have the answers to his questions.

“Beraut, Kieren’s actions are troubling me,” he confided to the wizard, when he finally reached him.  The Nardinian’s face appeared gaunt and worn as he spoke. 

“Don’t worry,” the mage told him, soothingly, trying to lessen the soldier’s anxiety.  “He’ll work his way through this eventually.”

On the other side of the camp, Romaric had also decided it was time to seek advice from the mage.  He, like Hadwin, was having trouble finding answers to the many questions that plagued him.  However, when he stood and turned in Beraut’s direction, he noticed the enchanter was already busy with the warrior.  Slowly, Romaric moved closer to the wizard, with the intention of heading back the same way he had come, if he thought he was interrupting something important.

Noticing Romaric moving away from him, Garreth stood up and followed his friend.   At first he was unsure where Romaric was headed, so he just quietly tagged along, thinking he might even be going off to locate Kieren.  It didn’t take him long to realize Romaric was moving toward Beraut, who seemed to be in an animated discussion with Hadwin.  Not wishing to disturb their conversation, Romaric did a quick about-face, deciding his inquiry could wait until later.  As he did so, he slammed right into Garreth.  They looked at each other briefly, wondering what the other was doing, just as Hadwin began to raise his voice.

“That’s not what I meant,” Hadwin explained.  “I’m just worried whether he can handle all of this.  You know, being part of the prophecy, knowing whom he has to kill and realizing he has to do it on his own.  How can he focus on that, when he is dealing with the loss of Doenilio?  I’m not even sure he’s gotten over Selvaggio’s death yet and now he has to cope with this too.  I have no doubt he could work his way through any one of these issues given time, but not all of them at once.”

“He’s a strong young man, Hadwin,” Beraut remarked.  “I don’t think you are giving him enough credit.” 

“I’m just not so sure we should be pinning all our hopes on him,” the Nardinian added, “because I don’t think he has the mettle he needs to carry out this task.”  The wizard was shocked by this comment.

“Kieren has what it takes to fulfill the prophecy,” Beraut stated, emphatically, as his own emotions began to surface.  “He can do this, but he’s just having some doubts at the moment, brought on by our recent loss.  We not only have to trust he can do this,” the enchanter continued, “but we have to convince him that we believe he can too, to bolster his own weakening self-confidence.”  The others had heard the exchange and were looking intently at Hadwin and Beraut now, trying to fathom the meaning of their words.

Having heard what had been said about his friend, an infuriated Romaric charged Hadwin.  “You’re wrong!” he lashed out, defiantly.  “You just don’t know him like we do,” he added, motioning toward Garreth and startling the others.  This caused everyone to focus on the young elves.

“Beraut’s right,” Garreth added, the expression on his face showing the same deep anger that Romaric had demonstrated, yet his voice was almost pleading with his fellow travelers.  “I know you think we’re just children, but we know Kieren better than any of you, and we know he can do this.”  Romaric nodded, adding his silent confirmation to what his friend had just told them. 

Hadwin took a deep breath, getting ready to give a forceful response, when Kieren suddenly walked right past him. Each member of party looked strangely at the boy, as if he were out of place just being there. Seeing none of them wanted Kieren to overhear what was being said, the discussion ended abruptly.  Everyone just stared at each other without uttering a word, when Rhys also appeared from their left flank, quietly joining their ranks.

Kieren apparently hadn’t heard what was being discussed, although Rhys had.  That’s why the Akiktite released his grasp of the teen’s shoulder and let him go on alone.  That way, the warrior could hang back to see what was going on, without the young man overhearing the conversation or raising his suspicions.  Oblivious to what the rest of his companions were up to, Kieren went directly to his bedding and sat down.  He did take a brief moment to delve into his pack and grab some food, but it was only to quiet the rumblings in his stomach. 

Garreth and Romaric, thinking the cluster of bodies might look suspicious to their friend, wandered away from the others.  Kieren didn’t notice any of this, however.  He had purposely sat with his back to the group and was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to pay them any attention.  If he had been more observant, he might have guessed something was going on, but fortunately for the rest of them, he still had other things on his mind. 

As Garreth and Romaric moved away from their position, the warriors started to talk in whispers about what the elves had said previously.  The military men were touched by the pair’s steadfast support of their friend and it made them question their own doubts about Kieren.  If Beraut and the two who knew the young man best had that much confidence in him, how could they let what happened earlier lessen their faith in his abilities?

Garreth and Romaric, on the other hand, were preoccupied with trying to think of a way to keep Kieren from losing faith in himself.  Together, they moved to a quiet part of the camp, where they were sure not to bother any of the others or be bothered themselves.  Even though they were still unsure about how Kieren currently felt about them, things were starting to become clearer.  They had gained a better appreciation of the amount of stress their friend was under and a greater empathy for the role he had to fill.  It also made them begin to regret their actions at Thorold.

As Kieren sat on his bedroll, staring off into the night, he continued to deal with the immense guilt he felt regarding Doenilio’s death.  On top of that, there was one other unexpected consideration he couldn’t get out of his mind.  Kieren had begun to question whether or not he had the slightest chance of successfully completing this assignment.  He decided that if he couldn’t give himself a satisfactory response to that question, he should probably put an end to this charade here and now.  This dilemma drowned Kieren so deeply in his own thoughts that he almost failed to hear Beraut speak.  The wizard had risen to address the group, which was now scattered across the campsite.

“I suggest each of you try to get a good night’s rest,” the wizard informed them.  “It’s been a long and draining day and we still have a great deal of ground to cover tomorrow.  I’ll be seeing you off to Treblanc and then I’ll have to hurry on my way, to reach Thorold.”  This comment caught everyone, except for Kieren, completely off-guard.  It also startled each of them so badly that they didn’t seem able to move or speak.  Here they were trying to decide how to deal with the boys and what they should do next, only to discover the wizard was going to be leaving them alone with them. 

“You mean you’re not staying with us?” Romaric asked, bewildered.  The elf’s mouth was hanging open slightly, showing his surprise.  Kieren wanted to second Romaric’s comment, even though he knew beforehand this was going to happen. 

“I have to,” Beraut uttered, almost apologetically.  “It was agreed at the Second Council of War that I would return, so I could lead our armies into battle.  It was the only way I could get all of the different races to agree to fight as a single unit.” 

“But you can’t just run off now,” Romaric pleaded.  “How can you go, after what’s just happened?  We need you.”  Kieren still couldn’t believe Beraut was just going to abandon them like this.   How could they possibly continue, if Beraut wasn’t going to be there to guide and protect them?

“I’m afraid I must,” Beraut whispered, while looking warmly into elf’s eyes.  “The warriors will provide all the support you will need and I have been preparing Qaim to be your guide.  He will lead you on the final leg of this journey.” 

“Is that what you and Qaim were talking about, while we walked across the valley?” Garreth asked from nearby. 

“Yes, it was, but I’m surprised you noticed that,” the enchanter responded, causing Garreth to blush.  The elf knew he wouldn’t have seen Beraut and Qaim talking along the way, if Kieren hadn’t pointed it out to Romaric and him, while they were making their way across the Valley of the Dead. 

“And just talking about it makes Qaim ready to take your place?” Garreth pressed, finding this hard to believe.

“Yes.  I’m convinced Qaim is prepared to do this,” the enchanter answered.

“Yes, Qaim lead you from here,” the aignx affirmed, quite excitedly.  “Qaim good guide.  Qaim get you out of forest.  Now, Qaim lead you to bad wizard.”

“Master Beraut,” Turquinine interjected, “I agree with Romaric.  Art thou certain this is wise?  Is this simple creature capable of performing such a task?  How canst he do this job as well as thou?  Though he didst lead us out of Briarwood, this is different.  Briarwood was its home, but this creature hath never journeyed in the mountains we must travel, much less dwelt there.” 

Kieren was pleased to hear at least one of the warriors questioning Beraut’s actions too.  He secretly hoped an adult’s opinion might be enough to get the wizard to change his mind.  However, he was also beginning to feel as if he were being abandoned and betrayed.  That made it even more difficult for him to accept the fact that Beraut was considering leaving them at this crucial juncture. 

“I can assure you that Qaim will be able to do the job.  In fact, it’s highly probable that he will do it better than I could, even if I were to remain with you.  He has special talents that will be more than sufficient to get you into Treblanc safely and he can navigate any obstacle which might be put in your path.”  Hearing this, Kieren was losing hope the wizard was going to change his mind and remain with them.  He also started to realize the mage had only entertained this discussion for the sole purpose of making everyone feel better about his departure.  Understanding this to be the case, continuing the conversation only increased Kieren’s frustration. 

“What special talents does Qaim have?” Alaric asked, indirectly challenging the wizard to prove his statement.  Although a few agreed with his approach, some of the others thought the elf was being too bold.  Beraut, on the other hand, did not take this as an affront to his veracity and merely responded to Alaric’s question. 

“He has magical abilities that will help him show you the way and even protect you once you get there.” This information didn’t seem to reassure them, as Beraut had hoped.  However, it did even less to satisfy Kieren’s doubts.

“What kind of magical abilities?” Garreth pressed, causing Beraut to look at him thoughtfully, while he considered how to respond.    Kieren began to lean forward, eagerly anticipating what his mentor might say, because he wanted to understand why the mage thought he could still leave them with the aignx as their new leader.

“You just need to trust that Qaim will be able to do the job for you,” the wizard added, knowing this discussion could last for hours.  Beraut was convinced they wouldn’t be satisfied, no matter what tidbits of information he shared with them.

“How can we trust Qaim to lead us safely, when you couldn’t even protect Doenilio?” Kieren shot back, finding it impossible to remain quiet any longer.  “I thought you’d change your mind after what happened in the Valley of the Dead.  How can you still desert us after that?  How can I trust Qaim to do YOUR job, when he doesn’t have even a fraction of the powers you do?”

“Kieren, you’re not thinking rationally right now and you’ll see this differently in the morning,” the wizard responded simply.

“I doubt that,” Kieren snapped, but before he could continue, the wizard cut him off with a wave of his hand and an icy cold stare.  Kieren didn’t say any more after that, at least not to his mentor.  However, he did mutter another comment, as he turned around, to walk back toward his bedding with his two friends.

“I didn’t like the idea when Beraut told me what he was planning back in Thorold, but now I like it even less,” Kieren sputtered.

“You knew he was going to leave us?” Garreth asked, astonished.  This comment lessened Kieren’s anger slightly, as he took a second to understand how his friends might be feeling about all of this.

“Yes, I did,” Kieren admitted.  “He told me one time when we were alone, but I always thought he’d change his mind, especially after what happened to Doenilio.”  Kieren looked over his shoulder at Beraut, hoping the mage would finally relent, but he could tell by the look on his mentor’s face that this discussion was definitely finished.  Kieren managed to keep from opening his mouth yet again, but he was still not satisfied with what was going to happen. 

“I will take the first watch and stay on duty for as long as I can,” Beraut announced to the warriors.  “This will give all of you some time to recuperate.  I will wake one of you when I begin to grow weary.”

Hearing this, the warriors thanked Beraut for his offer, while the youthful trio walked back and climbed under their bedrolls. After Sedain saw the boys were settled in, he signaled the others to move a short distance away with him.  Once everyone had managed to join him, he reached into his pack and pulled something out, but no one else could tell what it was.  “Doenilio brought this from his home and slipped it to me before we left Thorold,” he stated, now showing them a medium-sized jug.  “It’s a very potent drink that he was quite fond of and he thought we should have it to toast the completion of our mission.  I think now it would be best used to honor him.” 

There was a murmur of agreement as Sedain popped the cork, took a swig and then passed the jug to Quintain, who stood beside him.  As the jug made its way around the circle they had formed, everyone remained quiet, yet each of them took a healthy swallow.  It not only helped to warm their insides, but it also made them feel a little more relaxed.  When the jug finally got back to Sedain, he replaced the cork and tucked the container under his arm.

“He was a truly remarkable soldier,” Quintain told them, finally breaking the long silence, “a very loyal friend and a dedicated family man.”  The dwarf was happy he was able to say a few words to pay tribute to Doenilio.  This, in turn, opened the door for the others. 

“My time to knoweth him was brief,” Turquinine offered, “but his skills and professionalism were both to be honored and respected.” 

“He was much admired among our people,” Sedain chimed in. 

“Yes, and it was a tragedy to lose him in such a needless manner,” Rhys added. 

“Indeed,” Alaric agreed.  “I remember a River Elf who survived a battle with pirates on the open sea, which damaged his ship badly and killed many others.  When they returned to port and began repairs, a yard broke free and fell on him, causing injuries which he later died of.” 

“What’s a yard?” Quintain asked, unfamiliar with nautical terms.

“Ah, excuse me, my dear friend,” Alaric apologized.  “The yard is the beam that supports the top of the sail and is fastened to the mast.”  The others now nodded in understanding. 

“That was tragic,” Hadwin responded.  “I remember losing a close friend in a similar unexplainable fashion.  We had just finished fighting the gnomes in a most vicious battle and he had handled himself superbly.  He killed many gnomes single-handedly and was probably most responsible for keeping us from losing the battle.  Then, on the way back home, fatigue overcame him and he slipped off a narrow ledge along the mountain slopes and fell to his death.”

“That type of death doth not befit a warrior,” Turquinine commented.  “To fight so nobly, only to die in a common mishap.”  The others nodded in agreement.  It was a sobering exchange, which not only reminded them about how tenuous their situation was, but also made them realize how likely it was that another of them might suffer a similar fate before this was over.  Knowing what was going through everyone’s mind, Alaric spoke up.

“How about one more toast to the successful completion of this mission,” he offered.  “We’ll just end it with a prayer that we will lose no other friends along the way.”  This statement was not only meant to give some closure to their concerns, but it also let the others know that Alaric now considered them all friends – something that rarely happened amongst members of different races.  None of the others missed the significance of this poignant remark.

Sedain quickly uncorked the jug and passed it around again, to acknowledge his complete concurrence with Alaric’s comments.  Everyone downed another healthy swig, as the jug retraced the same path it had taken previously.  The effects of the strong brew relaxed them even more and put things in a different light.  By the time they finished, the warriors were no longer as deeply troubled by the wizard’s recent news. 

The boys, who were in their bedrolls a few meters away from the others, were unaware of what the warriors were doing.  The teens were dealing with issues of their own and their inability to fall asleep was the most pressing and also the most frustrating.  The problem for Kieren was, when he closed his eyes, his mind continually replayed what had happened to Doenilio.  No matter how hard he tried to erase those thoughts from his memory, or at least move them to the back of his mind, they always managed to surface again.  For Garreth and Romaric, it was their concern for Kieren that kept them awake.  They were greatly troubled because they hadn’t been able to think of a way to relieve his burden and remove his pain.  They felt as if they had failed him.

After the jug made a couple more circuits around the circle and the warriors had taken a few more swigs, they began to acknowledge that they needed to get some rest too.  Slowly, they got up and made their way back to their designated places around the boys and began to lie down.  They did so very quietly and it wasn’t long before the camp was engulfed in total silence. 

The wizard kept his promise and took the first watch.  He was doing everything within his power to make sure they had time to cope with their loss.  As the minutes dragged by, Beraut never let his vigilance slip or his concentration wane.  On the contrary, he even went so far as to investigate several areas he felt might possibly harbor threats, trying to see if anything caught his attention.

“Beraut, are you sure Qaim will be able to take your place?” a familiar, but timid voice asked, startling the wizard and causing him to jerk about abruptly.  The mage was relieved to see Romaric standing behind him and not something more threatening.  It was apparent the elf had more questions to ask the enchanter and thought it would be best to confront Beraut while everyone else was asleep.  After taking a few seconds to regain his composure, the enchanter responded in a calm, even voice.

“Yes, of that I am certain,” he replied.

“But what makes him so special and able to take your place?” Romaric pressed.

“Because I know Tarolian history,” the mage retorted, “and how his ancestors developed.  Even though the aignx is not a particularly intelligent race and can easily be taken advantage of, nature has helped them compensate for that shortcoming.  During their evolutionary maturation, these creatures have developed certain skills, abilities that now allow them to be able to sense danger.  Once a threat is perceived, their instincts either lets them know how to approach the problem or indicates when it would be best to just avoid it.  They have also developed the ability to escape from nearly any type of trap imaginable, as you saw in Briarwood.” 

“Those sound like nice skills, but won’t we need more than that?” Hadwin wanted to know, shocking both the wizard and the elf.  Each of them had thought they were the only ones still awake.

“Yes,” the enchanter finally answered him, honestly, “but he has more potential than I have been able to impart.  You see, the aignx is not a very fierce race.  In fact, they are extremely docile.  For that reason, the Council of Wizards was fond of using them as servants, to look after the domestic chores at their headquarters.  The Council would pay them by giving them food, shelter and, most importantly, by providing them protection from predators.”  Both Romaric and Hadwin appeared to be listening intently to the wizard’s explanation.

“Over the years,” Beraut continued, “the Council noted their vulnerabilities and decided to endow them with certain additional gifts.  These magical enhancements allowed their kind to serve the Council even better and make them quite valuable to us, even now.  You see, the aignx can pick locks, even enchanted ones, and they also have the ability to avoid traps and discover devices that would open secret hiding places or unleash unseen weapons.  In addition to these other talents, they are also experts at camouflaging techniques.”  The wizard paused here to study Romaric and Hadwin’s expressions, because he wanted to see if they comprehended his meaning.   

“So, because he can pick locks, avoid traps and find secret hiding places, that makes him a better choice to lead us than you?”  Kieren interrupted, sarcastically, which caused the wizard, the Nardinian and the young elf to wheel about in his direction, surprised to discover he was awake as well. 

 “It makes him at least AS capable of leading you to the successful completion of this task,” the enchanter advised him, ignoring the tone of his voice.

“But if he’s so capable and is so good at hiding, how did we find him in the first place?” Kieren inquired, even more caustically.

“You see, my dear boy,” Beraut informed him, trying to control his own frustration with Kieren’s continued outbursts, “Romaric only observed movement and thought something was lurking BENEATH a pile of compost.  He did not realize the pile, itself, was the intruder.  That was about the only way any of you could have detected the aignx and, had he not been so curious at the sight of rarely seen newcomers, I doubt you would ever have known he even existed.”  The enchanter paused to give them a few seconds to think about what he had just told them. 

“In fact,” the mage continued, after a minute or so, “I was surprised not only that you had discovered him, but that you were also able to capture him and convince him to help you.  The aignx have become very leery of everyone, except others of their kind, and they are not easily convinced to forsake this distrust and assist another race.  However, for some reason, he does seem to be particularly fond of you,” Beraut emphasized, indicating Qaim’s seeming attachment to Kieren.  Hearing this comment, Kieren interpreted it to mean the wizard was talking down to him now, so he spun around in disgust.  The teen was about to walk away, when he heard the others agree that Qaim was closer to Kieren than he was to any of them. 

“Qaim will serve you well and do what needs to be done,” Beraut added, trying to soften Kieren’s response to his previous remark. 

“Thy counsel hath always proven to be excellent,” Turquinine interjected.  The sudden impact of his booming voice caused everyone’s head to snap in his direction, almost in unison.  “That is why I think it best we heed your advice now.  I wilst accept thy faith in our newfound companion and support his efforts, as I would had they come from thyself.”  It was now that each of them began to realize that no one had been sleeping this entire time.  As they looked around, they noticed that every member of the group had either rolled over on his side, propped himself up on a elbow or sat up on his bedding, so he could hear better. 

“Master Beraut,” came a timid little voice from the other side of Kieren, which he instantly recognized as Garreth’s.  “Do you have any ideas about what types of things we might yet encounter?”

“I’m afraid this time I have no idea what new obstacles or threats might lie ahead.  I do know one thing, however, and that is that the aignx can get you there, but it’s up to the rest of you to make sure nothing goes wrong along the way.”  The others were processing what this meant to them individually, when Kieren pushed the issue a step further.

“So, when will you be leaving us?” he wanted to know, frustrated and angry because the wizard wouldn’t change his mind. 

“I will be leaving you at dawn, after I have sent you on your way.  If all goes well, we will meet again in a few days.” 

Unconvinced, Kieren laid back down, pulled the covers up to his neck and turned his head away from Beraut.  The wizard could not help but wonder if he might have handled the situation better.  He now wished he had taken the opportunity to speak to Kieren about this in private again, but he also knew it was much too late for that; the damage had already been done.  Realizing the conversation was over, the warriors moved back to their bedrolls too and settled in under the covers.  Slowly, they began to doze off.

As Kieren lay between his two friends, he still couldn’t stop thinking about the wizard’s plan to leave them.  However, he was able to sense Garreth and Romaric both inching closer to him.  He knew they were trying to let him know they were there for him, as they would have done in the past.  This simple act let Kieren know not everything was wrong in the world and gave him a little peace of mind.  However, seeing the warriors were already sleeping, his two friends went ahead with their plan to help him relax even more. 

Suddenly, all three of them were under the same blanket and Garreth and Romaric were frantically pushing down Kieren’s breeches.  Once they were down around his ankles, Romaric placed his head on Kieren’s abdomen and began to lick and suck his flaccid member to life.  On the other side, Garreth had placed his head between Kieren’s legs and was busy tonguing his scrotum and sucking on his testicles.  It wasn’t long before Kieren was fully aroused and his juices were beginning to boil. 

Eagerly, Romaric slid his mouth over Kieren’s rigid penis and ran his tongue and lips up and down its length.  While Romaric bobbed to and fro on Kieren’s erect shaft, Garreth slid a little lower and began to run his tongue around Kieren’s anal opening.  This double pleasure had Kieren squirming and struggling to control his groans of sexual frenzy, as he luxuriated in the pleasure his friends were giving him.  It was only a few seconds later when he unleashed his hot seed into Romaric’s mouth and went limp, lost in orgasmic bliss.  By the time he recovered, he noticed the two elves were on the verge of their own climax, as they frantically masturbated themselves to ejaculation.  After releasing their loads, they cleaned themselves up and rearranged their clothing, before they snuggled against one another.  Contented by this turn of events, Kieren stared up at the stars, only slightly troubled about what tomorrow might bring, until he drifted off to sleep.