Fills Post
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NEW HERE: Needs of the Other 21B/21
Date: 2020-12-24 08:23 pm (UTC)Part 21B
———————————————-
(Yusuf)
Somewhere outside of Alexandria, 12th century
The bloodied arrow was all too familiar.
Yusuf caught Nicolo’s grimace before his expression went deliberately blank. No doubt Nicolo recalled pulling a similar arrow out of his body. Nicolo never mentioned where the unknown archer had struck him, but Yusuf spied Nicolo patching far too many holes on the back of his tunic before admitting defeat.
“...three days’ ride from here,” Izem said, unaware of Yusuf and Nicolo’s thoughts. The young man turned the arrow with its yellow striped quiver in his hands.
“This was lodged in the boy’s back,” Izem said with a scowl. “He was fortunate he was on a fast horse when he fled with his sister. He would not have survived otherwise. The arrow would have pierced them both.”
“What coward would shoot a fleeing innocent's back? A child no less,” Yusuf muttered as he accepted the arrow.
“Then they still attack,” Nicolo exhaled. “I hoped their defeat here would discourage them.”
“The cold winter stayed their swords but their greed revived at the thaw.” Yusuf turned the arrow. “You are certain these arrows are the same?” He knew they were. He still remembered the cold sting as one pierced his throat from afar. But the arrows in the village were burned as kindling for the winter. None remained.
“I pried one out of my dearest friend’s heart,” Izem said. He darkened, frowning. “He was like a brother to me. I remember what evil device fell him.”
Yusuf pressed his lips together. The attack aged Izem. Less then a year ago, Yusuf thought of Izem as a boy, a child compared to their years. It was distressing to see Izem referring to another as a boy. Violence and pain added years to his soul before they appear on the skin.
Nicolo was right. It should not just be blood and sorrow for them.
“In which direction did they come from?” Nicolo asked. He took the arrow from Yusuf. He considered the tip. “This was forged with great skill.”
Izem gave it some thought and then pointed to where the sun descends.
“North?” Izem ventured in haltering Arabic. He checked with Yusuf.
“West,” Nicolo corrected in Yusuf’s place.
“Ack,” Yusuf grumbled, “You two still pronounce words like screeching cats. Have pity on my ears.” To Izem, Yusuf pretended to scowl.
“Have you forgotten my lessons already?”
Izem grinned sheepishly and he was that young man scratching words in the dirt with a stick again.
“So,” Nicolo said carefully. His eyes drifted over to Yusuf. “We go west? We may find where these men will go next. We can stop them.”
“We should find the archer first,” Yusuf added. “He hides from a distance. Any attack depended on his success to catch the opposition unaware.”
Izem made a sound. “Then you are leaving.” He sadly considered Yusuf and Nicolo. “We had hoped this would be your home.”
Yusuf exchanged a private smile with Nicolo. Nicolo nodded.
“We would be honored to call this place our home.” Nicolo returned the arrow to Izem. “But first, Yusuf and I must find these men who destroy homes of others.”
Izem looked disappointed, but he nodded.
“Things happen for a reason,” Nicolo said quietly. “To have these siblings find your village despite them having fled blindly is an event Yusuf and I can not ignore.”
Yusuf thought about what they talked about yesterday. This was the direction and purpose they needed, to do the good they both hoped.
“Will I see you two again?” Izem appeared hopeful.
Yusuf clapped a hand on Izem’s shoulder. He was startled he felt muscle under his hand. Izem was no longer the thin boy who stared shyly after them.
“Perhaps,” Yusuf demurred, unwilling to lie but knew he should not promise.
“We all owe you a great debt,” Izem said. He sounded wistful. “I regret we do not know how we could repay you.”
Yusuf glanced over his shoulder.
“...well, there is one thing you can do for us.”
The horse tried to bite him again.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Yusuf sputtered. He hopped back, bumping into Nicolo as he avoided the snapping teeth. "Do not be this discourteous with your new masters!"
"Yusuf," Nicolo murmured. He stepped up to the horse, patting the narrow head as he glanced over to Yusuf. "Are you sure?"
Yusuf grunted as he shooed the chickens into the pen Izem built. Efe was happy to take in the dozen hens and chicks. He lost all of his own flock in the attack.
The brown speckled hen ignored the new pen. It tottered over and pecked Yusuf's boot.
"We can not taken the hens with us," Yusuf murmured. "They would better serve the village."
"They are good birds." Nicolo crouched down. He gingerly sprinkled the last of the feed on the ground. He watched with a small smile as a few hens eagerly hopped around him, wings flapping as they went.
"But my question is not of them." Nicolo looked over his shoulder at the horse. It chomped on a piece of fruit Izem offered.
"Are you sure you wish to leave him here?"
Yusuf grunted. "That beast would toss me into the sands the moment we try to cross the desert." It was no place for a horse used to the slow pace of their previous days.
"Besides," Yusuf continued, not turning around when the horse neighed, "the village needs every animal's strength. Even one as lazy as that one."
Nicolo slipped a hand over Yusuf's right knee under the shadow of their bodies.
"The bandits left plenty of horses behind when they fled." Nicolo squeezed Yusuf's knee, pulling away before someone sees. "The mill owner even offered a strong mare so we can both ride."
Yusuf grunted again.
Behind them, Izem yelped, trying to avoid a kicking hoof.
"We only know to go West," Yusuf murmured under his breath. "And how many deaths you and I will experience as we travel is unknown." Yusuf exhaled. "That cursed beast, as stubborn and ornery as it is, only has one. The moment we fall, it will be doomed to fall in the hands of our adversaries. We would rise again, but..."
Yusuf shrugged. He petted one of the hens with a crooked finger. Nicolo sighed. He watched the chickens hop and hobble into the new pen.
"You are right, of course," Nicolo said. He bumped his shoulder to Yusuf's.
"But I am sorry."
"Bah," Yusuf muttered. He clapped his hands on his thighs to shake the dust free. He rose to his feet, his eyes firmly forward, not looking as Izem coaxed the horse to move. It refused. "I look forward to the peace and quiet."
"We should go," Yusuf said. Perhaps louder than necessary because Nicolo started next to him. "There is much to pack in our home. We have finished what we came here to do."
"We will miss you," Izem said. He held tight to the beast's reins. "We will always welcome both of you."
"Thank you," Nicolo murmured. He stroked the horse's nose. "Please take care of it."
"Of course," Izem promised.
"Do not embarrass me," Yusuf told the horse. He abruptly turned his shoulder, facing the way back to their home for the last time.
"I wish you all peace," Nicolo bade. He lingered, murmuring farewells to Izem's mother, to the few who came over the baker's home to offer well wishes and safe passage.
The horse's nose bumped behind Yusuf.
"You are better staying here," Yusuf muttered. He kept his eyes towards the path out of the village. "I relish no longer fearing your teeth."
A whinny ruffled Yusuf's hair in the back. Yusuf set his jaw.
"I am ready," Nicolo rejoined Yusuf.
"I am as well," Yusuf said out loud. He started walking, slowing when he realized Nicolo needed to hurry his steps to catch up.
Behind Yusuf, a neigh rang out.
"Yusuf," Nicolo murmured.
"It is fine," Yusuf bit out. He wished Nicolo would walk faster. There was much to do at the house. They agreed the dwelling should be shuttered properly so someone could use it if they happen upon it.
The village smoothed out to the mixture of dirt and sand. The path widened and rolled out before Yusuf. He widened his stride, eager to reach the house before dark. Nicolo followed a step behind. He was silent.
Yusuf abruptly stopped.
Nicolo stepped up to Yusuf.
"I will wait here," Nicolo murmured.
Yusuf nodded jerkily, turned on his heel and marched back to the village.
"Not a word," Yusuf warned as he slowed his horse by Nicolo. He clicked his tongue, urging the other horse trailing behind him to move forward. It considered Nicolo with its soft brown eyes before it trotted up to Nicolo.
Nicolo nodded, but Yusuf caught the tiny upturned corner of his mouth as he climbed up onto the horse.
Yusuf growled. He swatted at Nicolo, whose smile turned into a low chuckle. It quickly turned into a laugh when Yusuf's horse turned around and tried to bite him again.
"Ingrate!" Yusuf sputtered. "I should have left you and only take Abeba! At least she was grateful not to be pulling a cart!"
"Abeba?" Nicolo stroked the pointed ears. He patted her black and gray coat.
"It means 'flower' for the mark on her head," Yusuf said.
"You gave my horse a name, but not yours?" Nicolo tsked.
"Oh, I thought of a name," Yusuf muttered. In front of him, his horse's ears twitched. "But I am uncertain this wretched beast is deserving of--stop that!"
Nicolo laughed again, a pure joy to behold and if his cursed horse could do that then perhaps it is of use after all.
"Let us go," Nicolo said with a final chuckle. "I wish to enjoy your strange feather bed one more time before we leave in the morning."
"Only one more time, hobi?" Yusuf rumbled.
Nicolo paused. His eyes slid over to Yusuf.
"How many times were you thinking?" Nicolo murmured.
Yusuf's mouth went dry. He cleared his throat.
"Too many to count."
Nicolo breathed out, "Ah. Then it will depend."
"On what?"
Nicolo's mouth parted, his eyes darkening.
"On how soon you can catch me."
And with a twitch of reins, Nicolo and his horse bolted pasted Yusuf.
Yusuf shouted joyously, tugging his own lines. He and his horse raced after them. Yusuf kept Nicolo in his sights all the way back to the house.
----------------------------
Two more parts! I'll post them on Boxing Day. Everyone have a great holiday tomorrow!
Re: NEW HERE: Needs of the Other 21B/21
Date: 2020-12-25 06:25 pm (UTC)I wasn't finish with the thing I want to say about how much I adore this fic, I love all the side characters you write in this story, I love their horse that Yusuf so stubbornly not wanting to name him haha or probably he should name him stubborn in arabic (aenid I checked on google lmao) because that horse is just as stubborn as Yusuf lol. I remembered a chapter when the horse was kicking ass and so loyal to Yusuf and basically helping him fight. I love this horse and I am glad yusuf bring him with them. Every chapter with yusuf and the horse shenanigans was totally hilarious.
I love their chickens, I love their small house that you describe so well so I can imagine how lovely the place is, with the fig tree nearby and the streams where they used to swim and do their hot activities 😏😏 (Yusuf's favorite place to blow Nicky 🙊)
And how poignant that pendant yusuf wear as a memento of their painful past.
I love how insatiable they are for each other.
Aaaa and this story is almost come to conclusion and as much as I don't want to part with it but I think so far you have write a satisfying ending for them.
They have a new purpose and what they want to do with their immortality after Nicky already overcome his trauma.
And I can't wait to read the rest of it as well!
I hope you have a pleasant holiday.❤❤
Re: NEW HERE: Needs of the Other 21B/21
Date: 2020-12-26 10:05 pm (UTC)I would love to write a filler for them now that I'm on school break. This comment is going to sustain me as I log in for my grades Monday. Eeeek.
Re: NEW HERE: Needs of the Other 21B/21
Date: 2020-12-25 08:29 pm (UTC)(Also this is the artist from before, I hope you don't mind but the sex scene where they finally got together was so hot and sweet, I really want to draw it so hopefully sometime soon...😭😭😭))
Re: NEW HERE: Needs of the Other 21B/21
Date: 2020-12-26 09:20 pm (UTC)Is it here yet? Is it? LOL.
I loved your last one. I hope I can point it out to the AO3 readers when I post!