Chapter Text
The sand stings Paige’s face, causing her to squint. Her cheeks and forehead burned throughout the day and night, and now faintly throb. Between that, her long dried tears and the threat of looming exhaustion over her head, her eyes burned, and her face was stiff, making it difficult to do anything but watch the horizon ahead.
Occasionally, Yori and the Renegade would enter her peripheral vision, and the wind would bring the scent of vomit both fresh and sun-dried with them. The Renegade seemed to be barely hanging on, either leaning against Yori’s back or scrambling to get off the horse. Each time, they would stop as he crawled into the dirt, body wracking with gags. Each time, Yori would climb off after him, rubbing his back gently and hiding his face from sight as she held his vomit-stained bandanna. Tron would turn his horse around, watching wordlessly until the Renegade’s retches and gasps quieted. Then, he would get off his horse, pick up the Renegade and carry him to Yori’s horse. They’d all climb on, and Tron would pick a new direction.
The stars were beginning to fade above them when Tron finally stopped. Paige couldn’t help her sigh of relief when her horse slowed. Her leg still throbbed, but at least it no longer screamed with each movement.
“We’ll stop here for now,” Tron said, barely glancing back at the others. He pointed at a cave in the rock ahead. “That’ll give us a decent shelter to recover.”
Yori nodded and slipped off her horse. The Renegade almost slid off without her support. Luckily, Yori turned quickly enough and managed to catch him with a grunt. Tron started to rush over until she waved him off. “I got him. Get us unpacked.”
Tron had the good sense (and perhaps exhaustion) not to argue, instead shuffling over to his horse to begin unloading.
Paige bit her lip to steel herself. She braced her hands on the saddle and twisted with a soft wince. Thankfully, the pain seemed to only be a warning shot as she lowered herself. Her left leg settled on the ground, and she leaned heavily against her horse, allowing her right to hang just above the ground. Still, she was panting and covered in sweat.
“Need help?” Tron rumbled behind her. With a gasp, she looked up to see him towering above her. She bit back the urge to spit back a refusal. Not now. She’s…not strong enough.
“Please.” She panted. Tron grunted and came around to her right. Paige let go of her horse and Tron stepped into the space, grabbing her arm.
Wordlessly, the two hobbled down the crest of the dune, Tron’s grip firm but not bruising. Still, it felt like an eternity’s trek by the time they made it to the shaded opening of the cave. Paige couldn’t help but sigh in relief at the mercy of the darkness. Her skin was still warming her with their burns, and she clung to Tron as he began to lower her down.
“Easy.” He murmured, and if it weren’t for her heat exhaustion, she would have sworn it was soothing. She blinked, and that expression and voice were gone. “Rest.”
“But what about-”
“We’ll be okay. Rest.”
She wanted to argue, it wasn’t safe and that someone needed to stand guard while they unpacked. But, the cool ground was inviting her down, stiff exhaustion pulling her down. She gave into the pull, letting her eyes shut into darkness and silence.
When she peeled her eyes open again, the sun was high in the sky. Lazily, her gaze wandered to count two other shapes curled up on the floor. Faintly, she could spot Tron’s arm draped over Yori.
With a soft groan, Paige peeled herself off the ground and looked around. The Renegade was nowhere to be found. He must have gotten over the last bout of charcoal and must be standing guard. Not the wisest thing in her opinion, but it was better than remaining unguarded.
With that worry settled in her mind, she turned her attention to her leg. She bit back a wince as she straightened out her leg. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for whatever ghastly infection she might see, before opening her eyes and slowly pulling up the remains of her dress hem.
It actually…didn’t look as bad as she thought. Thankfully, the wound didn’t seem infected (yet), but the bandaging had long disappeared and the stitches were in shreds. She’d need to wash out the wound before attempting to restitch and rebandage.
With a wince, she pulled herself into a crawl, dragging herself to the stacked bags in the corner. She pulled the bags out of the pile and began to dig. She knew Tron or Yori kept some spare medical supplies somewhere…
“A-ha!” Paige muttered to herself as her eyes caught on the white fabric. She pulled it out, followed by the thread with a needle tucked into the spool. She pulled the needle out just enough to check that it was clean before slipping it back in. Now, to find some way to wash it.
She glanced at the canteen leaning against the wall and began to reach out for it. Her fingers clasped around it, and her hopeful smile was struck down when she found it empty. They were already out-?
Whatever, she thought as she sighed to herself. She’ll just have to risk foregoing cleaning it. But she’ll still need light.
Still clutching the bottle close, Paige began to crawl to the edge of the cave. She sat right on the edge. This should be enough for her to see without being burned more…
Her hand paused over the spool of thread. Something blue had caught the corner of her eye, and something bubbled faintly in her ears. She dared to believe it as she looked up to the river, just around the curve of the dune. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head rapidly before opening her eyes again. Surely, it was just a hallucination!
Still, she found herself pushing onto her feet. She held the bottle and supplies close to her chest with one hand, while the other found security in the rocks of the canyon. She limped forward, perhaps faster than she should. Her right leg stiffly dragged along, but she ignored the pain just for a moment. As she reached the edge of the dune, she pushed off the wall, chancing stumbling on her injured leg. She could handle a few steps, with that water just in sight-
She made it around the corner, to find someone else standing at the bank. Without thinking, she screamed. The supplies tumbled out of her hands as she instantly covered her eyes right as the Renegade began to turn around. She missed his face but unfortunately did not miss much else.
“Paige?!” The Renegade shrieked. She heard him clap his hands onto his skin, and when he spoke again, his voice was muffled. “What are you doing?!”
“You’re naked!” She gasped.
“Oh, shit-!” He broke off into frantic mutters. She peeked through her fingers to see the Renegade bent over, back to her as he grabbed his things. Unfortunately, this made his butt all the clearer, and she quickly closed the gaps in her fingers again.
“Sorry, sorry!” He called after a moment. “I didn’t think anyone else was awake.”
“No one else is.” She managed after a dry swallow. “Just us.”
“Let me move my stuff real quick…” She heard him pass her, trying to catch his breath. Not long after he passed her, he paused. “Do you want me to keep a lookout for you?”
Considering it safe to open her eyes, she uncovered her face and began to kneel. “Why would I want that?” She asked as she gathered her things. Her adrenaline was fading, and the pulsing pain in her leg was returning.
“W-well, so no one could sneak up on you while you’re bathing.” The Renegade stuttered. She grunted as she pushed herself back up to her feet. “I won’t look or anything, I promise- “
“Fine.” She grunted.
“…What?”
“Fine, you can keep watch. But if I catch you watching me, I’ll cut your eyes out!”
Even with her back to him, she could sense him stiffen. “Got ya.”
“And please put your clothes on first.” She sighed.
“Oh. Right.”
She heard him scurry away. She bit back a second sigh and limped her way to the riverbank.
The current to the river was slow, just enough to avoid stagnate growth. She knelt and when she dipped her hand, the cool water greeted her skin. She sighed softly at the relieving temperature but withdrew her hand so she could sit herself down on the bank. She hiked up the torn remains of her dress and dipped her legs into the water. It was like a soft embrace to her wound and for the moment, she let it rest.
“So…” The Renegade’s voice drifted in. She whipped her head around to see him approaching her back-first, still facing the opposite direction. “Do you happen to know where we are?”
“No idea.” She turned back to her pile of things, grabbing the canteen. “I’m sure Tron will want to find out soon enough. We were just looking to get out of sight.”
The Renegade hummed at that. He was silent for a long moment as Paige filled up the canteen and set it to the side. She treasured the moment with a minute sigh before beginning to unbutton her dress. She could spare a few moments to bathe.
“I’m surprised they’re still asleep.” The Renegade said as she began to strip. She stole a glance to see his back was still to her. He really is keeping his word; she thought and felt her shoulders drop. “Tron and Yori, I mean. It’s not like them.”
She slipped into the water up to her shoulders, feeling the current gently pull the dirt off her skin. It soothed the burns across her skin. She pauses for a short moment, before asking: “How much do you remember of Purgos?”
“Erm, not much.” He admitted. “I remember meeting Cobalt, and him offering me a drink…” He paused. “Wait a minute, he poisoned me!”
“Uh-huh.” Paige began to gently rub her skin. “He had poured Wolfsbane into your drink, which is a fast-acting poison. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“So, I didn’t black out…” He muttered as she sank below the water. When she came back above, she glanced over to see his shoulders droop in relief. He paused for a moment. “Wait, then how am I alive?” He started to turn, caught himself, and abruptly turned around. Still, his voice carried. “How did the poison not kill me first?”
“The lone cure for Wolfsbane is charcoal.” She responded as she pulled her hair out of the updo. It tumbled in tangles down her shoulders and back and into the water. “I happened to remember that, and Tron found some in a doctor’s office nearby. We were lucky there was any that close.”
Paige began to comb her fingers through her hair, digging out dirt and knots with muffled grunts at each gentle tug. She almost didn’t hear the Renegade speak again, much softer. “You saved me.”
She gritted her teeth when her fingers got caught at a particularly large knot, losing all caution at his words. She sighed, dipped her hair in the water, and tried to refocus.
When she didn’t answer, he spoke up again. “Why? I thought you hated me.”
“I don’t hate you.” She grunted, pulling apart one final knot. It’ll have to do for now, she thought and began to make her way to the shore.
The Renegade straightened at her words, hands folding in front of him. Paige could faintly imagine he was wringing them like some nervous schoolboy. “You don’t? You made the opposite very clear to me.”
She hoisted herself onto the shore, choosing her words carefully. The Renegade now seemed content to wait for her answer.
What could she say to that? She did hate him, at first. But what about now? It’s not like she’s in love with him (that would be preposterous). But that burning hate certainly doesn’t exist anymore, and it feels almost wrong. That hate fueled her mission, and where is her mission without that?
Pull yourself together. She mentally shook herself and reached for her dress. Her mixed feelings change nothing about her mission.
“I did, at first.” She admitted finally, looking down at her dress. “Now, I’m not so sure. Regardless, it would be foolish to let you die. Too many people count on you.”
She pulled her dress over her head instead of checking the Renegade for a reaction. She swore he said something, and when her head poked through the collar of her dress, she called: “What?”
“I said that’s noble of you.” He repeated. “I honestly didn’t think you had that in you.”
She scoffed at that, as she dried her hands on the dress. Somehow, it only made her feel grimier than before. “For your information, Renegade, working for Clu doesn’t make you some moral-less soldier.”
“Oh? Then what does it make you?”
“Someone that is helping to bring order to your chaos.”
“Right. Because killing people is order.”
“Oh please!” She put the needle and thread down. “You’re one to talk. You’ve killed people, too-!”
“No.” His tone had hardened, and his shoulders became harsh straight lines. “I don’t kill. I’m not a murderer!”
She realized she was tense as well, the pain burning across her shoulders. She averted her gaze. “...You’ve never killed someone?”
“…No.” He had forced himself to quiet, but there was some…unfamiliar burden to his voice. “Never.”
And despite her logic decrying this, she couldn’t help but believe him.
“Right.” She picked back up the needle and thread. Thankfully she had already threaded the needle because her hands were shaking now. “Sorry, I just thought…Tron and Yori have killed people…”
“Doesn’t mean I have. Life is too precious to waste, Paige. There are always other options except to kill.”
“…And what if you reach a time when there is no other choice?” She began to close in on the beginning of the gaping wound. Just like she had done before…
“I’ll try to avoid it anyway. But I hope it never comes to that.”
“For your sake, I hope not.” She pressed the needle into the skin and a choked gasp of pain escaped her lips. “Shit.”
“Paige? Are you okay?” The Renegade was by her side in moments. He crouched beside her, looking down at where her hands clutched her leg. “Let me see.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re shaking. Let me see.”
She tried to glare at him, but it couldn’t hold long. With a sigh, she shakily removed her hands from the wound.
He sucked in a breath. “When did it reopen?”
“Back in Purgos.” She managed. “Tried to clean it. I need to restitch it…”
“Let me.” He gently took the needle and thread out of her hands. “If it starts to hurt, grab my left arm and squeeze.”
“Have you ever sewed up an injury before?”
“Sure!” He said way too confidently. After a moment, he added. “Just like stitching up clothes, isn’t it?”
“What-?”
“Sorry, sorry ignore that. Deep breaths please.”
She shot him a glare but obeyed.
“Okay, here I go.”
After her third deep breath, the needle punctured her skin. The gasp escaped before she could stop herself, and she instantly grabbed the Renegade’s arm.
“You okay?” He asked as he paused.
“Y-yeah.” She managed. He said nothing in response but continued.
As much as the needle pricked, it almost felt too soon when the Renegade said: “Okay, done.”
Paige let go of the vice on his arm as he straightened. “I’m gonna wrap it.” He told her as he grabbed the gauze. “Hold still.”
She nodded and kept her leg outright as he wrapped the gauze around the wound, adding a second layer over the first. “There we go.” He said finally and used his knife to cut the roll. “I think we have you all set up.”
“You’re better at that than I thought you would,” Paige admitted, shifting her leg. For the first time in days, her leg didn’t throb and relief seeped in.
The Renegade laughed at that. “What can I say? I’m good at surprising people with my developed sewing skills!”
She can’t help but laugh at that. He joined her, and she would almost swear he was smiling. Never in her dreams would she have imagined the Renegade to have an actual sense of humor…
They faded off into a comfortable silence. She could feel the Renegade’s gaze searching her, but for what she didn’t know.
“…You okay?” She asked finally after the silent staring dragged on for a particularly long moment.
“Are you…are you bleeding?”
“What?” She looked down at herself, trying to find any blood. Helpfully, the Renegade pointed to a spot on her sleeve. It took only a moment’s inspection to realize the blood was dried and (probably) not her own.
“Oh.” She laughed off. “It’s not my blood. That’s been there for a while and it wouldn’t come out, so no worries.”
That didn’t seem to relieve him like she hoped it would. Even with most of his face obscured, he still looked…horrified.
“You don’t have a change of clothes?” He asked finally.
“Why would I have a change of clothes?” She responded. “I didn’t exactly plan to go traveling with you guys.”
“Nobody offered you a change?” He clarified, voice tight. “We have extra sets of clothes.”
She shrugged. “Why? I’m your prisoner, remember? You don’t exactly owe me the finest service.”
“It wasn’t my choice to keep you hostage.” He grumbled. After a moment, he spoke up. “Even so, being a prisoner doesn’t mean you’re not human. I think it’s decent enough to offer another human being a change from torn and bloodstained clothes.”
She stared at him for a long moment, unable to keep her jaw from dropping. That’s not how she was trained to take in prisoners. That’s not how Clu taught his army. Prisoners were a possible weakness to be prodded, not human. “…That doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe not.” The Renegade agreed. “But it’s my opinion, and that’s how things are going to work now.”
He’s closer than she first thought, she realized. One of his fingers brushed her hand, and she for once didn’t feel a rush of anger. Was he getting closer…?
Someone cleared their throat, and the Renegade suddenly pulled away. Both Paige and the Renegade look up to find Tron watching them.
“Get back to camp, both of you,” Tron commanded. “We have work to do.”
The Renegade nodded and looked away. “I’ll-“ He cleared his throat as he rose to his feet. “I’ll see you.”
“Yeah.” She answered numbly, mind reeling to catch up with whatever just happened. He gave an awkward nod and hurried off after Tron.
She suddenly realized she could feel her hair drying against her back, and she acted on the instant urge to tie it back up high. She pulled it out of her face, still watching the two men round the dune out of sight. Once they were gone, her whole form drooped with a tired sigh.
What was she doing? She needed to focus, not let the Renegade distract her with nice words and gifts! She’s not that gullible!
Even so, when she returned to the cave and found a set of clean clothes waiting in her spot, she couldn’t squash down the warm feelings rising and curling in her chest.