Lighthouse
"I saw the light in the window through the woods. I was supposed to meet you here earlier today, wasn’t I?" Bull’s voice rumbled out of the quiet darkness, waking Halliwell. He’d spread blankets on the slope next to the small lodge and fallen asleep outside in the deep shade while watching the stars. “Yes”, he answered, sleep making his voice throaty. “I expected to find you here when I arrived before noon, I had brought a generous warm lunch, which turned into a modest cold supper. There isn’t much left. You are very late. I know you’ll have a story because you weren’t taking on any new jobs.” Bull cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted on his feet. His unease spoke of embarrassment. Whatever had delayed him was not something unavoidable or important. Halliwell didn’t ask further, just continued watching Bull from his relaxed position. Bull sighed, stepped towards the porch, and went inside. For a few days only, this place would again be home. He wanted it to be longer, but he had no desire to see Bull forced into retirement by the addition of another serious injury to the missing eye and bad leg. And he himself had responsibilities that were not easily discarded. Maybe, eventually, perhaps before the time they were old men, they’d stop travelling around fixing other people’s problems and settle their lives together under the same roof.
Halliwell could hear the sounds of Bull removing, then stowing his equipment. A few minutes passed while he was scooping up the leftovers to eat before he emerged and moved to the pump, filled a bucket, splashed away the dust and stickiness of the day from his naked bulk and shook himself off, the drops flying off his silvered body and catching the dim light like shooting stars. He wiped at the residual water with a large linen towel, flung it over a chair and joined Halliwell on the blankets. Even without touching, the chill from the well water was palpable on his skin as he rolled towards him. “I’m sorry” Bull said. “I believe you”, answered Halliwell. He reached over his head, grasped the brandy in his hand and passed it to Bull, who sniffed the neck of the bottle then took several long swallows before placing it back on a flat rock and laying back, an arm behind his head. “There is an Inn on the way here from Jader, friendly place. The barmaid is a treat, so is the Landlord. I planned to stay there overnight, they don’t mind Tal Vashoth in their beds as long as the bill gets paid. I had a few drinks and some laughs with a Ferelden cheese merchant and there were these two elves that had never met my kind face-to-face and got a little silly with me, I gave them all something to celebrate. A lot of time passed before I had a good sleep. I woke up with the lunch bell instead of the rooster and didn’t consider that I’d already let one night pass into two. I didn’t make good time on the road, because I forgot that I was already late. I may have been under the impression that I was half a day early.” “Uh-huh. So.... that was the bare bones.” drawled Halliwell “There were several of those”, Bull answered. Halliwell snorted then said “stop right there, save it for later. You can detail your adventures and I’ll tell you about the Starkhaven ambassador’s secretary, but I warn you it gets boring fast. Actually you might be able to meet him, he keeps showing up at my official residence, he might even be there now, tapping hopefully on the windows.“ “Definitely later" said Bull as he pulled them together, then slowly raked a trimmed, but still dangerous claw up his thigh. Halliwell spread his large hand across Bull’s chest, placing it so it was framed against the massive pectoral, not remotely covering it. He enjoyed the way Bull made him feel small and took complete control. something intolerable from others. There was no-one else who he had ever wanted to utterly give himself over. It felt like he was like standing on the edge of an old quarry in early summer, the sense of newness with so much yet to come, the pause before the leap towards deep water that lay too far below, before the exhilaration and fear of the drop, the shock of plunging into something that enveloped and overwhelmed him with a feeling like he’d might not draw air again while anticipating the relief of that first, necessary breath.