Fox and Spiced Dreams Ch 2

Fox and Spiced Dreams
By: Niq
Date started: 4/13/11
Pairings: Lawrence /Sionn (OC character)
Rating: NC17
Disclaimer: I don't own Spice and Wolf, or any of its characters. This is purely fan fiction and I do not make money off of it. It is for amusement only.
Character note: just in case any one is interested, Sionn's name is pronounced shoon. It's Irish, go figure. ^_^
Author's Note: Please give feedback!!

~***~

Chapter 2

"Do you have any provisions?" Lawrence asked suddenly when they had stopped for the night and he and Holo were starting to eat.

Sionn looked a little ashamed and answered. "M-my provisions were stolen a day or so ago."

"You really are pathetic. Allowing your food to be stolen. Why did you not change form and retrieve it?" Holo asked derisively.

"They needed it more then I did." Sionn answered. "Far be it from me to take food from a starving mother and her child."

"Well, at any rate, if you pay me back, you're welcome to eat what we have. Holo is having to do the same," Lawrence offered.

"Thank you... but I'm not hungry." Sionn claimed.

"Not hungry? You should be starving if your food was taken a day or so ago," Lawrence replied with concern.

"I think what the fool is telling you is he doesn't want to be in debt with you," Holo said taking a bite of food.

Sionn glared at Holo then looked away again, staring into the fire. It didn't help his mood that the wolf was giving away his feelings.

"Sionn you have to eat," Lawrence said his concern deepening. Holo wasn't helping the situation. Every time Lawrence thought he was making head way in cheering Sionn up, Holo would say something and his mood would drop again. At least she'd stopped all out attacking him verbally.

"No he doesn't. More food for us that way. Let the foolish fox fend for himself." Holo said smugly.

"Cut it out, you've been going at him all day. Enough is enough Holo." Lawrence shouted as he snatched Holo's meal from her.

"Hey, that is mine." Holo protested, trying to grab the food back.

"No, it's mine. I'm just allowing you to eat it and pay me back later. But if you can't behave yourself and respect some one I invited into our group..." Lawrence said thoughtfully as he played keep away with the food.

"Fine, I'm sorry..." Holo replied.

"Don't tell me," Lawrence said and looked at Sionn who was still staring into the fire not really paying attention to what was going on.

She half groaned, half growled. Holo stared for a moment at Sionn then grudgingly said, "I'm sorry."

Looking up from the fire blinking, Sionn tilted his head in confusion. It took a second but he realized what she was apologizing for. He smiled at her, which only angered her more, but she stayed silent now that she had her food back.

Lawrence held out some food to Sionn, who took it reluctantly and nibbled at it. Now he owed Lawrence. That was a bad start. He always made a point to never have debts with people, it made it easier to break ties with them when everything went to pot, which it invariably did. "I'll pay you back when we get to Pazzio." Sionn said softly.

"Don't worry about." Lawrence said dismissively.

Looking up in shocked bewilderment, Sionn replied. "But why? Why would you suddenly say that?"

"Well for starters it's making her mad and she deserves it after how she's been treating you and well... I don't know." Lawrence said not really sure himself why.

"You're too kind to me," Sionn said with a smile.

Holo had to fight to not say something but with the way Lawrence was acting she didn't want to risk another comment. She had to find a way to get rid of that fox before Lawrence got too attached.

She had come up with an idea; all she needed was for the fox to fall asleep before them. That, as it turned out, had happened rather quickly. Sionn had fallen asleep soon after he finished his dinner. He was curled up with his back to them so Holo was confident she'd be able to talk to Lawrence with out disturbing him.

"Do you wish to hear the story of his lover?" Holo asked Lawrence in quiet tones, so not to wake the fox.

Lawrence glanced over at Sionn and then back at Holo. "I'll here it if he wants to tell me." He answered.

"Something so shameful, I doubt he will ever tell you. And any way, I feel I should tell you, to make you understand why I've been against him traveling with us." Holo explained.

"Fine, but make sure to keep it down." Lawrence said glancing over at Sionn again.

"It was about a hundred years ago, in a village very near to Pasloe. Sionn had wandered into the village, starving and distraught. No one knows why he was so depressed. It seems to be his thing, probably because he is so unlucky." Holo began.

"Holo, just tell the story," Lawrence warned.

"Alright," She replied and then continued. "A young man about your age took him in and did all he could to help the fox. It wasn't long that the man fell desperately in love. The fox returned his love and they shared their love in secret. They only were able to share that love for a month or two before a villager had happened to see them kiss late one night, when they thought that they were alone under the stars, while having a moonlit picnic. The accusation of their relationship was damning enough but the villager had also seen his ears and tail. They knew the stories of the black fox and knew if they did not rid themselves of him they would be cursed. His lover was used as a sacrifice to plead for protection against this 'demon'. He attempted to free his lover but failed." Holo finished and waited for Lawrence's reaction, which she hoped would be to not want to have anything more to do with the fox.

Gazing over at Sionn, Lawrence said softly, "that's horrible. He's been through so much."

"I don't believe it, you are still concerned for him?" Holo asked indignantly.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like he made those things happen. It's not his fault the villagers were so closed minded." Lawrence replied.

Growling in frustration, Holo flopped back in the grass. Plan A had failed and she was too angry at the moment to try another angle. It angered her all the more to see the look Lawrence was giving Sionn. She turned over, facing away from Lawrence. She'd have to come up with a new plan.

Lawrence sat up for a little while longer gazing at Sionn, or rather his back. So many things ran through his mind, the last few days had been a lot to take in. Hearing the story of Sionn's lover just added to the chaos of thoughts. Though he wasn't sure whether or not to believe the version Holo told. Considering the way she'd been acting towards the fox all day, he wasn't so sure she hadn't made it up.

Tears streamed down Sionn's cheeks. He hadn't been asleep as Holo had assumed and had heard the entire story. Memories flooded his mind and it was almost as if he were reliving those days. The passion, love, and euphoria; followed by pain, death, and sorrow. It was all he could do not to weep out loud. He curled up tighter his tail curling up to cover his face, just in case some one came closer. "Kyne..." he whimpered, not realizing he'd said it out loud.

Heading to the wagon to go to sleep in the furs, Lawrence noticed Sionn curl up into a tight ball, his tail covering his face. Then he heard him whimper a name. He wondered momentarily if Sionn had been asleep as they had thought. Either way his heart started to feel heavy. He suddenly had the desire to go and comfort Sionn, even if he were just dreaming. The only thing that stopped him was the simple fact that they had known each other for under a day. Such a gesture would be too familiar. He sighed heavily and climbed in to the wagon. He covered up with the furs and tried to quiet his thoughts so he could sleep.

~***~

Sionn jumped when a hand grasped his shoulder and was shaking him gently. Before his eyes opened he said the first thing his sleep filled mind thought. "Kyne?"

There was that name again. Lawrence felt uneasy all of the sudden. "No, it's just me." He said gently. "We should be getting back on the road."

Uncurling and staring at Lawrence for a moment, Sionn tried to make his mind clear. "Oh, sorry Lawrence. I guess I must have been dreaming."

"I gathered from all of the mumbling you were doing." Lawrence said with smile.

Blushing now, Sionn stood up and put his cloak on. He could feel Lawrence gaze at him as if wanting to say something but not sure he should. "Is something wrong?" he asked finally.

"No... I just." Lawrence began but trailed off. "I was just wondering who Kyne was. I've heard you say that name twice now." He asked, deciding to take the chance.

"He..." Sionn began but was having a hard time making himself say more.

"You were awake last night when Holo told me, weren't you?" Lawrence said suddenly.

"Yes..." Sionn confessed.

"Was it accurate?" Lawrence asked.

"Fairly," Sionn said in shame.

"Kyne was his name then." Lawrence said as confirmation.

"Yes, that's right." Sionn affirmed. The feeling of dread over took him. He couldn't tell by Lawrence's tone what the man thought about all this. He supposed if Lawrence no longer wanted him to travel with them, it was probably for the better.

Putting a hand on Sionn's shoulder Lawrence said comfortingly. "No one should have to go through something like that. And I'm sorry I didn't insist harder that Holo to keep it to herself."

Staring at Lawrence in shock, Sionn couldn't believe his ears. He'd opened up to people about his past before and they all usually took the side of the villagers in his tale. He was always turned away after that, but here Lawrence stood trying to comfort him. "You are too kind, but thank you," Was all that he could think to say.

"He is too good natured, is he not?" Holo agreed.

"Well, like I said, we better get back on the road." Lawrence said trying to break the awkward silence that suddenly fell over them.

With that they finished the last minute preparations then climbed onto the wagon.