Thin Ice

It was an especially cold day, Eric was heading toward Greywater watch for a mission for the crows and Sinbad had decided to go with him. They had been traveling for 2 days now, stopping at night in a tavern to sleep and then spending the day on the horses. Sure, their “sleep” didn’t make easy riding during the day, but Sinbad was being nice enough to take it easy and not to go too rough on him.
They were riding side by side, they had no reason to hurry and at least in this way there was less discomfort for Eric. They were spending their time speaking about everything and anything, Eric told Sinbad some silly anecdotes about the wall and now Sinbad was telling him a funny story he had herd from some sailor about a mermaid.
They were both laughing, not caring much about the road since everything looked fine, when suddenly Sinbad’s horse yelled a neigh before, slipping on the iced road, he fell down a slope and toward the frozen lake down there. Sinbad was too shocked to say anything, and as the horse fell he hit the ground with his head and lost consciousness.
“Sinbad!!!” Eric had just the time to scream his lover’s name in shock before he saw him fall on the lake, breaking the ice and disappearing under the water with his horse.
He didn’t need to think twice: he got down the horse getting rid of his heavy coat all at once and ran toward the lake, diving in the ice cold ice. Sinbad was unconscious and his horse was hurt and unable to swim. The cold water was hurting and numbing Eric, he didn’t have a moment to waste: freeing Sinbad from from the stirrups, Eric took him and swam back toward the surface. He could do nothing for the horse.
As quick as he could, Eric pushed Sinbad out of the water and jumped out of it himself, taking a deep breath that after that horribly cold water was painful as hell. Eric didn’t lose any time on himself though, in a second he was over the other male, calling quick-fire his name, trying to wake him up. Sinbad, though, remained unconscious.
“Nonononono… you can’t do this, wake up you idiot!” Eric was on the verge of the tears, as a last resource he decided to try mouth breathing: he breathed in deeply, opened the male’s mouth closing his nose and breathed out. He repeated it three times when finally SInbad started coughing.
“What the hell just happened?” Sinbad croaked confused, trying to sit down but feeling too confused to manage. Eric couldn’t help himself but burst into a laugh of relief, while tears started crossing his cheeks. For a moment, for a horrible moment, he had really thought he had lost him…
Eric threw his arms around the other male, not caring if he was still horribly confused, but as Sinbad moaned in pain he immediately let him go with a scared expression, that turned in horror as he found blood on his shirt. Without a word he teared off a piece of his shirt, no matter if it was wet, and used it to bandage Sinbad’s head, ignoring his complains.
“I’m fine, I’m fine, will you stop it!”
The fact though, that his teeth were chattering for the cold while he said so didn’t help his cause. Eric smiled softly, kissing his forehead as he finished to bandage him, hiding his worry. But he was worried, really worried. They were both wet, the water was ice cold and it was freezing. If that wasn’t bad enough, Sinbad was wounded and he was obviously suffering after that strong hit on his head and the fact he had almost drowned.
Eric had to find a place where they could rest and recover, and he had to do it quickly. He helped SInbad up, supporting him toward his horse
“Where is my horse?” Sinbad asked confused
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t save him…” Eric replied helping his friend on his horse before he would get on it himself. Sinbad was still clenching his teeth and without any hesitation Eric put on his shoulders the warm coat he had left with the horse
“What about you?”
“I’m fine, I’m more used than you to cold” he replied with a half grin. It was true he was more used to cold, but he still was far from fine. Sinbad probably guessed that, in fact he hugged him tight from behind, trying to share his new found body heat.
They spent many hours on the horse, that with 2 people on his back couldn’t go faster than a certain speed. After a while Eric could also feel SInbad’s hug getting weaker, Eric had to tie him to his waist to make sure he wouldn’t fall and, needless to say, he just couldn’t be more worried! He tried to keep him awake, to make him talk, but soon Sinbad passed out.
Finally Eric spotted a little village not far and there he found and little inn. Quickly he left the horse in the stables, carrying Sinbad inside and paying for a room, asking the innkeeper to bring them as well clean clothes and to call a physician as quickly as he could. The innkeeper himself helped Eric carrying SInbad, still unconscious, to his bed: he didn’t need any excuse to take only one room, it was evident Sinbad needed cures and there was nothing wrong if he wanted to help a friend, therefore the old innkeeper asked no question.

As the innkeeper left the room, leaving them some clean clothes while he went to call for the physician, Eric proceeded to lock the door and undress first Sinbad, who was still unconscious, and then himself: their dresses had already almost turned into ice and heir skin was horribly cold. He quickly put on the new clothes and then proceeded to dress up Sinbad as well, just in time since a moment later he heard someone knocking at the door.
He opened, letting the physician in, and could do nothing but wait and pray the gods while the old man inspected is lover, cleaning his wound.
“He lost a lot of blood, but it’s nothing serious. He’ll be fine in just a couple of days.”
At the physician’s words Eric breathed relieved. Nothing serious, he would be fine… thank the gods! The physician gave Eric instructions to change the bandages twice a day and to apply a lotion that would help with the pain, then he left.
Eric locked the door and then curled up next to Sinbad: his lover was so pale… for a long moment, he had really feared the worst… he forced back the tears. No, SInbad would be fine, and he needed to be strong.

Sinbad woke up only many hours later, in the dead of the night: the wood was still burning in the fireplace, warming up the room, since Eric kept making sure it wouldn’t extinguish. Now Eric was curled up next to SInbad, resting a bit since the day had been quite tiring for him, but as soon as he felt his love move he immediately woke up
“You ok?” he asked concerned, his voice still drowsy and sleepy
“Where are we?” Sinbad asked, starting to massage his head and directing his hand to the point where it hurt the most, but Eric interjected his hand and stopped before he could reach the wound
“In a tavern. You were wounded, I had a physician check on you but he said you’ll be fine. How do you feel?”
“Like shit. What happened?” Eric chuckled softly, seeing SInbad obviously frustrated and upset about his confusion, pain and lack of memory.
“You fell with your horse, hit your head, almost drowned in a frozen lake and fainted.” Eric recapped with a sigh before SInbad’s stomach grumbled. “You hungry?” he chuckled, asking rhetorically. He wasn’t surprised, the male didn’t get anything to eat in the whole day. “Wait here” he whispered kissing his nose before he stood up and approached the fireplace.
Earlier he had asked the innkeeper to bring them some food, he had barely eaten himself but he had left a soup and some bread for Sinbad next to the fireplace, so they would stay warm. He took the soup and the bread and approached Sinbad again. The male tried to stand up as well, but Eric quickly put the food on the bedside table
“Wo-wo-wo! Where do you think you’re going?” Eric gently pushed him down again
“To eat?” he replied SInbad annoyed, even more upset he didn’t even have enough strength to oppose to Eric.
“You can eat here” Eric murmured gently, helping him to sit up on the bed, placing the pillows behind him so he could rest on them more comfortably.
Sinbad complained lowly, but in the end he didn’t stop Eric from helping him. Only when Eric sat down next to him and took the soup, raising the spoon ready to feed him himself, SInbad scowled
“Seriously? I’m perfectly able to eat on my own, you know…”
Maybe that was even right, but Eric could see how tired and strength-less he was.
“Please?” he just asked tenderly with those puppy eyes he knew Sinbad couldn’t resist. In the end his lover snorted, but nodded, agreeing. Eric smiled and offered him the first spoon.
He kept feeding him until he was full, then he helped him to lay down again, laying down himself once again next to him.
They were both falling asleep already when Sinbad muttered “Thank you”
“for the soup?”
“For saving my life, idiot!” Sinbad replied almost annoyed by the honestly surprised answer Eric gave him
“I didn’t do it for you, I did it for me.” the boy replied lowly after a bit, curling up more next to SInbad ”I couldn’t live in a word without you” he continued in an even lower tone, pressing his forehead against Sinbad’s chest, making the other male melt at his words.
They fell asleep like that, Eric resting his head on Sinbad, SInbad wrapping his arms around his lover.

In the next few days Eric spend every single moment taking care of Sinbad, even if the male insisted that such attentions weren’t necessary. Sinbad tried also to convince Eric to proceed to finish his mission, since he knew he couldn’t take too much time with it, but he absolutely refused, inventing excuses and trying to convince SInbad he had enough time.
SInbad didn’t buy it, but in the end he couldn’t help but be glad that hi lover stayed with him. Only a week later, when Sinbad was fully recovered, Eric agreed to leave: it was better for SInbad to take i slowly for some more days and Eric had no time to waste, even if it pained him, he had to go.
When he was back at the wall he had to pay dearly for his delay, but he didn’t care. As long as Sinbad was fine, there was nothing he couldn’t endure.