Chapter 12: What's Stopping you?

"Ambroz, can you hear me?" Theon asked when he saw Ambroz's eyes twitching.

Ambroz was trying his best to blink his eyes open. However, there seems to be a muscle trying to shut it down. He can not force his eyes to open. This is the first time that has happened to him.

He always thought that he was not that weak to the point of numbing his eyes and could not open them. Also, the back of his head felt like it was thumping.

Nevertheless, he felt like something was wiping his head with fresh water. He couldn't hear nor know who it was.

Freshwater wiping on my head?" He thought inside his head.

When he realized it, his eyes immediately opened and gripped Theon's hand for he does not know who it was or what is the person's intentions. He was alarmed.

"Ambroz, relax it's me," Theon assured to him when he noticed how Ambroz reacted to his actions.

Ambroz narrowed his eyes. His pupils could not concentrate on Theon's face. Everything was a blur. His head was spinning and he felt like the world was trying to rotate him and ate his existence.

"I am sorry... Bad... Habit..." He said with his head still spinning.

Ambroz thought he could brush away that feeling by immediately sitting. Bold of him to assume that, as it worsen and it only made him drop back to the ground facing the opposite of Theon's direction because his head sort of felt like someone stung it, made him dizzy resulting in his drop.

Theon gasped and helped him turn back to his way to be able to make him sit down without his head spinning like the earth's axis.

"Oh bloody hell, my head!" He complained and groaned, massaging his forehead.

"That's because you immediately get up." Theon scolded him. "Don't you dare move, I am not done wiping your head."

And so, Ambroz did not even move an inch. But he had to ask since it's making his headache in pain.

"Why am I being wiped and what happened to the back of my head for it to be throbbing without an end." He asked with his eyes closed, furrowed brows, and stroking the back of his head.

Well, he already knew why. But to hear it from Theon's mouth might help him ease his stress away.

Theon jolted and Ambroz witnessed that. He tried not to smirk like he normally does to Theon. When he noticed Theon was not responding to his queries, he said again.

"Where are my answers?"

Theon stopped wiping his head and settled down his hand. He bowed his head and sighed. "To answer your question as to why I am wiping your head with freshwater, it is because your body heat has been acting up and won't settle down to normal."

"Oh, is that so? How about the answer to my question, what happened to the back of my head for it to be throbbing without an end, hm?" He asked with a teasing tone.

Theon sighed the second time. "You don't have to ask me twice. I get it, it was my bad, I pushed you way too strong. But it's not like it was my fault!"

"Ha! Now you're blaming in on me, what did I do?" Ambroz chortled and questioned him.

"You went way too far with—" Theon was interrupted by Ambroz.

"With?" Ambroz asked looking at him eagerly, waiting for his answer.

"May you stop asking me embarrassing questions? You know what you have attempted to do to me, I bet."

"What I attempted to do, huh?" He scratched his nape pretending to know nothing of what he has done. "What did I really do?" He raised his brow.

Theon looked at him with annoyance plastered on his face. This man really is making his patience crumble in pieces. He sure is very long tempered as he was indulged in an atmosphere full of women and kids, he had to be a gentleman and not get his temper that best of him, although this man is just snapping his left temper.

"Stop pretending you don't know about it!" He yelled at him and almost raised his hand.

Ambroz saw it and raised both of his hands to act as a defence. "What? I really don't know."

Theon sighed and glared at him. "Fine! You touch mine down there and almost reach my buttocks hole." He said loudly.

Ambroz widened his eyes and was stunned.

Theon realized what he said and covered his face. They were both engulfed by silence with an awkward air surfacing them.

"Well, that's uh..." Ambroz spout when he felt the need to cut the awkwardness. "A vulgar way to say it, nevertheless I get it. I see so that's what I did."

Although, he remembers a few things about it. Everything was all hazy and vague back then. He definitely regrets not remembering the said details, all because of it not being a fever but another else.

"Now, now, don't get so flustered." He said to Theon, who was still covering its face.

How will I face him now when I said those things?" Theon thought inside his subconscious mind.

"I... I'm not flustered." He opposed to Ambroz.

"Why are you covering your face then?"

"It's because you made me say such things that I am covering my face."

Ambroz smiled and shook his head. What a naive man."

He raised his hand and held Theon's. He gently removed it from Theon's face and said. "My apologies, you don't have to feel flustered. It was my fault for luring you into doing another disgusting thing."

"It was not disgusting, rather it was just not very comfortable."

"And you had to deal with it. That's why I am apologizing, I have done things that I must not."

Theon felt an odd sensation in his stomach once more. Just like that time, but today's a bit confusing. Maybe, it's just the heat in Ambroz's mind that is making him say such good things and he even apologises for it. But, at the very least, he wants to believe him.

He stood up. "I see you are saying sane things, you are probably feeling alright. If so, I will be heading out for you to have your privacy."

"What? No! I am still sick." Ambroz blurted out.

"No, you're not." Theon differed

"Yes, I am."

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" Theon said with emphasis

"Come and see it for yourself, my head is still spinning and my temperature seems to not be calming down." He uttered. "I am hit outside and cold inside, you need to stay and keep me company or I'll die." He continued.

Well, he won't actually die. He said that as an expression for Theon to not leave him.

Yes, Dramatic indeed.

Theon gave him a hard stare. Trying to examine if he is telling lies or not, he does not want to go any more closer to Ambroz since he feels anxious already and yet he had no choice but to do so. He can't feel his temperature when he's distanced from him.

He sat down again and placed the back of his palm on Theon's forehead and neck. Indeed, it was still smoking hot. Why is his body this hot though. He has been sick and caught a fever more than once. However, it was not this hot.

"What did you even do or tire yourself for, to get this sick?" He worriedly asks.

"Well, this and that," Ambroz said like it was nothing. "See, so I am still feverish."

Theon sighed. He gently soaks the cloth into the water and twirls it to remove the ton of water. He folded it into squares and raised it to wipe Ambroz's head. When he saw how Ambroz closed his eyes as if he was expecting it already, he softly snickered.

"Don't laugh at someone who is suffering."

"I am not laughing, Ambroz."

—

The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. Theon woke up unexpectedly in such a calm manner.

He used to overthink of his people being unsafe. He still is, but there's something about his guts that tells him they are perfectly fine. He just hopes it is true and not just his imaginations.

In those days he stayed in the forest, it was not thrown to waste. It was for a good cause. He took care of Ambroz in those times because his fever and sickness just did not go off away too easily.

But now, he knew that Ambroz is cured. He even gets up too early to leave Theon's side. This is a sign that he is active in the forest, lingering somewhere.

"Just as he was healed, that first thing he does is avoid me," Theon said.

"Well, I didn't. I grabbed us some fish." Ambroz showed up at the scene.

Theon held his chest as he felt it was about to jump in surprise. "You shock me, please don't do that again."

"Sorry," Ambroz whispered.

Theon saw it carrying a bunch of average size fish.

"Why is there too many fish when it's just us two?" He inquired of Ambroz.

"This serves as thanks for taking good care of me in the past few days." He responded.

Theon went silent. All he did was help Ambroz cook it. Any more of his blabber will create another awkward mood between them.

They ate after that.

Theon looked at Ambroz's mouth drooling a few of the juices from the fish. He is unintentionally staring at it. He used to clean the children's faces when they eat.

He laughed softly at that memory. Ambroz saw it and noticed how it kept staring at his lips.

This time, he said, "Give me your hand."

Theon hummed in confusion. "What are you going to do with my hand?" He asked while raising his hand to place it on Ambroz's.

Ambroz held his hand and guided him to wipe his lips.

Theon realized that and blushed so hard. He retorted his actions and clenched his hand. "W... What? W... Why?"

"Now are you satisfied that you get to touch my face?" Ambroz asked him and then began to eat again.

Theon didn't know what to say to him. He just looked at his hand and won't stop blushing.

"You do all the unexpected things, Ambroz." He whispered.

After that, he went off to picking sticks again for him to have his own weapons or for defence. Speaking of weapons.

"Ambroz, I have something to tell you." He asserted to Ambroz.

Ambroz just raised his brow. It was sitting there just staring at Theon picking the fish's cooked flesh stuck in between his teeth.

"A few days ago, I heard an explosion from afar," He began to tell his word. "It was the time when I grabbed you a bowl of water to wipe the heat off of your head and neck."

He does not know whether it's just his imagination. But as soon as he finished saying that, Ambroz eyes and atmosphere began to start darkening and it made such a furious mood between them.

"Explosions? Where do you think those came from?" Ambroz asked in a serious tone.

"I am not certain, but I guessed it was from the conquerors who slaughtered us and stole our land. They had huge explosions thrown at us at that time." Theon said reminiscing a tragic memory.

"So what are you trying to say?" Ambroz asked him.

"You do know that I got lost in here," Theon reassured and he assumed that Ambroz knows about it already. "I just don't understand why are you so calm about this, if they found us lingering in this forest. I am certain they'll end our lives. What about my people? This forest, why is it playing with me."

Theon noticed how silent Ambroz was. He usually gets pissed off with all his blabbering but he's unexpectedly silent today.

"Ambroz?" He called out to him.

It look like to him that the man was in deep thinking. He does not know yet about this man's life. What happened to him or why is he here stuck in this cave— a deep abode usually meant to live by wild animals.

Ambroz just stood up without even looking at him.

"I told you to get out of here already. What's stopping you?" Ambroz said in a deep baritone voice while facing somewhere.

"You don't understand, I did try to get out of here. Because, after all, you won't even budge at what I tried to say." He defended himself in advance. "But, this forest, as soon as I try to follow the river it came to a dead-end and a canal was the only thing I saw at it. I tried going deeper inside the woods, but the more I explore it the more it plays at me and I end up back into this cave." He told him all of this in one breath and with frustration on his face.

As he panted, Ambroz was just listening to him.

Is he mad? But I only told him what I did and uncovered upon my journey." He said in his thoughts and bowed his head.

Ambroz sighed. "Then,"

Theon raised his head in anticipation. "Then?"

"You should think things through by yourself. Keep staying here and you will kill yourself with all this scabrous pondering or you could find some useful ways to help yourself and escape through this forest. You choose." He explained and said what he thought in mind.

He furrowed his brows in distress. He felt like his head was filled with grey clouds. Hazy and full of sadness. By Ambroz's words, he knew he would not come with him anytime soon.

But he dared to ask.

"How about you? Why is your perseverance to stay here is awfully still? I am asking you the same thing, what is stopping you?" Now he repeated Ambroz's questions.

Ambroz furrowed his brows and turned his way to Theon. Theon jolted.

"Don't you dare bring back my question at me? Whether I stay here or not, it's none of your concern. You don't know nor do I know you. It's better off if we split our ways. Why do you even want me to get out of here, am I the one they're after? If so what do you care?" He exclaimed with vigour at Theon while pointing at him.

Theon was shocked. He thought Ambroz changed already and would help him through his way out. Guess, he was wrong.

"It's because you save me and let me stay here alive, that's why I care and I deeply do care as I know those evil and wicked conquerors are too greedy and merciless to have left anyone alive outside their followers," Theon explained his side.

He looked down. He can still feel Ambroz's finger pointed at him.

What do I have to do?"

What can I say to make him follow me and get out here alive?"

Think Theon! Think!"

That was what Theon thought. But then, an intention came across his mind.

He raised his head and gripped Ambroz finger softly. "Alright, if you don't follow me. I'll just stay here and fight with you at all odds until you have decided to come with me at last." He stood up and slightly raised his head to level Ambroz's view. He smiled a bit to keep his enthusiasm going.

Ambroz was frozen in his spot. "What? Where did this optimism come from?"

"Also, you need to teach me how to use the bow and arrow. I know you're good at it because I saw you—" He halted at what he tried to say.

"Saw me where?" Suddenly Ambroz remembered at that time he was practising his aiming with his weapon as he wanted to somehow impress the man thinking he was secretly gazing at him.

"Erm— I saw you almost aiming for my head. That's right, my head. That's what I was trying to say." He almost stuttered.

Ambrox hummed. "Alright. But no, I won't be teaching you such skills. You already know how to use it, train by yourself." He said and turned his back to Theon.

He tried to escape him but was stopped when Theon swiftly went to his front.

"Stop right there! You will be helping me at all costs, but's and no's are not entirely accepted from your claim. If you don't wish to come with me, you shall teach me ways to further defend myself then." He uttered with willingness.

"What makes you think I'll train you?"

"Because you will."

"How about your people then? Are you unravelled by the fact that they are truly safe?"

He was silent but spoke for a few seconds. "I am certain they are." He faked a smile.

After all the jabbering or gobbledegook. Theon brought Ambroz to the river with the bow and arrow.

"Why did I end up here, again?" Ambroz asked when he realized where he stands.

"To train me, of course."

Ambroz groaned and scratch his nape. Theon saw how it somehow elegantly tied its long silky hair. The man almost got flustered by that sight and saw he avoided looking at him thoroughly.

Why am I flustered?"

"Alright then, I'll train you. But I won't go easy on you." Ambroz agreed to his terms.

Because of that. Theon eyes sparkled and he grinned so widely that it was almost contagious.

He knew his proposal to Ambroz was not easy or rather it was risky. Staying with him, he is settled that the conquerors might discover them sooner. But his conscience somehow got the best of him, Ambroz was far more stronger than he is, but two is better than one. So whatever the risks he wants to stay with this man at all cost.

He prays that his people truly are in the hands of refuge of safety and protection.

Mikka and the others, bare with me and I hope you are all in accord in safety."

To be continued.

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ABYSSCESS