Kara stood in the kitchen, chopping onions. It was her turn to make dinner tonight. Upon their arrival in Derlos after the war, she and Jeth had quickly established certain routines. Taking turns with dinner was one of them. She was pleased with this arrangement. She was settling into her new life well, considering how different it was from her old one. It was a more difficult life than her childhood as a merchant’s daughter. But definitely easier than life as a battlefield medic. She was still doing medical work. She had gotten a job as assistant to Elizabeth, the village’s healer. When she wasn't with Elizabeth, she was helping Jeth on the farm. She didn't have much experience with agriculture, aside from tending to her mother’s herb garden as a child. But she was a fast learner. She dropped the onions

 into the soup she was making. 

Jeth was out in the barn, brushing Chauncey. He was glad to be home. And especially glad to have Kara here with him. Mouser, Arlo, and Chauncey seemed glad to be home too. 

But being home was also hard. Riding through his town and seeing the destroyed buildings, or sometimes empty spots where buildings used to be, was heartbreaking. But the rebuilding efforts were going well, and soon a stranger in town wouldn't even know that such destruction had ever taken place. 

Being back at the farm reminded Jeth of his father. The pain of loss had been dulled a little by the months, and the memories were mostly good ones. But they still made him a bit sad.

Kara determined that the soup was ready and went outside to call Jeth in for dinner. She watched as he walked from the barn to the house. He grinned, showing his crooked teeth. "Something smells good," he said as he stepped into the house. Kara smiled, following. 

They spoke animatedly to each other as they enjoyed the soup and fresh bread. They had found that they could speak of anything and were never bored.

After dinner, Jeth washed the dishes, and Kara sewed, mending holes in Jeth's work pants. Jeth went outside to make sure the animals were comfortable, and all was as it should be. By the time he returned, it was nearly dark. He made certain the fire had enough fuel for a while, and then read aloud from a book of poetry. He didn't own too many books. They were something of a luxury to a farmer, such as he was, but the ones he did have were well loved. Kara listened intently. A while later, tiring of the poetry, he whittled, but as the night grew later, he felt himself losing focus. He glanced nervously at the clock. He was tired. He knew he should sleep, but he dreaded the torture sleep would bring. The torture it had brought almost every night for months. But he had to sleep. An overtired farmer was no use to anyone. He yawned. 

Kara watched him. He always grew quieter as the night wore on. A darkness seemed to grow in his eyes. Finally, as she watched him yawn, yet again, she said, "we ought to go to bed, love." 

He nodded, and stood up. She stood as well. "Good night" he said, crossing the room to give her a hug and a tender kiss. 

"Good night" she told him, running a hand through his straw colored hair. 

He sighed, heading upstairs to his room. She watched him go, before turning to her own room, formerly Jeth's parents room. It hadnt seemed proper to share a room, being unmarried. Sharing a house was considered scandalous enough, by some. 

Jeth changed his clothes quickly and sat on the edge of his bed. He didn't want to sleep. But he was so tired. He extinguished his light and lay down. He was asleep almost immediately. 

Kara took longer to fall asleep. She was able to stay busy during the day, but alone, at night, her thoughts were filled with sword slashes and arrow wounds, screams and groans of agony, the pleas of men  (most were just boys, really) who wouldn't last the night. Some called for friends, some for lovers, some begged for water, or simply help, relief from pain. Many called for their mothers. The images would be burned into her mind forever. 

After tossing and turning fitfully for a while, she fell into a restless sleep. 

Endless marches through the mud. Cold, damp. Sometimes not much food. Shouts. The clash of swords. Blood. Bodies. Faces of men. Young faces, marred by mud and blood. Eyes that stared blankly at the sky. A flash of dark red hair, accompanied by a cruel grin. Aldros, struck down. Gavin, lying in the mud, pale as death, barely breathing, bravely trying to smile…

Jeth opened his eyes with a startled gasp. He took a deep breath. He was shaking. He pulled his blanket tighter around himself. Gavin's okay, he reminded himself. I see him a few times a week. That's all over. But it didn't really help much. He could still see the gaping wound in Gavin's abdomen so vividly…

Giving up on sleeping more, he got to his feet with a sigh. He slowly walked down the stairs, and into the living room, careful not to step on the floorboards that creaked. He dropped down beside the dying fire. Arlo placed his head on one of Jeth's knees, seeming worried. Jeth petted him, absently.

 He still wasnt used to the quiet here. The army camp was never truly quiet. Nor was the hospital, where he had recovered from his injuries. Jeth missed sharing a tent with Gavin, as he had during the war, and then again, on the way home. He missed Gavin's snores. He missed being able to look over at him and assure himself that the dreams weren't real. 

The shaking was subsiding. That was good. But, Damn it, he was so tired. Why couldn't he sleep peacefully, for once? As he sat, staring into the fire, the images from his dreams still played in his mind. A few tears made their way down his cheeks. 

Kara woke, thinking she heard a noise. She didnt hear anything now, but she was too restless to go back to sleep. She thought she should see if the fire needed more wood. As she quietly entered the living room, she was slightly surprised to see Jeth there. She called his name, softly. He jumped, then turned to look at her. Even in the dim light, she could see the wetness on his cheeks. He turned quickly away. 

"You alright?" She asked. 

He started to nod, then stopped. "I Dont know". 

Kara sat down beside him. "Are you ill, love?" A shake of the head. "What is it then?" She asked. 

"Nightmares." Jeth told her. "I havent slept through an entire night in a while."

"Why didnt you tell me?" She asked, rubbing a hand on his back, between his shoulders. 

"You've got enough worries" he said. "I don't need to burden you."

"Shh…" she said. "You're never a burden." She didn't ask what they were about. He'd tell if he wanted to. 

"I'm so tired" he said, slumping down to lay his head on her shoulder, awkward, because he was a bit taller than she was.   She wrapped her arms around him. 

"Why are you awake?" He asked. 

"I havent been sleeping well either" she admitted. 

They sat quietly for a while. Kara began humming an old tune she knew. She could tell Jeth was close to falling asleep against her shoulder. "Let's go back to bed" she told him. He immediately tensed, nervously. 

"I dont want to be alone" he mumbled, cheeks turning pink. 

"Neither do I" she told him. 

She thought for a moment,  then said "My bed is big enough for the both of us." 

He hesitated. "It is improper." 

"It doesn't matter. Our living together is thought  improper too, but that did not stop us" she pointed out. 

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" He asked. 

"Yes, love, or I wouldn't have offered" she said, stroking his hair.

 He nodded. "Alright." 

She moved her arms, and he stood up. She took his hand, as they made their way to the bedroom. Jeth felt a brief pang of sadness as he entered the room that had been his father's, but that soon eased as he stretched out on the bed beside Kara. As he wrapped an arm around her, and she nestled her head against his chest, he felt more at peace than he had felt in a long time. 

And they both fell into a deep, dreamless sleep for the rest of the night