Sound Awake

--Skeldergate Forest, Very Near Mutual Border. Early Morning, 3 DSTR--

His eyes were shut. The tossing and the turning would not cease.

Ponce found himself battling nightmares more intimidating than any foe he had faced thus far. Twisted amalgamations of things yet to come, and horrific reenactments of past events plagued his mind. Rather ironic, it was, that it seemed the of all the petrifying things this world of his had to offer, it was himself who scared him the most. He was his own enemy, and his greatest one, at that. He found it tiring.

He didn´t remember the buzzing in his ear, but his eyes soon opened. His gaze first diverted outside of his tent. He saw the bases of great oaks, their limbs and canopies shadowed from view. He crawled from the tent and checked on the others, Ceriden and Gareth. Sound asleep.

¨Vale,¨ He told himself, ¨Guard duty then.¨

He stood, stretching his arms up into the moonlit sky. He began to search, not sure what for, though. He could have lit a torch, perhaps even re-lit the campfire. No, it would draw attention. But who would see it? On his heels, he did a 180. Attackers? This late? How would they have been discovered? No way they could have been seen this late at night, with this many trees as cover.

He felt he was worrying too much. He needed to go back to sleep. He needed rest. It wasn´t that he didn´t want to, He just couldn´t shake the feeling that something was off. Something was wrong. He shook his head as if to shake off his suspicions. He found himself a stump, cut into shape by someone long ago. He would let his tired eyes adjust to the light, only for a minute. Only so he could see. Then he would sleep.