Valkyrie Cain smiled as she sat on the cold hard ground besides the blazing campfire, and looked at the familiar faces sitting around her. Ghastly Bespoke was tending to the fire while Dexter Vex was in the middle of telling a story about one of The Dead Men's more drunken escapades. Anton Shudder was turning an uncharacteristic shade of red. Saracen Rue was grinning at the sight and nudged him every so often to wind him up even further. Skulduggery Pleasant was sat next to her, silent but content, and Erskine Ravel was on her other side looking sleepy. She watched as he began to nod off and had to stifle back a yawn herself.

It had been a long day, most of which had they'd spent hiking through the Black Forest. Her legs ached and she was looking forward to crawling into her tent and curling up under the blankets. The dead men had three tents between them, which they'd set up as soon as they'd arrived at the clearing that evening. Most of their supplies were piled up in the tent shared by Anton and Ghastly. Which was pitched next to an identical tent where Ravel, Dexter and Saracen slept. Her tent was located on the other side of the clearing. It was smaller than the others but she was grateful for the privacy it gave her. Skulduggery of course, having no need for sleep or warmth, had no tent.

A chill wind blew through the trees causing embers to rise from the fire. There was a static in the air that suggested a storm was coming. Valkyrie shivered and wrapped her arms round herself as she listened to the rest of Vex's story.

"- so we're stumbling over ourselves trying to get out of there," Dexter said, "but we couldn't find Anton anywhere. And then we hear this awful sound coming from outside the tavern..."

"It sounded like someone had sat on a cat," Saracen added, giving Shudder another nudge for good measure.

"It was awful," Skulduggery agreed.

"Please, shut up," Shudder murmured through gritted teeth.

"So we all rush outside, expecting to find more trouble." Dexter said, ignoring him. "But instead, what we find is Anton Shudder; rip-roaring drunk and serenading Daisy with what I can honestly say is the worst rendition of Spanish Lady I have ever heard."

Shudder buried his head in his hands as the other men laughed loudly. The sound caused Ravel to jerk awake again and he gave Valkyrie a sleepy smile.

"Who's Daisy?" Valkyrie asked with a grin.

"Not a who but a what." Skulduggery said, the amusement evident in his voice.

"Alright, I'll bite, so what is Daisy?"

"His shotgun," Saracen answered, "He adored it. I don't think I've ever know a man love an inanimate object as much as Anton loved that gun; and that includes Skulduggery and his Bentley."

"And if Daisy were here today I would shoot every last one of you." Shudder muttered as they broke into another round of laughter. Valkyrie laughed too, it was infectious. The image of the usually stoic Dead Man drunkenly serenading a shotgun was too much. This what she loved most about being a Dead Man: the times when they would chat and joke and tease each other mercilessly.

"Right, well I'm going to bed before Dexter recounts any more of our old adventures" Shudder said, glaring at them as he stood up.

"That's not a bad idea," Ravel said, the sleep still evident in his voice, "We've got another busy day ahead of us tomorrow,"

There were various murmurs of agreement and they said there good-nights.

"Make sure to keep everything inside the tents tonight, it's going to rain" Saracen said, as he unzipped the door to his tent.

Valkyrie gave the camp a quick once over. Satisfied all her belongings were safe and sound inside, she headed over to her own tent. She hoped the storm would pass over, she didn't fancy walking though mud in the morning, but she doubted they would be so lucky. Saracen had an annoying habit of being right about these types of things.

She gave Skulduggery a wave goodnight before unzipping her tent and heading inside. She kicked off her boots but left the rest of her clothes on. It was too cold out to not wear anything and they had had to pack light so she hadn't anything else to change in to.

Valkyrie wrapped herself in a blanket and lay down on her sleeping mat. It was thin and she could feel how hard the ground was underneath it but she knew it wouldn't keep her awake for long. If her missions with the dead men had taught her anything, it was that it was possible to sleep anywhere if you were tired enough. She turned over onto her side and wiggled until she found a comfortable position.

Through the tent's canvas she could see the glow of the fire, Skulduggery's frame silhouetted against the flames. Not for the first time, she found herself wondering what he did at night, what he thought about when the rest of them had gone to bed. Did he miss being able to sleep? What about dreaming? Was it lonely? These thoughts echoed in her mind until she couldn't fight her tired eyes any longer and she fell asleep.

Valkyrie awoke with a start as a bright light filled her vision. A few seconds later a loud boom filled her ears. She sat up, it took her a couple of seconds to register that the storm that had been threatening them all evening had finally hit. The wind howled through the trees and heavy rain pelted the canvas tent.

She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone to check the time. It was nearly half past one in the morning. She wondered how long the storm would last. Walking through the mud and fallen branches it left in its wake would be bad enough, but she dreaded the thought of having to walk through the storm itself.

Another vein of lightning lit up the night. Illuminating, for just a moment, the outlines of the forest around them and a man sitting in the middle of he clearing. She jumped in fright, and then laughed at her own reaction as she realized it was only Skulduggery.

Thunder boomed overhead again, the time between the lightning and thunder was briefer that before. They'd be right in the middle of it in no time at all. She wondered how Skulduggery was coping. It seemed unfair to her that he was forced to sit through the downpour while she and the others were sheltered from it.

She turned on the flashlight on her phone and used it to find the zipper on her tent. Keeping the blanket wrapped around her, she unzipped it and looked out. The flashlight shone out into the clearing and she could just about making out Skulduggery sitting in the dark in exactly the same position as she had left him. His back towards her, staring at the fire pit the which had long since gone out.

Even without leaving the tent she could feel the weather on her face and the chill creeping into her tent. Yet Skulduggery sat perfectly still,unperturbed by rain or wind, an eerie calm in the middle of the storm.

"Skulduggery?" she called out, just loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to wake the others.

"Valkyrie? What's wrong?" he said, turning at once. When he moved she could see the light reflect off the rain cascading down the bubble of air that surrounded him. Although she'd never admit it aloud, it was rather impressive.

"Can you meditate while doing that?" she asked, momentarily distracted.

He cocked his head and gave her a curious glance.
"No, but I don't need to meditate every night." he responded, "But I doubt that's what's keeping you up, so tell me what is?"

"The storm woke me up so I thought I'd check on you,"

"Ah, well as you can see I'm perfectly sublime, thank you for asking."

"Why don't you come inside?"

"I'm fine out here."

She smiled remembering when he had spoken the exact same words to her from outside her window last year. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Don't be dumb," she said, echoing herself from that night.

He must have been remembering the same night because he asked lightheartedly, "You're not about to shunt are you?"

"I'm not planning on it, but I'd enjoy your company all the same."

He stood up and walked over to her tent, the air bubble following him. She scooted away from the entrance and he slipped in, zipping up the tent behind him. The size of the tent forced them into close proximity. With anybody else she might have found it claustrophobic but she wasn't with anybody else, she was with Skulduggery, and she had always found his presence a constant reassurance.

"Budge up, I want to lie down."

Skulduggery complied and she lay back down on her mat and tried to find a comfy position.

"Well, this is cozy," he muttered with more than a hint of sarcasm. She could see in the phone's light, that he looked uncomfortable. The angled ceiling forced him to stoop awkwardly to avoid touching the wet canvas.

She rolled her eyes, "You look silly sitting hunched up like that. Come and lie down."

She gave the empty space next to her a pat and he sighed, "Oh, very well. You know I couldn't bare to look silly."

He lay down besides her and they spent a few moments trying to find the least awkward position to lie in. They ended up lying on their sides,facing each other, but not touching. Valkyrie turned off the flashlight and put the phone back into he jacket pocket. They lay together in the dark for some time, not saying anything, just listening to the thunder and rain. Eventually, Valkyrie's mind wandered back to the questions that had been riding her earlier.

"Do you miss sleeping?" she asked quietly. For a moment he said nothing and she wondered if he had heard her over the noise of the storm. But then he answered her in a soft voice.

"A little. But meditation is a close enough substitute, and I've had a long time to get to used to it."

"I'd definitely miss it, if I couldn't sleep." She yawned, then added, "I think I'd find it kind of lonely, you know, being awake all the time when everyone else was in bed."

"Nonsense. You'd have me for company, and I am excellent company. The real problem here, is whether I would be able to tolerate you for twenty-four hours a day."

She untangled herself from the blankets, so she could give his shin a light kick for his rudeness. But regretted it when she felt the icy air press against her bootless foot. The temperature had dropped considerably in the last few minutes and now that she had noticed it she could feel her ears and nose beginning to go numb.

"Oh my God. Cold. That's cold."

"My comment?"

"No, my foot. My foot is cold and so is my face. Why is it so cold in here?

"Well, we are camping, in the middle of a storm, in the mountains, in Germany, in September."

"Yeah well, you're lucky you can't feel the temperature." she grumbled.

"Actually I can,"

She blinked in surprise, "Wait, really? I thought you once told me that the cold and heat didn't bother you."

"They don't. But I can still tell the difference between hot and cold. It's a bit of a phantom sensation. It's difficult to explain. I suspect it has something to do with the way the air molecules behave."

She frowned at him. Even though she couldn't see him in the dark she knew he could see her. It was so cold she fancied her lips were turning blue.

"So you can feel how cold it is?"

"Yes, but like I said it's-"

"Oh my god," she cut in, "Why didn't you say anything earlier? It's freezing!"

"I rather think you're missing the point."

"Come 'ere," she said, scooting closer to him and then tugging on the blanket until it covered both of them. There foreheads were touching now, and the tips of her toes brushed against his leg.

"This really isn't necessary."

"Yes, it is." she said firmly. She wrapped an arm around him and squeezed him tightly."There, now I don't have to worry about you freezing to death."

He gave a deep sigh, "I'm already dead, Valkyrie, you know that. If you wanted a hug you could have just asked."

"Shut-up. It was a figure of speech. I'm just trying to be nice and make your life more comfortable."

"Your concern for me is endearing but pointless."

She didn't say anything, she just squeezed tighter. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was pointless. That didn't mean she couldn't show affection for him every now and again. After all they were at war and even if they won they would had the threat of Darquesse looming over them. Who knows how much time they had left together?

"You're shaking." he said after a long while.

"I'm shivering."

"It's distracting."

She shot him a glare, "I can't help it. It's cold."

He sighed again, "So you keep saying. Come here."

Before she could say another word, he had rolled onto his back, wrapping an arm under her, and pulled her close. Her head was on his chest now and her arm had snaked around his waist. Skulduggery clicked his fingers and suddenly there was a spark of fire in his free hand. He cradled it in the palm of his hand, using magic to increase the intensity of the of the heat without letting the flame get to big.

"You know, you're not supposed to have a naked flame in a tent. It's one of the first rules of camping."

"Do you want me to put it out?"

"No. I just don't want to burn to death while I sleep."

"I'm far too skillful to let that happen, and anyway the canvas is too wet to burn."

She relaxed but nevertheless added, "If I wake up on fire, I'm holding you personally responsible."

"Understood."

Valkyrie yawned loudly then and buried her face in his chest. He was still wearing his combat gear and the leather was stiff but it made a softer pillow than she she realized that it was because Skulduggery was manipulating the air to give his clothes form, which in turn created a cushion of air for her to lie on. The heat from the fire was beginning to warm her now and she grew drowsy.

"This is cozy." she mumbled.

"For you maybe. I have a tree root digging into my spine. How on earth do you sleep on this mat? It's far too thin."

"Didn't you tell me just last week how lucky I was that I got my own tent and mat. And how in the old days you had to make do without any of those luxuries."

"Yes well, the ground was a lot softer back then."

They didn't say anything for a while after that. They just lie their together in each other's arms. The wind and rain began to quieten, and then there was a moment of eerie silence as they passed through the eye of the storm.

"I'm glad your here." she whispered into his jacket.

"In your tent?"

"With me."

He didn't say anything right away but she felt his embrace tighten. Eventually he said in a soft voice, "I'll be with you until the end."

"Until the end." she echoed.

Dexter Vex was the first one up that morning. He kicked Saracen and Erskine until they opened their sleepy eyes long enough to glare at him, and then left them lying there in the tent. He yawned, stretched and glanced over the camp. The dawn that filtered through the bare trees was cold and pale but thankfully unmarred by clouds on the horizon. It illuminated the muddy ground, strewn with dead leaves and fallen branches. The campfire had gone out sometime in the night and all that was left was a pile of wet ash. There wasn't a skeleton in sight. Dexter frowned, "Skulduggery?"

It wasn't like Skulduggery to wander off in the middle of the night when they were on a mission. Something must have happened. Something bad.

"Skulduggery?" he called out a little louder.

Saracen's head popped out from the tent, "Is everything okay?"

"Skulduggery's missing."

"I'm over here." a muffled voice called out from the other side of the clearing. With surprise, he realized it was coming from the tiny tent on the other side of the campsite.

"Are you okay?"

"I uh...appear to be pinned down."

Dexter strode across the ground, avoiding the larger puddles, and unzipped the tent door. Skulduggery was, indeed, pinned down. The young woman on top of him showed no signs of letting him up. She was sprawled across him, the majority of her weight on his chest, and she was fast asleep.

He looked at Skulduggery, then at Valkyrie, then back again, and gave a wicked grin.

"Good morning, detective. Did you sleep well?"

Skulduggery didn't have a face to read but if he had, Dexter was willing to bet it would have been giving him a horrified expression right now. His grin widened.

"Dexter..." he growled, the warning evident in his tone.

"Did you know you have drool on your shoulder?"

Skulduggery glanced away from, momentarily distracted. He used the opportunity to get Saracen's attention. The other man slipped on his boots and hurried over.

"Is everything al-" he began and then stopped short at the sight inside the tent.

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" Saracen teased with a grin that matched his own.

"One more word from either of you and I will hit you both." Skulduggery growled.

Saracen ad Vex exchanged gleeful looks. They could hear the sounds of the other men getting up now. Ghastly and Shudder were outside stretching, and they could hear Ravel moving about in his tent. Valkyrie was the only one still asleep. Dexter couldn't help but wonder if it was just because she was a heavy sleeper or if it had anything to do with the after affects of a late night.

"What's going on?" Ghastly called from behind them. Dexter turned.

"You'll never guess who I just caught snuggling."

"Dexter, what happens in your tent can stay in your tent. I don't want to hear it."

"Hey, don't look at us!" Saracen protested, "We've been behaving ourselves, unlike some people."

"What are you two blathering about now?" Ravel asked, emerging from his tent.

Dexter glanced at Skulduggery. He was attempting to move Valkyrie off of him. But even fast asleep she didn't seem to want to let him get up. Satisfied, he wasn't about to be hit by the detective he turned to Ravel.

"I was just saying that we've got good news...We finally found a love deep enough to rival Anton and Daisy's!"

Shudder scowled, "Are you still going on about that?"

"Uh, Vex." Saracen said, taping him on the shoulder. He turned just in time to see Skulduggery, finally free of Valkyrie, lunge at them. He crashed into both of them at once, and suddenly everything was all elbows and knees. Skulduggery jabbed him in the stomach and then Saracen pulled Skulduggery into a headlock. Shudder, Ravel and Ghastly rushed over, tried to separate them. But then Saracen lost his footing as Shudder pulled him off Skulduggery, and they knocked into Ghastly who slipped and took down Ravel and Dexter with him. And the suddenly they were all sprawled out on the ground, rolling in the mud.

Valkyrie emerged from her tent, took one look at them, and sighed, "Do I even want to know?"