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@rose-colored-fancy

LOL, the funny thing is that she isn’t actually terrifying XD She’s a sappy sweetheart who adopts everyone she sets eyes on, she just refuses to show it. Actually, she’s terrifying too, she just goes back and forth between the two depending on the person. She exists in extremes XD

That’s amazing I love it! Whereas Yila is the exact opposite. She’s all terrifying and extreme flatness and I can’t decide whether I love her or hate or or both… I WANT TO MEET THIS LIORAH SOOOOO BAD!!!!!! I mean, I exist in extremes as well, so I can definitely understand where she’s coming from…

Niarok finished bandaging the man’s leg and sat back. For the first time, I noticed the slump to his shoulders, the exhaustion in the slowness of his movements.

I. Just. Melted. AYDEN IS SOOOO SWEET AND I LOVE HIM!!!!! The fact that he even noticed, considering how good Niarok is at hiding his exhaustion, is testament to how much he actually cares underneath and I LOVE HIM!!!!! XD

Niarok

Niarok paced along the wall, preparing to speak with Ayden and hoping he wouldn’t drive him away, when suddenly he felt something behind him displace the air.

He spun around, a hand on the hilt of his sword. Chet and his animal had disappeared, and the entrance to the cave was in the act of morphing into a tunnel.

This just got weirder and weirder. Although, as a positive, the temperature was rapidly ascending to a bearable level.

Exhaustion swept over Niarok as his body relaxed from the tension of shivering.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually, truly slept for a good length of time.

He took a moment to seriously consider crashing. He knew he was no use if he was falling asleep on his feet.

But then there was a frustrated grumbling noise and a metallic voice sent a shiver up his spine.

“Well, well. I must say you did a pretty good job on that challenge. I’m really getting sick of the doctor being so nice. Maybe I ought to remove him from the picture.” It was like the very walls were speaking.

Niarok’s grip tightened on his sword and he drew it halfway out. Yila leapt to her feet, her knife bared.

“You would severely regret taking my brother from me,” she snapped.

Niarok would’ve smiled if he hadn’t been about to get… what? Taken? Killed?

The castle cackled, and it was very well one of the worst noises Niarok had ever heard. Yes, there were no shortage of terrible sounds in the assassination business, but this one was something different.

“You tempt me, weasel, to try. However, I do think I’ll enjoy his reaction to my next challenge.”

Then there was silence.

Niarok stood tensed for a couple moments. He and Yila made eye contact across the still-burning fire, and both relaxed of one accord. The castle was giving them time.

If the castle tried to take him away, he wasn’t going without a fight, but he wasn’t sure he could do anything against an inanimate object with such a morbid sense of humor.

Ayden appeared beside him, his face a display of worry, pity, and embarrassment all conglomerated into a painful concoction of misery.

Niarok felt for him.

“I’m sorry for what happened, I didn’t expect it. I can stop it sometimes but it just–” Ayden said, raking his hand through his hair. His eyes roved the room, avoiding Niarok’s gaze.

His pain reminded Niarok of so many similar times it had happened to him. “I understand,” he said, trying to communicate that he truly, actually did. Ayden met his eyes, and he seemed to catch the message.

“Thanks, for everything,” Ayden said quietly, glancing down.

Niarok sensed he wasn’t done yet. When he looked up, his eyes were resolute. “You need to take a break,” he said.

Niarok’s eyes widened slightly, wondering how much he’d really been showing. The fact that Ayden could tell meant he was either far more intuitive than he let on, or Niarok was spilling his emotions everywhere.

“I need to watch Rúan’s leg, if it bleeds too much–”

“It needs stitches. I know. I’ve been through this a few times. I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong,” Ayden interrupted, and Niarok immediately knew he was not backing down until Niarok relented.

“You’re not a healer, I need to–” he started to protest.

“I know enough. You don’t need to do anything except sleep. You aren’t responsible for us,” Ayden cut in. Niarok couldn’t help smiling slightly.

You should see me if I was responsible for you…

But responsible or not, he still cared about these people. A lot.

“But what if something goes wrong while I’m asleep–” he tried to say.

“I’m not going to sleep. I’ll wake you if I even suspect that something will go wrong,” Ayden interrupted again, and Niarok sighed.

The man was stubborn.

But more than that, he was right. And Niarok admired him for caring enough to force him into submission.

“Fine,” he muttered.

Ayden looked almost relieved that he had relented. Niarok smiled.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, clapping Ayden on the shoulder before walking back to where Yila stood.

His sister looked at him, her icy eyes rimmed with fear.

“If the castle takes you, what do I do?” she whispered.

Niarok looked her in the eye. Even if she didn’t believe it herself, she cared, and Niarok admired that trait.

“You keep going, for the both of us,” he said, resting his hands on her shoulders.

She glared at him. “Don’t you get taken,” she snapped, and Niarok shook his head.

“Not by my choice, Yila.”

She sighed and turned towards the fire, drawing a knife and examining the blade. Her fear was almost tangible, and Niarok wanted to promise her he wouldn’t be taken.

He couldn’t.

And she was going to kill him if he was and he returned.

He shook his head.

“I’m sleeping. If something happens and Ayden is occupied, wake me,” he said, and Yila nodded, her eyes focused on some far away memory.

Niarok laid down on the hard, smooth cave floor and wrapped his blanket around him.

He was drifting in seconds, but through the fog he could hear Ayden telling Ruan some sort of horror story about stitches.

He could almost imagine the look of horror on Ruan’s face.