Holier Than Thou

[Emora Deen]

Espha nodded slowly, rising from the couch and following him. "Why won't she let you help her? She's your wife..."

Tenele's head jerked up towards the door. She wanted to answer him, but she didn't know yet if she wanted him to enter or not. She was afraid to let him enter. That thought was like a hand around her heart. So she didn't answer, because she didn't know the right words to reply with after saying so many wrong ones so far.

Instead, Tenele tried to hide in the tiny spot and hoped he'd just walk away until everything cooled down and her heart stopped racing and her fear went away.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's legs tried to give out. She feared him. Well, that had been his goal. Now she knew how ugly vampires were, since apparently she hadn't before. "Just Espha," he bargained through the door, tears rolling down his cheeks.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele cried at the sound of his voice. She stared at the door a little longer, the longest minute of her life. "Okay," she murmured. It was low, but she knew his ears could hear her. She tucked herself deeper into the corner, trying to stay out of site, but her bandaged feet stuck out in view.

Espha shook her head. "I don't know what to do. I'm not good at this. You go in."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad bit back a sob, too focused to be ashamed of his loss of control. He took the herbs and mixed them with water from the canteen in a small clay bowl. "This is a solvent," he croaked. "To loosen the bandages. The sand has baked them on. She is torturing herself." He put the bowl in her hands carefully. "You needn't touch the burns. Right over the bandage. It will seep through. I am a few feet away. Don't fear her, Espha. She is only hurt. Open the door once you're there." With that, he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently through the wall, into the small room with Tenele.

Vlad sat back against the wall and covered his mouth with his hand, unable to stop replaying her words or the sound of her sobs.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele eyed Espha warily, but Espha seemed equally wary of Tenele. She sat the bowl down and reached out for Tenele's hand. "Can I see?" Espha asked softly. It seemed the girl understood to be timid with Tenele, like a child trying to coax a cute animal from its hiding spot.

Tenele hesitated, but the look in Espha's eyes relaxed her. She eased her arm out slowly. Espha took her fingers gently and then smoothed the solvent over the bandages.

"Everythings okay," Espha told her with a gentle smile, rubbing the solvent on. "You look tired, Lady Dracul. Let's get you in bed after this. Sleep will help you feel better." Despite what Espha said, she was really good with bedside manners.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad leaned against the wall opposite them, listening to Tenele's heartbeat slowly, slowly drop from its frantic rhythm. That much, at least, was comforting to him. He clung to the thought for balance as minutes passed, totaling nearly half an hour. Removing those things would be a tedious process. He leaned over the other bowl he'd collected and began purposefully grinding beans and other spices into a balm for her skin. He was no clinician, but he had been through wars, and he knew a thing or two about wound dressing.

[Emora Deen]

Espha winced when she pulled the bandages away and tossed them out the door. "There," she sighed to Tenele.

"Thank you," Tenele croaked out, eyeing the damage Vlad's hand had done. "You are a very gentle nurse."

Espha beamed. "Shall I call Ambassador Dracul in? You may want to sit on the bed. It will be more-"

"I'll stay here," she whispered. "For now."

"Okay," Espha nodded, confused by her desire to stay tucked in the corner. "I'll be right back." Espha stood up and left the bathroom, standing over Vlad. "What do I do now?"

[Soran Nightblade]

The vampire passed the white balm up to her without meeting her eyes. "Gently. Very, very gently. Okay?" He didn't want to let her do this part. His vampirism gave him the ability to be perfectly still with his hands when he needed to be. She would barely know he was applying it.

But that wasn't really the issue at the moment. He could not be a source of comfort to her right now. He'd foregone that right, and until she chose to give it back to him, he was in purgatory.

[Emora Deen]

"Gentle, got it," Espha told him, taking the bowl. She went back to Tenele. "Hold out your arm." Tenele stared at the bowl, and then at the girl. She frowned, holding out her arm. "Okay, gentle." Espha chanted the mantra to herself as she started smoothing the balm over Tenele's flesh, starting at the least burned part and working her way down towards the fingers.

Espha's touch grew to comfortable with the smoothing, pressed in a little harder. Tenele gasped, and drew her arm away.

"Oh!" Espha winced. "I'm sorry. I'll be gentle I promise."

Tenele slowly held her arm out again. It trembled, and Espha gave her a sympathetic look. "Why don't you want Vlad to do this? He's better at it I'm sure."

Tenele didn't reply. She turned her face towards the cabinets and pressed her forehead against the wood while Espha finished. When Espha was done she wiped her hands on a towel and stepped outside again, setting the empty bowl near Vlad.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad looked up at her as she came back and showed her an appreciative smirk, but his eyes were tortured. "Thank you," he said, standing up. He wanted to go in to see her. He decided he would at least look. He rubbed his eyes dry. His face looked like a watercolor.

He stepped into the doorway and looked down at his wife, affection tugging at his heart as he saw her in one piece. "I...I will be just outside," he said to her barely above a whisper, his throat knotting up all over again. "The bedroom is yours, so please come out and rest."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's green eyes flashed up at him, and then quickly went back to the floor. She drew her newly bandaged arm to her chest, remembering the way he'd grabbed her arm, pulled her hair, crushed her into the bed. The flutter of his lips on her neck, both wanting to kiss her and more than likely rip out her throat. "I'm sorry," she muttered staring at the floor, a tinge of fear rippling through her voice. "I won't do that again." Vlad could be cruel when put in a box, when in a bad mood, when hurt. But, he'd never been physically cruel to her.

[Soran Nightblade]

"I will never hurt you like that again," Vlad choked. "I cannot turn you, Tenele. I cannot even handle doing this much. It is more than I can bear. Please do not make me do it." He was losing it again.

[Emora Deen]

The tears fell down her cheeks and dripped onto her bandages as she stared at her arm. She nodded slowly. "I won't make you do it." She was afraid to even broach the subject now... and hurt. Still, so very deeply hurt.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad watched her, the way her eyes wouldn't meet his. He forced his breathing under control as he looked to Espha. "Please use the remaining water to control the fever. If she doesn't have one yet, she will soon." He handed the remaining clean rags to her. "When the battle is over, I will find your father for you and bring him here."

[Emora Deen]

Espha looked up at him quickly, taking the rags. "Don't leave," she said quickly. "What if Arkens see the candle light and come inside? I don't know how to fight and she can't fight. Please, don't leave us."

Tenele wanted to tell him to stay, but the words never left her mouth. She stared out he door, torn between wanting to forgive him and being afraid. Why was she so afraid? She hated this. Hated feeling scared of her own husband. She hated being weak and hurt. Being human.

Tenele stood slowly, inching towards the door.