Mature: Desert Moon

[Emora Deen]

Tenele gathered Tenara in her arms tightly. "Vlad!" Tenele called, trying to warn her husband before he touched it. If it burned Tenara's hand, then it would surely burn his, or worst. Tenara shared an allergy to holy runes and magic, though a less sever case than her fathers. But, being the daughter of two children of Verin, even with her human blood, she was bound to not be able to tolerate it.

[Soran Nightblade]

The vampire didn't expect the shock the arrow gave him. He'd learned to be wary around metal, but wood...it was much more unusual for anyone to carve runes into such a material. He jerked away and landed on his back in the water, holding a singed hand away from his body to try to keep the water off of it. "What the hell," he snapped. Holy weapons were not a feature he encountered often in Hajaria. Until recently, these people were all Verin worshippers. There were few priests of Thar, and even less who knew the rites.

It occurred to him to glance over his shoulder and ensure he hadn't landed on any family members.

[Emora Deen]

"Daddy, watch your grip," Tenara cooed, almost jokingly at her father. Tenele shifted the child on her hip and Tenara held out her hand. "We match," she told him, showing her red palm.

"Are you okay?" Tenele asked Vlad, kneeling in the water next to him. She reached out with her free hand and took his wrist, turning his hand so she could examine it.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad overrode centuries of instinct and allowed her to touch near his wound. Only her.

"It's just an arrow. Someone left it up there. Seems the runes weren't damaged. Unusual for something like that to find purchase against stone," he muttered tightly, pretending the simmering flesh didn't bother him.

[Emora Deen]

"If its wooden shouldn't it have eroded with that amount of water rushing over it?" Tenele asked curiously, looking up at the arrow.

"Magic," Tenara replied. "It appeared like magic. Woosh. Fast."

Tenele paused, turning her gaze slowly on Tenara. "Woosh?"

"Woosh."

Had they been so preoccupied by their conversation about Knight that they hadn't noticed someone shooting an arrow at their child? No... That wasn't possible.

"Are you sure?" Tenele asked Tenara.

Tenara tapped her chin. "No."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad jerked to his feet, less graceful than usual but just as swift. His eyes studied the buildings around the circle where the fountain ornamented the brick mosaic streets. He scanned them with eyes and ears for any sign of movement or life. If something had shot that arrow, he intended to kill it.

But after a long, watchful pause, he spotted nothing. Of course, his vision was worse than human in the blinding desert light.

[Emora Deen]

"Can I climb again?" Tenara asked them, looking at the top of the fountain. "I was almost there."

"Not right now," Tenele replied. "Just give us a minute to look everything over." Tenele curled her hand around her husband's soaked arm. "What do you think? She has a very active imagination. It might have been there for some time. There were priests of Sinead's court fighting in the war. It is likely that they were firing such arrows."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad nodded. "I should have heard an arrow being fired. It was most likely there already. And one would think you or I would make much better targets."

[Emora Deen]

"Definitely," Tenele replied, smiling at her daughter. Who would want to kill a child, especially one so sweet and small like Tenara? "Well, at any rate I think I'm done playing in the fountain. Let's go get some dry clothes on."

Tenele stepped out of it, her dress waterlogged and clinging to her legs. "We need to teach you, little one, about not picking up certain items you are allergic to." Tenele kissed Tenara on the nose.

"Like what?" Tenara asked, admiring her red hand.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Things that are too bright to look at," Vlad noted. "Like my ring." He held out his burned hand to give her a close look at his wedding ring. He wondered if she saw it the same way he did, blindingly bright.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara appraised her dad's ring. "But, I like shiny things," she protested, reaching out to touch her father's ring.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Carefully," Vlad warned. "Just one finger, just the tip. If it doesn't hurt you, then you can touch it." He already knew his ring couldn't hurt her, but it was the process that mattered more.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara reached out with a small finger and tapped her father's ring. When it didn't hurt her she giggled. "I can have shiny things," she announced.

"The type of shiny things that your father is talking about are too bright to look at. You know how the sun is too bright to look at. Things like that," Tenele told her as they sloshed back to the castle.

"Oh," Tenara replied. "What happens if I touch things that are too shiny. Do they burn?"

"They might," Tenele replied. "I'm not sure if they will burn you as bad as your fathers, but it is possible. It is best not to try. Just ignore them."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad Reached for his wife's hand and helped her back to her feet. "Do you want me to zip us back?" he asked in a low tone.

[Emora Deen]

"That would be nice," Tenele smiled at him. "I would feel bad about getting the floor covered in water and the maids having to clean it."