The Princess and the Blade

[Soran Nightblade]

"Laurius!" Havi snapped, vaulting out and fishing the man up by his arm. Then he looked up and noticed Artisuren poised in the water a few feet opposite him, . Havi had been closer, so he'd reached him first, but one look at the Ivis's tortured expression made him want to drop Laurius back into the water. "He's alright," he told Artisuren firmly, though he hadn't truly checked. He just wanted the Ivis to stop making that face. He wondered if he should make some excuse to turn Laurius over to him, but somehow, Artisuren didn't seem ready to touch him, any more than he seemed ready to watch Havi take his place.

"Tie off the ship, okay?" Havi said, hoisting Laurius into his arms.

Artisuren's gaze lingered on them. "Yeah," he said. He fumbled for the bow line without turning for a second before finally pivoting his attention to his assigned task.

Havi sighed and carried Laurius toward the shore. For the first time in days, they had the ability to speak privately. "I'll admit he was a huge asset in getting us to shore, but you've got a project on your hands. You saw how he tore himself up over being served some lousy tea. How did you think he'd handle you putting yourself in this state for him?"

[Emora Deen]

Laurius looked at the world through salt-water blurred vision. "I like projects," he mused almost drunkenly, though he hadn’t had a single thing to drink in more than a day. "Maybe you should give him pointers. How do you handle her slicing herself up to give you form? It's a fact of both your realities. Something to get used to. He'll get used to it. Could you put me down? I feel like a woman being carried over the threshold of her home on her wedding night."

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi rolled his eyes. He was tired and irritable. "If you fall over, do it on your right side. Do not mess up your bandage," he said, swinging the man upright on the sand. His ribs groaned with relief as he released his weight. He turned to look at Tenara, who looked lost by herself on the sand. He cut a trajectory toward her instead, not troubled in the least to be dismissed by Laurius. The bigger problem was what to do about his Yurivis. It was true that she damaged herself to sustain him. He'd sworn to her mother that he would put an end to things if his existence put her life in danger, and he was already over the line he'd planned to draw with her. But just as he resolved to honor his promise, she'd met Laurius. If not for their partnership offering hope for a better option, he might not be here.

He'd never been so grateful that her wounds seemed to heal instantly when she used the sword. If she became like Laurius was now after helping him... his thoughts instantly jumped to ways to destroy himself. He grimaced. If he was thinking it, Artisuren was certainly thinking it too.

Speak of the devil, Artisuren's hand caught his shoulder as he passed the boat. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Babysit him yourself," Havi said.

The other Ivis glowered, but he turned and jogged to where Laurius was walking. He picked up a few paces behind him and followed him without a word. There was so much he wanted to ask and say. To do. "Here," he said, holding out an object dangling from a piece of rope. It was his dagger. "It was getting too hot while you were sleeping, so we had to hang it over the edge to protect the boat. The sea kept it cool." He hesitated. "I can put it back in the water, if you don't want it right now."

[Emora Deen]

Laurius took the dagger slowly, admiring it as he fumbled down onto a large piece of driftwood hugging the shore. He held it by the rope, admiring it with his half-focused eyes and testingly touching the blade with his finger to gauge its temperature. It was hot again.

Laurius tried to keep his confused disappointment from his face. He thought he was being a good master to the blade. He'd even learned to call Artisuren from within it. Was its current state because he'd been too weak to give orders? Was he doing something wrong? Did they need to...

Laurius remembered their time together in the ship before the pirates arrived. It was strange to consider that a fond memory. He'd been practically tortured by the medicine Artisuren had offered, and then... the rest was heaven. Did he need that again? Laurius felt he couldn't keep up with the want of it, even if his heart desired it. He could barely stand.

"Sit," Laurius said, nodding to the space on the log. He laid the blade on the soft sand at his feet, careful not to flop face-first into the sand with it. His movements were slow. Purposeful. Exhausted. "It's hot again," he agreed. "Do you know why? Is there something I'm doing wrong?"

---

Tenara relinquished the near-strangling grip on her throat and turned just as Havi approached. She felt like she'd been caught doing something inappropriate out in the open, and heat burned her cheeks. What would he think of the thoughts swirling around in her head... She thought back to how he'd reacted when she'd tried to sell herself for money in Arken, the rage burning like fires in his eyes. They'd been nothing to each other then and he'd still been so, so angry at her.

She cleared her throat and took another step forward. "Will you let me see your injury now?" she asked, reaching for his shirt.

[Soran Nightblade]

Artisuren sat where he'd been told. The word was like the first bit of food after a long famine. "It's me, not you," he said urgently. "My mental state seems to alter it." He glanced at the trees. "It is a withdrawal. It's not a great comparison, but imagine if someone captured a wild creature, and fed and tamed it. Trained it to exist only for them. Then, a few years later, they returned the creature to the elements. Would it survive after losing the ability to feed itself? Would it find meaning in a solitary life? That is the best I can describe it."

He clenched his blistered hands in front of him, shaking. "I am sorry for the burden this placed on you. So sorry."

_________

Havi raised his arm and allowed her to see his bare torso. Other than a large, black bruise, there was no outward damage. "It will heal well," he said calmly to her. He touched her cheek lightly, hoping to entice her attention away from what she wanted to do. The angry welts on her neck made his jaw clench. "Please let me keep this, for you. I want to heal alongside you, together."

[Emora Deen]

Laurius tilted his head to Artisuren. "It's not a burden," he said, smiling. "I'm used to bossing people around. Though, I'm worried I'll run out of things to command you to do in this place." He reached out and rested his hand over Artisuren's clenched, bandaged ones. "I suppose I'll have to be creative." He gave Artisuren a playful wink and then nodded to a palm behind him. "For now, shake down some of those coconuts. I'm thirsty. I'm sure they are too."

---

Tenara's fingers skimmed feather-light across Havitharon's bruised ribs. She couldn't tell if they were worse than he admitted to. The only way to know for sure was to order it out of him and she wouldn't do that.

He wanted to heal at her pace, alongside her. It was sweet, but she also had the strangest feeling he was avoiding her magic, or maybe he simply just wanted her to conserve her energy.

"Perhaps I should try to help Laurius, then," she said softly. She had planned to ease Havitharon's pain, but if he was content to deal with it, then her skills were better use making sure Laurius didn't bleed out accidentally, or, more likely, fend off any infection brewing from the wound in his neck. She had never tried to heal anyone other than Havi. She wasn't even sure it would work... or if he would have a similar reaction to her magic as Havi did.

She wondered what he thought about her magic making another feel the same pleasure they shared… But then she remembered his inquiries about Laurius. She was his Yurivis, not his wife or his lover in the sense that she understood. He didn’t care. She wished she couldn’t care either.

[Soran Nightblade]

Ren stared at the man's hand gently covering his, and shook harder. He bent his head to his trembling hands, his breath tightening into a sob. "Yes," he whispered against Laurius's bandaged hand, and kissed it.

He wanted to say something else, but he couldn't think of any words. There was more to this new 'master' than he'd realized before. Laurius's bizarre, utilitarian brand of kindness was impossible to deny, now that he'd seen it enough times. Even if his own servant had weakened him, the strange man apparently wasn't angry with him. He seemed more frustrated and confused. He was also exhausted, and hurt.

Ren heaved his emotions back under control and stood up to look into the trees. He had to identify what kind of object a coconut was. It wasn't hard to guess. Something that had to be shaken down, that would hold water. "I'll be back soon," he told Laurius, keeping his face turned, and made off for the trees.

__________

Havi hesitated at her suggestion. He didn't like the idea of her healing him, either, but it felt inappropriate to keep questioning her. He had a vivid recollection of her helping him summon Artisuren back to the boat. He hadn't missed the way their breaths sped up, together. As if a secret joining was taking place in the privacy of their minds. He knew what her magic felt like. If he refused her, would she always just find another person to help? Whomever was selfish enough or naive enough to use her power for themselves. A person like her would spend her life surrounded by people, giving herself to them. Was he to be her solemn servant, watching on as she tattered her health, the only one who didn't want to claim it?

"Are you sure you're well enough to do such a thing?" he asked her carefully.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara glanced to where Laurius sat on the log. His injuries were not her doing. They would have happened—had happened—whether she sunk the ship or not. Still, she felt compelled to help him. She wanted to feel useful, to feel like she was doing something to atone for what she'd done. Every good deed was a step further from that black throne she dreamed about every night now.

"I think so," she replied. Her body was weary and sun-beaten, dehydrated and starving. No. She was not healthy enough to heal another person, now that she thought about it. Suggesting such a thing seemed silly, and Havitharon had to see it as such. But she was scared if she didn't do something, then Laurius would be another casualty of the disaster she made.

"I want to do good," she said. "I want to be good… Besides, maybe, if he's well, Artisuren will stop with that kicked dog look on his face." She smiled, curling her fingers in his hand. "It might not even work. Maybe I can only heal you."

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi's large palm closed lightly over hers. "I tried to explain to Laurius, why Artisuren is so miserable over those injuries. Why it turns him inside out to think his master wounded himself for him. You know what he told me?" He grinned a little. "That I should give Artisuren pointers, since I'm used to it."

"But Tenara..." He turned to kneel in front of her, so he could look up warmly into her eyes. "Tenara, I'm not used to it. I'm not used to seeing you get hurt. If I'm honest, I don't even care if you're 'good' or not. No one is worthy of hurting you, or taking from you. If I could have sunk that ship myself, I would have."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara hesitated at his words. She looked away, at the sea, and felt her eyes burn fiercely. She could be evil. She could torture people. She could sink a thousand ships and smile and he would still want her safe. He would help her even, if she asked, because he was not her lover. He was her servant.

She cupped his cheeks in her hands, and tried to dry her eyes as she looked back at him. “Because I’m your Yurivis,” she said.

She wanted to say more, but it felt so cruel to talk about it after they had traversed a sea to get to safety. It wasn’t his fault, she thought. But it frightened her that he would follow her into darkness without question. She wanted him to question her. To argue. To yell at her. To scold her. To stop her from becoming what she dreamed she might be if she let go.

She pressed a kiss to his temple, and then one on his head near the base of his horn. She could still respect his concern. It was genuine, even if the reason for its existence was still something she grappled with. “I will be cautious, my Havi... It’s probably a poor time to try unfamiliar magic, anyway. We should focus on other, more important things. Food and shelter and fresh water, to name a few.”

[Soran Nightblade]

"Because I'm your Yurivis."

Havitharon's chest twisted oddly. Why did she speak those words while looking at him like she was in pain? He'd missed something. For her to be standing in front of him struggling to keep tears out of her eyes, he must have done something, or perhaps not done it.

Normally, wouldn't she tell him what was wrong? But this time, she touched and spoke to him so oddly. Like she was placating him. Was it just his own discomfort causing him to imagine things? "Tenara...if I have overstepped," he began carefully, but thought better of it.

"I can go scout for something edible. His gaze trickled to Lee. The man still had a knife on him. Sure, he'd helped them row to shore, but he was also part of the reason they'd gotten into this mess. "What do you want me to do about him?"

__________________________________

Artisuren shoved at the based of the palm tree one more time, putting his full weight into the swing. The tall tree barely even shifted. He arched a brow at the fruits at the top, and wondered if Laurius had played a prank on him. Well, if the wouldn't shake loose, he could climb up and get them. He wrapped his arms around the trunk and heaved himself up, using his legs for grip. His hands were a bit sore, but his bandages served as a good guard against the sharp bark. He shimmied all the way to the umbrella of fronds that stretched around the coconuts, then stopped to catch his breath.

He looked out over the beach. He could see Laurius sitting where he'd left him, and the princess and Thvoros talking. So far, he didn't see any other boats off the shoreline to indicate company. There was no sign of habitation at all, from what he could gather of the place. His eyes did spot something in the distance that looked like it could be a small stream or pond. The might be worth exploring, he noted. He also spotted something moving off in the trees. A group of mid-sized animals with low, squat bodies and long tusks. It was a very good sign that the island was apparently home to other species.

He braced his legs around the trunk and hauled at one of the coconuts. The stem was thick like a rope. He should have brought some kind of knife. He twisted and tore at the stupid thing, growling curses at it.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara wanted to tell him he hadn't overstepped. She wanted to tell him all the worries growing in her heart—all the confusing emotions warring in her mind. But, he was already on to the task, and it was all better left said in the night, when they might rest and find some time alone.

She glanced at Lee. "Why not take him with you? Put him to use. He needs water and food like the rest of us."

---

Laurius fell back off the log, landing in the pillow-soft beach sand. He hadn't meant to fall backward, but he had, and so he stayed. Though, he couldn't stay for long. The sun was still high in the air, and his fair skin had already had about as much as it could handle of the sun over the last few days. He threw an arm over his face and wondered how he'd get to his feet with any dignity at all.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Good idea," Havi agreed. Better to keep the threat close until they figured out what to do with him. "I'm grateful for all those botany books you showed me." The thought brought his mind back to his futile efforts to gather flowers for her in the forest. It would be wrong to be happy about their situation right now, wouldn't it? He shoved the thought away, feeling guilty for it. Besides, this time, it wasn't just the two of them.

"We will return as quickly as possible." He turned to go get Lee.

___________________________

When Artisuren finally did manage to break the coconut off, it released so suddenly that he swung backward, fumbling it against his chest before dropping it. It hit the earth below with a loud smack, but didn't appear damaged. Suddenly he was grateful he hadn't succeeded in shaking them free. He tightened his grip with his legs around the trunk and began tearing at his next victim. By the time he'd freed all six coconuts, he was out of breath, his bare torso silvery with sweat. He huffed out a sigh and climbed back to the ground. Carrying that many coconuts at once was a different problem. He stacked them awkwardly against his chest, tilting backwards to keep them from rolling free, and walked stiffly back to the beach. When he caught sight of Laurius lying in the sun, he marched toward him.

"Your skin's like alabaster. You're going to shrivel up," he chastised the man. It was hard to speak with much authority while holding that many coconuts.

[Emora Deen]

Laurius shifted his arm, lifting it so that it shielded the sun but allowed him to see Artisuren. His eyes widened at the being's haul. "Good work!" He slid the rest of the way off the driftwood log and rolled unceremoniously to his knees before trying to stand. He staggered a bit, but managed to make it to his feet. He was so, so thirsty.

"Need to break them open, I think," he said, taking one from Artisuren's pile. "I've never actually eaten one of these, but I've read about them in books. They have liquid inside, and something called flesh or meat. I can't remember." He fell back down to his knees near the log and raised the coconut over his head.

"You're going to lose all the coconut water inside if you smash it," Tenara said, approaching them. He hesitated, looking up at her, then behind her to where Havitharon and Lee were heading into the jungle.

"Do you know how to eat these?"

"Southern Hajara has lots of palms. It's more humid there. My father showed me how to harvest them. Here..." She took one from Artisure's pile, lightening his load a little. "Good work, Ren. You should sit and rest." Then, she turned to Laurius. "Can I borrow the dagger?"

Laurius hesitated a second before reaching under his shirt and passing her Artisuren's dagger. She knelt across from him, the log between them, and placed the coconut on the wood. Then, she proceeded to find a seemingly soft divot in its rough textured covering, and poked at it with the dagger, tapping the butt of the hilt to puncture the spot. When she was done, she lifted it to Artisuren. "Here. You did all the work, you get to have the first sip. It's only fair."

[Soran Nightblade]

Artisuren looked at Tenara's coconut as though she'd offered him a cup of poison. Frustration swirled up inside him. He cast Laurius a desperate look.