Skedaddle

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis nodded slowly, trying to believe Laya's words were right. His brother had shut him out before; this wasn't technically anything new. He glanced to Laya and abruptly remembered what she'd just been through. "Are you alright standing? We can find a place where you can lie down," he offered protectively.

[Emora Deen]

Laya met his eyes. She thought for a moment, trying to figure out if she was alright or not. She didn't really understand what she was feeling. She still felt the lingering edge of fear, but a numbness to it was settling in. Laya did realize she was tired, and maybe to tired to really feel anything at all. Laya put a hand to her forhead. "I guess I am used to it... Frightening as that is."

"Maybe I should lie down," she agreed. "I'm not quite sure we can use our room though."

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis folded his arms. "This isn't something one should become used to," he said solemnly. "I'm sure Adonis will allow you to use the room also. After all, you protected him earlier. I'm the one he doesn't want to see, when he's like...that. Whatever that is.

[Emora Deen]

Laya frowned at Telanis. "He loves you," Laya said as she took his hand leading him towards the door. "Its why he hates me. Because he thinks I will infect you... That I will corrupt you." Laya pushed on the door slowly, letting her hand slip from Telanis to hold the edge of the door while she pushed.

"Adonis?" she asked softly, her voice carrying the sweetness of her soul. She was worried about him, whether she feared him or not. She knew deep down, that Adonis could not help what he had become. Just as she could not help herself.

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis held back a pace as Laya pushed open the door to the room he felt was so impossible to enter and called to his brother.

Adonis jerked back from the washbasin he was leaning over. He yanked his sleeves down and jerked his attention to the door, looking at Laya tensely.

"What?" The word didn't have the expected bite. He looked more like he'd been caught stealing.

[Emora Deen]

Laya frowned, her eyes watching his hands as he pulled the fabric down over his arms. "Let me see," she said, swallowing as she stepped into the room.

She reached for his sleeve, reached for his hand and his arm, and meant to pull the fabric up so she could see if he was wounded. "Let me help." Her hands shook as she reached for him, like she was attempting to catch a rattlesnake. Or maybe her hands were still shaking for other reasons.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis meant to stop her. The last thing he could think of wanting right now was for someone to know what he'd done. But when his eyes flashed to her hands reaching out to his, all he could concentrate on was how they were shaking. Images of what was being done to her when he'd reached the infirmary earlier stunned him silent. And when he snapped out of it, she was touching his wrist, lifting back the fabric.

"Don't," he snapped, knowing it was a little too late now. He set his jaw in a tight line as he forced his eyes away from the blackened veins webbing up his arm, and away from her her. He didn't want to see her reaction any more than he wanted to look at himself.

[Emora Deen]

Laya winced at the webbed veins. Her hand gently wrapped around his wrist, holding it as lightly as she could, while she pulled up the fabric of his sleeve. “Oh, gods…” she breathed, barely audible. She didn’t know what she could do for him, she wanted to help, she always did.

She knew he didn’t want Telanis to fuss over it, so she pulled the sleeve back down over his arms. “You saved them…” Laya held both his hand with both of hers. “Thank you.” It was the only thing she could think to say to explain why she’d reached for him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis pulled his arm back against his chest as her fingers left it, his pulse still thrashing in his chest. "I didn't do it for them." He balled his fists to keep his fingers from shaking.

Telanis stood outside the door, unable to hear past the groaning of the ship and the roar of the storm. He knew something was wrong with Adonis, but he wasn't sure how to approach him. And what if Laya wanted him in there? He stepped around the corner into the doorway uncertainly and looked into the room, to find Laya kneeling next to Adonis on the ground. "Are you both okay?" he asked, reading strange emotions from Laya and nothing at all from Adonis.

[Emora Deen]

Laya stood up slowly. "Fine," she said softly, sitting on the edge of the bottom bunk.

She looked between the two brothers. "Come on in Telanis... its okay," she told him gently. She moved back into the alcove that was the bunk, until she was situated in the corner with her knees drawn up to her chest. She felt very safe there, with the wooden bunk bottom to the bed above her head, and the wall at her back, along with the wall at her side.

She didn't realize how vulnerable she'd been feeling until she found that safe enclosed spot and nestled herself there, leaving enough room for Telanis or Adonis to sit on the bed.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis stared after Laya. She was covering for him. She could have told Telanis in a second. It was as if she understood what these black scars meant. Like she knew what it was like to be tainted. To feel something vile inside you and be unable to get it out, horrified to acknowledge it was there. Maybe she did know. The realization shot through him like ice. The memory of her fear earlier returned like a sourness in the back of his throat.

Telanis walked to the bed where Laya was sitting and took hold of the bedpost for support. "Brother, I'm sorry I misjudged you. I thought..." he murmured from his place next to Laya. "I shouldn't have assumed..."

Adonis regarded him tensely. "I am not foolish enough to curse the crew that needs to bring us to shore." If Telanis thought this was about hurt pride, then he'd indulge that theory.

"I'm sorry..."

The black unicorn just glowered at his brother's solemn expression. "Knock it off. Guilt doesn't suit you," he berated his brother. His eyes glanced at Laya, trying to size her up while she wasn't looking.

[Emora Deen]

Laya fell gentle to the side. She huddled in the corner of the bed against the wall, drawing the covers over her. "Can I sleep here. I won't take up too much room, I promise. Please, just let me sleep here too," she whispered. She felt safe sleeping close to them. She had a ridiculous fear that if she slept up above them something could easily get her. It wasn't a realistic fear, but when it came to fear she could hardly be rational.

She could still feel her attacker, the memory of his touch, the brush of breath and lips on her skin. It was burned into her mind along with Kron's presence. She wanted a hot bath, a scalding hot bath and a cloth to scrub the feeling away.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Of course you're staying here," Telanis said, sitting next to her and resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. He glanced to Adonis. "She's staying," he told his brother quietly.

Adonis's brown-black eyes met his. "I know." He got to his feet and crossed to the corner where their luggage was stored, just as a crewman knocked and opened the door. He looked wet and exhausted, the way they all did. "Everyone healthy in here?" he called in to them.

Adonis's manner fllipped like a switch. "We were on deck, and...something went wrong. We just used the strength we had to get to our quarters, and woke up a few moments ago..." he explained as if baffled.

The soldier shook his head. "Just like everyone else..."

"Do they need help on deck?" the unicorn offered.

"Captain says the storm's passing. A few of us will steer, the rest of us are to stay in our quarters and meet on deck in the morning."

"Understood."

The sailor cast him a grateful stare and ducked back into the hall, shutting the door.

[Emora Deen]

Laya sat up quickly once the crewman had left. "What about that man... We just left him in there. Won't he attack again?" she asked, a wild look in her eyes. "Shouldn't we throw him overboard or something?" It was a rather dark thing to say coming from Laya, but she had no desire to see that man again.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis looked over at the door, entertaining the temptation to do exactly that. "He won't remember what he did. With the object of power broken, he'll be as confused as the rest of them when he wakes up. Those desires are a part of him, but he won't have the guts to try it again without the strength of the amulet."