The Waxing of a Red Moon: Pt 3
tw: violence/gore
The coming week had been less forgiving than the last. The evenings had gone from card games and ale to sleepless nights and sober strife. Tensions ran high, with occasional fights or arguments between several party members. If it wasn’t Shadowheart and Lae’zel, then it was Astarion and Wyll.
A raid, a few evenings earlier, had put everyone on edge. They’d been scouts of the Absolute. Attempting to slip into camp and slit throats without a word. But it was Scratch the dog who thwarted that plan. Before the goblins could lay steel to flesh, the brave beast barked and growled up a storm.
Karlach and Rhaenyra were the first to awaken, the two tieflings reaching for weapons. A booming roar from Karlach roused the others. And although their lives were spared, they weren’t without harm. This attack shattered their illusion of safety. They’d been careless. Sailing too far on the winds of Ketherics death.
Watch duty had been doubled, but even so, sleep was hard to find. But now, the moon hung high among the clouds. Those not on guard duty were trying to rest the best they could. The current shift was Karlach and Astarion. The two got along rather well and could at least stay awake by entertaining each other with bad jokes.
Rhaenyra had drifted off for a bit, but awoke to a sudden heaviness in her chest. She sat up, hand across her breast. Rising to her feet, Rhaenyra stepped from the tent. The only face she saw was Gales. He sat near the fire, his nose buried in a book. A small sigh of relief slipped from her lips.
A flurry of white then caught her eye. It was Scratch. He had darted over to Halsin’s tent. The dog was sniffing furiously around, tail wagging as he did so. But it wasn’t the sniffing that hollowed out a pit in her stomach, it was the realization that Halsin’s tent was empty.
He’d stated he was going to the river to fill water skins before Rhaenyra went to sleep. But it didn’t take that long to complete such a task. Dashing to the camp's edge, she looked out among the woods. Closing her eyes, Rhaenyra inhaled slowly, her sensing sharpening to that of an animal.
Water. She could hear the river. She could hear the wind and the movement of small wings through it. And then she heard it. The sharp roar of a beast and the cries that followed. “Halsin.” his name had barely left her tongue before she leapt forward, hands turning to claws as she landed.
Gale had looked up, noticing Rhaenyra standing at the edge of the firelight. The wizard's eyes widened as he watched her shift, panic rising in his chest. The book hit the ground with a thud as Gale darted for the others. “Wake up! Somethings wrong! Wake up!”
As she ran, heart racing, the roar and cries of pain grew louder. Rhaenyra prayed for the Wolf Mothers speed. Please, for him.
…………………………………………
Halsin’s jaws snapped around the neck of a not-fast-enough goblin. The massive grizzly towered over them, blood dripping down his side and back. Worgs had him flanked, jagged teeth tearing into fur and flesh. A slew of dead goblins laid among them.
Halsin knew that he likely wouldn’t survive the fight, but he’d sworn on all the Oak Fathers' strength that they wouldn’t either. Nothing would stop him from ensuring his companions safety. Nothing. But Halsin could already begin to feel his form fading. The strength of the grizzly waning.
The glow of Halsin’s eyes flickered as he dropped from the bear, the last of its power slipping into the night. Bleeding and battered, Halsin sank to his knees. The worg’s dove at him, jaws parted and eager. Suddenly a blur of black and gray darted from the treeline, followed by the sickening crunch of bone.
A worg hung lifeless, its throat crushed within the jaws of a massive wolf. A crimson mist hung around the predator's eyes, its teeth sinking deeper into flesh as it violently shook the worg. Throwing the animal's carcass to the side, the wolf stepped over Halsin, shielding him with its body.
Within the minds of the few remaining goblins, an infernal voice echoed, “You won’t claim him.”
Without waiting for a reaction, the wolf snapped forward, teeth sinking into its next victim. With a gaze filled with a mix of pain and awe, Halsin watched the carnage unfold before him. The druid did not fear the wolf, for he knew those wild eyes all too well. Somehow, by Silvanus himself, she had come to his aid.
Trying, and failing, to slow his blood loss, Halsin sank deeper into the muck beneath him. Only a few minutes after Rhaenyra’s arrival, Halsin heard a familiar voice. With a hand extended, draconic words whipped out from Gale’s mouth, eyes alight with magic. Wyll and Lae’zel followed behind, weapons drawn as they descended upon the last of the goblins.
With enough reassurance that the fight was swayed in their favor, the wolf turned back to Halsin. Its tall form began to shrink, a woman falling from within its fur. Warm hands quickly fell to Halsin’s wounds as Rhaenyra whispered various incantations.
He tried to speak, a barely audible thank you escaped. “Hush,” Rhaenyra shushed, “Keep your strength.” she briefly met his gaze, a gentle smile upon her lips. “I’ve got you.”
Halsin eventually lost consciousness. When he finally woke, Halsin found himself back at camp. Parts of his body ached more than others, but it was bearable. He attempted to rise up a bit, but found that his left arm was pinned.
As he turned himself, it wasn’t a binding or weight he saw, but a slumped over form. With her hand and arm resting upon his, Rhaenyra must have fallen asleep at his side. Though Halsin didn’t want to wake her, he found himself reaching to brush fingers along her upturned cheek.
Just then, the tent flap opened and in stepped a rather surprised Astarion. “Oh,” he tilted his head a bit, clearly not expecting to find Rhaenyra asleep and Halsin awake. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to see you awake yet. I just came to check on Rhaen.” Leaning within the entryway, Astarion’s arms crossed. “She’s not left your side, ya know. Used every last ounce of energy she had to heal you.”
Halsin looked back to Rhaenyra, his palm brushing along her cheek. “Was anyone else hurt?”
“No, they squashed what remained like bugs. Can’t say our waterskins fared well, but eh.” Halsin actually laughed a bit, but quickly regretted such. A pain shot through his ribs and he doubled over a bit. “Sorry, I’ll keep my wit to myself.” Astarion smiled. “When she wakes, insist that she come eat. Poor thing hasn’t touched food or water since last eve.”
Halsin nodded in reply. “Astarion?” his tired eyes moved to the vampire. “Thank you.”
Astarion quickly shooed away the comment. “Now now, don’t go getting all sentimental on me. I didn’t do anything. But I’ll let Shadowheart know you’re up. She made some kind of magical stew.” Astarion rolled his eyes at the mention of the stew. “Or something like that.”
“Stew would be great.” Halsin smiled.
Not long after Astarion left, Rhaenyra stirred. A soft whimper slipped from her as she slowly woke. Rising up, she blinked and rubbed palms against her eyes. It took her a second to realize that Halsin was actually awake. The realization quickly grew into excitement. With a smile and what looked to be tears in her eyes, his name breathlessly left her lips.
Without a word in return, Halsin reached out a bandaged arm, fingers slipping into the teal strands of Rhaenyra’s hair as he pulled her forward. Heat quickly rose in her cheeks. The first moment, tender and gentle. The second was a fury of racing hearts and a pull to each other that nearly consumed them on the spot.
Clumsy hands reached to wrap around Halsin’s neck, knee’s feeling weak as she slipped down to them at the edge of the cot. With great effort, Halsin pulled back ever so slightly. “I owe you everything.” he breathed out, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.
“As long as Silvanus gives me breath, expect nothing less.”
…………………………………………
Shadowheart had returned suddenly to the fireside, a bowl of stew still between her hands along with a face as red as a beet.
The party looked at her, brows raised in confusion.
“What?” Gale questioned.
“Uhh, nothing. I’ll just…go back later.”
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