#malric

Graduation day at the achademy didn't go exactly to plan...

vv Unfiltered version vv

[A reintroduction to my sin'dorei boys: Malsunstrike, Nicswiftblade, and Lightmorn.]

The fighting was finally over. It was time to go home. But before we would all go our separate ways, I requested Deyin and Nicandro’s company for one last evening. We returned to where it all began: Quel’Danas. While Deyin and myself had been friends since childhood, we first met Nicandro during our service to the Shattered Sun Offensive. 

Stealing away to the northeast corner of the island, the three of us sat by a cliff overlooking the Forbidding Sea. It was a place that I often would visit for a chance to clear my mind, but it also became a spot where I could share a bottle of rum with good friends.

Night had fallen over the island, stars twinkling as the moon hung low  in the clear sky. The calm breeze rolled from the ocean, a chill settling over the island. The familiar sound of friend’s laughter filled the air, an open bottle of rum passed between the three of us. The auburn-haired rogue kept the bottle in hand, Deyin always reluctant to give up a free drink. After long swig, Deyin finally relinquished the rum, passing the bottle to Nicandro. The hunter took a drink before resting the bottle atop his knee.

"Can’t believe it’s over." Nicando muttered before passing glances between Deyin and myself. I nodded wordlessly in agreement.

"Yeah," Deyin interjected causing Nicandro to give him a critical look.

"Yeah, I’m sure you’re looking for a nice long break after defending all of those taverns in Pandaria. Not a wasted drop of beer while Lightmorn’s on the job!" Nicandro teased, a hint of drama in his tone.

Deyin smirked to the black-haired hunter as he placed his palms on the grass behind him, the rogue leaning back against his braced arms. “Yeah, Chris and I’ll be heading back soon. I have some unfinished business with a couple of virmen in the Valley.”

An injury had kept Deyin from joining Nicandro, Jasolei, and myself during the siege. I could tell it bothered him, but Deyin never gave voice to those thoughts. Thinking it best to quickly divert attention from the rogue, I turned to address Nicandro.

"So what are you and Jasolei going to do now that the fighting is over?" I asked the hunter, offering him a warm smile.

"She wanted to take me to Kun-Lai before all of this started. I’m looking forward to taking her up on that." Nicandro returned my smile, his gaze turning skyward toward the stars shining brightly in the cloudless night sky. "We’ve spent the last, what? Half a year fighting at each other’s side. Which is all well and good, but it’s left little time for just the two of us."

His smile rapidly changing to a devious smirk, Nicandro looked back to me before adding, “If you know what I mean.”

Deyin swat a heavy hand against Nicandro’s back, jolting the black-haired elf forward and briefly knocking the breath from his lungs and nearly knocking the bottle of rum from his knee. “Now you sound like me,” the rogue announced proudly, offering a knowing grin to Nicandro who simply rolled his eyes in response.

Chuckling to the both of them, I shook my head. Deyin’s grin softened to a smile as he addressed me.  “I bet you’ll be glad to get home to Rory.”

I nodded slowly, turning my attention thoughtfully to the ground. “I just hope she still feels the same. I’ve been away for so long, I hope she still loves me as I love her.”

"She does," Nicandro spoke softly before passing the bottle of rum to me. "If anything the time apart should help you appreciate each other all the more."

Accepting the open bottle, I took a long drink of rum. I knew he was right. Aurora and I wrote to each other as much as possible during my service to the Horde. I never stopped thinking about her — fighting for her. I know she’d fight for me in return. I passed the bottle of rum back to Deyin, the rogue always quick to take a drink.

Nicandro quirked an eyebrow as he looked to me. “So when are you two getting married?”

My heart leapt into my throat as I felt all the color drain from my face. Nicandro must have got the reaction he was looking for as the pair of them broke into laughter. Struggling to swallow my heart to its rightful location, I shook my head quickly. “I’m not ready yet.”

I must have absentmindedly glanced down to the black ribbon still tied to my left arm, because the reaction that followed was a very different one. Deyin’s laughter ceased, his brow creasing in concern as he shoved the bottle of rum back to Nicandro in an effort to quiet the hunter. An awkward silence ensued, threatening to change the course of our conversation to much more unpleasant topics.

Shaking my head quickly, I did what I could to redirect the souring atmosphere. “What about you, Nic?” I asked the black-haired elf. He grinned slightly, shrugging his shoulders.

"I’ve thought about it, but only in passing really. Kinda hard to plan a romantic marriage proposal when there’s a Kor’kron swinging an axe at my face." Nicandro chuckled as he shook his head.

Deyin cleared his throat quickly, drawing both of our gazes to the rogue. He paused expectantly, however his intentions were lost on both Nicandro and myself. “Aren’t ya gunna ask me if I’m gunna pop the question to Chris?”

"No," Nicandro and I spoke firmly in unison, warranting a look of playful offense from Deyin.

"If you get married before I do, I’ve officially failed as a man," I clarified, clearly teasing Deyin, the jest in a good nature.

”Hey!” The rogue protested in mock offense, though immediately paused thoughtfully before quickly shaking his head. The smirk returning to his lips, Deyin shrugged as he continued, “Nah, yer right.”

The three of us shared another laugh, passing the bottle of rum for another round. The rest of the evening was filled with conversation, laughter, and reminiscing on our days with the Shattered Sun. I missed these days. I missed sharing a drink and retelling battle stories with Deyin and Nicandro. But as much as I wanted to stay on those peaceful shores of Quel’Danas, I had to allow myself the opportunity to move forward. Rory was waiting for me.

Deyin grinned wickedly despite the blood caked on his forehead. Shaking his head, Malric tossed the rogue a clean bandage. Catching the cloth, Deyin rubbed at his skin in an attempt to remove the blood.

  “You really shouldn’t provoke him, Deyin,” the Blood Knight looked pointedly at his childhood friend. Deyin’s grin only grew broader at Malric’s reprimand.

Malric walked toward the open door of the guestroom, the soft glow of candlelight pouring out into the hallway. The uneasy feeling in his stomach had still yet to settle, gripping his nerves ever since he read the note from Chriselda, alerting him to Deyin's injury. Deyin was safe now -- in the safety of Aurora and Malric's home. Even so, the uneasiness wasn't lifting. It wouldn't. Not until Deyin woke.

Drawing in a deep breath, Malric attempted a soft smile as he approached the doorway. He did his best to steel his nerves as his gaze fell to Chriselda, keeping her ever vigilant watch over Deyin. She hadn't moved from his bedside at all that night. Even as Malric paced the hall in worry till the sun broke over the horizon, Chris didn't move.

Standing at the threshold of the door, Malric cleared his throat softly to draw Chris' attention.

Chris blinked once, then twice, then looked up at the Paladin. She summoned a smile, nodding. "Good morning," she said softly, her voice quiet as if afraid to wake the man on the bed. In truth, she'd held Dey's left hand the entire night, hoping to feel his fingers flex, his thumb rub the back of her hand as it had so many times in the past. Malric's footfalls had been a surprising comfort during the night, as had Aurora bringing her, and Malric she supposed, tea and hot chocolate. She'd resented them both at first, and now felt foolish. He was their friend. Malric's brother for all intents and purposes. She had no more claim to him than the man in the moon. "Come in, sit," she said, gesturing to the other chair on the right side of the bed.

Malric shook his head before replying softly. "No, it's alright. I just wanted to check on the pair of you. See if there was anything I could get for you." His gaze fell to Deyin resting peacefully in the bed. Perhaps it was the peacefulness of the slumber that had Malric so uneasy. Deyin was entirely too still, the familiar sprawling about the bed and thundering of his snores were absent.

'Light, let him wake soon,' Malric thought to himself as a flash of concern and even fear swirled about his eyes. However, as he painted his smile across his lips once more, he looked back to Chriselda awaiting an answer.

It was the smile that finally got to her. He was putting it on for her sake, she knew, but the falseness irritated her to no end. She opened her mouth, an acidic retort on her tongue, but her hand tightened ever so slightly around Dey's. 'Don't,' she told herself. 'Don't hurt him. He's let you into his home for fuck's sake.' She pasted on her own smile instead, shaking her head. "I think I'm good, and until Sleeping Beauty wake up, I can only guess as to what he'd like," she said with a chuckle instead.

Malric nodded, his gaze falling to the floor briefly as his heart sank to his stomach. "Alright then," he spoke softly before looking back to Chriselda. This time, no strong facade. Only sheer concern remained on his features as he swallowed roughly. He nodded once more, perhaps if only to reassure himself that it was alright to leave the room. Turning from Chris, Malric walked through the door with his gaze lowered to the ground until he disappeared down the hallway.

Chris sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "When you wake up, you'll have to tell me the trick to keeping your friend from being that sad. Looks like someone kicked his raptor hatchling." She looked to the man on the bed, knowing her own face showed signs of exhaustion. "And don't you even think about not waking up. I meant what I said about resurrecting you and kicking your ass." Without thinking, she began humming softly, a new piece she'd been working on. She had the music down, but debated lyrics. It helped keep her calm.

Deyin's ear twitched ever so slightly at the sound of Chris' humming. Up until that point, his breathing had been relatively shallow, though not labored. The rogue drew in a deep breath before exhaling slowly, his fingers softly closing around Chris' hand.

The indrawn breath made her freeze, his fingers closing around her hand brought tears to her eyes. She was off the chair and next to him on the bed in an instant, free hand caressing his cheek. "Deyin?" she whispered softly, thumb gently petting the skin under his eye. "C'mon Dey, open your eyes. Wake for me sweetheart, please?"

His eyes squinted shut as he moaned from the pain shooting through his right side. He turned his head slightly toward Chris, his eyes blinking slowly open. "Mmm," he muttered before wincing in pain.

"Shit," he grumbled softly under his breath as his eyes began to focus on Chris. Blinking several more times, Chris' face finally came into view. "What happened, Kitten?"

She leaned in and kissed him softly, not caring about the tears falling from her eyes. "You counted ten and I didn't double check. There were 11 virmen in that damn burrow." Reaching over to the nightstand, she got a pain potion out. Grasping the cork with her teeth, she pulled it free, then brought the vial to Dey's lips. "This'll take the edge off. It's stronger than the one for your hangover."

He gasped as he attempted to lift his head to drink the potion. "Rather be hungover, Kitten," he muttered, bracing himself as he drank the potion with her assistance. He carefully relaxed back into the bed, grimacing as he looked back up to Chris with concern. "You okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" His hand closed more tightly around hers.

"I don't doubt it," she said with a watery chuckle. "Three deep puncture wounds. Magic couldn't heal them." She watched him drink the entire potion, then she put the vial aside and got him a glass of water, holding it for him. "Bed rest for a while, maybe about a week. Then slowly ease back into things." She kissed him again, sweet and tender, lingering for just a moment before whispering softly. "And no, I didn't get hurt. You killed it." She pressed her forehead against his, exhaustion creeping up on her, but she forced it away. "I need to let Malric know you're awake. I think he's worn a path in the hallway."

Deyin blinked as he glanced around the room. It had finally dawned on him that he was in Aurora and Malric's home. Blinking several more times, he glanced down to find himself wearing one of Malric's cotton shirts. The rogue couldn't help but chuckle softly in amusement. "Not the first time I woke up in a strange place wearing Mal's clothes."

His hand tightened further still on Chris', keeping her in her place. "Not yet, Kitten. Stay with me a little while longer? Mal will be fine for a few more minutes."

She nodded and stretched out on the bed next to Dey, getting as close to him as possible. "I'll stay as long as you want me to." Bandit heard voices and narrowed her eyes, creeping sloooooowly into the room. She hopped up onto one of the chairs and blinked, tilting her head as she regarded Deyin. Was this what Malric had been waiting for? The sleeping one to wake? Better tell him just in case.... With that thought, Bandit hopped off the chair and ran out of the room at full speed, intent on finding Malric or Momma. Chris hadn't paid the hatchling any attention, her focus on Deyin. Hearing his voice, seeing his eyes open and alert... "You scared me Deyin," she whispered. Her muttered words when he'd first collapsed replayed through her head, and she knew it was worse than she thought. She no longer thought she loved him. She knew she did.

He carefully drew his arm underneath Chris' neck, wincing in pain, yet still moving to hold her to his left side. "Sorry to scare ya, Kitten. I'm just glad you're safe." He muttered softly to her, his head turning toward hers. He sighed softly, pressing his lips to the top of her head before relaxing back into the mattress.

"I'm just glad you're alright," he muttered against her hair.

"Better not do it again," she growled lightly. She wrapped herself more firmly around him, eyes slipping closed as she breathed in his scent. She wasn't even close to falling asleep, but slowly, she was starting to relax. One hand rested over his heart while the other hand and arm went under his shoulders. "I'm fine now," she whispered, kissing his jaw. "Can I get you anything? Tea, water, something to eat?"

"Just you," he whispered to her, bowing his head to rest his forehead against her hair. His arm tightened around her frame as his eyes drew shut. "I just want you right now."

Deyin attempted to push all pain from his mind, though sharp jabs continued to pierce through his side periodically. He felt himself grow lightheaded, his head slipping back against the pillow until he finally caught himself. Forcing his eyes open, he focused his gaze on Chris' face.

Her eyes opened and she caressed his cheek. Sensing his pain, she thought about the different spells she knew. Without asking his permission, she closed her eyes, her left hand moving over his bandaged side. She began whispering softly, a healing prayer falling from her lips. She knew the physical damage was too much for her to heal him, but perhaps she could lessen the pain. One thing was certain, she couldn't cause any more damage. A light began to emanate from her palm, the warmth seeping into and through the bandages. A soft hum seemed to fill the room as well, a comforting, gentle sound. As Chris kept whispering the light became brighter, more intense, almost painful to look at.

He closed his eyes, his tensed body relaxing from the warmth of the light flowing into his side. His hand slipped up from her shoulder to tangle his fingers through her hair. Remaining still until her prayer was complete, he rested comfortably at her side, the pain washing away with Chris' touch.

The words finally finished falling from her lips and the light ebbed away, once again leaving the room bathed in candle and firelight. Her eyes opened slowly to look at his face, noting he looked a bit more relaxed. "That help a bit?" she asked, panting a bit, voice hopeful.

His eyes opened to meet hers, a soft smile creeping over his lips. "Mm, yeah. Thanks, Kitten." He leaned down to her, kissing her forehead gently as his arm tightened around her shoulders yet again. "You saved my life, ya know?" He whispered softly before kissing her forehead once more. Sighing contently, he relaxed his body into hers, thankful for the comfort of her touch as well as the way her body fit so perfectly against his.

She arched her brow, resting her head against his shoulder as she looked up at him. "That a joke?" she said with a soft smile. "Most times you don't even let me hit anything," she chuckled softly. Chris relaxed completely, pulling the blankets up over both of them. She wouldn't sleep, but she didn't want Dey to catch a chill, and it was nice being warm finally. Dropping a kiss to his shoulder, she reached up and gently brushed his hair out of his eyes.

He shook his head, gazing upon her as he replied, "You took me from the burrow to safety. I could have very easily bled out down there." He smiled softly to her before continuing. "You really did save my life, Chris."

She looked into his eyes, finding it a bit difficult to swallow past the lump in her throat. "I did what I had to do. I can't lose you Deyin. I..." Her voice trailed off and she shrugged, laying her head back on his shoulder, the hand on his shoulder gripping slightly tighter.

He reached with his free hand, resting the side of his index finger underneath her chin as he lifted her head gently toward his. Pain be damned. Tilting his head down to close the distance between them, he caught her lips in a soft kiss.

She returned his kiss, hand moving from his heart to rest along the side of his face. Part of her wanted to run, far far away from the rogue who made her feel things she'd never wanted to feel. Chris knew that'd never happen. She tried to pour everything she couldn't say into that one single kiss that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with them. The hand against Dey's shoulder clutched tighter as if trying to keep him from running. As if he could run in his condition.

He held her lips for as long as she'd allow, finally breaking the kiss to gaze down upon her face. Swallowing roughly, he spoke in a hushed voice, a mix of emotions dancing about his eyes. "Stay with me? Not just tonight. Not just until I get better." He swallowed once more, allowing himself a moment to pause.

"Stay with me."

She nodded without hesitation, her voice thick as she whispered "It'd take a team of horses straight from hell to pull me away." Chris kissed him softly, caressing the side of his neck, her heart racing a mile a minute.

Bracing himself, he pulled her up against his body, wrapping both arms around her as he held her carefully against his left side. He pulled the blankets up around her shoulders, making sure that she was warm enough to be comfortable. Relaxing back into the pillow, he allowed his eyes to fall shut, focusing on her heart beating rapidly against his side.

"Don't hurt yourself," she whispered even as she molded herself to him. She sighed softly, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. "Mmm," she murmured. "Missed this. Even for one night," she chuckled.

Deyin smiled at her words, however didn't reply. His grasp tightened around her, holding her protectively. 'You're safe,' he thought to himself. 'I was able to keep you safe.' He sighed contently, his hands gently stroking against her back.

Malric stood quietly in the doorway, all tensions easing to see that Deyin was alright. He glanced over to Chris for a moment before lowering his gaze to the floor. Malric nodded to Bandit sitting attentively by his foot as the sin'dorei quietly shut the door to the guestroom.

The rogue sat beside a small campfire, deep within the woods of the Jade Forest. Night seemed to have been slow to fall -- or at least it had felt that way to Deyin. The crackling of the fire accompanied the chorus of crickets to will the rogue to rest, yet he was far from sleep. 

Nimble fingers slid along the corners of a letter as his eyes traced over the words once more.

Brother,

I’m truly sorry for your loss. I only wish that I could be there for you during these difficult times. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you; from lending an ear to sharing a bottle of rum.

Stay safe out there and come home soon. Arathi misses you -- I miss you.

Signed,

Malric

Deyin tapped his thumb against the signed name briefly before crumpling up the paper into a tight ball. "Home," he muttered under his breath with a pained amusement in his tone. With a quick flick of his wrist, he tossed the paper into the fire, several soft popping noises piercing the night as the parchment ignited in flames.

Running his hand through his hair, Deyin reached for the bottle of rum at his side. After raising the bottle to the sky in a silent toast, he took a long drink.