Hey! Sorry it took such time to get to this, I got… distracted.

— 

The adventure was over. Lalli hadfollowed Emil to Sweden like Onni had asked him to. Joining theCleansers weren’t all bad, apart from the stupidity radiating frompretty much everyone in the group. Lalli rolled over to his side,looked at Emil. Emil, who was still in his uniform even though it wasnight and time for them to sleep. Who had his arms wrapped aroundhimself and had pulled his knees up a bit. Who wasn’t in his sleepingbag because he had insisted that he was hot enough. Lalli raised aneyebrow.

”Are you shivering?”

Emil shook his head and wrapped hisarms tighter around himself, curled into a ball for real. Lalli satup, stared at Emil. He was definately shivering.

”You’re lying. Why?”

”Am not.”

”I’m not stupid.”

”Just… let it be, okay.”

Lalli sat up for a few more minutes,kept staring at Emil.

”Where’s your sleeping bag?”

Emil shrugged, rolled over and lookedat Lalli. His eyes were tired and Lalli froze.

”River, probably. The others like tojoke.”

He grabbed Lalli’s arm and tried topull him down. Lalli refused.

”C'mon, work tomorrow. We shouldn’thandle explosives if we’re tired.”

”Why the river?”

Emil shrugged again and let go ofLalli.

”Because I stink”, he rolled over,turned his back to Lalli. ”Sorry you have to share tent with me.”

Lalli laid down, pressed his face intoEmil’s neck, pressed his body against Emil’s and wrapped an armaround him. Definately shivering.

”You don’t stink. I like how yousmell.”

Emil huffed.

”You smell home”, Lalli continued.”And you’re shivering. Come on, we can share my bag.”

”It’s fine, I’m used to it.”

”Stupid.”

Lalli sat up, got out of his sleepingbag and unzipped it. He put it over Emil, laid back down and crawledclose. Emil rolled over on his back and Lalli put his head on Emil’sshoulder.

”We better wake up before theothers”, Emil muttered, ”or they’ll start with you too.”

”What?”

”Nothing. I’m warmer now, thankyou.”

Silence. Lalli listened as Emil’sbreathing got more relaxed, waited until he was almost asleep.

”I won’t let them do anything to youagain.”

Have a short little thing for this!

—

Okay so maybe he shouldn't have gone ahead of the others, that was stupid. And maybe he shouldn't have entered the very sturdy building before the others had caught up to him. And he should definately not have kept moving when he realized something was following him.

And he should definately not have used explosives to defeat it.

Hindsight's a bitch. Emil coughed, then groaned as it pulled at his probably broken ribs. Dust hadn't settled around him yet, was still filling the pocket of air. His vision was swimming in and out and something sticky was trailing down the side of his face. He hoped it was troll-goo, but he was more than certain his head had taken a hit when the building came down around him. He groaned again, tried to move, but he was pinned down. He thought he heard Lalli yelling at him, calling him stupid.

”Lalli!”

It was supposed to be a call, but it was barely a whisper, hoarse, and he coughed again. Maybe he just imagined Lalli calling him stupid. He let his eyes slid close, forced them open again. Stone and wood shifted around him, a small ray of sunshine hit his eye, but disappeared again. His leg was getting wet. Hopefully troll-goo there as well but from the pain that shot up when he tried to move his leg away he doubted it. Mikkel would be so angry if... when they got him out of there. He coughed again, winced and took shallow breaths. Another ray of sunshine appeared. A face followed it and Emil blinked, couldn't open his eyes again.

”Hey, no. Don't do that, stupid.”

Lalli. Emil forced his eyes open again. Lalli's hands were cupping his face, looking at him. Emil winced at Lalli's fingers started examining his head. Lalli frowned and Emil's eyes started slipping close again.

”I said don't do that. Stay with me.”

Emil let out a hmm. More light started sipping in. Pain ripped through his head and he clenched his eyes shut. Lalli's fingers carded through his hair.

”Talk to me. Where does it hurt?”

”Head”, Emil wheezed out. ”Chest. Leg.”

”The others will be here soon. Keep talking at me. What happened?”

”Troll.”

The building shifted again. Emil choked on a scream and Lalli's hands grabbed his shoulders, tried to ground him and hold him to consciousness. Mikkel's head became visible through the gap in debris.

”We'll be there any second, just hang on.”

Emil let out another hmm. It was getting really heard to keep his eyes open. He blinked, tried to clear his head. It didn't help. Dark spots danced at the edge of his vision and another jolt of pain made them grow, clouded his vision completely. He blinked into consciousness again, noticed he could breathe a little easier.

”You blacked out”, Mikkel explained then looked into his eyes. ”Concussion. Your leg is broken.”

Emil groaned affirmatively and closed his eyes again.

”I'm gonna... pass out now. 'kay? 'Kay.”

InkTober Day 19 "Scorched" and "Knife"

After the Conflagration of Malmö, all they could find of the Silent World hero Major Emil Västerstöm was his scorched knife.

Finally finding Onni doesn't end as they had planned.

I heard you all were desperate for some more Emil-whump!

Prompt: Kidnapped

The real reason why the Västerström-family lost their fortune. (Okay I actually have no clue how much 10 million would be in Y90)

Tuuri wasn’t quite the same ever since they managed to get her back from Tuonela.

Prompts: Clock, Research, Torture

Emil has needles stuck under his fingernails because I read that in a book once. It isn’t... very visible. One day I’ll learn how to draw. Today is not that day.