#suuure

And baby elephant

Yotsuyu opened her eyes, something she was not meant to do ever again. Hair stark white and body simultaneously heavy and numb, she felt the slow rise of her lungs as they filled with breath and the dull pounding of her own heart. She was still laying on her back, and for a moment she considered that she was still within Castrum Fluminis, taking her final moments of life. That was until someone noticed her rousing, and approached the cot she laid on. 

“Mornin’.”

Ernasald Sykurwyn, Warrior of Light, pain in Yotsuyu’s side. The one who had struck her down, the one who-

“How’re you feelin’? Yugiri gave me this tincture, said s’mthing about it numbing th’ pain. Workin’ so far fer me, but y’were in a much worse state.”

His abdomen is bandaged, a bloody red splot just above the right of his waist. It would seem she was a pain in his side as well. 

“You…”

Her mouth was dry, her voice gravelly and cracked. 

“Why did you…?”

Ernasald cocked his head, not in a lack of understanding, but for wanting her to continue.  

“....You’re a fool. When they find me, they’ll kill us both. Or…were you hoping to save Tsuyu?” she said, her tone turning venomous. “She’s dead. All you did… All you’ve done is resurrect the Witch of Doma.”

Ernasald let out a small sigh, his expression exhausted. 

“I didn’t do this for Tsuyu. You deserve savin’ too, Yotsuyu.”

Yotsuyu’s eyes widened, opening her mouth to speak before she is cut off by pained coughs. Ernasald knees down by her side, pulling a thin blanket up to her shoulders. 

“Yer still weak, go back t’ sleep. No one’s gonna find you ‘ere, I can promise you that.”

Yotsuyu wanted to argue, to drag herself out of here and return to the empire. But, even then, what would be waiting for her there? Doma had reclaimed its freedom, her forces long since had abandoned her, and now she would face the charges of summoning an eikon. Only death awaited her in the empire, a death much more excruciating than the deaths she had already faced. 

“...Do you really think me worth saving? Will the people even accept my salvation?” she muttered, her strength beginning to slip.

“Not my place to decide.” Ernasald said. “Yer life will be yours. Yer folks an’ brother are dead, Doma is malms and malms from ‘ere, an’ as far as anyone knows, yer dead. What y’ do from ‘ere on, that’s up t’ you.”

“Mm…”

Yotsuyu’s eyes fluttered shut, unable to answer as sleep overtook her once again. 

“This…This is your fault. Take some responsibility.” she mumbled, just barely above a whisper. Ernasald smiled to himself. 

“Aye, I’ll be sure to.”