Work Text:
Theo was pestering Ghost like always, bugging him in his workshop, sitting too close in the tavern, just being his overly touchy self. Ghost just wanted to give him a little scare, show Theo he could handle himself.
He was going out to harvest potion ingredients that only grew in the northern mountains.
Harpy territory.
Man-eaters.
But Ghost had been there before. He knew what he was doing. He knew how to get in and out without the birds even noticing he was there.
“Ghost,” Theo whined, his chin resting on the elf’s work table, “how can you just abandon your partner like this? It’s cruel you know, going off on an adventure by yourself!”
Ghost barely suppressed a groan, “For the last time, this isn’t a fun trip. It’s brutal terrain and the conditions are dangerous year-round.”
“All the more reason to bring me with you!” Theo exclaimed, jerking upright from his slumped posture. “For protection!”
Ghost drew in a measured breath. All he wanted to do was gather the ingredients and return as quickly as possible. But Theo would not let the issue go if he went by himself. Weighing the pros and cons, Ghost came to an unhappy conclusion.
“Fine,” he grit out, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You can come. But you have to be ready to go by dawn.”
Theo’s face broke into one of his distractingly sunny smiles.
“Great! This is going to be so much fun!”
“It’s not a leisure trip…,” Ghost trailed off, finding the seat Theo had just occupied empty and the door to the workshop ajar. “He could have at least closed the door.”
Everything happened so fast.
It wasn’t blizzard season, but the winds were fierce, cutting through their layers. The ice crystals in the air stung the exposed skin on their faces and hands as they trekked up the perilous mountainside. The visibility was so bad that Ghost could barely see two feet in front of him. At the base of the mountain, Ghost had insisted on using the rope Theo had in his pack to tie them together. For that, he was thankful, because the tug of the rope around his waist as Theo followed the path he cut through the snow was the only indication he had that the man was still behind him.
From the blizzard, a shrill laugh rang out -- a mockery of a human voice.
Ghost froze in place.
He’d heard stories of harpies hunting in weather like this. It was hypothesized that their sense of smell was thousands of times better than humans. But there wasn’t much in the way of solid evidence considering that not even the boldest researcher would attempt to approach a harpy nest.
Hopefully, their layers would suppress their scents. All they could do now was hunker down and wait for the flock to pass. Ghost tugged downwards on the rope, trying to communicate his plan to Theo.
“Ghost!?” Theo shouted over the wind in response.
“No-”
A tinny shriek interrupted him, followed by a flash of colorful feathers. The tailwind that followed was so powerful it nearly knocked Ghost on his ass. He caught himself with a hand stretched out behind him, sinking into the snow.
The wind was howling, mixing with the chilling laughter, and the sounds of a struggle. The rope attaching Ghost to Theo snapped taught, tightening around his waist enough to make him gasp. He was dragged down the mountain about a meter or so, barely holding back a scream at the tightness of the rope as it cut into him. Just when Ghost thought he would be cut in half by the lifeline, it fell slack.
Blinking hot tears from his eyes, Ghost loosened the rope around his waist but didn’t remove it. He took a second to catch his breath before rolling onto his front and crawling along the length of the rope. The wind was deafening; he couldn’t hear his own breath. To his horror, as he followed the rope he noticed flecks of red in the packed snow.
“No, no, no.” He crawled faster.
The snow around him was cut up, fluffed from the scuffle of talons and wings. The red spots were growing larger the further he went down the rope. The spots grew to sickening splatters of red across the snow. He could smell the coppery scent of blood all around him. But he kept crawling along the rope.
He followed it until it came to a stop under his hand, the end frayed. Cut.
His stomach turned, tightly gripping the frayed end of the rope in his hand as he continued down the mountain, following the blood. He was moving faster, dragging himself through the snow despite his numbed hands. The snow was stained pink all around him.
This was his fault. He shouldn’t have brought Theo with him just to prove he could handle himself. Now he’d gone and got--
A cough, followed by a pained groan, jolted Ghost out of his spiraling thoughts. He hauled himself to his feet, forgetting the risk of the harpy’s being nearby, scrambling towards the sound. Where, despite all odds, Theo was bleeding but alive.
Ghost fell to his knees, gathering Theo up in his arms, crushing him against his chest. He was bleeding severely from his back. The harpies must have lifted him off the ground, ripping up his back in the process.
“Hey…,” Theo managed, a weak smile flitting over his face before he went limp.
---
Theo stirred awake, grimacing at the throbbing ache in his shoulders and down his back. He peeled his eyes open, finding himself in the medical ward of the guild. The room was dark; it must have been the middle of the night.
He looked to the right, without moving his head too much, and saw Ghost sleeping there. Slumped over the bed from the chair he was sitting in, clutching Theo’s hand in both of his. Grip vice-like, even in sleep. The elf’s eyes were puffy and reddened from crying, accompanied by impressively dark circles under his eyes. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but judging by Ghost’s condition it had to have been more than a couple of days.
“Hey,” Theo whispered, pulling his hand free from Ghost’s grasp to touch his shoulder. “Ghost, wake up.”
The elf’s brow furrowed as he began to wake. He sat up, frowning, squinting with eyes still bleary from sleep at Theo.
“Good morning, sunshine, how long have I been out?”
Ghost’s eyes bulged as he jumped up from the chair he’d been sleeping in.
“You’re awake,” he said, shocked, tone verging on accusatory.
“Guess so,” Theo laughed softly, suppressing a wince at the way it jostled his body.
“You need-- the clerics need to see you. You’ll need more pain medicine and antibiotic salve and a full check--”
“Ghost, hey, hey. Look at me,” Theo urged, reaching out a hand, which Ghost grabbed instinctively, falling into the chair he’d sat vigil in at Theo’s bedside for nearly a week and a half. “We can get all that done in a second okay?”
Ghost nodded, trembling slightly as the adrenaline that flooded his system began to wear off. He took a shuddering breath and hung his head, feeling tears pricking his eyes.
Theo squeezed his hand softly and Ghost barely choked back a sob, tears spilling down his face.
“Hey, hey, hey, sunshine it’s okay. I’m right here,” Theo soothed, voice gentle, “come here.”
He scooted over in the bed, patting the space beside him he had freed up. To Theo’s surprise, Ghost actually climbed up onto the bed, burying his face against Theo’s chest. Theo wrapped his arm around Ghost’s shoulders, tucking him closer. Close enough to hear his heartbeat.
“Why are you crying, sunshine?” Theo whispered, lifting Ghost’s head by his chin with his other hand. His lips were pulled tight, his face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were still shining with fresh ones. His eyebrows were drawn together as he took shuddering breaths.
“It’s my fault. I never should have brought you-- you could have died,” Ghost squeaked out around the lump growing in his throat.
“Hey.” Theo moved his hand from under Ghost’s chin to his cheek, so he could wipe the elf’s tears away with his thumb. “I didn’t die. And I don’t blame you, so you don’t need to blame yourself.”
Ghost hiccuped on another sob, leaning into Theo’s touch, eyes falling closed. Theo moved the arm wrapped around Ghost’s shoulder so he could rub his hand up and down Ghost’s arms, trying to soothe him.
Eventually, Ghost, worn out from the many consecutive sleepless nights, cried himself to sleep. Theo kept sweeping his hand up and down Ghost’s arm, encouraging his rest. Theo closed his eyes, listening to Ghost’s even breathing.
Soon enough Theo would drift back to sleep as well. And they would be found by the cleric doing morning rounds. But for now, it was just the two of them in the quiet, darkened room, pressed together from shoulder to calf, leaning into each other for comfort.