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Thumping against the floor was a common occurrence around home. With constant drunken drops and constant brawls, it became easy to tune out and go about your day.
There was one thump that Uskerva and her siblings wish they didn’t ignore.
Aela.
Only minutes later did they find her prone on her side with a slick trail of blood from her abdomen, eyes closed, breathing strained. Athis and Vilkas rushed to have her sat up against the basement’s wall. Backtracking in a panic, Uskerva noticed the trail continued away from her and up the stairs. She kept it to herself, but so badly she wanted to chastise the Nord. She knew Aela would be going out to get fresh air and practice in, but so explicitly did she state that Aela needed to be safe.
In hindsight, Uskerva knew better - Aela was easy to provoke, and it’s easy to forget your defense in the heat of the moment. Still, it didn’t stop her from wishing Aela would one day learn what caution meant.
The Orc flipped herself out of her panicked state to attend to her fallen wife. The two men with her worked to keep her from bleeding out and away from unconsciousness. The amount of pressure Vilkas put on her wound with an old rag was disconcerting - so much so that Uskerva nearly called out that he was making it worse. Athis held her head and tapped at her cheek, loudly voicing the huntress’s name. Thankful to Kynareth, it seemed to be working. Aela breathed a “huh?” and promptly winced, lip bitten harshly.
“Aela!” Uskerva found herself at her side before she’d registered that she moved her legs. Rudely, she shoved Athis away and finally slapped Vilkas’s hand. “A bit less pressure, loser.”
Vilkas glared at her. “Are we not trying to get her to stop bleeding out?”
“We are, but you’re applying enough force to break her rib cage. Lighten up just a bit.”
“Fine, but if it doesn’t stop…” The man seemed to mutter something dour under his breath and delicately retracted his hand. Aela wheezed a sigh of relief.
“What in the name of Kyne were you thinking?” Uskerva barked.
Aela’s eyelids finally lifted, revealing unfocused, icy eyes. She pulled the corner of her lip back and flitted her sight across the hall before finally settling on her wife. When she spoke, her words were soft and breathy.
“Lighten up, dear…” She mumbled, trying to paw at her wound and only drawing her hand across Vilkas’s. “...I think I did a sufficient job out there…”
“You promised me you weren’t going to be reckless! You promised!” Uskerva yelped in response. “And then we find you nearly gutted-”
“A scratch…” Her head drooped, flinging her hair over her face. Vilkas looked up and pushed her against the wall once more while Uskerva tucked her hair behind her ears.
“This is more than a scratch! You were sliced wide open! Your armor is ruined!” Athis cried in exasperation.
“It was just a sabre cat.”
“Just?” Uskerva butted in before Athis could get another word in. “There’s blood everywhere, you passed out, and your skin is so…”
“You’re as pallid as a corpse,” Vilkas finished.
“Exactly.”
Aela rolled her eyes - whether out of annoyance or an unconscious, fighting reflex was unclear - and panted. “You two love to over exaggerate things.”
While the wounded Nord blinked rapidly and kept her breathing heavy, Uskerva slipped off her gauntlets and shook her hands. Vilkas briskly dropped his hold on Aela’s wound and stood back up off of his knees. The color drained from his face in near resemblance to Aela’s own color. He knew what was to come next, and he wasn’t going to stick around for it. Timidly, he backed towards the door to the upper level of Jorrvaskr.
“I’m going to go...clean up the blood. You have fun healing that wound,” Vilkas stated. He then fled the scene, Athis cocking his head in confusion and Uskerva brushing it off as nothing.
Uskerva snapped her fingers; instantly, upon the tips danced a golden, incandescent spell. It audibly twinkled and hovered within her grasp. “Love, hold still - hey, keep your eyes open!”
Aela gasped and blinked weighted lids, clearly locked in a struggle with her consciousness. Moments later, her breathing calmed and she melted away at the touch of her lover. The warm tickle of the healing spell siphoned her pain away, allowing her to drop her guard. Her eyes closed again, a faint smile crossing her lips; she knew well that she was in good care now.
Uskerva leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, causing the woman to sigh blissfully. Her body’s tension eased, and unknowingly, she ended up in her wife’s grasp, slumped like a heavy sack. She let out another sigh and meekly raised her arms over Uskerva’s shoulders. The Orc, in response, felt her heart flutter. Her lover was okay.
Athis wiped away sweat from his forehead. “Should I go fetch her some water?”
“Please.” Uskerva nodded and cautiously slipped Aela into her arms. “I’m going to help clean her up first, but feel free to leave it in my office.”
“Right...good luck,” the Dunmer said as he followed in Vilkas’s earlier footsteps, leaving the two alone.
Aela whined something incomprehensible, her head lolling against Uskerva’s chest.
“What was that, dear?” Uskerva asked softly.
“I’m fine…” She spoke up louder, though she stumbled on both words again.
Uskerva shook her head and stroked Aela’s colorless cheek, taking careful steps towards the washroom.
“You’re a mess, is what you are. But you’re my mess, and I plan on helping clean that up.”
“You’re ridiculous…” Aela mumbled.
“Yes, yes you are. Be more careful next time, okay?”
“Mhmm..”
“Aela?”
“Yes, love?”
“I love you. You may be a buffoon, but you’re my buffoon.”
Aela crumpled into herself slowly, losing herself to sleep. She snapped back to attention only a moment later.
“I love you, too.”
“You don’t have to stay awake anymore, you know. There’s no more risk of you bleeding out, and you’re going to need the rest,” Uskerva reminded her. Suddenly, her face became flush as Aela daintily kissed her cheek, becoming a heavy weight right after. She’d lost consciousness again, but Uskerva didn’t mind. She did need the rest, and Uskerva planned on staying by her side until she awoke again.
“You just better hope this doesn’t happen again,” Uskerva whispered, “because I’ll still take care of you...I’ll just be sad.” She opened the door to the washroom and gingerly rested her wife against the tub. How peaceful she looked, despite being unwell.
The Orc’s heart swelled, and she couldn’t help but kiss her wife again.
In her slumber, Aela smiled.
“You’re going to be the death of me, you beautiful thing.”