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He did the unthinkable. And he ran.
--
As the two elves worked to clear out a small bandit camp, dodging arrows and magic, the smaller of the two charged the bandit chief, bringing his blade up to meet the man's mace. The two darted around each other, each trying to get a hit in, while Meren roasted surrounding bandits. Teldryn, however, tried to feint to the left and hit underneath his weapon arm, when one of the archers took a shot, hitting his mark. The dwarven arrow lodged deep in Teldryn's stomach, just as he stabbed the chief, killing him.
Meren turned to watch the elf collapse, crying out in pain. The rest was a blur. There was fire, and death, and Meren charged towards the Dunmer, throwing fireballs left and right, fighting his way towards his friend. Towards the man he loved.
He cradled Teldryn in his lap, trying to work what little he knew of Restoration, trying to save him.
"Keep breathing, Teldryn, please, keep breathing." Meren said, weaving golden light over him. "Don't you dare die on me now."
"No… guarantees." Teldryn groaned. Meren felt his pulse, and his heart sped up as he felt the Dunmer's slow.
"Teldryn, please--" Meren stopped, his mind working. Without thinking, he pulled Teldryn up higher in his lap. "I love you." He said.
"Great. You too." Teldryn breathed. As he stopped moving, Meren pressed his lips to the man's neck, opened his mouth, and bit down. Deliriously, he sucked at the wound, pressing his mouth against it, working to take his blood. As Meren let go, he prodded Teldryn, who quietly moaned.
The Altmer stood, picking Teldryn up like he had so many times before, and headed for their horses, taking the one and leading the other. He spurred them into a gallop, hitting the road quickly, and racing for Whiterun.
As he burst through the gates, the Dunmer in his arms, he ignored the curious and concerned stares of the guards, heading for the Temple of Kynareth. When he entered, he slowed to a stop. As one of the priests approached him, he began shaking.
"Please, milady, he's injured--wounded--please, save him. He's--he's--"
"Calm yourself, we will do what we can. Lay him out here, I'll look at him." As the woman inspected the wound, the past hour became more real to Meren, who realised what he had done.
"He's contracted vampirism." Meren said quickly. The woman looked up at him.
"We can cure him." She assured him. "We will treat his wound, and his disease. All will be well."
"I--we don't have any money--"
"We are a temple. We are healers. We do this for our god, not for coin. Rest your mind." Meren nodded slowly, backing away.
"I'll be--I'll be out--in the streets--" He stammered. She nodded to him.
He wasn't in the streets, though. He was long gone by the time Teldryn woke up.