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Another fireball hits your shoulder, nearly knocking you to the ground from the force of it. The other party members glance in your direction, just making sure you haven’t fallen from the attack. The Hag’s wicked laugh rings in your ears as she continues her fight, gusts of wind and more flames flying towards you.
Your body aches, the meat of your muscles shaking, each movement like a million blades being stabbed into your skin. It takes all of your effort to keep standing, each attack from Auntie Ethel bringing you closer to your knees.
Shadowheart defends against her, casting a quick healing spell in your direction – just enough to keep you on your feet.
For now .
As Gale and Shadowheart chase after the Hag you will your body to move, to follow along with them and take her down. Your breath is unsteady, pain shooting up your limbs and to every joint in your body.
“No,” you mumble, stumbling forward but managing to keep yourself standing. “Not now. Please , not now !” A flare up, the never ending pain that curses you each and every day. Something that even the tadpole can’t remove from you. Fire licks up your spin, the pain spreading and moving to control you. You fall to your knees, reaching out towards Gale and Shadowheart as they land blow after blow onto the powerful Hag.
And you can do nothing but watch.
You clench your jaw to keep yourself from screaming out in agony, to keep yourself from cursing the God’s that gave you this cruel fate. For what kind of God would ever deliver upon you the work of a Devil? You’ve made no sinful deals, no murder of the innocent, earned no curse from the evil that wanders in this world.
No–
You are simply doomed with pain that you can never evade. Pain that will chase you and consume you for the rest of your days.
“Tav,” Astarion is next to you, his hand on your back, sweeping up and down your spine with as much gentleness as he can muster. “ Are you alrigh t?”
You shake your head, the battle carrying on just in front of you. Shadowheart cries out as she’s hit in the stomach, Gale jumping to help her off the ground just as another ball of fire is cast in their direction.
“ Astarion –” you gasp as the pain takes over, finally pulling you into the ground.
Astarion shushes you, his hand leaving your back and instead carefully lifting you from the ground and into his arms. He rushes from the battlefield, placing you down behind a thick tree truck, a soft smile across his lips. “Now, you just stay right here . I will be right back after we’ve taken down this nasty little Hag . Rest.”
And then he’s gone, the twang of his bow being shot over and over lulling you into a deep sleep.
—-----------------------
You wake with a groan, blinking your eyes as you stare up into a deep red fabric that hangs above you. Slowly, you sit up, hissing at your body stings all over. You look around you, books thrown about and a large assortment of pillows all over the ground.
Astarion’s tent. Then that means–
“ Ah, no , stay right where you are,” Astarion said as he waltzed into the tent, carrying a bundle of fabric in his arms. “Lie back down, darling; before I make you .”
“The battle–”
“Is over, and we all survived. Goodie.”
“Mayrina-”
“Alive and well. Now, hush ,” Astarion said and gently pushed on your shoulder, forcing you to lie back down. He sat down beside you, opening the fabric he held before and revealing a large pile of ice. Astarion hummed as he laid a blanket over you and then began placing piece after piece of ice on top of you.
“Ice?” you asked.
“Hm, yes . What is the point of having a Wizard in our camp if he can’t conjure some ice for us?”
“Why are you doing this?”
Astarion raised a single brow at you, as if the answer were obvious. “You’re in pain, are you not ?”
“Well, yes–”
“And while that Hag was a powerful creature , I know a fireball like that wouldn’t be enough to put you on your ass. Not normally , that is.”
“But–”
“But, nothing .” Astarion sighed and poured the rest of the ice over your legs. “Honestly, Tav. Why didn’t you tell me you were in pain sooner ? I could tell that morning, you know . The way you hardly spoke as we made our way into the swamp, how you grunted just going up the steps of that gross little house, and you sighed when we walked through the mud.”
You looked away from him, ashamed. This pain, it was a weakness, one that you didn’t want the others to see… And now they all know. The fear of them leaving you behind was festering in the back of your mind.
“I care for you,” Astarion began, grabbing your attention and forcing you to stare at him with wide eyes. “ Probably… more than I should… since you’re keeping secrets from me.” He sighed and reached over, flicking you in the forehead. “So, the next time you’re in pain , just tell me . Please ? I’ll carry you on my back if I have to.”
You snorted. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Nonsense,” he replied and waved you off. “Besides, it would just be another excuse to have you close.”
“... So, you care about me?”
Astarion laughed. “Of course I do, but don’t make me confess to you while you’re here lying in agony.”
You pouted. “Astarion–”
“Another time,” he whispered and leaned down, giving you a little kiss on your forehead. “I promise.”
“Fine.”
“Now that that’s settled,” Astarion held his hands up, wiggling his fingers. “Which foot should I begin my massage on?”