Guesthouse of the (Lost) Astartes: To Render Aid (1)
Erriox and Lenora provide aid to a lost chaos space marine and his young bonded human.
Dialogue spoken in Gothic are bolded and italicized.
Author's Note: This fic is turning out to be very long, so I've divided it into two parts. It focuses on the relationship of a chaos space marine who is intensely bonded to his human and touches upon the issue with Black Templars bonding with humans.
Erriox is a responsible space marine and does responsible things. And no, he definitely does not do it for his bonded human's approval.
Thank you @squishyowl for making the fic dividers!
OCs: Lenora; Erriox (Iron Warrior); Ben; Malaran Blackspike (Black Legion)
Tagged: @kit-williams, @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @shadowfirecat, @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan,
@sleepyfan-blog, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k
Lenora had a sense that something was wrong just as Erriox barged into the house.
“Bring blankets and a medi-pack. He has an injured child.” He told her as he urged whoever he was leading to come inside the house. She swore and immediately went to her linen closet, drawing out a few bath towels and blankets, and set them onto the couch and one of the blankets on the ground. Erriox had already pushed away the coffee table to make more room. Lenora then went to get the first aid kit from her backpack. The other space marine stood there, unsure and wary of all the activity, only holding his bundled charge tighter against his armour.
When Lenora returned, she finally got a proper look at the new ‘guests’. The space marine was a chaos marine, she recognized the symbolism of the eight-pointed star with the red eye that decorated his worn and battered armour. He looked like he had seen better days and had good reasons to be wary. She worried about the human he carried mostly. It was still in the thick of winter, and very likely this person would be suffering from some degree of hypothermia. Even bundled in that blanket or cape, it was not enough to insulate from this biting cold for long.
“We should call and get them to a hospital.” She said to Erriox, about to pull out her phone.
“NO!” the chaos marine roared, about to leap forward to stop her. He didn’t know what she was saying, but he saw the phone that she was reaching for. Erriox snarled back, immediately shoving Lenora behind himself. Movement coming from the bundle in the chaos marine’s arms and a disconnected whine caught all their attention.
“Or-? Wha- s- wha- s-m going on?” The person in his arms was young, teen or a bit older perhaps, by the way they sounded. Lenora let out a breath of relief. Good. At least they were awake, somewhat.
She called out to them, slowly moving out from behind her Iron Warrior, his hand still preventing her from moving too far forward, “Hey buddy, I’m Lenora and this is my Astartes, Erriox. You’re at my house. Erriox brought you guys here to get you help. Do you understand me?”
The teen mumbled, “S… cold…”
“I know hun, we’re gonna take care of you. What’s your name?” She cooed comfortingly.
“Okay, Ben. I’m going to have these guys help warm you up okay?
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” She asked.
“Ssso c-c-cold.” Even Lenora could hear Ben’s teeth chatter without enhanced hearing. The chaos marine let out a worried gruff “Ben?”
She turned to Erriox, her voice stern and serious, “I’ll need you to translate for me. One, Tell him I will need to touch Ben to check for injuries. Two, Ben needs warmth immediately and you space marines are like giant heaters. Skin to skin heat would warm them up the quickest. Either you or he needs to take off the top half of your armour, gauntlets too, and put the child’s back against your chest. Hold his hands in yours to warm up his fingers. ”
The Iron Warrior translated what she said to his chaos-touched brethren. Lenora could only understand bits and pieces of their conversation, but it was clear that the chaos space marine did not like what was being asked, especially about being unarmored. She frowned, tapping on Erriox’s armour to get his attention, “I hate to put you in such a vulnerable position, but could you do it? Once I get the heating pad working, we can use that instead. We shouldn’t be wasting any more time.”
Her Astartes glanced at her and after some brief but terse words to the chaos space marine, took off the top half of his armour, gauntlets and all, exposing his bodysuit. He kept his weapons within short reach though. Erriox then quickly snatched the young human from the other marine, and settled on the floor. The teen sat securely in his lap unwrapped from the cape, back against his chest, their hands clasped in his.
“Ben, this is going to be a bit weird, but I’m going to lift the back of your shirt so you have more skin contact with Erriox. That’ll warm you up faster, alright?” Lenora said as she lifted the back of Ben’s shirt before pushing him against her Astartes again, trying hard to ignore the chaos marine’s intense stare.
She covered the teen with the cape again, then knelt in front of them and asked, “Ben, could you let me take off your shoes?”
Ben only nodded, wincing slightly at the friction of his shoes being pulled off his feet. Lenora frowned, worried at the state of the teen’s extremities. They’re cold and looked red. She looked at him, “Could you wiggle your toes for me?”
He did as asked, his toes wiggling slightly.
She then pinched each of his toes, confirming that the teen was able to feel, except for some numbness.
Lenora smiled slightly, the frostnip on Ben’s toes wasn’t as serious as she thought. That’s a good sign.
“Luckily it’s just frostnip and not frostbite.” She told him, “I’ll give you heated socks to warm your toes and bring back some feeling to them. Your toes might start feeling like they’re on pins and needles for a little bit. Ok?”
“Can I see your hands?” She requested, “How are they feeling?”
The Iron Warrior released his hands so Lenora could check the child’s hands. Ben nodded, confirming that he could feel his fingers again.
Erriox watched in silence as his bonded patiently tended to their young charge, glancing at the chaos marine occasionally. His dear gentle Lenora, still admirably calm despite the chaos marine’s constant glare. She had a penchant for making those around feel safe and comfortable. Most people, Erriox thought, with the exception of that irritated chaos marine.
He wasn’t well-versed with all future successor chapters of the original legions as he arrived in Ancient Terra before Horus’ betrayal occurred. To be honest, he still hadn’t quite processed that fully. Nonetheless, he recognized the chaos marine’s armour to be from the Black Legion. His hand itched for his bolter at his waist under the chaos marine’s hard stare made, but luckily or unluckily, they were preoccupied with warming up the youngling. If his Black Legion cousin had such a hard time having them care for his charge, maybe he should doff his own armour and do it himself.
What had even possessed him to let this pair into their home, potentially endangering both of him and Lenora? Granted, the pair were in such dire straits at the time. Any longer out in that freezing weather would have exponentially worsened the youngling’s condition, and at worst, would have resulted in his death. I’ve gone soft, Erriox thought sourly. The slight upside was that the boy was now at least out of danger and the Black Legionnaire had yet to make a move to attack them. Though the Iron Warrior wouldn’t hesitate to use the youngling against his cousin if that came to pass.
Erriox could feel the youngling’s body temperature slowly increase and his heartbeat regulating back to its normal rhythm and strength. The child sighed in comfort as his posture sagged against his body, his breaths slowly evening out as drowsiness set in. He looked at Lenora and she smiled at him appreciatively.
“Thank you.” She murmured to him, giving him a reassuring squeeze on his arm as she pulled up another blanket to cover the boy. Erriox nodded curtly in acknowledgment, sitting straighter, holding the youngling securely against himself.
She patted the teen’s shoulder to wake him up, “Hey Ben, I’m going to get you a heating pad to hang on to and some heated socks. Do you also want some hot chocolate?”
Lenora smiled, “Alright. I’m sure we could all use some.”
She gave Erriox another thankful squeeze on his shoulder before going to get the heating pad and other items to further warm their temporary ward. Only to hear armour clanking and a muffled conversation while she looked for said items. Her brows furrowed with concern, wondering what was going on, though confident that Erriox had a good handle on that situation.
Malaran Blackspike closely observed the interaction between the Iron Warrior and his human tending to his own charge. He glared at them. How dare that Iron Warrior chastise him, short of calling him a coward, for not wanting to disarm himself in case of potential attackers. He didn’t know half of what they went through! And as if he trusted them!
Then he had the audacity to grab his youngling right out of his hands? Malaran’s fists were balled tight, holding himself back from drawing his weapon right there to fight the Iron Warrior. He knew they were trying to help his youngling, but he resented his lack of control and knowledge of the situation. They’re not here to steal his boy away like all the others, he had to remind himself.
To be fair, Malaran didn’t even understand why or how he got so attached to this youngling. Ben. Ben was this child’s name. As soon as he saw him, some wall in him broke. Some instinct in himself screamed to protect this boy. He must protect his child.
He couldn’t explain it. Perhaps they were kindred spirits, both as lost in this world as the other. Ben had been wandering, lost and confused, when he first found him after all. The boy was lucky that he found him first, rather than his less than human-friendly brethren. Though it felt like a constant struggle from the very start. First, fighting off and escaping his brethren, then coming to blows with the family’s Black Templar before finally escaping with his charge in tow, then fighting through and narrowly escaping a roaming group of ‘ferals’ that tried ambushing them one night.
He should’ve left his charge back at his family’s home. Ben would’ve been unhappy, yes, but he was safe there. Yet here they are, seeking sanctuary in a strange woman’s house after being found by some Iron Warrior. He counted himself lucky, though his pride would not let him admit it out loud. Ben was freezing to death and he was faced with an enemy he could not fight. He did not know where to go, where he could find sufficient shelter for him and his bonded little one. A strange kind of anxiety writhed in his gut.
This was all confusing and contradictory! A part of him felt a sliver of disgust watching how intimately and familiar they all interacted with each other, yet another part of himself warred with that thought. He should also be in that picture. He should be the one taking care of his young charge. Why wasn’t he the one warming him? He should get his youngling back.
“Iron Warrior, give me back the boy.” Malaran demanded.
“I will tend to him. He is my bonded human after all.”
Erriox eyed him with indifference, still cradling Ben who now dozed off against him, “Take your armour off. Your child still requires warmth.”
Malaran grumbled with frustration at being told what to do, but nonetheless started to remove his armour. He was not going to let this iron canid steal his youngling away so quickly after all they went through. The helmet dropped with a resounding clank (Lenora winced when she heard that. That one’s going to dent her floor.), followed by his gauntlets, and various pieces of his armour until his upper torso was devoid of it. “There. Now return my boy to me.” He demanded.
Erriox gently pushed up the sleepy teen, who groaned in complaint, “Ben. Wake up. Go back to… my cousin.” He turned to Malaran, “What is your name?”
“It is not your business to know.” The chaos warrior sneered, now seated on the couch, hastily bundling Ben into himself like a broody hen.
Erriox snorted derisively, “It matters not to me. Does your bonded even know your name?”
Malaran growled, “I was gifted my name from the boy. You know nothing of the trials we went through.”
“Yes, and you know nothing of us either. Yet here we are, saving your bonded from freezing to death. I am asking for your name, not your secrets. Unless you prefer I make up a name for you.” Erriox replied with a sarcasm-laced sneer. Frankly, he was getting sick of this Black Legionnaire’s belligerent attitude.
Reluctantly, Malaran grumbled out his name.
Lenora came back to the sight of both the Black Legionnaire and her Iron Warrior, each returned to sitting on a couch, each stewing in their own feelings. The coffee table was back in its original place. Ben, all bundled and tucked under the chaos space marine’s chin.
She turned to Erriox in question; his only answer was a shrug and, “He wanted his boy back.”
Perhaps it was best for Ben to be with his chaos Astartes; he certainly cares for Ben very fiercely, Lenora thought. She plugged the heating pad to an extension cord, immediately feeling heat emanating from the pad. She set the power to “low” before handing it along with the pair of her heated socks to Ben, pointedly ignoring the tensing muscles in the chaos marine’s arms.
“It’s to help you keep warm. But if you feel it’s getting too hot, feel free to turn it off and put it aside.” She advised the teen. Ben accepted the heating pad and put on the socks with some finangling, being slightly hindered by his chaos space marine. Lenora looked at the pair with quiet approval before turning to get the hot chocolate ready. Erriox stood up, “Do you need assistance?”
She looked to her bonded, “I could use the company.”
The Iron Warrior went to his human’s side, pulling out the canister of hot chocolate powder while she filled the kettle.
“How far do you want to aid them?” He asked quietly as they waited for the water to boil.
Lenora sighed, looking out into the winter landscape, “Enough so we can find out what’s going on and be able to send them to where they can get more help.” She murmured back, her brows furrowed in worry, “But I am afraid this is either a kidnapping and I’m missing the signs or this is something more complicated.”
She then let out a short huff with a grin of resignation, “I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Erriox laid his hand against the small of her back and assured her with a wry grin of his own, “We’ll see this to the end together.” She smiled back.
As they waited, Lenora leaned into his side; something she did out of habit when they cooked together, but right now needing his presence to ground herself from the stressful atmosphere. Erriox automatically pulled her in securely against himself, his arm wrapped protectively around her. Malaran did not miss that gesture.
It didn’t take long before Lenora and Erriox were back with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. The chaos space marine growled at her as she made to pass a mug to Ben. She shot him an annoyed look, finally fed up with his suspicions, “Why would I kill Ben after all the effort to save him? That is stupid!” She said in frustration.
The marine was gob-smacked, her little statement in gothic catching him off-guard. Ben looked at her in awe. Erriox tensed, ready to leap to her defence should the Black Legionnaire decide to take action. Lenora only sighed and turned to Ben, “Sorry bud, I will leave the hot chocolate on the coffee table for you two to take it, ok? The last thing I need is for hot chocolate to spill on you.”
A loud, threatening growl erupted from the chaos marine’s chest, his suspicions at an all time high. How dare they hide the fact that she knew Gothic! Was she a spy? Why wasn’t the Iron Warrior concerned?
“How much did you understand?!”
Lenora glared back, not backing down, “Enough to know you were unhappy to take off your armour.”
“Are you calling me a coward?!” Malaran tensed, about to roll Ben off of him to get up from the couch.
Lenora was alarmed by his remark, “What are—? No!”
Erriox immediately pulled her back to his side on the other couch, putting himself between the Black Legionnaire and his bonded once more, “Think carefully about your next actions, cousin.” he growled lowly, threat and promise carried in his voice.
“Stop! Orca! Stop!” Ben pleaded, clutching to him tightly, “Please!”
Thankfully, the chaos marine backed down at his bonded child’s request.
Lenora turned to the boy, “Orca? Did you give him that name?” She knew the chaos space marine definitely had another name.
“Yeah! You should see how awesome and strong he is! He fought off all those other space marines all by himself!” Whether or not those other space marines were trying to rescue Ben or hurt him remained the question, Lenora wondered. It would be concerning if “Orca” had kidnapped Ben from his family though.
“I see…” Lenora decided to change the subject, if only to dissipate some of the tension in the room, “Are you a fan of marine documentaries?”
“Yeah! They are the best!” Ben perked up, glad that there was finally a topic he could talk about.
Lenora smiled kindly, “Orca is a good name. Don’t they hunt in family pods though?” she asked
The teen nodded, “They normally do, but there’s some orcas that can kill a great white shark all on their own!”
Malaran looked on with confusion upon hearing his given name while his bonded youngling animatedly chatted with the Iron Warrior’s human. He turned to the other Astartes, “What are they talking about?”
“Sea creatures and the merit of your given name. She said your boy gave you a good name.”
Malaran snorted, but he was satisfied. Of course his bonded would give him a good name! And name him after some sort of sea creature. He remembered seeing the few books that Ben had, contained pictures of water beasts, though he couldn’t understand anything of what was written. He felt the boy reach out for the drinks on the table. He crooned with concern and held Ben back.
Erriox sighed, “Let your boy have the drink. It is not poisoned if that is what you are concerned with. He needs to replenish his fluids.”
The Black Legionnaire relented and loosened his grip. Ben leaned forward and grabbed both mugs, passing one to him with a big smile, “Here! You should have one too.”
A warm feeling grew in his chest, similar to when Ben first led him home and gave him his name; remembering how the child tried to stuff him in his closet to hide him from his paternal parental figure. Malaran chuckled at the memory and looked at Ben fondly before taking the offered mug and patted his head. Ben giggled before snuggling back against his body again. The wall in him broke open further, letting the warmth strengthen his bond with his youngling. Watching Ben drink his hot chocolate, he decided to take a sip as well. It was sweet, with a hint of bitterness. Malaran decided that he liked this drink.
Lenora watched the pair with fondness as both her and Erriox drank their share. She let out a quiet sigh of relief and leaned into her Astartes. Erriox glanced at her in question, she smiled at him and squeezed his hand, “Thank you for taking them in. You did good.” She murmured.
His gaze softened as he squeezed her hand in return, “You’re welcome.”
“Miss…?” Ben’s unsure voice cut through the lull.
“Lenora is fine, no need for the ‘Miss’.” Lenora responded kindly, “You have a question?”
“Yeah, you asked if Orca was the name I gave him. Does that mean he has his own name too? Can he tell me his name?” The teen asked.
Lenora looked at the chaos space marine, “You’re bonded wants to know your name. Do you want to let him know?”
The Black Legionnaire mulled it over for a moment then patted Ben’s shoulder, getting his attention, “I am Malaran, but I want you to call me Orca. You gifted me a good name.” He‘d rather his youngling call him by his given name; outside of being quite attached to that name, it was also for Ben’s own safety, in case anyone else recognized it.
“Ben, his name is Malaran, but he prefers to be called Orca.” Lenora translated for the boy.
The teen perked up, “He likes my name?”
Lenora smiled, “He sure does.”
“Can you teach me to say something in Orca’s language?”
Ben looked at his guardian briefly before looking back at Lenora and Erriox. “Thank you for staying with me. You are awesome. I want to be strong like you one day.”
Erriox chuckled, surely this will no doubt inflate the chaos marine’s ego. He put his hand on Lenora's leg signalling that he would take over, “Ben, repeat after me. Orca, thank you for staying with me. You are amazing. I want to be strong like you.”
Malaran hearts nearly burst when he heard that. Ben’s pronunciation was a bit off, but the meaning behind it was there, with truth and sincerity. This was definitely his youngling, his bond made the right choice. He will protect and cherish this one for as long as he lives, regardless of who or what gets in the way. His purr grew to a loud rumble as Ben laughed when he hugged him and ruffled his hair.
Their heartfelt moment was unfortunately cut short when Erriox asked his Black Legion cousin, “How did you end up here?”
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