“Aurdis you didn’t have to protect me, what if it killed you!” Elena was angry, surprisingly biting.
“It doesn’t make sense for you to be injured when I’m more than accustomed to healing light wounds.” Aurdis had to grit out her words while she kept a hand against her stomach, the glow of her magic seeped through to knit the torn muscles. There was so much blood it tainted the ombre colours of her powers into a maroon.
“You’re pale as the moon!” Elena ripped the ends of her blouse to dab at the sweat that was rolling down Aurdis’ forehead and neck.
“I couldn’t allow you to come to harm,” Aurdis gave a tight smile and used her free hand to grasp at Elena’s wrist. “Would you help me?”
“Of course!”
“Kiss me.”
“What?!”
“It takes a lot of magic to suture a goring wound such as this, you may be untrained, but your magical stores can save me a lot of pain.” Aurdis blinked tiredly, the fatigue of healing draining her more than she was making light of. “Kalani? If Elena won’t I would appreciate it if you could?”
Kalani shoved her spear deeper into the space between the animal’s forelimb and neck. The monstrous creature snarled and grunted its last breath, before easing flat against the forest floor. Its pelt was going to be useless at this point, numerous slices from the guard’s swords had scoured along it’s muscled back, but Kalani had finished it. “I… I… I’ve killed the boar.”
Aurdis leaned her head back against the tree trunk as she took a slow breath. “I’m going to need to siphon some magic or I can’t ensure I won’t be internally bleeding and in pain, and I definitely won’t be able to make the trip down without being carried.”
“My lady, if you require magic may I be of assistance?” One of the masked knights knelt forward, half their face was covered in blood gushing from a wound above their eyebrow. “It would be my duty and pleasure.”
“How sweet of you,” Aurdis brought a hand up to hold against the guard’s face, pulling them sleepily towards herself, “a golden eyed knight.”
“Stop!” Elena grabbed the guard’s shoulder, tugging them away. “It’s my fault, I’ll do it!”
Aurdis laughed despite herself. “I didn’t intend to be such a chore, sister, please don’t burden yourself into doing something you detest.”
“For Arcana’s sake, you’re bleeding out!” Elena huffed and glared sternly at the guard until they backed even further away. “I don’t know what I’m doing… so just take whatever you need.”
Aurdis was barely conscious at this point, she dipped her head slightly in agreement and sighed when Elena finally kissed her. She was so disoriented she only returned Elena’s careful kiss, completely forgetting her goal.
“Don’t fall asleep!” Kalani rushed over and shook the other woman, making her groan in pain, but also waking her from a stupor.
This time round it's clear that magic was being drawn from Elena; it’s a soul deep pull that makes the shorter woman fall onto her knees, leaning into Aurdis’ body as the very essence of her is taken. When Aurdis finally encouraged Elena to break their kiss, it was the youngest that looked ready to faint. Her face was blushed and her breath came in uneven and rushed. Aurdis ran her unbloodied hand soothingly up and down Elena’s back. “Deep breaths now, in through your nose.”
Elena followed the instructions, nearly asleep at this point.
“Out through your mouth, nice and slow, that’s it.” Aurdis tugged the other woman into her arms so Elena sat straddled on her lap. “You did really well, thank you, I’m okay now.”
“You’re…” Elena hiccuped, her earlier anger having dissipated along with her drained magical stores. "You’re not going to die?!”
“Shhhhhh, I’m not going anywhere.” Aurdis pressed a kiss to the side of Elena’s temple, holding there for a moment as Elena’s breathing evened out as she drifted to sleep.
“Is she okay?” Kalani knelt down and stared worriedly at Elena then back to Aurdis.
“Oh,” Aurdis smirked, her exhaustion having abated a tad, “I’m glad you’re concerned for at least one of us.”
“I would’ve kissed you if I knew it would help!”
Aurdis squinted her eyes at her companion. “Why else would I request a kiss?”
“I don’t know!” Kalani’s hands tangled up in her hair in frustration. “I… You were bleeding out and asking to be kissed, I thought you were delirious.”
“Like I was tragically saying farewell?"
Kalani pressed her lips together, refusing to say more.
"Do you know nothing of your heritage?” Aurdis reached out and touched her bloodied fingertips to Kalani’s collarbone before drifting to land over the other woman’s heart. “We breath and live by air and magic, it’s easiest to siphon life through our lips, I couldn’t manage anything more complicated earlier.”
“I… I never… Magic isn’t common place for me…” Kalani covered her face with her hands, pressing the heel of her palms against he eyes to stall the tears that were burning to fall. “I… I wasn’t… I didn’t understand and I almost cost you your life.”
“Hush, please, there’s no need to be dramatic, I was holding my wound close, it wasn’t as if my intestines were about to fall-”
Kalani groaned, completely anguished over what has happened, she had jeopardize everyone and-
Aurdis roughly shook Kalani in much the same manner as the other woman had done to her earlier. “Stop, you’ll wake Elena, she needs to rest.”
“We can head down right now for medical aid,” the golden eyed knight offered, “I’ll rally the guards.”
“There’s no need for the rush, she’s only physically wrung out and needs sleep. Why don’t you prepare the boar carcass, we’ll rest here.”
