ᴇsᴛɪɴɪᴇɴ ᴠᴀʀʟɪɴᴇᴀᴜ. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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synthneon2022-02-11 05:36 pm
dragonssung) wrote in synthneon2022-02-11 05:36 pm
Entry tags:
echoes of truth | ❝ tales of loss and fire and flame. ❞
Every word on our hearts engraved
In the dark you will not stray
Forge ahead, till the end, we pray
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I love you, she said, and those words, more than anything else stand out in his tired thoughts.
A long sigh escapes him in response to her fingers winding through his hair, and as she continues speaking, a series of images flash into his mind: the Congregation where he used to spend so much of his time, the familiar halls of his home, and the sight of Alkaid standing in the doorway, lilies in her hands and in her hair, waiting for him with a smile on her face.
His eyes open once more, just in time to hear her describing her desire to travel and heal as she goes on her way, and although he does not attempt to rise again, he nestles himself more into her lap, as if to indicate that he wishes to be closer to her and to experience more of her healing as well.
Then, a look of pain crosses his face yet again as Thordan's rage spikes through him once more. But this time, even though he tenses up as the pain sweeps over him, all he can see is Alkaid smiling and holding out her hands to him. The feeling is brief, nearly drowned out by Thordan's hatred, but he feels an undercurrent of love sweeping over him, and for just a moment, he smiles.
But clearly, the primal in his mind has no tolerance for this, and Aymeric stiffens once more, moving to curl in on himself as pain lances through his head again. ]
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You said that healers were needed to help others back into the battle. I suppose that all I can do for you, my love, is to heal your wounds so you might return to the battlefield. Whichever one it might be.
[ Wherher it might be fighting King Thordan in his mind or to see him escape from the cell. She imagines the latter will not get him far, and she certainly would be berated by those around her for allowing him to be in a state where he might. ]
There's little else I can do for you. Always being whisked away to solve anothers problem. I have spent more time licking my own wounds my mind conjures for me and not enough on yours. It must make me a horrendous partner, and you certainly deserve a wife better than I. [ Then, her grip on his hand tightens slightly. She notes how he curls on himself as he shakes more in pain. ] Even then, I don't want to let you go. The thought of being unable to be with you or be your wife breaks my heart in ways no one else could. [ She pauses as her eyes narrow at the painful thump her raw feeling heart gives. ] I hope your father realizes I only wish to care for you; to be your wife and at your side. Maybe then he will relent in punishing you so.
[ Her eyes close as she focuses on healing the deep cuts on the hand in hers caused by his shackles. She can feel her own exhaustion tugging at her with the lack of proper rest, food, or water. However, she resolves to hold out a little longer. Once Estinien returns with food and she has made sure Aymeric can sleep? She will do the same. He has to live through this.
The fingers around his wrist start to gently rub at the area as she attempts to encourage his aether to move with hers. It may stagnate in time, but surely it could move enough to at least heal his wounds for now. Her head tilts towards their hands and she focuses on just that small notion. Perhaps if she can have his aether move the slightest amount, she may be able to have it move at the larger injuries.
An ear lifts slightly as she hears the door open and the sound of Estinien's footsteps and armor. The door to the cell moves. Her eyes only open once Estinien is beside them and she tilts her head up to look at him. Quite disgruntled by the errand, but he stands there over looking the two. Alkaid smiles as if proud she was correct that Aymeric would not hurt her. ]
Thank you, Estinien. Could you find blankets and a pillow? He needs proper rest and nights in Limsa can be cold, even if they haven't been. [ She does not stop to give the dragoon a moment to reply. ] And, could you help me sit him up to eat. I...
Am rather short in stature? [ He smirks at the red that takes her face. The food is set to the side. ] Aye, I can do that.
Be gentle, please, h-he can't support his own weight standing up. [ Alkaid cannot help the tremor in her voice as Estinien does as she asked. She hovers the entire time, hand moving from Aymeric's hair to brace him incase he slouched against the brick wall behind him.
Then, she moves to sit in front of him, hand moving to the side of his face to ease his gaze towards her if he can manage it. ] See, Estinien cares too, my love. In his own grumpy manner.
[ Estinien scowls slightly at his own expense and stands. For a moment, he watches how Alkaid frets over Aymeric, then how she untangles their hands to start preparing the meal that Alphinaud chose. She stays close enough so Aymeric might raise his hand again to touch her if need be. ]
The Scions have need of your presence, Alkaid. A meeting of what to do from this point on.
[ Alkaid does not moss a beat nor does she stop. Her eyes remain on the task in front of her--both of them. ] You can inform them that I am not attending. They can survive a meeting without one of the Warriors of Light. [ She turns back to face Aymeric again. Her head tilts to try and find his gaze once more. ] My place is here right now, with my lord-to-be.
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... 'kaid. [ His chest heaves with the effort, but all he manages to do is gasp out part of her name. It seems that he truly cannot speak, even if the will and the desire is there, and that realization causes his brow to crease and his eyes to screw themselves shut once more.
Even then, his hand never leaves hers, clinging onto it as though she is his lifeline, keeping him from drifting away from her as the struggle to hold on threatens to drag him away.
Oddly, something strange seems to happen then. The relentless assault on his mind abruptly ceases as the primal's voice fades away, and in the absence of pain, Aymeric's tense posture finally relaxes and his eyes slowly open once more. His aether moves, but not as freely as it should have, but with the primal's hold temporarily loosened, at least it shifts and does not remain stagnant. It may not stay that way for long, but at least for the moment, there is a brief reprieve.
Aymeric dimly registers the cell door opening and Estinien joining them inside, but their exchange is little better than muffled sounds to him, until he feels Estinien's hands on him, helping move him from his prostrate position to a seated one. If not for the solid brick wall behind him and for Alkaid's hands holding him up as well, he might not have managed to stay upright.
His gaze shifts then, aided again by her guiding touch, and he manages to fix his eyes on her briefly shifting once to look at the taller dragoon. If he could utter words of thanks, he would, but even if he could comprehend that thought, it slips from his mind just as quickly as it came.
And once again, as Estinien and Alkaid exchange words, the sounds fade in his hearing, try as he might to understand what is being said. The most that registers is a tone of disagreement from Alkaid, but even then, he can do little more than look between her and Estinien, as if he is still attempting to follow their conversation. ]
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His aether struggles to move but it does move. It causes the hope inside her heart to flash and burn. She does not address it verbally, and instead only does so once he has been propped against the wall. Her gaze finds his as it travels back and forth. Then, her hands moves to cradle his head in them once more to keep his focus on her. ]
Do your best to sit up straight, Aymeric. Take as deep breaths as you are able to. [ Alkaid's eyebrows raise to instruct him to follow her lead. ] That will help your aether flow.
[ She inhales deeply and exhales once, then twice, attempting to show him what he might do to help. If nothing else it will bring more oxygen into his lungs and his blood flowing to remain alert. She inhales deeply and exhales once more to make certain he understands what she means. A smile spreads on her face and she kisses his forehead to reward him in what he can do.
Estinien watches the scene almost in silent awe of it all. Of course, he had seen Alkaid heal on the battlefield. He had even seen how she patched her sister and Alphinaud on their trip to meet the great wrym. This, however, was something entirely different. She had somehow managed to break through to Aymeric despite his tempering and the fanatical belief instilled by King Thordan. How the Warriors of Light continue to make small miracles is truly beyond his understanding.
And then the uneasy feeling that he must break apart the progress that has been done. ]
I am afraid they insist that all of their order be present. That includes both of the Warriors of Light.
[ Her eyes narrow before she looks over her shoulder at Estinien, tail bristling at his continued insistence. Both hands remain cradling Aymeric's head until he feels he might be able to lift it again on his own. While Alkaid is never one that is quick to anger, she quite honestly feels as if throwing something at the dragoon will make her point. ]
They can insist all that they will! [ Despite how close they had all become in their time in Norvrandt? Alkaid feels the old bitterness bubbling beneath the surface. ] How many times have I left on their whims and business, ignoring what I wish? How much of ourselves must my sister and I give to them before they allow us to be people?! I will not leave him--not like this!
[ Estinien cannot say he disagrees with the sentiments at hand nor her quite obvious display of her own needs and desires. ] Those are answers I cannot give. Alphinaud and Alisaie are waiting for you--
--Then they can leave without me!
[ Her eyes narrow further as her hands leave Aymeric to face Estinien. Which is the opening he had been looking for. In one acrobatic sweeping motion, the dragoon sweeps Alkaid into his arms and carefully over his shoulder. Part of her arm may have been scraped across the points on his armor, to which he will apologize later. For now, an apologetic look is given to his brother before turning and moving to the cell door.
Alkaid raises her fists and slams them into Estinien's armor. She tries to free herself from the hold the dragoon has on her, feet kicking as well. It is quite the unseemly display from a Warrior of Light, but Estinien can certainly tell in that moment that the sisters are indeed sisters. ]
Put me down, Estinien! Estinien! Put me down! [ She reaches out to try to grasp one of the cell bars, but her fingers glide over it as he quickly shuts the door behind him and moves away. With wide eyes she looks at Ayermic in the cell and attempts again to pull herself from his grasp. ] Estinien, please, don't--don't!
[ The door opens and the two disappear for a brief moment. Then, it is only Estinien that returns, taking the chair he had brought with him and propping it underneath the handle of the door. The dragoon ignores the continual pounding as he steps inside Aymeric's cell once more. ]
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At the very least, he can follow basic directions, and when Alkaid tells him to sit up straight, he does his best to oblige, pushing himself up against the wall with both hands. And once he has managed that, he follows her next command: to take deep breaths.
It isn't a perfect attempt by any means, as his breath catches, and the strain of the action shows itself in his shoulders, but he does what he can.
Even as Alkaid and Estinien continue to exchange words, he just remains sitting there as ordered, taking a breath and letting it out, and repeating the process again.
It isn't until he hears Alkaid's outburst of determination that she will not be leaving that he abandons his attempts to breathe as she told him to do. His eyes widen slightly, as if reacting to the agitation in the room.
But when Estinien takes hold of Alkaid, lifting her from the ground, his eyes widen even further, and he raises a hand as if reaching for her. All he can do is watch as she fights Estinien every step of the way. His gaze meets hers, and stays that way until he can no longer see her.
As soon as she is out of eyeshot, his head dips and his gaze lowers to stare at the ground, his hands dropping to rest against the cell floor, the signs of life that he was beginning to display with Alkaid helping him having seemingly fled the cell with her.
In their place is a blank stare and a motionlessness that has settled in once more as what little awareness he had managed to fight to regain fades away. Estinien's return to the cell does not even garner a reaction from him, and he just remains sitting where he was placed, eyes still glowing but showing no recognition. ]
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It was not my desire to separate the pair of you. Especially for the good she does you. [ He, however, knows it is better that he do it as opposed to one of the other Scions coming to remove her themselves. ] I've no doubt that she will make a swift return and curse the Scions along the way.
[ A gloved hand raises and gestures to the food beside his brother. ] In the mean time, Aymeric. It would do you well to eat.
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Clearly, the man in the cell is someone important to him, and even though a good deal of Aymeric's comprehension has left him, he still retains enough of it to remember that the face of the man sitting in front of him is someone important.
It takes a moment, but finally, he raises his head to look first at Estinien then at the food that is still within his reach. Instead of doing as he was told, he reaches for it and moves it over in Estinien's direction, pushing it closer to him. ]
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His eyes fall down to the tray that is pushed to him. If he had not known Aymeric as well or as long as he had? He might misunderstand the gesture. It would seem the man's natural inclination to care for all those of Ishgard would come first no matter if he is tempered or not. Perhaps that is why Alkaid seems so determined and full of conviction that he may yet be cured. Aymeric still exists somewhere in it all. ]
Nay, Aymeric. [ However, lest his brother think that he is attempting to be cruel, Estinien gently pushes the tray back to him. He waits until the Lord Speaker looks at him before allowing his usual harsh features to mold to something gentler. He is a far cry from Alphinaud and K'thisru, and an even father cry from Alkaid, but he intends the meaning to be the same. ] I think it best if you eat. Not simply because you are in greater need. I am certain it would lift Alkaid's spirits to know you have eaten and cared for yourself in her absence.
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If he needs to eat, then so must his friend. But even so, the tray of food is pushed back to him again, and his gaze connects with his old friend's once again.
He is still having difficulty stringing words together, but he has enough in him to ask one thing. ]
What about you? [ Because he has just enough powers of observation left to notice that there is only enough here for one person. ]
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[ The raised hand gestures once again to the food for him to eat. ]
Most likely she will obtain something to eat on the way back. The Scions will not be able to keep her long. Thus, you ought do something that will bring a smile to her face when she returns.
[ Estinien moves to sit down and places Nidhogg across his lap. There is no intention of using the lance now. It simply rests there in order to be more comfortable. ]
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Alkaid's healing on his wrists has helped, but even as reaches for the food and begins slowly eating it, his hands begin to shake just a little, revealing the weakness that is still present there. But he manages as well as possible, and it isn't until his eyes land on the lance resting across Estinien's lap that he pauses, hands stilling as he warily eyes the weapon.
Again, unbidden, an image springs into his mind of Nidhogg being used to knock him against the cell wall, and then pinning him in place. He is not afraid of the lance, exactly, but his eyes widen just slightly, pointing to a lingering apprehension about having the lance used on him once more. ]
timeskip?
It catches his attention that Aymeric has paused in his eating. He glances over to find the other man staring down at Nidhogg. He rolls his eyes slightly before picking up the lance and moving it to rest beside him on the floor.
Then his arms cross and he begins a silent vigil over the man he calls brother. ]
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