the wounded (sleeping tiger, thiele)
Hot, she felt hot. Like a fever. But if she remembered right, a fever felt more cold than hot. Still, it was hot. How had they gotten out of that place? That damned room that claimed Raed. Raed was dead and Eithne could only think about how they'd gotten out. How many assassins lay dead because of them. She'd killed one, she knew that. The other, the other Vera had killed. Vera had saved her from dying and yet she still couldn't trust the woman. Why? Because she'd hid all of this and that's why Martine was dead, why Raed was dead? Both died in the line of duty. Died doing things they loved to do. Was death so easy for them? She could have died, and she would not have been happy dying as a Rider. Dying because she demanded to be here, wanted to be here. Doing this for him and dying because of it? She could be dead.
She couldn't see anything after all. She just felt hot.
She was aware of other noises and movements beyond the blackness. Her eyes were shut, that was it, but everything ached. She had no desire to ever open her eyes. Out there Raed and Martine was dead. Out there officials lied about everything and Lords were out killing whole counties and villages. Out there Dragon Knights were secretly doing the bidding of Lords and Ladies. She didn't want to be out there. She wanted to be right in here where she could still feel the crush of arms around her and remember why she was fighting. How had she ever gotten herself into something like this?
The temple had been easier. Fighting for money had been easier. Why had she ever given any of those things up? Aside from the obvious fact that religion didn't thrill her, and she'd killed one of her best friends on accident, why had she agreed to go with Eragos in the first place? The money? His easy smile? She hadn't thought about him that way then. How could she have allowed such a thing to happen at all? Eithne didn't attach herself to people for that very reason. Because she ended up doing stupid things like this.
Her eyes opened and the pain filled her again. Because she thought she was stupid, and right at the same time. Stupid for going along, and yet she was doing the right thing for once. She wasn't fighting for money she was fighting for them all and even if they didn't completely know it. She'd save them in the end even if she ended up spending her life in the process. That's what Raed and Martine had done. Died trying to save them. It was all Cols' fault for not being around, she decided then when instead of him being there to heal her, there was that elf which swore that Eragos loved her.
When she turned her head she noticed in the next bed was Sleeping Tiger.
"Is he alive?" She demanded. She wasn't asking about Sleeping Tiger. But neither of them needed to know that. Either the man would answer that he was alive, as in Sleeping Tiger was alive, or the elf would say that Sleeping Tiger was alive and then she could correct herself and ask about the others. Her arm. Her fucking face. Both felt rough, but she couldn't tell if either was still broken or not. She didn't want to be in this bed. That's why she was hot.