"Gods, the trouble you people get in to! Last time you two showed up, you--", Elgrim pointed fiercely at the young elf leaning against the wall, "--Were begging me for a potion to cure your vampirism! Why you waited so long for that is beyond me, by the way! You think you're invincible because you're young and an elf, is that it?"
Lendri shrugged his shoulders, noncommittal, knowing from experience it was best to keep quiet when the alchemist was on a tirade. The old man shook his head.
"The folly of youth, I suppose." He turned to the Dunmer sitting and shivering miserably on the bench. "You'll be fine as long as you don't do anything foolish. And don't eat until tomorrow night, understand?"
"Fine," Teldryn said. His voice was nearly a growl.
"He means 'thank you'," Lendri said as Teldryn got unsteadily to his feet. He draped one of the Dunmer's arms across his shoulders. "Really, thank you, a lot. You have all of my thanks."
The old man's face softened into something like a smile, but he only waved them toward the door. "Go on," he said. "Get yourselves home before you manage to fall into the lake or something."
It was raining outside. Together they made their way over the slippery boardwalk to the small home they rented by the canal. It was cozy, but old and rickety, and Lendri swore at his housekey as he as he tried to work the stubborn lock. At last it clicked into place and with a little effort he shoved the door open. It was dark within, and cold. They hadn't been home in over a month. For a moment the rain and howling wind filled the tiny space; then Lendri shut the door and they stood in blackness. But he knew the place well enough. It was the work of a moment to set a small blaze in the hearth with a flame spell.
Teldryn was still shivering. They'd been caught in a rockslide, and his arm had been broken, twisted at an awkward angle, ribs bruised black and cracked. Without the priest he likely would've died. The bones had been knit back together, but the ordeal of walking back to town with half his torso broken, and the aftereffects of Elgrim's potions, had taken a toll on him.
Pallor on a Dunmer was hard to detect, but Lendri knew Teldryn well enough to know that his skin wasn't the right shade of gray. The Bosmer had been lucky enough to walk away from the avalanche with only scrapes and bruises, and was hardly worse for wear.
"Come on. Let's get into some dry things."
There was a small bedroom partitioned off from the living room by a short wall. Teldryn sank down on the edge of the bed while Lendri hunted through the clothes chest. The Bosmer dressed quickly and looked up to find Teldryn watching him with a dead-eyed, unfocused expression. A thrill of fear ran through him.
"Teldryn?"
The Dunmer blinked. "...What...?" He stared a moment more before shaking his head. "Sorry. My mind keeps wandering." Slowly he began to remove his armor, fingers clumsy.
"Here. Let me." Lendri removed the breastplate easily--he'd done it enough during happier times that it was easy now, and he almost smiled, thinking of what usually followed. Beneath the damp material Teldryn's skin was clammy, the bruise not yet fully faded despite the healer's work. Lendri frowned, laying a hand on the darkened flesh. "Does it still hurt?"
Teldryn covered Lendri's hand with his own, cherishing it against his chest. "You worry too much."
1
Lendri shrugged his shoulders, noncommittal, knowing from experience it was best to keep quiet when the alchemist was on a tirade. The old man shook his head.
"The folly of youth, I suppose." He turned to the Dunmer sitting and shivering miserably on the bench. "You'll be fine as long as you don't do anything foolish. And don't eat until tomorrow night, understand?"
"Fine," Teldryn said. His voice was nearly a growl.
"He means 'thank you'," Lendri said as Teldryn got unsteadily to his feet. He draped one of the Dunmer's arms across his shoulders. "Really, thank you, a lot. You have all of my thanks."
The old man's face softened into something like a smile, but he only waved them toward the door. "Go on," he said. "Get yourselves home before you manage to fall into the lake or something."
It was raining outside. Together they made their way over the slippery boardwalk to the small home they rented by the canal. It was cozy, but old and rickety, and Lendri swore at his housekey as he as he tried to work the stubborn lock. At last it clicked into place and with a little effort he shoved the door open. It was dark within, and cold. They hadn't been home in over a month. For a moment the rain and howling wind filled the tiny space; then Lendri shut the door and they stood in blackness. But he knew the place well enough. It was the work of a moment to set a small blaze in the hearth with a flame spell.
Teldryn was still shivering. They'd been caught in a rockslide, and his arm had been broken, twisted at an awkward angle, ribs bruised black and cracked. Without the priest he likely would've died. The bones had been knit back together, but the ordeal of walking back to town with half his torso broken, and the aftereffects of Elgrim's potions, had taken a toll on him.
Pallor on a Dunmer was hard to detect, but Lendri knew Teldryn well enough to know that his skin wasn't the right shade of gray. The Bosmer had been lucky enough to walk away from the avalanche with only scrapes and bruises, and was hardly worse for wear.
"Come on. Let's get into some dry things."
There was a small bedroom partitioned off from the living room by a short wall. Teldryn sank down on the edge of the bed while Lendri hunted through the clothes chest. The Bosmer dressed quickly and looked up to find Teldryn watching him with a dead-eyed, unfocused expression. A thrill of fear ran through him.
"Teldryn?"
The Dunmer blinked. "...What...?" He stared a moment more before shaking his head. "Sorry. My mind keeps wandering." Slowly he began to remove his armor, fingers clumsy.
"Here. Let me." Lendri removed the breastplate easily--he'd done it enough during happier times that it was easy now, and he almost smiled, thinking of what usually followed. Beneath the damp material Teldryn's skin was clammy, the bruise not yet fully faded despite the healer's work. Lendri frowned, laying a hand on the darkened flesh.
"Does it still hurt?"
Teldryn covered Lendri's hand with his own, cherishing it against his chest. "You worry too much."
"That's no kind of answer."
"It's the only answer you'll get."