In the end he sat up through the night with Erandur, who recovered considerably by early the next morning. The priest woke from a fitful sleep and put a hand on Tam's shoulder. Tam was sitting by the bed, reading one of the religious texts that was lying around.
"Thank you, my dear friend." His voice was soft but clear.
Tam turned and embraced him, relieved. "When I got here I was ready to be cross at you for staying here, as usual. But how can I, when you say things like that?," He asked, muffled by the Dunmer's hair. He sat back and smiled crookedly. "Don't answer that, I'll manage somehow. How do you feel?"
"Tired still. But my mind is clear...what day is it?"
"Morndas. The twelfth or thirteenth."
"I was attacked by a frostbite spider almost a week ago while out gathering brush for the fire."
"You've been like that for days? You could've died up here, alone in the cold. I can't believe none of those damn villagers could be arsed to come up here and check on you."
"They have their own lives, Tam."
"Fuck them."
"Tam--"
"You help them all the time, giving them council and healing, making them potions. Fuck them all sideways."
"Tam! I've been bitten by frostbite spiders in the past. It's uncomfortable and frightening but it won't kill you. The poison just takes a while to wear off."
"So this isn't the first time this has happened." Tam shut the book. "You were badly hurt. You needed help. You could've died."
"This was worse than before, it's true."
"None of this would've happened if you weren't in this crumbling temple. We're getting some breakfast and then we're getting you out of this damn hole. Permanently."
1/?
"Thank you, my dear friend." His voice was soft but clear.
Tam turned and embraced him, relieved. "When I got here I was ready to be cross at you for staying here, as usual. But how can I, when you say things like that?," He asked, muffled by the Dunmer's hair. He sat back and smiled crookedly. "Don't answer that, I'll manage somehow. How do you feel?"
"Tired still. But my mind is clear...what day is it?"
"Morndas. The twelfth or thirteenth."
"I was attacked by a frostbite spider almost a week ago while out gathering brush for the fire."
"You've been like that for days? You could've died up here, alone in the cold. I can't believe none of those damn villagers could be arsed to come up here and check on you."
"They have their own lives, Tam."
"Fuck them."
"Tam--"
"You help them all the time, giving them council and healing, making them potions. Fuck them all sideways."
"Tam! I've been bitten by frostbite spiders in the past. It's uncomfortable and frightening but it won't kill you. The poison just takes a while to wear off."
"So this isn't the first time this has happened." Tam shut the book. "You were badly hurt. You needed help. You could've died."
"This was worse than before, it's true."
"None of this would've happened if you weren't in this crumbling temple. We're getting some breakfast and then we're getting you out of this damn hole. Permanently."