So relieved was Liriel she missed the archer in the shadows – until her armour wore off and before she could refresh it, the poisoned arrow slammed into her. She staggered back, too surprised to even feel pain until the agony kicked in and her vision started to blur.
“Oh,” Liriel whispered, staring at the arrow in her gut, and then another hit her, sending her crashing to the floor. She could barely see but she was aware of three of them, two warriors and a mage, advancing.
Oh. I'm dead then. She couldn't fight them, not like this. She just hoped Cali had got away.
Madanach. Madanach, I love you. Take care of my babies for me.
Inarticulate cry of rage and fury down the bond and he was close, so close, and then the fireball slammed into one of the Falmer. Liriel blinked, rallying and was that her mother?? It surely was, armoured up, cloak blazing, reanimating a dead Falmer with one hand and flinging the other at one that had just leaped at her, a bound sword materialising in the Falmer's abdomen before Sabrinda ripped it out and sliced the creature's throat open.
Then lightning blazed, bolts slamming into the mage Falmer and sending it flying, and ebony arrows thudded into the other Falmer from seemingly out of nowhere. Then she saw him, male, human, wearing Harkon's old armour and Nahkriin's mask, moving seamlessly as high-powered Destruction spells smacked into enemies, stunning some and causing others to fall back, and Liriel knew, she just knew. Then three heavily armoured warriors tore in, all screaming battle-cries, and the human mage had left the fray to kneel by her side.
The bond told her all she needed to know, although she couldn't see his face.
“You came,” Liriel breathed, happy despite the pain, knowing it was going to be fine. Madanach loved her and Madanach was here, healing magic in both hands and the warmth felt amazing, it really did.
He didn't answer but the bond said it all. Of course I came for you, I love you, gods Liriel, don't die...
Liriel closed her eyes, finally letting go. Her husband was here. It was all going to be just fine...
~~~~~~~~~~~
Madanach didn't really remember a lot about how they'd got out of there. Only seeing Liriel down and injured, and quietly starting to panic. But he'd done battlefield surgery before, dealt with arrow wounds before. Telekinesis to draw the arrow out and thank the gods that the chest one had hit her sternum and was actually the least serious. The gut wound – it was bad. But he got both arrows out, sealed up what he could, but it was the blood loss and poison that frightened him most. What if it was too late, what if she died anyway, he couldn't bear it, all this was his fault, she was his wife, his everything, he needed her, the girls needed her, he'd never stay clean without her! He'd never get the poison out of his own veins on his own. Poison...
The little red antivenin was in his hands without even thinking about it, meant to be a medicine to purge the aftereffects of the Skooma – but he'd forego a dose if it saved Liriel's life. Without really thinking about it, he patted her face, rousing her enough to get her attention, get her half-conscious and then made her drink the entire bottle. She wailed, clearly hating the taste and seeing as he'd been forced to drink something similar only hours before, he empathised, he really did, but she wasn't dying. Not on his watch.
It seemed to help. The rest of the Falmer were dead or on the run, Sabrinda had found Cali and was clinging on to her and then Borkul was there, scooping Liriel up while Argis called for a retreat, both he and Jordis grabbing Cicero and hauling him out, the little lunatic whining copiously about wanting to avenge the Listener, and Argis snapping that she wasn't even dead yet.
Nor would she be, Madanach hoped but he didn't dare think about it. All he could think of was the love of his life in Borkul's arms, injured and hurt, all his fault, he should never have let her go, she should be safe in Markarth, he should...
Re: Thicker Than Blood 10.6
“Oh,” Liriel whispered, staring at the arrow in her gut, and then another hit her, sending her crashing to the floor. She could barely see but she was aware of three of them, two warriors and a mage, advancing.
Oh. I'm dead then. She couldn't fight them, not like this. She just hoped Cali had got away.
Madanach. Madanach, I love you. Take care of my babies for me.
Inarticulate cry of rage and fury down the bond and he was close, so close, and then the fireball slammed into one of the Falmer. Liriel blinked, rallying and was that her mother?? It surely was, armoured up, cloak blazing, reanimating a dead Falmer with one hand and flinging the other at one that had just leaped at her, a bound sword materialising in the Falmer's abdomen before Sabrinda ripped it out and sliced the creature's throat open.
Then lightning blazed, bolts slamming into the mage Falmer and sending it flying, and ebony arrows thudded into the other Falmer from seemingly out of nowhere. Then she saw him, male, human, wearing Harkon's old armour and Nahkriin's mask, moving seamlessly as high-powered Destruction spells smacked into enemies, stunning some and causing others to fall back, and Liriel knew, she just knew. Then three heavily armoured warriors tore in, all screaming battle-cries, and the human mage had left the fray to kneel by her side.
The bond told her all she needed to know, although she couldn't see his face.
“You came,” Liriel breathed, happy despite the pain, knowing it was going to be fine. Madanach loved her and Madanach was here, healing magic in both hands and the warmth felt amazing, it really did.
He didn't answer but the bond said it all. Of course I came for you, I love you, gods Liriel, don't die...
Liriel closed her eyes, finally letting go. Her husband was here. It was all going to be just fine...
~~~~~~~~~~~
Madanach didn't really remember a lot about how they'd got out of there. Only seeing Liriel down and injured, and quietly starting to panic. But he'd done battlefield surgery before, dealt with arrow wounds before. Telekinesis to draw the arrow out and thank the gods that the chest one had hit her sternum and was actually the least serious. The gut wound – it was bad. But he got both arrows out, sealed up what he could, but it was the blood loss and poison that frightened him most. What if it was too late, what if she died anyway, he couldn't bear it, all this was his fault, she was his wife, his everything, he needed her, the girls needed her, he'd never stay clean without her! He'd never get the poison out of his own veins on his own. Poison...
The little red antivenin was in his hands without even thinking about it, meant to be a medicine to purge the aftereffects of the Skooma – but he'd forego a dose if it saved Liriel's life. Without really thinking about it, he patted her face, rousing her enough to get her attention, get her half-conscious and then made her drink the entire bottle. She wailed, clearly hating the taste and seeing as he'd been forced to drink something similar only hours before, he empathised, he really did, but she wasn't dying. Not on his watch.
It seemed to help. The rest of the Falmer were dead or on the run, Sabrinda had found Cali and was clinging on to her and then Borkul was there, scooping Liriel up while Argis called for a retreat, both he and Jordis grabbing Cicero and hauling him out, the little lunatic whining copiously about wanting to avenge the Listener, and Argis snapping that she wasn't even dead yet.
Nor would she be, Madanach hoped but he didn't dare think about it. All he could think of was the love of his life in Borkul's arms, injured and hurt, all his fault, he should never have let her go, she should be safe in Markarth, he should...