Illness Survival of the Illest: Rejected Snippets

[Willowwhip]

Hello

 

Because I love you all and I love this story and because I've not updated in like 3 weeks, here are some of the bits that didn't make it into the final version. I'll also include large pieces of text that are under development that I'll likely end up cutting the majority of. I.E: Everything I have for chapter 5 thusfar

 

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The bell above the door chimed as the party of three women walked in. A tall elf of mixed blood lead the pack. Most of her features were High Elven in nature, but she carried with her a touch of the forest and grace of the moon. Her strawberry blonde hair had streaks of white, and was buzzed off at the sides. Dark green leather armor and a simple cloak protected her torso. A watchful eye, a blade of the forest, and a longbow were her weapons of choice. In her wake trailed a thin, red-haired Vistani half-elf wearing a long sleeved purple shirt, high rise slacks, and a thicker cloak. Beside her a very sleepy dwarven woman with curly brunette hair followed the leader. Her raiment was that of the followers of Ilmater, god of endurance, which made her apparent exhaustion quite amusing. Clearly her god had abandoned her this day.

“Excuse me,” the leader asserted, “My name is Yarrow, this is Ardelis,” She indicated the Vistani, who smiled pleasantly and waved, “and Triona,” No such courtesy from her, “We’d like three rooms for one night, dinner and breakfast.”

The charismatic blonde innkeeper Yarrow had spoken to smiled at the three women, “Hello, I’m Anthony and this is Miko, my husband,” he indicated to the giant bear-man behind the bar. The man raised his hand in greeting. 

 

Anthony did some quick math in his head, “It’ll be three gold pieces for all that. If you want booze, though, it’ll be extra.”

 

Yarrow pulled out four gold pieces and placed them in the man’s hand, “Four gold,” then put her hand on Ardelis’ shoulder, “We eat a lot.” Anthony quirked his brow and smiled at the ladies, then nodded at his husband. Miko reached beneath the bar and pulled out three keys with numbered wooden plaques tied to them with twine.

 

“Your rooms are those three on the end”, With a wide arm he pointed to a cluster of rooms on the second floor. There were three rooms cornering each other at the end of the hallway, “Breakfast is served at ten, Dinner is served at seven, check-out is noon. We’ve got beef stew for dinner tonight.”

Ardelis pulled out another gold coin and offered it, “I want lunch. I’m starving, and I don’t think Triona’s gonna make it to dinner. Look.” The exhausted dwarven woman stood with her eyes closed and her head leaned towards the Vistani woman. It looked like she was falling asleep standing up. Ardelis brought a hand around Triona’s shoulder, and she jerked awake. A light blue glyph appeared on the slender woman’s exposed hand, and a series of glyphs illuminated under her clothes. Gently, she pulled the dwarf close to her, and she did not resist. 

 

“Awh,” Anthony sighed in response. Miko said nothing; he simply placed his hand over his clavicle, “Yeah, sure,” The man took the gold coin and motioned to the bar stools, “Have a seat.”

 

The ladies joined at the hip moved forward and each took stools, but Yarrow did not, “I’m gonna check out the rooms and get settled. ”

 

The elf moved with grace and purpose up the stairs to inspect the rooms. She was certain they were suitable, but it never hurt to inspect them. All sorts of people blow through taverns like this.

 

When the pair of women started moving, Triona’s eyes flicked open. She was being led to a stool

 

______

(Her backstory has thus changed since using this version of her)

Triona Ironhyde awoke slowly to the sounds of activity downstairs. Most mornings, she would have awoken before the inn staff, but last night, the dwarven female slept like the dead. She felt like death too. Her head throbbed along with her heartbeat, and her throat was drier than her grandfather’s ashes. Had she been drinking? Is this a hangover? No, there would be memory of that. She lifted her hand to reach for her cup of water, and found her muscles stiff and uncoordinated. Weakly, she gripped the cup and found it empty. She must have drank it in the night. This realization seemed to draw even more moisture from her. She needed water. Forcing herself to a sitting position, the cleric sent a silent prayer for strength to Ilmater, the god of endurance, her patron. Triona’s body felt too heavy. Her hand found her face and rubbed some sleep from her eyes. The chilly autumn air whistled through a crack in the wall and cut through her sleeping garments. Shivering, the dwarven lady rubbed her hands over her biceps, then pushed herself to stand. 

 

A wave of light-headedness passed over Triona, causing her to grip the bedside table for stability. The shift in her weight caused her head to throb aggressively. She whimpered in response. A pathetic little sound that made her feel self-conscious.

“Pull yourself together,” She whispered to herself, “You’re an Ironhyde, you’re stronger than this. You’re supposed to be stronger than this.” Triona leaned on one hand, and cleared sleep and tears with the other. Sniffling, and clearing her throat, she growled and made her way to the dresser. It was time to get ready for the day. Like a warrior on a mission she steeled herself and undressed, cleansing herself in the wash basin and applying deodorizing powder to the places that needed it. She was almost ready to adorn her raiment, when a tickle presented itself in her nose. She sniffed, but that seemed to intensify it. Rubbing the side of her nose aggressively, she made her way back to the bedside table, looking for a handkerchief. 

 

“Hh- hiih-- Hu’mpfsh!” Triona successfully caught the sneeze, then folded the cloth and rubbed out the excess snot and tickling sensations. Her nose was satiated, for now. The aggressive intake and exhalation of breath coaxed a few secret dry coughs from her throat. Groaning and sniffling, she returned to the dresser, handkerchief in hand. The dwarf used a clean edge to wipe the gathered tears from her eyes and finished getting dressed. She contemplated putting her curly brown hair up in her traditional braided crown and bun, however, after getting the front twists of hair out of her face, Triona couldn’t convince herself to finish the hair right now. It wasn’t necessary yet.

She took a look in the mirror to make sure she was presentable. The braids on either side of her temple did not connect in the back, so she took a ribbon and tied them together. That would suffice. Her face was flushed from sleep. No, too flush. A couple of coughs snuck up on her, forcing her to realize what was taking place.

“No,” she whispered, clearing her throat. Her voice was more than husky from sleep, “Noooooo,” Triona groaned. The woman rubbed her temples to try to clear the throbbing from her brain. They had a mission today. They had to finish hunting down the chimera, and today was the only day it could be done. Their group, lovingly dubbed the “I” team, had been tasked with hunting down a chimera. Their horns could create powerful illusion potions, not to diminish the crafting potential of their scales and blood. Her focus, a pendant tied to her neck with ribbon, weighed heavily on her neck. She considered the value of her health to the team, versus the value of having an additional slot for combat or healing spells. Triona sniffled and sighed; this was a decision that could wait until after she got some morning tea.

Making her way downstairs, walking slow, head hung low, she was bar-bound. A human couple ran this establishment. One of the men looked more beast than man, coated in thick, dark hair, he loomed over the bar counter he polished silver at. His husband had a more traditional human build, but looked scrawny compared to his partner. With brisk strokes of a broom only a couple shades darker than his own hair, he swept the floor of the night’s dust. The tables had already been cleansed, and scents of early breakfast wafted in from the kitchen. As she approached the base of the stairs, Triona looked around, concerned her coworkers would be about. However, it seemed they either hadn’t arrisen yet, or were already out. With Yarrow, she could never be sure. That elf kept strange hours. She never seemed to rest.

 

“Mornin’” the blonde greeted, not looking up, “I trust the room was to your liking?”

 

He was being polite, he didn’t really care, but she knew it would be rude not respond, “Yeah, ‘sgood.” Triona sniffled and rubbed her nose, “Can I get some eggs, toast, and tea? Please?”

“Yeah,” The dark haired man responded, tilting his head and offering a lip quirk, to imply he was smiling on the inside, “Sure.” Then he looked at his husband. He too had looked up, and raised an eyebrow. His partner rose an eyebrow in response and set down the spoon he polished. Without another word, he went to the back and started fixing her a plate of the requested food items.

Triona sat at the bar with a slump and propped her head up with an elbow on the table. The other man swept the lint and dust out the front door, set the broom in the corner, and then took a seat one stool away from the ill dwarf woman. He stared for a second, contemplating how to start a conversation and extract the information that piqued his and his partner’s curiosities.

“We don’t get many travellers through here, let alone those who only want to stay one night,” he started, “Where’re you heading?”

 

Sniffing and clearing her throat, she turned her propped head to look at him. Bright green eyes analyzed her behind long dirty blonde lashes, “We’re tracking a creature. Pardon me, what’s your name again? I was tired last night.”

“Anthony, and my lovely husband is called Miko,” he responded, extending his hand, “A pleasure. You’re...Ardelis?”

 

Triona shook her head, “I’m Triona.” She took his hand and shook it firmly once.

“Triona,” he replied, tasting the name on his tongue, nodding in recognition. 

---------

Triona Ironhyde awoke slowly to the sounds of activity downstairs. Most mornings, she would have awoken before the inn staff, but last night, the dwarven female slept like the dead. She felt like death too. Her head throbbed along with her heartbeat, and her throat was drier than her grandfather’s ashes. Had she been drinking? Is this a hangover? No, there would be memory of that. She lifted her hand to reach for her cup of water, and found her muscles stiff and uncoordinated. Weakly, she gripped the cup and found it empty. She must have drank it in the night. This realization seemed to draw even more moisture from her. She needed water. Forcing herself to a sitting position, the cleric sent a silent prayer for strength to Ilmater, the god of endurance, her patron. Triona’s body felt too heavy. Her hand found her face and rubbed some sleep from her eyes. The chilly autumn air whistled through a crack in the wall and cut through her sleeping garments. Shivering, the dwarven lady rubbed her hands over her biceps, then pushed herself to stand. 

 

A wave of light-headedness passed over Triona, causing her to grip the bedside table for stability. The shift in her weight caused her head to throb aggressively. She whimpered in response. A pathetic little sound that made her feel self-conscious.

“Pull yourself together,” She whispered to herself, “You’re an Ironhyde, you’re stronger than this. You’re supposed to be stronger than this.” Triona leaned on one hand, and cleared sleep and tears with the other. Sniffling, and clearing her throat, she growled and made her way to the dresser. It was time to get ready for the day. Like a warrior on a mission she steeled herself and undressed, cleansing herself in the wash basin and applying deodorizing powder to the places that needed it. She was almost ready to adorn her raiment, when a tickle presented itself in her nose. She sniffed, but that seemed to intensify it. Rubbing the side of her nose aggressively, she made her way back to the bedside table, looking for a handkerchief. 

 

“Hh- hiih-- Hu’mpfsh!” Triona successfully caught the sneeze, then folded the cloth and rubbed out the excess snot and tickling sensations. Her nose was satiated, for now. The aggressive intake and exhalation of breath coaxed a few secret dry coughs from her throat. Groaning and sniffling, she returned to the dresser, handkerchief in hand. The dwarf used a clean edge to wipe the gathered tears from her eyes and finished getting dressed. She contemplated putting her curly brown hair up in her traditional braided crown and bun, however, after getting the front twists of hair out of her face, Triona couldn’t convince herself to finish the hair right now. It wasn’t necessary yet.

She took a look in the mirror to make sure she was presentable. The braids on either side of her temple did not connect in the back, so she took a ribbon and tied them together. That would suffice. Her face was flushed from sleep. No, too flush. A couple of coughs snuck up on her, forcing her to realize what was taking place.

“No,” she whispered, clearing her throat. Her voice was more than husky from sleep, “Noooooo,” Triona groaned. The woman rubbed her temples to try to clear the throbbing from her brain. They had a mission today. They had to finish hunting down the chimera, and today was the only day it could be done. Their group, lovingly dubbed the “I” team, had been tasked with hunting down a chimera. Their horns could create powerful illusion potions, not to diminish the crafting potential of their scales and blood. Her focus, a pendant tied to her neck with ribbon, weighed heavily on her neck. She considered the value of her health to the team, versus the value of having an additional slot for combat or healing spells. Triona sniffled and sighed; this was a decision that could wait until after she got some morning tea.

Making her way downstairs, walking slow, head hung low, she was bar-bound. A human couple ran this establishment. One of the men looked more beast than man, coated in thick, dark hair, he loomed over the bar counter he polished silver at. His husband had a more traditional human build, but looked scrawny compared to his partner. With brisk strokes of a broom only a couple shades darker than his own hair, he swept the floor of the night’s dust. The tables had already been cleansed, and scents of early breakfast wafted in from the kitchen. As she approached the base of the stairs, Triona looked around, concerned her coworkers would be about. However, it seemed they either hadn’t arrisen yet, or were already out. With Yarrow, she could never be sure. That elf kept strange hours. She never seemed to rest.

 

“Mornin’” the blonde greeted, not looking up, “I trust the room was to your liking?”

 

He was being polite, he didn’t really care, but she knew it would be rude not respond, “Yeah, ‘sgood.” Triona sniffled and rubbed her nose, “Can I get some eggs, toast, and tea? Please?”

“Yeah,” The dark haired man responded, tilting his head and offering a lip quirk, to imply he was smiling on the inside, “Sure.” Then he looked at his husband. He too had looked up, and raised an eyebrow. His partner rose an eyebrow in response and set down the spoon he polished. Without another word, he went to the back and started fixing her a plate of the requested food items.

Triona sat at the bar with a slump and propped her head up with an elbow on the table. The other man swept the lint and dust out the front door, set the broom in the corner, and then took a seat one stool away from the ill dwarf woman. He stared for a second, contemplating how to start a conversation and extract the information that piqued his and his partner’s curiosities.

“We don’t get many travellers through here, let alone those who only want to stay one night,” he started, “Where’re you heading?”

 

Sniffing and clearing her throat, she turned her propped head to look at him. Bright green eyes analyzed her behind long dirty blonde lashes, “We’re tracking a creature. Pardon me, what’s your name again? I was tired last night.”

“Anthony, and my lovely husband is called Miko,” he responded, extending his hand, “A pleasure. You’re...Ardelis?”

 

Triona shook her head, “I’m Triona.” She took his hand and shook it firmly once.

“Triona,” he replied, tasting the name on his tongue, nodding in recognition. 

-------------

As she struck the killing blow on the wyvern, Yarrow the ranger and druid quickly pulled a cloth out of her pocket to cleanse the creature’s blood from her blade. Such blood was precious, but corrosive to the plant-based weapons of her ancient order. The creature fell like the rain above, and so did her party’s formation. A collective sigh from the two conscious women arose. Yarrow stepped forward to harvest the bounty, while her teammate Ardelis gathered herself. Ardelis flipped her soaked hair out of her face and drank in the rain pouring down. On another day, she would have laughed, joyful, the fire inside her cooled-- on this day, it only kindled more heat. 

“How…” She gritted her teeth and turned her head to their dwarven companion, collapsed in the dirt, getting cold, and worsening her condition, “Could she…” But she stowed it; put that concerned fury in a bottle and corked it. The flame woman knelt by her friend’s side and propped her up. Sickly breath escaped her in a chesty, unconscious cough. 

They should have noticed she wasn’t well, and Triona should have said something. She should have stayed at the inn for this battle-- or they should have delayed it. These two concepts warred within Ardelis, causing her body to warm and the blue glyphs that adorned it to illuminate. She took Triona into her arms, hoping to combat the effects of the weather, until Yarrow was done, and they could return. She should have noticed. She should have…

The whole day, their dwarven cleric had seemed off. Her energy was low, “The Weather,” She explained. Ardelis took that opportunity to stand closer and offer warmth, something Triona normally accepted without hesitation. There was hesitance today. The crew had been in the rain all day tracking this thing, and Triona had sniffled a bit and cleared her throat many times. Again, the weather got the blame. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, Triona had gone off on her own, returning a short while later. This wasn’t terribly uncharacteristic, but in the context of hiding illness, it was telling. It was Yarrow who typically scouted ahead. She was good at it.

Toward the end, Ardelis had toyed with the idea that Triona might be falling ill, but she hadn’t realized that the illness progressed as far as it had. It wasn’t until they were IN COMBAT that Yarrow and Ardelis realized she was far too ill to be fighting-- especially in the rain. Triona collapsed, a full blown coughing fit opening her up for attack. The wyvern had not been generous or forgiving, and struck her unconscious. It took most of what they had, but the remaining pair took the monster the rest of the way down. All this, for some magical components. That was all this mission would yield. All of their safety, for some high value potion ingredients.

“...Are you alright?” Yarrow asked, back to her, bleeding the creature into several glass vials. Ardelis did not respond at first, just shaken from her thoughts. Yarrow flicked her head to look at her, making sure that at the very least she was upright. Not ready to talk yet. Made sense. Ardelis and Triona had become quite close the past year. Neither seemed ready to acknowledge their feelings for the other, but both clearly had them.

The Vistani phoenix sorceress spoke up after a long beat of silence, “She didn’t say anything. She didn’t say anything. She hid it...completely. I don’t...I don’t even know how--Why didn’t she just heal herself if--”

Triona curled in on herself and coughed a few more times. Ardelis’ half-elven ears twitched and she loosened her grip. The dwarf woman groaned, very slowly opening her bleary eyes and focusing on the woman holding her, “What hap--” a fit of coughing cut her off.

Ardelis dug her fingers into the fabric on the arm of Triona’s cloth armor, “You idiot!” she yelled, worry bubbling over into anger, “You could have gotten killed! You could have gotten us all killed! Why didn’t you say anything!” Her jaw was set and her eyes blazed. Triona went to speak but Ardelis cut her off, “Why didn’t you tell us you were sick or better yet, why didn’t you heal yourself? What good is...having Ilmater’s magic if you won’t use it when you need it?!” Heat was shedding off of Ardelis in waves, like standing next to an oven. 

“I--”

“Done,” Yarrow announced suddenly, The elf of mixed blood stood up, took a metal dagger and cleaved the head off the rest of the way. She stuffed it in a hemp bag, and slung it over her shoulder, “Let’s head back.” 

The woman used her early druidic training to transform into a brown mare, then trotted over to the pair. Kneeling down, Yarrow offered easier access to her back for her companions. The inn they were staying at was but an hour and a half’s gallop from here.

Ardelis’ eyes returned to normal and the gentle warmth returned, more like a candle now. Her expression, sad and concerned. This simple, subtle command enough to swing her mood and return her to reality. She could smell something strange, like burning, but all things around her smelt like burning at one point or another. The sorceress stood, pulling Triona up with her, and supported the dwarf with a warm arm over the shoulders. The ill woman stood stiffly, following where she was directed. 

“Hh--” 

Ardelis bent over, “What? What was that?” Triona’s face took on a dreamy cast and her hands slowly raised to catch the inevitable. Just in time, Ardelis figured out what was happening and pulled her head away, “Oh.”

Triona wrinkled her nose, but it helped not, “Hih-- TSSch’iuH!, ….hITsShU! Uuugh…” She groaned, hands soiled. Yarrow as a horse brayed and stood to her hooves suddenly, cantering in a circle away from her friends. Ardelis plucked a used handkerchief from her belt and offered it with a prestidigitation spell, cleansing the face, hands, and the kerchief with a sudden heat. She flourished it before her sick companion.
“Here you go, hun,” She offered, using her other hand to press small circles into the dwarf’s back.

Triona accepted it gratefully, “Thagk you.”

As she blew her nose, Yarrow seemed to settle down. She knelt before the pair and snorted in disdain, resigning herself to her fate. She only had one wild shape left today, and this was it. She hoped Ardelis would be generous with her cantrips. The half-elf didn’t seem to notice Yarrow’s little fit. She was focused on her sickly companion. 

Triona coughed several times, and Ardelis patted her back, “Come on, let’s get you home and dry.” When they reached the side of the horse, Ardelis wasted no time. She hopped aboard the horse and hoisted her small friend up by the pits, placing her in front. Triona gave a small noise of shock and protest, grumbling something like “I coulda did it” But was unintelligible due to the rain, her congestion, and the volume spoken. Ardelis spread her cloak out, gathering it in her hands as she held the mane of this glorious mare. Then she leaned forward, sheltering Triona as much as possible from the rain. The glyphs on her hands glowed a very dim blue, generating a warm, steamy atmosphere within the folds of the cloak.

As soon as her passengers were secure, Yarrow stood, turned, and began their journey. She transitioned from trot, canter, to full out galloping fairly quickly, but her companions were accustomed to this. The pair settled into the aggressive rocking motion like it was second nature, having traveled in this manner periodically for over a year now. Triona seemed to be struggling to stay upright of her own volition, however, as the journey pressed on.

“Honey, lay down. I have you,” Ardelis soothed, “Try to rest, we’ll be at the inn soon.” Triona whined and complied.

The urgency of egress faded and Yarrow gallop changed to a cantor at this suggestion. She snorted to clear her nostrils of rain water and transitioned to a more relaxed pace. Ardelis kept her back arched over her friend until she began to snore, then carefully tucked the damp cloak under Triona’s forehead. She used prestidigitation to clear away the snot that began to drip from the sleeping woman’s nose, and the moisture under her head. Everything would be okay.

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And here is the work in progress, chapter 5

“Al~right,” The golden skinned Vistania sighed melodiously as she fluffed up the pillow Triona currently rested against, leaning over her to do so. The skivvy-clad Dwarf wished her nose were clear so she could smell that unique spice that belonged to Ardelis. She coughed discreetly into her fist and off to the side instead, “There. Go ahead and place the other pillows where you want them and then I’ll tuck you in all snug.”

Triona looked to her left and right at the filled bits of cloth and could not fathom at all where they would go. She picked up a pillow and held it for a minute, unsure, then pulled it to her chest and curled onto her side. Ardelis stared at her, amused. God she was cute. 

Ardelis took the other pillows and began placing them where she would for herself, “Here.” One between the legs, three in an arc around her head against her body, then she held up a small pillow, “And this one can go under your back, but that one might make you feel worse if you don’t need it. Is that good? Are you comfy?” 

The Vistania reached down and smoothed her love’s bangs away from her face. Triona closed her burning, throbbing eyes and nodded against the caring hand. A deep, feverish ache began to settle into her bones and joints. The ponds and lakes from earlier were absorbed and distributed as groundwater, so to speak. For now, it was safe to give in; it was safe to need. She trembled from the unwell sensations coursing through her body.

Gazing upon her quivering, sick Dwarf, Ardelis filled with sympathy and warmth, “Okay.” She leaned over Triona once more and pulled the blankets to tuck in the pillows. Then she tucked them around her beloved’s neck, bent down, and kissed her brow.

“Get some rest, hun,” the Half Elf told her with one last pat on the leg. She gripped the edges of the pod entrance and pushed herself to stand.

“Wait where is she going?” Triona thought, fear cutting through her of being abandoned. Did Ardelis change her mind about staying with her? Was this too much? No… it couldn’t be… could it?

“Wh-“ The cleric started, cutting herself off before she embarrassed herself. Foolish girl. How idiotic to presume Ardelis would stand by her side the whole time she was ill. At the very least it would take days to recover. 

Apparently this small exhalation was enough to draw Ardelis’ attention, “Yes?” the Half Elf bent down to peek inside.

“..’snothi’gg,” Triona responded, sniffling loudly and looking away. All this comfort, this care; she couldn’t ask for attention as well. The only reason she probably received such lavish affection before was because they’d been in the wilderness, away from any other form of shelter. What had been given presumably out of love had been given instead out of necessity. A thought path that cut her once again. She couldn’t help the moisture that gathered in her eyes. It was the infection, for sure.

Ardelis tilted her head and smiled at her reassuringly, “Alright. I’m going to go relieve myself and get another berry. I’ll be right back. Rest, sweetheart.”

Triona swallowed thickly and nodded, “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure,” she responded, wringing her hands. Bladders be damned, all Ardelis wanted to do was stroke and kiss and sing to her dwarf until she was well again. Unfortunately, all those things required a flesh vessel and such a body had needs that only she could satisfy. The Vistania turned away and set about rectifying these needs as soon as possible.

Yarrow sat cross-legged with a stone and pestle in her hands, crushing fresh herbs together. A small cauldron hung over the fire before her with fresh water barely starting to bubble. Her previously prepared ingredients for a medicinal tea lay beside her. What she currently labored over was a salve to ease Triona’s breathing. The Elf could feel the energy of this sacred ground swirling around her, leeching away her negative energy and pulling it into the dirt below her. Her mother was right: these ancient seeds were not something to mess around with. 

“Uhmm...Yarrow?” Ardelis called. The Elf turned her head to see her friend standing with her hands on her hips in front of one of the walls, “How exactly are we supposed to get out?”

“Why do you want to leave?” Yarrow inquired with a raised brow, looking back to her work.

The Vistania’s lips drew thin, “I was under the impression we would be emptying our bowels outside the campsite?”

“Ohhh,” She responded nodding but not looking away from the bowl, “Just let it prick your finger again. Once it tastes you, it’ll know you’re a friend and you can just go through. Anywhere. Doesn’t matter.”

Yarrow’s odd diction alarmed her slightly, but the nonchalant tone would not be present in her voice if it was dangerous. Humming in distressed anticipation, Ardelis reached out her hand and allowed one of the thorns to pierce her skin. Just as the Elf proclaimed, the vines parted in an archway to reveal the rest of the forest.

“This wall of thorns must be at least three feet thick,” she observed aloud, “What kind of seed is this?”

“Seed of Sanctuary, I’ll tell you all about it when you come back. Go piddle,” Yarrow answered dryly.

 
With nothing else to draw her attention, Triona was able to focus on how miserable she started to feel. If she lay on her back, she suffocated. The air seemed to be too thick and her body seemed to be too heavy for her to draw breath comfortably, even through her mouth. On her side, she could almost breathe through a nostril as the gunk in her head all slid down to one side. However, the newly freed hole was tender and irritable. If she tried to breathe through it, it tickled and it hurt. The air was frigid and piercing in her skull like alcohol on a wound. If she slept on her stomach, it was the same problem, as her head would need to be turned to the side. When breathing through her mouth; her throat, tongue, and lips dried out quickly, becoming more painful than before. In any position, her head felt like it was filled with sand. 

Mouth breathing on her side was truly the only option for her, and it aggravated an already inflamed throat. Shaking with fever and pain, she reached out to the edge of the pod where her clothes and equipment had been stored-- last she checked, and felt nothing. Frowning, she lifted her head slowly and searched for her water jug. It took a moment for her vision to focus, but she saw that Ardelis had moved her flasks within arms reach inside the pod. Beside them were two freshly cleaned hankies. Bless that thoughtful Half Elf. Just in time, too. The cold air reached into the nearly empty nostril and tickled her relentlessly.

“Hih-- Hiihh-- HiIICHh! HIIISSSHU! HIIXXCHIEW!” Triona coughed after her triplets were born. Groaning in pain, she reached for the hankie and wiped up the mess she made on herself and on the blankets.

“Bless you,” Yarrow responded, sliding the previously cut ingredients into the pot and sparing only a moment’s glance at the ill Dwarf. 

“Thanks,” she whimpered, holding her nose shut for a moment. Tears welled in her eyes yet again. She couldn’t be this close to crying. She couldn’t be this sick on day one! How was she supposed to make it through this?

A cold hand touched her forehead, more to comfort than to check temperature, but an unhappy humming could still be heard from in front of her. Startled a little, Triona opened her eyes to see Yarrow holding a wooden bowl and frowning. 

Triona blinked the fog from her vision, “What?”

The Elf didn’t respond right away, running her thumb down Triona’s forehead and checking reactions, “Does this hurt?”

“A little,” Triona responded as Yarrow lightly pressed certain parts of her face, “But everythigg hu-- Ow!” 

Sighing, Yarrow set the bowl in Triona’s lap and pulled back the covers to her diaphragm, “This should help but it’s probably going to sting your nose a little bit. You’ve got a wicked infection in your head,” She unbuttoned the top few buttons on Triona’s nightshirt, “How you’ve been hiding it this long is anyone’s guess. There’s no way this sprung up overnight.”

“I’ve not hid anything!” Triona whined, “I promise, Yarrow!” The tears from before spilled over onto her cheeks and threatened to be replaced by new ones.

The Elf dipped her first three fingers into the minty paste she concocted and began to smear it over Triona’s chest, “Mmmhm,” She worked in silence for a beat, only looking up when she felt Triona’s breath hitch. Yarrow’s brows furrowed as she saw the distressed expression on her friend’s face, “Hey, hey- no one’s interrogating you. What’s all this, huh?”

At being called out, Triona couldn’t hold it in anymore and she started to sob openly. Yarrow wiped her hand on her pant leg while trying to calm the sensitive sick woman down, “Hey,” She repeated in a more relaxed tone, “Hey, easy.” 

She curled over and took the Dwarf into her arms, tutting, “Tsk, this fever’s got you all messed up, huh?” The Elf rubbed her beloved cleric’s back, “It’s okay, Sweet One. Dear ‘Ona. You’re okay. Tell me what’s bothering you, and I’ll see if I can fix it, okay? Can you do that?”
Triona gasped and coughed while she cried, drowning in her liquids. Yarrow just held her against her abdomen, “Alright. Shhhh, It’s okay. You’re okay. Just breathe.”

Ardelis all but forced herself through the thorny wall of vines when she returned from washing up and heard the unmistakable sound of her keening partner, “What’s going on? What happened?”

Yarrow sat up slowly, holding Triona close still, and looked over her shoulder at the rapidly approaching Half Elf, “Take it down a notch; we don’t need that kind of energy right now.”

Slowing her gait, the Vistania took a second to center herself, and then took her spot at Triona’s side. She found herself feeling just a touch resentful of Yarrow for being here and causing this break without her present, but she let it go. That didn’t matter right now.

“Hun, what’s wrong?” She asked, reaching out and running her hand through Triona’s hair. The Dwarf shivered and her crying eased, but didn’t stop. Ardelis turned to her other friend, “What happened?”

With a shrug, Yarrow glanced at the newcomer, “I don’t know. My guess is she’s feeling overwhelmed. Fever can do that, you know.”

“I don’t know,” Ardelis responded, placing her free hand on Yarrow’s arm, “Can you tell me?”

The Elf moved her physical soothing to Triona’s arm as to not inflict pain from giving one spot too much attention, “When you’re running a fever...You’ve been too hot before, right? You’re made of fire.”

Ardelis nodded and Yarrow continued, “Well for normal people, at least, when you’re running a fever, everything is hard. Your whole body hurts and feels weak, your brain is cooking. Nothing makes sense. Some people get extra emotional,” Yarrow smirked, “Sound familiar?”

She knew damn good and well that it did. That was basically Ardelis’ whole existence. Before she could respond, however, Yarrow interrupted her.

“Add that with how you’re feeling from the thing causing the fever. She’s got a bad infection infection in her head. Must’ve been festering for a while,” She paused, contemplating, “She said she’s not been hiding it, so it’s probably her body didn’t address the sickness inside of her until our work was complete. It’s...somewhat rare, but not unheard of. My mother did that.”

“And there’s...other factors,” Yarrow said ominously, “It makes sense why she’s feeling tearful. We’ve just gotta...stick with her.” 

Ardelis frowned, “Other factors?” Yarrow shook her head as to tell her to let it go. Drawing her lips together and squinting, the Half Elf’s stare only ended with a particularly rough coughing fit from Triona. It drew her attention back to the task at hand. Her entire being melted at the sight of this beautiful creature so pained.

Lifting the Dwarf slightly so there was room at the mouth of the pod, Yarrow nodded to Ardelis, “Here.”

Ardelis tilted her head in confusion, “What?”

“Get in there,” The Elf responded, furrowing her brows, “Don’t tell me you’ve got cold feet. Why do you think this pod is so big?”

“I--” She trailed off, “I assumed it was so she could be more comfortable. There’s two other pods.” Ardelis didn’t fight her on this. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to go in. In fact, there was nowhere she would rather be.

“I told Vengeance that we needed a nest to care for our sick friend. This is what she gave us. Wood Elf healing is more focus--”

“I’m sorry, Vengeance?” Ardelis asked incredulously.

Yarrow blinked, “Yes. I didn’t choose it, that is her name,” she explained, waving her arm to indicate the shelter that encapsulated them, “It’s a plant thing. Anyways, the type of healing this is from focuses on the spiritual component of healing. They believed--”

“EXXCHIEW!” Triona sneezed hard into the handkerchief she still held, rubbing her burning nasal passages, “Hih- HICHOOph,” She coughed, curling in on herself, still in Yarrow’s arms. The Elf tried to suppress her initial disgust. Luckily Triona’s eyes remained closed.

“Bless you, hun.” Ardelis rubbed Triona’s back while she recovered.

“Bless,” Yarrow patted the unwell cleric on the arm, then went back to her exposition, “They believed that if the spirit was happy and whole, nature would take care of the rest, so that’s what they focused on. It was common for one or more close friends or lovers to lie with the ill party while they healed.”

Ardelis nodded as she readjusted the pillows to give herself room at Triona’s side. It made sense.

“Alright kid,” Yarrow started, extricating herself from her sick ward, “I’ve gotta finish that brew so you can start feeling better. Go get snuggled up with your girlfriend,” Triona blushed hotly and started protesting but Yarrow shushed her, bending down to look her in the eye, “I know, I know, I’m just messing with you,” the ranger’s gentle thumb brushed away stray moisture from her eye, “No more tears, okay? And drink something.”

Ardelis opened her arms to receive custody of the ill Dwarf, to whom Yarrow handed the overly-warm bundle. The Half Elf quickly enveloped Triona in a tight embrace, and after a moment’s hesitation, she relaxed and returned it. No more tears.

“There you go,” Yarrow soothed, tucking the couple in, “Nice and cozy. Della, you stay cool, alright? She doesn’t need any more heat. Keep her drinking and let me know if there’s any problems. I’ll be back in a little bit with some medicine.”

And with that, the Elf rose and walked back to her cauldron. Light cursing could be heard as she stirred the contents vigorously. Triona coughed into her fist to clear her throat.

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, nestling her head under Ardelis’ chin.

The Vistania tilted her head down to kiss the top of Triona’s, then returned to the original position, “Sorry about what, love? About crying?” The Dwarf nodded, and Ardelis sighed deeply, “Honey...I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to tell you, but I’ll keep doing it until you believe me. It’s fine. You are fine. You are loved, you are safe, and you can cry if you want to. Any time you want to. For as long as you desire. And I’ll be right here to hold you, through it all. Always. I promise.”

Silence for a solid ten seconds, at least.

“Do you really?” Triona pulled away to study her with glassy eyes, “I...do you really love me?”

Ardelis blushed with wide, slightly panicked eyes, “Uh, I...that wasn’t what I said...but uh, I” Now was not the best time. Triona was sick, vulnerable, confused… But it might be the only time, “...do, actually. Is that...Is that okay? Are you...okay with that? If not, that’s okay we can just be--”

The Dwarf cut her off with a gentle, lingering meeting of the lips. 

There was a sharp intake of breath through the nose from Ardelis. Shocked, it took her a moment to respond. When she did, however, she closed her eyes, wrapped as much of her body around Triona as she could, and deepened the kiss. Triona had to pull away shortly after, unable to breathe through her nose. She gasped for breath, coughing as the aggressive, cold air passed through her irritated throat. As she cleared her throat, Ardelis leaned in and pressed a trail of kisses against Triona’s forehead, down the bridge of her nose, ending at the tip. The cleric crinkled the sensitive appendage and wiped it with the nearly soiled hankie. 

When done, she leaned up for another kiss and while Ardelis granted it, she pulled away seconds later.

“No, not right now. Plenty of time for that later,” she lifted her hand and carded through Triona’s sweaty hair, “Rest now, my love.”

“Okay,” Triona replied dreamily, immensely pleased by this turn of events. She sighed, nestling her ear against Ardelis’ chest. The steady heartbeat would surely lull her to sleep.

 

I will try to do some writing this next week. We shall see

Thank you for the kind words