The Queen Must Remember

Part 11: The fallen wingless's fate...

Rhae was trying to see everything that was going on, but it was so overwhelming...
Everyone was thanking her, everyone was praying for her.

"Show us your power!" They chanted.

She froze, panicking. Her powers hadn't returned with her, neither had her memories... She couldn't show them.
They chanted and chanted, wanting a spectacle of magic, something she could not gift them. Suddenly, Arryn appeared, his hands bloody and his face calm. Rhae's heart sunk, where was Orpheus?

"Our majesty shall leave you in anticipation of her excellence in magic! We must celebrate first before such a scene!" He announced, saving her.
She took it hands in hers, analysing his bloodied fingers, "Arryn... Where is he?"

He shook his head solemnly, "He was bleeding out... I couldn't save him in time-- his last request was to be lain alone, so you didn't have to see him. I'm sorry."

Rhae's face fell, she was lead away from the crowd before she burst into sobs. Arryn held her close, stroking her white hair and crown. She blubbered incessantly in his arms, grieving the loss of her friend.

**

Everything was dark, suffocating. He wasn't breathing, his eyes weren't open.

He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious in the depths of death, only that he was still slipping away.

He didn't know when, but muscled arms hooked around him, pulling him through the water. The water left him, pooling from his clothes. Sand and rocks dug into his skin; a river bank.

A force on his chest. Hands. Pushing. Pushing--

He awoke in a fit, sputtering mounds of water and gasping for air. Orpheus opened his eyes, his sight stung and hazed. There were three figures touching him, grabbing him. He was freezing, shivering and quaking. Voices wobbled around his ears, then he was hauled up and flung over someone's shoulder. Orpheus groaned, trying to look up but his body felt so heavy... The voices were panicked, running riot around the figures and him.

Eventually, he could open his eyes long enough to see they were in a cave. He was lain on the cold, hard stone, a coat rolled up behind his head. He tried to move, but they held him down,

"Easy now... This will hurt." A male voice said, opening his mouth to slide a thick stick through his teeth. What were they doing? What would hurt--

One of the figures tugged at the arrow in his shoulder. Orpheus screamed, back arching as he wearily thrashed against his saviours, his teeth grinding at the stick they were using to help him deal with the pain. It wasn't working. The arrow was removed, herbs were shoved inside the wound. Then they began on the other arrow. He screamed the entire time, tears rolling down his numb face.

His wounds were bound, they pried the stick from his teeth, wrapped him in coats and musky blankets and sighed.

"Let's make a fire, he's frozen." Was all he heard before he passed out.

** A few moments before

Neeve toed a stray pebble on the shore of the river, Luca and Alastair trailing behind. They were to head to the village to resupply before heading to the Ionos camp. The Ionos-Fae were extremely cautious, though they allowed the three of them to come and go whenever they pleased. As merchants and friends of the community.
Suddenly, she saw something floating in the water: a male Fae clinging onto a log. She called out to him, but he didn't stir.

She turned to the males, who had also noticed, "We need to get him out of there!"

as if in reply, the male Fae slipped under the water, as if their unconscious fingers had given up. Luca quickly shrugged off his coat and waded into the vast river, diving in when reaching the correct depth. Alastair removed his own coat, Neeve did the same, ready for Luca's return.
After a short moment, Luca emerged, shivering and dragging the limp body of the Fae onto the stony shore. The male was an an Ionos-Fae, his skeleton features shining with freezing water. his freezing lips were blue and quivering, his breathing scarce-- and he had another arrow in the side of his stomach.
Neeve quickly began pushing on his chest until water erupted from thier mouth. Coughing and gasping, their eyes closed, thier breathes where whimpers.
Alastair checked his pulse,