Darkling

Hugo's Concerns

The river was closest. Absolutely freezing, but closest.

Ashtoreth waded in and started scrubbing with handfuls of sand off the bottom of the river. Armor, then clothes, then skin and scales. She was reddened and raw when she was done, but she was clean-ish. I couldn't imagine it had felt good, but maybe her scales were less sensitive than skin.

Deimos and Mithra weren't nearly as bad, so they were done after a bit of work on their armor and hands. I watched the blood rinsing off my own hands with an odd sort of numb detachment. My palm wiping away Ashtoreth's bloody handprint from around my wrist and feeling like it was always going to be there. Beneath my skin even if the stain was gone.

Sitting on the riverbank behind us, Paisley was slowly calming. The hysterical sobs had tapered after a few moments clinging to Deimos and many assurances that everyone was fine. She had hugged Mithra next, shaking from the stress and warbling out worries over his damaged wing. But as her tremors eased, I could hear Hugo building into his own hysterics.

Turning away from the water, I moved up the bank and sat down next to him, throwing a wing around him and Paisley on his other side. His fingers laced tightly with mine as his head dropped, knees drawing up towards his chest as he choked.

Gasping, hitching sobs came rushing out. Tears streaked down his face as he curled up tight, releasing the fear and stress that had been building.

The three Nyxians turned, concern on their faces. Shifting on their feet in clear indecision as to whether comfort or space was preferred. When they all went still and looked over our heads, it drew my attention to the sound of steps behind us. I glanced over my wing, taking in the three people gingerly approaching.

"Elder," Ashtoreth said tersely.

The elderly woman of the group winced as she stopped within speaking distance, carefully ignoring me, Hugo and Paisley. There was only a cursory look at Deimos and Mithra. She bowed to Ashtoreth.

"Empress. I wanted to express my deepest gratitude that you are here. We were quickly coming to the end of our ability to endure the Bandit King and her occupation of our town, so we are most grateful that you have dispatched her-"

"I don't need your thanks," Ashtoreth bit out.

The elder shivered at the icy tone, seeming to grope desperately for a moment. "Can we offer you lodging and food then? Completely without charge, of course. That we might apologize for the delay in your travels and-" Her teeth closed tight around her words when Ashtoreth sighed.

Striding up out of the river, and apparently unconcerned she was only in her underthings, Ashtoreth fixed the elder woman with a firm look. "I couldn't care less about the delay. What I care about, is that I walked by a dozen townsfolk and not a one of them even tried to tell me something was wrong. What I care about, is that I was blind-sided by an insane woman and my mate and clan members were hurt because of it. What I care about-" Ashtoreth stopped, schooling her rising tone back down into quiet concern. "I care that you seem to think I need to be appeased, and are offering up the very things a thief was stealing from you to begin with."

The elder swallowed. I watched Ashtoreth, her expression pained, and not because of the bodily injury she had accrued during her fight.

Ashtoreth finally sighed once more, deflating, it seemed. She padded softly up to me and my friends, crouching down in front of us. "Do you three want to stay here and rest, or do you think we can fly another couple hours or so?" Her fingers lightly trailed over Hugo's hand clenching mine, drawing his watery gaze upwards by a fraction. "I'm sure you'd like nothing more than a hot bath and some clean clothes." She smiled when he nodded. "I'd rather not stay here, personally, but if you don't think you're up to travelling..." Her smile faded to gentle understanding when Hugo hurriedly shook his head.