Eternal Beasts

Unwavering Resolve

"Water," he said hoarsely. Almost laughing with relief, Gereth retrieved Jarad's waterskin and handed it to him. As he poured the tepid stuff into his mouth, the centaur healers moved their glowing hands over him, completely confused.

"He ... has been completely healed!" the only female in their number, declared, clearly mystified.

Swirling another mouthful around, Jared spit the blood-darkened stuff onto the ground and, with the centaurs' help, stood.

"Thank you, honored protectors," he said, his voice a little clearer. "You've saved my life. I owe you a debt."

"You owe us nothing, Master," the one who was uncertain if they were actually healing him, said with a shake of his head. "We did very little to heal you."

"He is to be protected," the dryad said into the heavy silence that followed, her quiet voice once again catching everybody off guard. "The Mother wishes for balance to be restored. The Master brings balance. He must be protected."

"I ... think we're done here," the male who seemed to be in charge indicated after looking long and hard at the dryad with her matter-of-fact explanation for the mysterious, borderline miraculous healing done to the nysim.

"I suggest more caution in your spell casting, tuathan of the old blood." Then he was turning and, at his gesture, the centaurs were carefully moving out of the clearing.

Handing the skin to Gereth, Jared looked over at where Wren was now restraining Nikeera instead of holding her up as the last of the centaurs disappeared back into the darkness.

"It's okay, Wren. You can let her go," he said. The denai nodded and let Nikeera go before stepping aside. Which let the tuathan woman explode across the distance between them and throw herself bodily into Jared's arms. And he immediately crushed her to him.

"It's okay, baby," he whispered in her ear as she sobbed with relief and emotional pain against his neck. "I'm okay. We're okay!"

As he cradled her against him, Jared then reached out to give Gereth a hardy slap on the shoulder before looking over at Wren.

"Thank you, Captain. Your efforts helped save my life," he said with sincere gratitude. Wren nodded as she took in a breath made shaky by the release in tension she now felt.

"Maker be praised that I had the opportunity to be of service, my Lord," she said with a smile made crooked by a scar that angled across her mouth.

"And it is right to praise Him," Jared said with a nod, "for granting the two of you enough foresight to see the need for you to accompany my Nikeera on this dangerous journey."

Wren bowed her head.

"My Lord," was her simple response.

Jared pulled in a quick breath, silently marveling at how totally the pain had been taken from him, before letting it go just as quickly.

"Now, if we've had enough excitement for the night, I suggest we again try to get a little sleep! Morning is even closer now and we need the rest!"

"Are you sure, my love?" Nikeera asked hoarsely as he sat cross legged and motioned for her to once again sit in his lap.

"Completely," he said with enough confidence, she gracefully lowered herself into his lap once more, snuggling up to him as he wrapped their combined blankets around them.

"I love you," she husked, tears coming unbidden to her eyes once again as she found herself considering just how close she had come to actually killing the only person that meant anything to her in this world and the next.