𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠 • 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐧

The Grove

"The pain of truth hurts more than a jagged blade. It's a pain everyone faces in their life, whether they want to or not. My truth hurt more than I had expected."

-Kissed by Moonlight by Jocelyn Grace TBR

As we neared the location of the grove that Wyll was at, shouting could be heard and not the good kind. We picked up our pace as we neared, finding a couple tieflings guarding the gate from above while a few humans below were begging for them to open the gate. The word 'goblin' got thrown around a bit during their exchange. 

"Are goblins bad," I whispered to Shadowheart as we watched the scene before us.

"They're annoying pesks that can be dangerous when there's a large camp of them," she explained in a matching hushed tone. I nodded in understanding as we watched an arrow soar through the air and hit the younger tiefling guarding the gate. The vision hit me, showing me his perspective as one arrow pierced his stomach while another hit its mark above it. I grabbed my abdomen as the pain blurred my vision, "Leysa. What happened?"

"Help them, please," I begged as I pulled my hand away to find blood on my hand, "Please."

"When did she get hit," Gale demanded as he tried healing the wound. I pushed his hand away before pointing to the goblins, "The goblins don't equate to much when you are bleeding out. Let me heal you."

"I will live. I always live. Help them not die," I pleaded as tears begin dropping down my cheeks, "It hurts. Just help them."

"Fine," he huffed before jumping into the fight with Lae'zel and Astarion. Shadowheart stayed behind to make sure I didn't get hit, but as one of the humans received an arrow to the heart, I screamed in pain. My hand clutched the area, blood coating my clothes. The group looked at me, then at the now dead human. They were smart enough to put the two together to realize what was happening. 

Shadowheart placed her hand over my heart, healing the wound. She ignored my requests to stop. I knew I would survive since they were not wounds that my body directly endured, but that of my curse. To feel the death of someone of equal measure, an ally. It kept me from facing the pain of the goblins being laid to waste by the group, but I could feel the deaths of those who allied with a cause or not of evil descent. 

Once the goblins were slain, Shadowheart helped me to my feet, and we followed the others into the grove. The other tiefling was now bickering with the human male who had spoken on behalf of his comrades at the gate. 

"There's children here, you fool," the tiefling shouted at the human male.

The human male was still breathing hard from the fight but wasn't going to allow him to speak to him like that as he took an intimidating step forward, "We was running for our lives."

"You led them straight to us. And you let them take the druid, too. Unbelievable!"

"Come on you two," I spoke up as we neared them, "One fight just ended, and now you're picking another. Relax."

"Tell that to the dead at the gate," the tiefling replied cooly.

"Shut it, horns. I'd be lying dead next to the goblins if you'd stalled any longer."

"My duty is to this camp!"

"Oh god forbid you risk your precious tail. But I shouldn't be surprised, foul bloods ain't known for courage," the human male sneered. 

Having had enough, I pushed between the two with anger flaring in my eyes. I let the ancient magic in my blood stir as I glared at the two of them, "Calm. The. Fuck. Down," I commanded. Each word held more power than the one before. The tiefling blinked as his body yielded to my command, forcing him to take a couple steps back. The human made a sound of distaste before walking off with some unsavory words being muttered.