White Thorn | On Hold

Healing Wounds

Velvet was there when she woke up.

Handcuffed to the bed next to hers.

Arya wasn't too sure how she felt about that, but the main thing was Velvet was alive... and relatively unharmed. Surprisingly enough, she was too, and Rian was happy to send her on her merry way. Not that she went on it. She was far too busy staring down at the semiconscious brunette on the bed.

At least until the guy she'd kissed far too many times came along and shooed her away.

"Relax, Arya." Lydia grabbed her wrist, peering up at her from her hospital bed.

"Yeah," Jake mumbled, from the bed next to hers. "It's no good getting stressed about things."

Lydia snorted. "Look at you acting all wise and knowledgeable..."

"I am wise and knowledgeable!"

Rian scowled at them as he walked past. "This is a hospital. Shut up."

Lydia smirked. "Isn't he a wonderful ball of sunshine...?"

The dagger eyes she received in answer summed that up for them in an instant.

"I swear someone is plotting to keep us out of that damn library..." Jake grumbled, much quieter than before, staring up at the ceiling with an oddly wistful expression. "Our answer is in there, and the sooner we find that out, the better."

"I really hadn't guessed, cuz," Lydia said, wincing as she sat up slowly. "Damn... those thorns really took it out of me..."

"Didn't your thorns protect you?" Arya asked, confused.

"Theirs were stronger..." she grumbled.

"Green thorns are what humans would called 'armour piercing'," Jake explained, having spied Arya's sheer confusion. "Our thorns aren't all-powerful, you know... They have their weaknesses, like everything else."

"Really?"

"Really." He nodded.

"So different coloured thorns have different abilities?" she asked, tilting her head as she glanced down at him, intent on finding everything she could about thorns and their weaknesses. She'd need to know.

If she ever made a reappearance.

"That's right," he said, propping his pillows behind him as he pulled himself up. "Each set of thorns has their own strengths and weaknesses."

"Green thorns?"

"They're strong... usually used for long distance attacks, since they're very good at immobilising opponents very quickly."

Lydia grimaced. "They're coated in a substance which increases sensitivity to pain, which is why they're a pain to go up against."

"Of course, you have the other end of the spectrum..." he continued. "White thorns... which accelerate the healing process but are fairly terrible in combat." Jake winced. "Most Fae who're admitted to hospital usually get healed with them straight away," he muttered, glaring at Rian as he worked in his office.

"Suffering builds character, and you need a lot of it!" Rian called, having obviously been eavesdropping on them. Either that or he had freakishly good ears.

"Aww, come on!"

"In a minute or two." Rian sighed, finishing up his paperwork slowly.

"Well..." Arya bit her lip. "What thorns would be strongest against the green ones?" she asked, scuffling her feet against the ground, nervousness clawing at her chest. She was praying they wouldn't ask questions... wouldn't try and make her dredge up old memories... but she had to know.

"Any of the Chaos Thorns, or a close combat type. That's what green is weakest to... and unfortunately neither Lyd nor me are well equipped in that area." He shrugged.

"Chaos Thorns?"

"They're dangerous, and very hard – if not impossible – to control... well, for most people and that's all you need to know," Flint, Rian's partner, spoke. He walked up behind them, shooing Arya away as he pulled the curtains around their beds shut.

Rian appeared behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Go and get some sleep." He sighed, all but marching her to the hospital doors. "You look like you need it."

Her shoulders sunk, only able to watch as the doors shut behind her quietly, before she turned and wandered back to her room.

She'd need her sleep if she wanted to go and break into the library tomorrow.