Maea
Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand
Down they went into the sand, but not before Liam's fist connected with Kaisel. The young dragoon was understandably upset by the assault, but was too preoccupied with getting himself and his friends to safety. All the better. As Maea rolled away from her friend and staggered back up on her feet, she made sure to place herself between him and them.
Somewhere behind her, Alys scream tore through her chest, a visceral cry of fear and loss - and Maea thought she knew what she was feeling. Something was clawing at her own ribs, hollow and aching as she gazed at Liam. Searching his face for... something. Anything that might convince her that he was his usual self. But then the woman's voice rang out, the accusation too laced with genuine terror to be anything but real. It had to be. It was the only thing that could explain... this. His reaction, the way he glared after her... and the name he dropped next.
Thal? Thalassa? Since when did they know each other? A hasty glance over her shoulder showed the woman to be facing down against Noah, as ferocious as the Foresaken was grimly determined. If he got involved with that fight now... there was no telling what would happen.
So she remained where she was, even though it nearly broke her heart to hear him say he would fight her if she got in the way. Hurt her. Even though he didn't wish to -
"I know. I don't want you to get hurt either," Maea replied quietly, somehow getting the words past the lump in her throat. "Liam... won't you leave with me? Please? Let's just go - this isn't our fight." Extending her hand towards him, there was a plea in her eyes, a desperate hope that they would be able to fix this. Even if he was infected, it wasn't hopeless - she could find a rose, or petition the gods for one, all she needed was time - and for him to stay alive, to not engage with Noah, Vi's champion who might kill him by sheer accident, so big was the difference between their strengths.
Maea places herself between Liam and the others, and tries to persuade him to leave with her.
Somewhere behind her, Alys scream tore through her chest, a visceral cry of fear and loss - and Maea thought she knew what she was feeling. Something was clawing at her own ribs, hollow and aching as she gazed at Liam. Searching his face for... something. Anything that might convince her that he was his usual self. But then the woman's voice rang out, the accusation too laced with genuine terror to be anything but real. It had to be. It was the only thing that could explain... this. His reaction, the way he glared after her... and the name he dropped next.
Thal? Thalassa? Since when did they know each other? A hasty glance over her shoulder showed the woman to be facing down against Noah, as ferocious as the Foresaken was grimly determined. If he got involved with that fight now... there was no telling what would happen.
So she remained where she was, even though it nearly broke her heart to hear him say he would fight her if she got in the way. Hurt her. Even though he didn't wish to -
"I know. I don't want you to get hurt either," Maea replied quietly, somehow getting the words past the lump in her throat. "Liam... won't you leave with me? Please? Let's just go - this isn't our fight." Extending her hand towards him, there was a plea in her eyes, a desperate hope that they would be able to fix this. Even if he was infected, it wasn't hopeless - she could find a rose, or petition the gods for one, all she needed was time - and for him to stay alive, to not engage with Noah, Vi's champion who might kill him by sheer accident, so big was the difference between their strengths.
Maea places herself between Liam and the others, and tries to persuade him to leave with her.
You're looking at me like you don't know who I am
