[SE] Ignore all the burdens that you keep

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

Having batted away one of the fyrhunds with his sword, Liam's way was left clear; he glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Maea was on his heels, and when he was satisfied that she was, he put on a burst of speed, hoping to be able to reach the rocks with enough time to turn and guard as she climbed up. Unfortunately, he seemed to have underestimated the fyrhunds' speed - or perhaps he'd simply hoped for the best. A scream stopped him in his tracks just as he began to climb, and he was back off the rocks and turning towards Maea before he could stop to think.

His heart thundered in his chest to find Maea on the ground, tangled with a fyrhund that snapped and snarled at her, fear slicing ice cold into his calm and collected thoughts, disrupting whatever plans he might have had. There wasn't even anything he could do; any blow he might have sought to land upon the fyrhund that had Maea pinned might just as easily land upon his partner. All he could do, then, was hope to distract the other three, drawing them away from what they might see as easy prey.

Making a split second decision, Liam reached for his sword's blade with his off hand, slicing into his own palm. The scent of fresh blood drove many beasts into a frenzy, and if he could just distract them long enough for Maea to get out from beneath that one -

"Over here!" he snarled at the fyrhunds, stepping away from the tangle of beast and woman as his blood dripped to the ground at his feet. Readying his sword, he prepared for the onslaught that he hoped would come his way, leaving Maea to fight her own battle - however wrong it felt to do so.

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam