Freeing the ponies took a little time, but with the perch secured and the antlers glowing in their hands the monsters kept a little distance off, perhaps slinking off to find other prey… or simply biding their strength for a later attempt. As the two men turned away from the perch at last Jigano felt his head turning, the growing warmth in his chest finally blossoming as a small, pale shape resolved from the darkness, padding along through the snow in exhausted determination.
He made sureRory was stable enough to stand on his own for a moment before letting go of his friend to crouch down and scoop the bedraggled ball of feathers and fur into his hands, cuddling her against his chest as she peeped softly and nestled against him, awash in relief that he was sane and whole. He tucked her into his shirt next to the antler before taking Rory’s arm and supporting his friend across the snowy square and the distance – so much farther than he remembered – to the Temple and the sanctuary within.
Or at least, he hoped it would be sanctuary. Rory was weak and Jigano… though the bard was unharmed, the wounds he had inflicted on others had left indelible tears on his own soul, that no amount of stitching could close. He thought he’d seen Edy carrying Amalia this direction before, but there was no sign of them now. Hopefully that meant they’d been let inside, in spite of all the locks and warnings and common sense to the contrary. He didn’t know if Amalia was alive or dead, and that knowledge burned him as well, guilt piling on top of guilt as he kept Rory moving through sheer determination.
The first door they came too was the Temple door, closest to the Infirmary, but also strongly barred. For a moment Jigano stood outside it, one arm wrapped around his friend’s waist, and stared at the imposing obstacle, fiercely willing Isla to be standing on the other side, waiting to take in a new patient. That was folly, of course. She would be back in the Infirmary, hopefully with some of her helpers who had managed to make it in after all, before the darkness descended, but she would be able to begin treating Rory’s burns while Jigano patched up his shoulder, at least until Vervain could be brought to see him.
It was a good plan. A solid one. There was only one problem with it: a door stood between them and help, and as Jigano tested it and found it locked he had to swallow back tears of frustration. They had not come so far to be left to die now! He knew he was supposed to be quiet on this longest of nights, but fear and desperation drove him to lift his hand and knock gently against the wood, wincing as the sound carried in the silence that had fallen since the perch had been fixed. ”Please,” he said, nearly begging as he pressed his hand flat against the wood. ”Please, if anyone is in there, let us in. Rory is hurt, he needs Isla or Vervain or… or someone. A healer. Anyone. Please…”
Rexanna
He made sure
Or at least, he hoped it would be sanctuary. Rory was weak and Jigano… though the bard was unharmed, the wounds he had inflicted on others had left indelible tears on his own soul, that no amount of stitching could close. He thought he’d seen Edy carrying Amalia this direction before, but there was no sign of them now. Hopefully that meant they’d been let inside, in spite of all the locks and warnings and common sense to the contrary. He didn’t know if Amalia was alive or dead, and that knowledge burned him as well, guilt piling on top of guilt as he kept Rory moving through sheer determination.
The first door they came too was the Temple door, closest to the Infirmary, but also strongly barred. For a moment Jigano stood outside it, one arm wrapped around his friend’s waist, and stared at the imposing obstacle, fiercely willing Isla to be standing on the other side, waiting to take in a new patient. That was folly, of course. She would be back in the Infirmary, hopefully with some of her helpers who had managed to make it in after all, before the darkness descended, but she would be able to begin treating Rory’s burns while Jigano patched up his shoulder, at least until Vervain could be brought to see him.
It was a good plan. A solid one. There was only one problem with it: a door stood between them and help, and as Jigano tested it and found it locked he had to swallow back tears of frustration. They had not come so far to be left to die now! He knew he was supposed to be quiet on this longest of nights, but fear and desperation drove him to lift his hand and knock gently against the wood, wincing as the sound carried in the silence that had fallen since the perch had been fixed. ”Please,” he said, nearly begging as he pressed his hand flat against the wood. ”Please, if anyone is in there, let us in. Rory is hurt, he needs Isla or Vervain or… or someone. A healer. Anyone. Please…”
