Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and kissed him again. "A lot of things make sense now that we're together. Now, please rest, Dayn? Unless you want to eat or clean up."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nuzzled under under Arryn's chin and kissed her neck. "I don't want to go back to sleep, but I'll see about trying to rest." He got comfortable again before slowly starting to rub his hand over Arryn's back as he closed his eyes.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, though it hurt when he ran his hand over her lower back, she was enjoying the simple gesture. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep in his arms. Her dreams were... odd. They were a mix of memories from the last few months, but all smashed together. The dreams were so strong, and her exhaustion so complete, she couldn't help but get pulled in. Over an hour later, Arryn woke up just a bit, and smiled to Dayn, mumbling, "Didja catch a boar on your hunt?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"Huh?" Dayn looked at Arryn questioningly. Was she okay? Stupid question Dayn. As usual for when he was hurt, Arryn was doing everything possible to keep him comforted and taken care of, and in doing so denying herself any kind of basic needs such as rest or food. "Arryn, love, we'll talk about the hunt later. I'm rather tired from the chasing everything, and I think a nap would do you good as well." Dayn knew what he was about to do would hurt, but he knew it would put Arryn at ease and help her rest. He slowly rolled onto his back, holding back the groans and grimaces that the pain tried to bring out, before pulling Arryn to him and cradling her against his chest. "It's been a long day hon, but if you'd cuddle up against me and keep me warm, it'd mean the to me." Dayn flashed Arryn a warm smile, his eyes fading to their dual colored state as he brushed her hair aside and slowly started to massage the back of her neck. He quietly sang to her as they cuddled together. Anything he could do to help comfort her and lull her to sleep.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and nuzzled against his chest for a second, the feeling of the bandaging against her cheek not even reaching her mind. She might have become concerned if she had noticed. It felt amazing to be curled up against him with her head on his chest, and the massaging was wonderful- she didn't have the faintest idea that they were both injured, only that she was extremely tired and Dayn was singing for her. After only a few seconds she was asleep again, caught in the confusing flow of dreams almost instantly, but still smiling because she could hear Dayn's voice and feel his hand and chest.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn relaxed his posture as Arryn fell asleep against him, though he continued to sing and massage her neck. It was unusual for her to be having fever dreams, but then again most times she stayed up to watch and care for him she was usually healthy. The fact that she had been injured, and that Dayn still had no idea what the banshees had done to her yet, bothered him immensely. I wish you would trust me enough to tell me, hon.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn slept solidly, though once in a while she'd stir or mumble something incoherent. A few hours later she woke, opening her eyes to see her head still on Dayn's chest. She moved so she wouldn't be putting pressure on him, and nuzzled against his neck. "How are you, mo chroi?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn felt some relief ease on his back when Arryn moved, but he had to admit that he missed the feeling of her laying against him already. "Sore. How about you?"

 

[Dragongal]

"Pretty good. I feel like I'm never going to not be tired." Arryn stretched a little bit. "We should change your bandaging."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nodded, placing his hands on the bed and pushing himself up. "Dammit that hurt.", he groaned when he was finally sitting straight again. He looked over at Arryn, eyeing her lower back carefully. "I think it might be a good idea to change yours as well. They have seeped through a bit."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn had sat up as well, and gotten a roll of bandaging and balm off the table next to the bed. Her eyes widened when Dayn said that, and she looked at her wrists and twisted around a bit to look at her lower back, noting that she had indeed bled through her shirt a bit. She looked up ath him, then to his bandages as she started unwinding them. "I-I'm sure it'll be fine."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn watched Arryn as she checked her wrists and her lower back nervously and felt his heart sink. What was she hiding from him? Better yet, why was she hiding it from him. Easy Dayn. Don't scare her off. "They are tad messy hon. I can at least move enough now to help out some. Please?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn had moved behind him, and was thankful that he couldn't see her face. She didn't want him to see. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just didn't want him to be hurt... considering what had happened after she told him what was carved on him.... But whenever he said please like that she couldn't say no. "I-I...." She shut her mouth and worked on gently spreading the balm over his cuts, being especially ginger around the scale design on his upper arms. Some of them were very deep, some were more shallow but wide. She felt tears running down her cheeks. Merely looking at the damage on Dayn's skin hurt her heart terribly, knowing the pain he had to be through. Those enchanted daggers made healing slower, and they hurt like a bitch randomly afterwards for a time. She was still silent as she wrapped him back up and then gently laid her cheek on his shoulder, careful not to put pressure on anything painful.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's head slowly came to rest against his chest as Arryn moved around behind him. He winced, his back straightened and tensed a time or two even under such a light touch. But even in the pain her soft touch was cool and calming as she spread the balm over the intricate patterns that had been carved into his skin. When she had finished wrapping him and laid her cheek on his shoulder Dayn had sighed in relief. He couldn't keep all of the pain a secret from her, but he could try. It finally came down to having to break the silence. "Hon, let me help you with your bandages." His voice was calm and quiet. It wasn't so much a statement as much as a request. Dayn waited patiently for Arryn to respond, hoping that she would let him help.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn slowly sat up a bit and looked at him, then down at her hands before hesitantly holding her arms out to him so he could unwrap her wrists. There were some tears in her eyes but she didn't seem to notice, her attention was fixed on Dayn.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's brow furrowed from concern as he gently took Arryn's arms, one at a time, and unwrapped them slowly and carefully. He felt a couple of tears slid down his cheeks when he saw the new patterns etched into Arryn's skin. He took his time, working on one arm and making sure the balms were gently rubbed in. Once he had finished wrapping up the first arm Dayn carefully started to work on the second one, being just as gently and delicate as he was with the first. When both were finished Dayn carefully took Arryn's hands in his own and kissed her finger tips before holding her hands against his face for a few quiet moments as he centered himself.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn closed her eyes and leaned her head forward, against his chest. She didn't want to look at the lace pattern etched along her wrists or the pine forests circling half of her forearm. She was a noble now, and it was etched into her skin for proof. More than that, though, she didn't want to see Dayn's tears anymore.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn slowly lowered Arryn's hands before wrapping his arms around to hold her as he nestled his head against her's. "I refuse to bare these markings with anything less than dignity.", he finally said after a moment. "I would not ask you to bear a burden that I wouldn't. In this we are simply made equals that much more."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn kept her eyes closed as she started to cry some more. "Dayn, I don't want to be equals. I want you to be better off than me. I-I never could be happy that you were hurt like this." She was glad that he didn't feel guilty for the lace patterns on her wrists like she had feared, but his words had made her heart ache.

 

[BookWyrm]

"Arryn, my love." Dayn felt tears falling as he pulled Arryn against his chest. "It breaks my heart knowing that you had to endure them cutting you again. I find no happiness in it. But...you are alive. You are mine. And if spending this life and the next with you means that I have to have something cut into my skin...I can make that sacrifice."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked up to Dayn then pressed her head against his chest. This time she had been conscious for the carving, but she'd hardly noticed the pain because she'd been so scared for Dayn. "I love you."

 

[BookWyrm]

"And I love you." Dayn raised Arryn's face and wiped her tears away before pressing a kiss against her forehead. "I am going to need to get to your back, Arryn." By now she would need a new shirt as well.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn paused and moved to press her head against his chest for another few moments before silently moving so her back faced him, and taking off her shirt. Bandaging covered her whole torso, but blood was only covering the bandages on her lower back.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn slowly started to unwind the bandaging around her torso. Why he was reminded of the first time they had slept with each other he would never know. Maybe it was the fact that he had been so careful and gentle with helping her undress then that it reminded him of helping her out of her bandages now? It seemed like a poor comparison. That day had been amazing for both of them, and it would probably be some time down the road before they could enjoy that again. As he neared her lower back he felt his heart beginning to race. What would there be under the blood stained bandages?

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn winced as Dayn got close to the spot where the paralytic dagger had cut into her. That spot hurt worse than anywhere; that wasn't an etching, it was a wound. She braced herself for whatever response would come from Dayn. She didn't know what he'd say about the chainmaille design etched all along her spine, or the small, symblistic wolf head next to a thin, petite rose that probably symbolised her marriage to a lycanthrope? Or the large feather on the other side of her spine? Of how her old etchings had been editted, since the'd fixed the broken trinity knot?