Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

When Arryn started to play with Dayn's hair he knew that she was recovering. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before laying her on the bed before he stripped off his shirt. He didn't care about the wet spot from the tears at all, it would dry eventually. Right now all he wanted to do was cuddle up with Arryn and let her rest. The fire was set to provide warmth through the night as they lay together in the blanket nest. Dayn pulled the covers up around them before pulling Arryn against him protectively. "Sleep well my love. I'll be here beside you the whole time."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled a bit and nuzzled against him. He was warm and he meant safety and sanity to her. She pulled away just long enough to kiss his forehead tenderly before nestling her head under his chin. The exhaustion was really hitting her now, but she didn't want to fall asleep just yet. She took Dayn's hand in both of hers and pulled his hand to her chest as she settled down. She still didn't have the energy to say anything, but she knew that she didn't need to. After only a few moments she fell asleep, still holding his hand possessively to her chest.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nuzzled against Arryn contently now that she had fallen asleep. It felt good to know that she got to let go of all of that, but it bothered him that she had been holding on to so much for so long. Oh well, sleep was calling, and he could think on these things another time.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn woke up with a bit of a jolt in the middle of the night. Her first thought was to see if she had somehow hurt Dayn with her unruly magic, but it all seemed okay. She sighed and slowly relaxed against Dayn. He'd been so patient with her last night, even when she wouldn't have been so patient with herself. She brushed back his hair a bit, then looked down to his hand, which she still held against her chest. Finally she settled down again, cuddling up close to him again, wondering what had woken her in the first place when sleep claimed her again.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn shot awake half shifted and snarling at some unseen foe as tears streamed down his muzzle. He crawled away from the invisible attacker and found himself in a corner of the great room, huddled up and whimpering quietly. They had been coming at him with brands coated in silver. He'd been chained and hooked to a table to prevent his escape as they burned the mark into his flesh over and over again. He could still hear the inquisitors yelling at him as they tortured him, and then the banshees came into the room, their mournful wailing almost as terrible as the blades they held in their bony claws. The feeling of those razors biting into his skin still burned across his arms and back as he whined and whimpered and cowered in the corner, begging for some relief as the nightmare prolonged even in the waking world.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn woke up right away. "Dayn?" She got out of the blanket nest and walked around for a moment before finding him in the corner. She understood what he was feeling. Slowly, cautiously, she approached him, not wanting to scare him any worse. "Mo chroi? It's just me." Once she was sure he saw her, she moved closer and sat down in front of him, reaching out to lay her hand on his paw. "It's okay. You're safe, Dayn. I promise."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn hadn't recognized Arryn when she first approached him. He'd laid his ears back and snarled at her, terrified beyond belief that she was some kind of banshee. But as she closed the distance between them and his eyes focused on her he quieted down. When Arryn laid her hand on his paw he knew she was real, and at that moment the nightmare vanished completely. Dayn whimpered quietly as he moved out of the corner to sit in front of Arryn. He was slowly shifting back to normal by this point, though his scars, all of them, were burning intensely. When he was human again Dayn laid his head against Arryn's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, his body shaking from pain and fear.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn lightly kissed his cheek and held him close, careful to not touch his scars. It seemed like they could be truly called scars by this point. She moved one hand to the back of his head and slowly brushed through his hair. "It's okay, I'm right here. I'm not leaving."

 

[BookWyrm]

Each breath came with some effort as Dayn tried to calm his thrashing heart. Fear seemed to trigger a defensive shift response, and it was proving to be very hard to keep from shifting. Finally, after long minutes of shaking and hard breathing, Dayn managed to calm his nerves enough to relax against his wife, though his eyes were still distant.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn continued to slowly run her fingers through his hair, waiting patiently for his heartrate to slow. She had no clue what this dream had been, but it had certainly taken its toll. "It was only a dream, mo chroi." After a few more moments, Arryn started to sing very quietly, hoping to calm him further.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's shoulders sagged slightly as he took a long, deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and exhaled. He waited until Arryn finished her song before he leaned back onto his knees, his hands moving to either side of Arryn's neck, his thumbs gently brushing against either side as he met her gaze. He searched her eyes for several quiet moments before smiling. His hands found their way to Arryn's cheeks, his fingers rubbing behind her ears as he leaned forward and kissed her.

 

[Dragongal]

That was definitely not what Arryn had expected. She returned the kiss, but still found it odd how this was Dayn's reaction after what had happened. When they pulled apart, she reached out and gentle caressed his cheek. "How are you?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"I've been better.", Dayn laughed. "Been a lot worse off too. But nightmares are a far cry from war."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded and gently pulled him into another hug. "You had me very worried, mo chroi."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn rested his head against the crook of Arryn's neck. "I'd rather not talk about it."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded a bit and nuzzled against his cheek. "Okay, I understand. You can just rest now."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn shook his head slightly. "You can sleep if you want, I'm not tired any more."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn pulled back a bit and kissed his forehead before pulling him close again. "I'll stay up with you, then. Okay?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn raised an eyebrow and gave a short sigh, clearly a little flustered. "Sweetheart, if you're tired, please get some rest." He knew it was a lost cause to try and get her to sleep. When she set her mind to caring for him she did whatever it took to make sure he was cared for. "I'm not trying to be hateful. I'll be okay for a few hours awake by myself, but if you want to stay awake I won't stop you."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at Dayn for a few seconds before taking his hand and standing up, gently pulling him toward their blanket nest. He didn't have to sleep, but he could at least be comfortable.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn laid down without a fuss, though he felt his stomach drop slightly. He could be obstinate at times. When he laid down he crossed an arm behind his head and reached out for Arryn, giving a slightly apologetic look as he waited for her to join him.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn quickly cuddled down next to Dayn, curling up against him as she pulled the blankets up. It wasn't that she minded staying up with him, but she wished he would sleep. She gave him a reassuring smile and nuzzled against his cheek.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn wrapped his arm around Arryn and kissed her before laying back and letting his eyes close. He wasn't really tired, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to keep his eyes shut anyway. Not really any other way of falling asleep when he thought about it. "Inder doesn't know any inquisitors does he?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn was surprised by his sudden question, but just held still against him for a moment. "No. He only came out here because he lost any reputation he had in the city. Nobody would ever believe him if he said anything."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn breathed a short sigh of relief. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you if I did. Just thought I would ask."