ERD
In all of their time spent on Novus thus far, they had encountered nothing but good company along their various travels. Perhaps it was ignorant and foolish, but right now, prodding and questioning the woman who may or may not be dead, Erd expected very much the same thing to happen. What they received, however, was very much the opposite.
As the woman’s honeyed stare was revealed to the world, slowly rolling to focus on him with a molten, piercing glare, the older warlock pulled back the stick just in time to avoid her snapping teeth. He jerked back, unintentionally letting the stick fall to the ground in a clatter, and stared with wide turquoise eyes and forward ears in alarm. Oh. Oh no.
”Um.” The words wouldn’t come. At least not yet. Erd cleared his throat and took another step back, hooves scraping in the soil as the irritated stranger hauled herself upright to continue that vastly displeased stare. Everything else seemed to disappear; the lingering mystery of the strange glowing, golden pool, the clearing they were in, the night sky above them… All of it vanished, save for this crimson-colored woman, Ard, and himself.
Ard? Oh. Ard.
A wheezing gasp stole his attention away from the question that was asked, the grated caress of ’And you are?’ Where he would have once answered, Erd instead turned his head back to spot his brother. Realization sunk in his chest like a rock tossed carelessly into water; heavy, plummeting, and without end. Ard stood frozen like a sentry, gaze averted, head lowered, wings prone in a submissive pose that Erd remembered keenly from their time in Luminous, captives in the rebel camp. The sight broke his heart. Ard had come so far since their arrival into Novus, and to think that this might cause a relapse in his recovery?
Erd had no one to blame for himself. He was the one that, quite literally, prodded the sleeping lion, but this stranger could have had a much more amiable reaction. And it had only been because he had thought her dead!
The elder twin took a step back, gritting his teeth, and when his head faced the ruffled phoenix once more with careful turquoise eyes, he bit out his own answer. He wasn’t mad, no. Fearful for his brother, but not mad. Cautious.
”I’m Erd. That’s my brother, Ard.” Short and to the point. At the moment, he wondered if that was for the best. Almost as soon as the answer had been given, however, the woman made a vague motion towards a cresting hilltop that could be seen peeking out from the tall grass of the clearing. He understood her insinuation immediately, watching as she turned and began striding that way without preamble with a mutter of, ’Follow along.’
Erd snorted. The silver youth turned to face his brother, watching with growing concern and ire as Ard already seemed to be following. His movements were unsteady and mechanical, and Erd knew that his twin was moving along at sheer instinct rather than will. Falling into step with him, Erd leaned over and pressed himself flush against his brother’s side. He leaned close, pressing a kiss to Ard’s cheekbone.
”It’s okay, Ard,” he began on a soft whisper meant for only their ears to hear, ”She won’t hurt you. I won’t let her. I’m here for you. You’re safe, I promise.” He had no way of knowing if Ard was far too deep in his head to hear him or not, but there was no doubt in in his mind that his twin at least knew that he was there. They just knew. It was the bond they had shared, intimate and familiar, since the day they were born.
Following along after the woman but not breaking apart from his brother, Erd eventually found the courage to confront her. Their path remained an easy one, traveling gradually away from the strange pull of the glowing pool of water to instead reach the top of the hill. Only then did he speak, frowning seriously in a way that was far better suited on Ard. Rolling his shoulders back, Erd valiantly tried to appear larger than his rather petite stature, head upright and jaw raised with his chest puffed out in indignation.
”Look. I’m sorry that I woke you up, but you looked pretty dead. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You didn’t have to act like…” A momentary pause. “... Like that.” Like Vreis. Like a cruel, sadistic rebel leader who would have skinned them alive for something as trivial as waking someone up. Yeah, Erd messed up when he woke her, but his intentions had been pure. If this woman’s biting attitude messed up his brother’s meager progress, then, small or not, Erd hoped she was ready.
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