On Feathered Wings

[Paladienne]

Artemis could have told the maid fetching Shae to go away, and he could have kept Shae with him, so they could have more time together. He could have done a lot of things. But those things would only serve to paint him as a monster, and he'd already promised himself that he wouldn't force Shae into anything. He didn't want her fearing him, and he didn't want anyone else fearing him. So he smiled and nodded.

"Go on." He lifted his hands and gently set them on her shoulders. It wasn't a restrictive hold; Shae could slip out at any time she wanted. He wasn't trying to keep her still and keep her captive. He bent and rested his forehead against hers for a minute, looking into her eyes with a bright, loving gaze. "Go on. Go do what you need to do. I'm not going anywhere. Besides," Artemis lifted away from Shae and looked around the room at the ravens fluttering around them, "I'm in good company. I won't be lonely."

[DragonSong]

The raven keeper smiled at him, nodded quickly, and then make a slightly jerky, fluttering motion toward him, almost as though she wanted to take his hand or pat his shoulder or something. She quickly pulled her hands back with a soft blush and ducked her head, scurrying from the room.



It was nearly an hour before Shae returned to the aerie, much longer than she'd really been expecting. But Barkus had been in one of his moods, and he'd ranted and railed at her for quite a span before actually giving her the message she'd need to send off with one of the birds.

Along with a freshly blooming bruise beneath her her left eye, and quite probably a cracked rib, what with they way they were aching. She didn't think he'd meant to hit her hard enough to slam her back into his desk, particularly judging by the shocked expression that had flitted across his face when he had. Still, the jagged shards of pain that dogged her with every breath made climbing all those stairs back up into the aerie slow going.

By the time she finally reached the door, she honestly wasn't expecting Artemis to still be there. She'd told him she'd only be a few minutes, after all, and she was sure he had other things to do.

Eyes downcast, she sighed quietly as she slipped back into the aerie, then winced as the exhale stretched her ribs painfully. One hand flickered up to her side and she took a moment to lean against the door frame, eyes squeezed shut and jaw clenched as she fought down a ragged whimper.

A few flutterings and concerned croaks from above her head reached her ears. She'd have to reassure the birds that she was really alright before she could send anyone off with a message-- but honestly she just needed a minute to catch her breath.

[Paladienne]

Artemis had enjoyed his time alone in the eyrie, partly woking on repairing the cages and partly watching the ravens, getting to know them even if he didn't know their names. A few were curious about him and what he was doing, and they fluttered here and there, watching him with intelligent dark eyes. He talked to them, keeping his voice gentle and low, telling them what he was doing and letting them inspect the cages when he finished a step, although he cautioned them not to get their feathers caught on the wires he hadn't secured or get splinters from the wood he hadn't sanded smooth. It didn't seem like that long at all, though he did begin to wonder where Shae was. What had Barkus wanted her for? Surely a message didn't take this long to dictate - if he dictated it to her - and return.

He was hammering a fresh nail into the wood frame of a cage that had only needed its floor replaced when he heard the eyrie door open. Around him, the ravens began to call, but they weren't the usual calls he'd heard them make. They were a mix of greetings - he'd learned that quick enough - and some other sound. Artemis looked up toward the door, a smile blooming on his face as he saw Shae entering. That smile was short lived.

With obscene gentleness, Artemis set the cage he was working on down on the floor, then rose, the hammer still in his hand. He crossed the floor almost soundlessly for one of his size, and he came to stand before Shae once she'd crossed into the room and the door had shut behind her. A flash of feathers passed by his head; he ignored the warning and stared down at the girl that was his heart, his life, his Resonance. His golden eyes were hard amber, blank and almost emotionless. His free hand lifted and he lightly touched his fingertips to Shae's chin, lifting her head so she had no choice but to look at him.

Anger swelled within him, a raging fire that had no outlet. Every inch of him burned with rage as he saw her eyes, full of fear, focused on him and expecting him to do something to her. Beyond that fear, he saw the bruise beneath her left eye, he saw the way she favored one side and clutched to her chest as if something was broken inside her. Only one person could have done this to her without retaliation.

Barkus.

"I'll kill him." Artemis crooned, his deep voice rolling like thunder through the eyrie. "I'll kill him."

The hammer in his hand erupted into flames, the metal head falling to the floor with a noise like a herald's horn, and Artemis started around Shae, heading toward the door with the intent to murder Barkus for what he'd done to her.

[DragonSong]

Shae was almost too surprised by the fact that Artemis was even still there to really react as he came toward her-- at least until his hand moved toward her and she flinched away instinctively, one arm automatically coming up to shield her face.

A part of her knew that he wasn't going to hurt her-- honestly he might be one of the few people in her life that she hadn't ever thought was going to hurt her-- but the motion was born of far too many years experience, and she couldn't stop it.

Then his fingers tapped gently beneath her chin, tilting her head back, and she found herself staring up into his eyes in stunned silence, lips slightly parted and her breath coming a little shorter and sharper, fight-or-flight rising up in her chest. Her throat moved reflexively and a tiny croak managed to slip passed her lips as she found herself suddenly wishing desperately that she could just talk to him.

Of course, all other thoughts flew from her head as the hammer he held in his other hand abruptly burst into flame. The metal head clanged against the stone floor and she reeled backward, a gasping, choked noise of surprise convulsing in her throat.

Magic.

He wasn't human, that had been clear from the moment she'd met him. But she hadn't realized--

He was moving, trying to get around her, saying...saying...

"I'll kill him."

Her eyes widened and she suddenly threw herself forward, grabbing onto his arm an clutching tightly, a desperate, broken sound scratching against the inside of her throat as she instinctively tried to tell him to stop. She couldn't let him go. If Barkus saw that he'd just done magic, a few cracked ribs would be the least of their worries.

She swallowed thickly and clung tighter to his arm, her mind racing as she tried to understand just what had happened, what was happening. What could she do? What should she do? Shae whimpered quietly and tugged on his arm, her lips moving though she knew the most she could manage was a few creaking squawks.

"Aahhr...mih..."

[Paladienne]

He felt nothing but the pounding of his heart and the heat of his own rage. He heard nothing but that terrible drumbeat in his pointed ears, he knew nothing but the desire for murderous revenge. He was the instrument of his own anger, and there was nothing in the world that could quench it.

Then small hands wrapped around his arm, pulling it tight to her chest, and a weight dragged on him, forcing him to stop and turn. Artemis stared down at Shae, looking into her wide eyes. In that second, in hearing that rough, but pleading, whisper of his name, Artemis's rage fizzled out, and he almost sagged where he stood, suddenly out of energy and out of the ire that had made him throw all caution to the wind and desire nothing but revenge for what had happened to Shae.

Artemis turned around then, fully facing her, and pulled her tight to him, hugging her as hard as he dared. He closed his eyes tight, trying to gain some kind of control over himself again. He fought to breathe, to calm himself down. If Shae was trying to stop him, then there was a reason. He owed it to her to hear her out.

"Shae," Artemis said at last, his voice low and thick with barely-leashed emotion. "I'm sorry."

He pulled back, looking at her face. Seeing that bruise, rage boiled up inside him again, but somehow this time he held it in check. And his rational mind finally made itself known, pushing through the rage and anger in order to tell him that if he did something foolish, if he'd done what he'd intended to do, then being charged with murder would be the least of his worries. Suddenly, the blood seemed to drain from his face, leaving Artemis slightly paler. His eyes went from Shae's face to the head of the hammer that lay on the floor, and he realized what must have happened.

The signs that the hammer head had been slightly melted somewhat only confirmed his worst fear.

She'd seen.

Artemis released Shae altogether and rose, his palms covering his face for a brief moment. Then he dropped his hands and looked at her, hurt and sorrow and a brief flash of uncertainty rushing through his eyes before he managed to somewhat hide the emotions.

"Shae," Artemis started, his voice barely more than a whisper now, "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

[DragonSong]

A small squeak was drawn from her lips as he crushed her against his body, a combination of shock and mild discomfort when the motion put pressure on her cracked ribs.

But then she was moving on instinct, wrapping her arms around him in return and hiding her face in his chest. Her whole body shook, but she held tight. She could feel his heart more than hear it, felt the stuttering, racing beat and the rise and fall of his breath as he tried to calm himself. A soft breath of her own sighed from her lungs and she found herself clinging to him a little tighter, just for a moment.

Then he stepped away and Shae found herself suddenly swaying on the spot, sore and scared and utterly bewildered. What-- what was that?

Her eyes flicked to the hammer, then up to his face again. She shook her head slowly, lips slightly parted and eyes very wide. A little shakily, she raised her hands and signed a stilted, I...am not hurt...

Sort of a lie-- as strangely wonderful as that hug had been, it had compounded the pain in her ribs a bit. But she didn't want to tell him that, both worried about what he might do and...well, and not wanting him to know he'd hurt her. She didn't know why, but she thought the very idea might break him, with the fragile state he was in. She was still almost in shock; Artemis was one of the kindest, gentlest people she'd ever met. His sudden rage was more befuddling than it was frightening, though she couldn't deny that seeing that murderous intent in his eyes hadn't been a little terrifying. But more than that...

Shae swallowed thickly as she stared at him. Slowly, trembling a bit, she pointed to the melted metal head of the hammer that lay between them. Still moving slowly, almost warily, she lifted her hand to point her finger at his chest. Carefully, oh so carefully, she signed one word.

Magic.

It wasn't a question. What she had seen was magic, she knew that. But it wasn't an accusation either. There was nothing but confusion and perhaps the barest hint of curiosity in her eyes-- though both were quickly drowned by fear when she glanced at the door.

The raven keeper burst suddenly into movement, wincing and hissing in a sharp breath as her battered body protested, but she payed it no mind. Quickly, almost sharply, she darted to the door and slid the blot across, making sure they were locked in, safe. Then she pressed her ear to the wood, hardly daring to breathe as she listened for any sign of movement on the other side.

Nothing. Thank God.

She turned back to Artemis, eyes still rather wide, then gestured a little desperately toward her cot. Sit. Please. We need to talk. If Barkus finds out, he'll kill you.

Even just signing the words made her stomach roil, her heart clenching painfully in her chest. But beneath the fear and confusion there was just a hint of something else. Something almost...hopeful. If Artemis had magic...

If he, one of the kindest people she had ever known, had magic, then-- then maybe it wasn't such a curse after all.

[Paladienne]

We need to talk.

Artemis didn't think he could have read anything better from her fingers. That she wanted to talk instead of run screaming was the best thing he could hope for. He'd watched as she'd pulled back from him and ran to the door, locking it as quickly as she could. She'd stood there for a moment, her ear pressed to the surface to listen for sounds of approach, but there had been none. Even in his agitated state, Artemis had known there had been no one outside the aerie. The only people in the area were him and Shae.

He waited for her to return to him, uncertain of how to approach her. She didn't seem frightened of him, which he was grateful for. She was the only one, besides his own people, who didn't seem startled or afraid of him, or what he'd done.

Slowly, Artemis turned toward the cot as she'd gestured, and moved to sit down. He clasped his hands between his knees and bowed his head until his hair obscured his face. He wasn't sure if he was trying to hide himself from her or if he was trying to make it so he couldn't see her. He focused on breathing, trying to keep himself calm and to keep himself in check. His hearts hammered in his chest, though, and it was taking some time for the twin beats to slow. He couldn't understand why. The crisis seemed to be averted, seemed to be over. Perhaps it was because Shae wanted to talk...?

He lifted his head slightly so he could look at Shae as she approached him. "I know if anyone finds out... I'm dead. Especially here, in this land. I've seen it."

Artemis was startled to hear his own voice so quiet and subdued, but he supposed it was to be expected. He studied her for a moment before he dropped his gaze to his clasped fingers, staring at them as if they had betrayed him somehow. He didn't know what else to say other than "I'm sorry", and he'd said that too many times already. Shae wouldn't want to hear it again. But he didn't know where to start with the conversation she wanted to have, though he had an idea of what it was she wanted to talk about. So he waited for her to broach the subject, still staring at his clasped fingers as if he were hesitant to look up at her, afraid of what he might see in her eyes.

[DragonSong]

Shae hovered in front of the cot, just out of arm's reach, simply staring at Artemis where he sat for several long moments. Her arms were wrapped tight around her middle, uncaring of the very much still-present ache in her ribs.

She didn't know what to do. Her mind was racing, but at the same time she felt as if she couldn't summon a single coherent thought to the forefront. Magic. Artemis had just done magic--unintentionally, it seemed, though that would hardly matter if Barkus found out.

And it seemed that Artemis was very aware of that risk, and the consequences that would inevitably unfold. As he'd said, he'd seen it.

God. Shae swallowed thickly and took a shaky step forward, then another. Quite suddenly, she found herself standing directly in front of him, looking down at the top of his head. Barely. Even seated and hunched over, he was still ridiculously tall. With a small, soft exhale, she knelt before him and unwound her arms from her rib cage to reach out and cup her hands around his where they were clasped in his lap. She simply held them for a moment, then glanced up, trying to meet his eyes.

His hair was in the way. Gently, hesitantly, she reached up to brush his hair back behind his ear, holding her breath as she did though she wasn't quite sure why. Once she managed to meet his gaze she allowed herself to breathe again. Holding his eyes, she shook her head, slow and deliberate.

She brought her hands back just far enough to sign, I won't tell. I won't let them hurt you.

[Paladienne]

Artemis raised his head as she brushed back his hair, looking her straight in the eyes. Her soft smile, her eyes bright, everything about her told him he could trust her. When she signed that she wouldn't tell, that she wouldn't let anyone hurt him, he believed her. The breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding softly whistled out from between his parted lips, and he smiled, unclasping and lifting his hands so he could cup her face between his palms. The urge to kiss her was so strong now - his love for her grew warmer, fuller, as if she were stoking the very flames that lived within him to an intensity he'd never felt or known before. Yet, Artemis hesitated. He didn't want to scare her, and he didn't want to make her feel trapped and unable to escape him. So he settled for leaning forward slightly and touching his forehead to hers before he sat back and allowed himself a smile. It was shaky, but it was still a smile.

"My people," Artemis began, "the Starstriders, are born with varying abilities. Some are born with no abilities at all, while others have too many to count. I was born with... well, you know."

He shifted to gather her hands between his, running his fingers over her knuckles. "It isn't a curse, that much I know for certain. When I was much younger, it felt that way. I could barely control it and things happened without my wishing them to. And sometimes things happened even when I did wish them to. As I grew older, I learned how to control my ability, and I learned how to harness and use that power for good, I guess you can say." He shrugged, smiling almost bitterly. "Fire is where my strength lies, but I can do more than that, with enough concentration. But it also helps me when I work, which is how I can fix things that ought to be permanently broken."

Artemis wasn't sure why he was telling her this, but Shae deserved some kind of explanation. This was, after all, what he guessed she wanted to talk about. But there was one more thing Artemis wanted to add, and when he spoke this time, his voice was lower, almost whispering.

"When I saw you... when I saw what had happened to you... my temper snapped. I couldn't control myself. I was so angry. And if it weren't for you, Shae, I don't know what would have happened." Again he smiled, but this time it certainly was bitter. "I wasn't thinking. I was a slave to my own emotions and power, and I didn't think about consequences."

[DragonSong]

When his hands came up to cup her face she found herself leaning almost automatically into his touch--which might have surprised her almost as much as his sudden rage upon finding her injured. She was so used to foreign touch inspiring fear or pain...it was a pleasant shock to find his touch warm, comforting even. She closed her eyes for a moment and tilted her head into his palm, just breathing.

Why did he affect her this way? How could he make her feel...safe?

Those thoughts would have to be addressed later, if she could find the time-- Shae snapped her attention back to Artemis's face when he spoke, her eyes flicking up to meet his gaze. With every word he spoke she felt her brow drawing into a frown as she attempted to process what he was saying, particularly when he began to speak of learning to control his abilities.

His hands moved from her face to grasp her own hands and she quickly shoved away the soft pang in her belly that abruptly missed the warmth of his touch against her cheek.

Her frown grew more pronounced as his voice dropped lower and he finally spoke of why he had reacted as he did. She found herself growing suddenly almost frustrated; she just didn't understand. it made no sense that another servant in the house would risk Barkus's ire, even to defend one of their own-- which she certainly was not, in spite of the fact that she had lived here nearly all her life.

With a soft huff, she sat back a bit and signed quickly at him, You shouldn't-- She stopped, frowned, then tried again: You cannot let yourself be angry with Barkus. Especially if it will trigger your-- your magic. Her fingers fumbled a bit as she signed the word, almost like a nervous stutter. Her frown softened a bit, an expression of confusion more than frustration. I don't understand... Were you angry because he hit me?

That would be the logical conclusion, but she wanted to be sure. Perhaps it was simply the idea of Barkus hitting anyone that had set him off, which might be more difficult to deal with. 

[Paladienne]

Artemis smiled, but it was brief. He knew that she didn't understand; he saw it in her signing and in her face. But he couldn't bring himself to tell Shae the truth, that she was his Resonance, that had it been anyone else, he likely wouldn't have reacted the way he had. He understood the relationship between master and servant wasn't always the best and he understood that some masters treated their servants quite ugly. Barkus had seemed, to Artemis, the kind of man who would do what he wanted, regardless of how it made anyone else feel, but he hadn't seemed like the kind of man who would resort to violence. Now Artemis knew better.

He scrubbed his face with his palms, then leaned back on her cot so he could look at her better. "Yes," he said at last, "I was angry because he hit you. No one has the right to be violent toward anyone else, but... I understand that the world isn't perfect. The world doesn't follow pretty ideals. It has its own rules. The strong prey on the weak." Artemis closed his eyes, as if that would allow him to say what he needed to say and make it easier. "More than that, though, it was seeing you in pain that made me angry. Seeing you hurt."

Artemis sighed, but it was more a releasing of pent-up breath than a real sigh. "I'm not... like you, Shae. I'm not used to being someone's servant. I didn't grow up that way. I didn't experience it the way you have. And though I've only been here a few months at best, I've come to think of you as my friend. My best and my only friend. You're the only one that looks at me as something..." he paused and shook his head, "as someone. As a person. Not a monster."

He leaned forward finally, moving slowly, as if he were incredibly tired. He opened his eyes and looked at her, a small tired smile appearing on his face. "Had it been anyone but you, Shae? I don't think I would have reacted the way I did. I don't think I would have risked it. The discovery. Someone finding out about my... talent. But... because it was you, I couldn't stop myself. I felt too much." Artemis touched his fingers to his chest then, right over his hearts.

[DragonSong]

Shae sighed softly. She'd been rather afraid of that. Hearing Artemis speak about how he felt other's viewed him twisted at her heart uncomfortably, but at least she could better understand why he might be so protective of her.

Even if she couldn't quite wrap her brain around it entirely, she could at least understand on a logical level; it seemed she was one of the few people who'd shown him friendship since he'd left his home.

Rusty red eyes narrowed in thought as she knelt before him. Slowly, she reached out toward him, then hesitated, curling her fingers back toward her palm. Then she let out a short, sharp breath and forced her shoulders to relax, stretching her hand toward him again until her palm pressed gently against his chest, just beside his own hand.

Two beats...

She'd thought she had felt something odd in his heartbeat before, when he'd held her so tightly, but now that she was calmer, thinking more rationally, she was sure-- he had two heartbeats, one almost echoing the other.

Magic. Two hearts. Clearly inhuman.

How is it that the one person I maybe should be frightened of is the only one who makes me feel safe?

Shae lifted her eyes up to Artemis's face again, brow furrowed in thought. Slowly, she pulled her hand back again. You're showing a lot of trust in me, she signed. I...don't know why... But I want to be worthy of that trust.

She bit her lip, eyes flicking down to the floor again. Hesitantly, almost as if the motions pained her, she signed, I...don't know if you should stay here. It's too dangerous, if Master Barkus found out about that magic... She sighed and closed her eyes, her hands falling to rest in her lap as she bowed her head.

He was her friend. She wanted him to be safe. But-- but she didn't want him to go.

[Paladienne]

Maybe you shouldn't stay here.

Artemis had been expecting Shae to say something like that. He really had. He knew that she wasn't saying them out of fear or meanness, or even because she knew or felt they needed to be said. But that didn't stop the words from hurting. He was sure that any kind of words of farewell or leaving from her would hurt. But he wasn't about to give up. Not now. Not after he'd found her.

He sighed softly, and raised his hands to press the heels of his hands to his eyes. He rubbed them, then dropped his hands and tilted his head back so he could look at the ceiling of the eyrie. "Maybe I should, but that doesn't mean I want to."

Artemis shook his head, a wan smile spreading across his lips. "I don't want to leave. I want to stay here. Seeing that bruise on you threw me, and I can't promise that I won't get angry if I see another, but... if you tell me that you're okay, Shae, then I'll believe you. I'll keep calm. I won't let my ability get the better of me again. I promise you this. But if you think it's best that I go, I'll go without arguing. I don't want to go, but I also don't want to put you in danger, either."

He shifted to gently lay his arm around her shoulders, taking the closeness she would allow him to have. It was a quick embrace he gave her, allowing his cheek to rest against her soft hair, a content smile upon his face. He shifted then, after a heartbeat or two, to release her and stand. Artemis turned to face her then, and looked up at all the ravens arrayed about them.

"And what say you lot?" Artemis asked the avians. "Do you think I should stay? Or should I go?"

[DragonSong]

The ravens responded instantly in a raucous chorus, as though they had truly understood the question.

With so much time spent around Shae, perhaps they had.

The raven keeper herself was still kneeling before the bed, staring up at her friend where he now towered over her. She could hear the birds' response loud and clear--echoed in the beating of her heart.

Don't leave.

Perhaps the birds knew something she didn't. That happened, sometimes, they could perhaps sense something in the air and would offer her advice or warning, usual subtle clucks or a series of days where they refused to fly.

They had never given an answer so forcefully before.

"Aahhh..." Her ruined throat convulsed and she clenched her eyes shut, a ragged noise of frustration caught somewhere in her chest. Artemis. It wasn't so difficult a word, if she could have just spoken--!

She'd reached for him almost unconsciously as she stood, and before her thoughts quite had time to catch up with her she found herself wrapping her fingers gently around his wrist and looking up into his face. Holding his gaze, she moved her lips around the sounds she now so desperately wished she could make, mouthing the words as clearly as she could.

I...want you...to stay.

It was selfish, and stupid, and she didn't entirely understand it herself, but she knew it was true. Something in her ached at the very idea of his absence. Her grip on his wrist tightened almost reflexively. Again, her lips moved soundlessly: Please stay.

[Paladienne]

Artemis smiled brightly as he looked down at Shae, reading her lips and the words they made as clearly as if she'd spoken them. He shifted then, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, hugging her tight to his chest. He wanted to shelter her in his arms, to keep her close forever, to remain exactly like this for eternity. Artemis closed his eyes and breathed, feeling as though everything in his world now was going right. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him to stay here, with her.

"I'll stay," Artemis whispered into Shae's hair. "I'll stay for as long as you want me to."

He wanted to kiss her, but he held himself back. After what they had just gone through, what they had talked about, what she had done for him, and he for her, Artemis didn't think that his attentions would be received as he wanted them to be received. So he hugged her tighter, careful of her wounds, and held her that way for countless heartbeats.

Finally he released her, and he ran his fingers through her hair until he brought his hands down to cup her face. Looking into her eyes, Artemis said, "I promise you, Shae, no matter what happens from now on, I won't break the trust you have in me. I won't lose control. I won't take myself away from you. I swear to you." He leaned his head forward and touched his forehead to hers. It was the best he could do to satisfy his need to be close to her and hopefully not scare her off, and he maintained that contact for only a second. When he finally pulled back, he released her completely and sighed happily.

"I guess," Artemis started, his voice soft and filled with joy, "I should finish those nest boxes. And now since you know my secret, it should go a little faster than it would if I just used the tools I brought."

[DragonSong]

Shae positively beamed at him, ignoring the way that the expression tugged at the bruise still steadily blooming over her left cheek. She found herself nudging her brow up against his when he bent to touch his forehead to hers, but she didn't try to hold him closer as he moved away to begin working on the nesting boxes.

She simply watched him for a moment, curious about how his abilities might manifest in this way. Even as she crossed the aerie to select a bird to deliver the message that had facilitated all this nonsense, she found that she kept glancing at Artemis out of the corner of her eye, curiosity and something close to wonder sparking in the russet of her gaze.

The bird she called down from his perch-- a fine, large creature with glossy green and purple tinted through his jet feathers who had been dubbed Jewel for his plumage-- hopped impatiently on her shoulder, reminding her that she needed to finish tying the message to his leg. Shae flushed and quickly jerked back to the task at hand, scowling at the raven when he cawed in her ear.

He would stay.



"Oi, Raven Keeper!"

Eli's voice rang out across the courtyard, making Shae start and begin turning to face him, just as he called, "Heads up!" and a flash of red arched her way.

Without thinking she reached up to catch the apple, but as she did she pulled her still aching ribs and her mouth opened in a soundless cry, eyes going wide. Pain lanced through her body and she snatched her arm back to cradle it close to her chest, whimpering slightly as she allowed the offered fruit to hit the cobblestones of the courtyard and roll by her feet.

Still a few paces away from her, Eli's own eyes widened and he whispered "Shit," under his breath as he suddenly hurried forward to see what was wrong. "God, Shae, what happened?"

Before she had the chance to answer he was gently pulling her arm away from her body, lifting the hem of her tunic just slightly so he could get a look at her side. She tried to twist away from him, but that only made the pain worse and she froze again, a strangle whimper caught in her throat.

"Shit!" Eli repeated, allowing the fabric to drop back into place once he'd seen the mottled bruising that covered almost the entire right side of her torso to look at her face again. "Shae, what the hell? Is that from yesterday? Why haven'y you gotten Maude or someone to look at it yet?!"

The raven keeper flinched back from his shout and the young porter winced, raising his hands automatically in a show of peace. "God, I'm sorry, Shae, I-- I'll go fetch Maude, you really need to get that looked at--"

Shae was already shaking her head quickly. It was perhaps a silly, and no doubt self-destructive, impulse, but she hated going to see the manor's employed healer. Normally Barkus's strikes didn't deal quite so much damage and she could get along alright with just a few days of taking care with herself, but this...was perhaps worse than usual.

Eli glowered at her. "If you don't let me go get her, I'm going to have Artemis do it," he warned.

Shae flinched again. Somehow, even in the relatively short months that the Starstrider had been there, every other servant of the household seemed to have realized the close friendship that had sprung up between the two of them. She knew Eli would make good on his threat too-- and after all that had happened yesterday, she really didn't want Artemis to know just how badly she had actually been hurt. 

[Paladienne]

Artemis, for his part, seemed none the wiser of Shae's hiding of her wounds. Or if he was, he didn't indicate it. He wanted to keep his promise to her about not losing his temper, and he knew that if she was more wounded than she actually had told him, he would break that promise. He didn't want to break his word to her. He didn't want to leave this place or have anyone find out what he could do. Shae was the only one who needed to know. And the thought of her beautiful eyes filled with tears, hurt, anger, or hate was enough to make him tighten the yoke around his volatile temper and keep it in healthy check.

Of course, overhearing Eli, it was difficult to keep his temper from causing a few sparks around him. Thankfully, he was alone and out of sight, so it was easy enough to calm himself down, breathing in deeply through his nose and out of his mouth in order to put himself in that calm state he'd been in before he'd arrived.

He'd been on his way to the eyrie to meet with Shae when he'd overheard voices coming from the courtyard, a favored shortcut of his on the way there. He'd been bringing with him the more ruined cages he'd taken to his workshop the previous day, so his arms were full of the cages, and gave him another reason not to lose his temper. He'd finally managed to fix all but two of them, and was returning them so that the ravens could peruse his work and decide if it was satisfactory or not. If he accidentally turned them to ash, then he'd have to explain to Barkus why the cages suddenly decided to immolate themselves, or make up some excuse about an overturned oil lamp or whatever. And that was if he was able to keep from treating Barkus in the same manner as Barkus had treated Shae.

Of course, Artemis knew that if he appeared now, Shae would think that Eli really had called him and had been making him wait for this moment. She wouldn't think that it was a complete coincidence and that it had been his inhuman hearing that had brought him. And he really didn't want to see her looking sad or upset or hurt. Sighing, Artemis began to head back the other way, retracing his steps to take the long way to the eyrie. Any thoughts of Shae being hurt worse than she let on he would ignore, so long as she gave in to Eli and went to see the healer.

That was the one concession he made to himself.

He entered the eyrie, relieved to find it empty, save for the ravens. He greeted them as he would any person, quickly closing the door behind him so the more adventurous ones wouldn't decide it was a prime opportunity to escape. Artemis carried the cages to their spaces, situating them just right, before stepping back to examine his work.

He looked up toward one of the ravens, Trickfoot, he thought, and sighed. "It isn't the same without Shae here, is it? Hopefully, she'll go see the healer. If not... I might have to get serious about her taking better care of herself."

Of course, Artemis wasn't sure he'd still be in the eyrie when Shae returned. He did have other work to take care of, but he'd been procrastinating. Anything that had to do with Shae became his priority, and he knew she would love to have the cages back so that her friends had somewhere safe to sleep and raise their young. So Artemis procrastinated as long as he could, turning the cages one way and then another, pretending he was doing so at the orders of the ravens just so he could linger a little bit longer.

[DragonSong]

The raven that Artemis spoke to, Trickfoot indeed, squawked and beat his wings before fluttering from his perch to circle the tall elf, then land on his shoulder. He croaked in a manner that could only be called exasperated when Artemis spoke about Shae's need to care for herself-- the bird was rather in agreement with him.

Evidently content to ride along while Artemis examined the cages, Trickfoot ran his beak through the elf's fiery hair a few times, a friendly preening.



Shae was a little later returning to the aerie than she would have liked, and in rather a foul mood. While she logically knew that visiting Maude had been the right choice-- the poultice and bandages wrapped around her ribs at least numbed some of the pain, and the healer had said they would help "speed the process along"-- she was still rather uncomfortable with it. Maude always had this...this look that she gave the raven keeper. Like she knew Shae had a secret, and she didn't trust her for it.

It made her twitchy.

With a small sigh, Shae ducked in through the door of her little sanctuary and rubbed at her shoulder, twisting her torso just slightly from side to side in brief experimentation, then winced.

Right. Still sore. Ribs still broken. That probably hadn't been her best idea.

[Paladienne]

Artemis looked up from the cage he was finishing as the door to the aerie opened, and he smiled as he saw Shae entering. The smile faltered as he saw her wince, but he told himself to ignore it. Not to give in to the flare of anger that bloomed in his chest as he saw the pain written across her face. He pushed it away, moving to finish welding the hinges of the cage door in place before stepping back to allow Shae to see the cages as the first thing when she looked toward that area of the room. Artemis himself would be a close second, though he was currently trying to stop Trickfoot from poking his head with his beak, since the raven seemed to have taken a liking to perching on his shoulders and rubbing himself through Artemis's hair.

"Would you stop?" Artemis whispered to the Raven, trying to smooth out a knot Trickfoot had tied in his hair. "And look who's back."

[DragonSong]

Trickfoot squawked, indignant that Artemis would attempt to undo his handiwork, and took to the air with a flutter of onyx wings, circling the aerie once before landing lightly on Shae's shoulder--her good side, thankfully.

The raven keeper smiled as he perched and reached up to chuck him under the beak gently. Her smile widened when she looked at Artemis, and she dipped her head to him both in greeting and in welcome.

Her hands moved in a few quick signs as she crossed the room: How long have you been up here? Her eyes flickered around the cages, spotting his handiwork, and she smiled again. Is that the last of the repairs?