Snippet #2528383

Soran ran headlong into the trees, without a light, without a direction and only fueled by his guilt and anger at his own stupidity. The branches cut at his face, a particularly deep one just under his eye. He was lucky the branch hadn't hit higher. He was panting, crying, and struggling to get a lid on his raging thoughts. He was sure Alauric was angry with him for Tristan's condition, his mother looked shocked as well and he just didn't want to think at all.

To add to it, he wasn't even sure which way he was supposed to be going. His idiot move of leaving the house without Grayson was sure to bite him in the ass. As he ran, he was starting to grow tired, his breathing burned in his chest. He slowed, only to trip on some roots and went sprawling forward into the dirt. Groaning slightly, he pushed himself up, "Ow... ow..." he winced.

Taking a look around he seemed to finally realize that he was in the middle of the woods, no light, and alone.

"Damn it... such an idiot..." he growled to himself and pushed himself up to his feet again. Wincing he was reminded of the wound where the twine had gone through him and Kilia. It wasn't large, but it was deep. Rolling his eyes, he started walking, "Going straight... I'm sure to find something... right?"

~

"Soran! Soran!" KIlia's voice shouted as she worked her way through the trees.
"Kilia!?" A flash of light in the distance caught her attention and she recognized the voice to be Rivers.
"Yeah... is Soran with you?"
"No, come here. We'll find him, and we'll find Rethyn."

Kilia nodded, then realized that the woman couldn't see her yet and worked her way towards the ex-Seer's light, "Alright," she said and in a matter of seconds she was with River and together they worked their way through the trees again.

Grayson was trying to track Soran, the boy was really just running in the dark without direction. He finally caught up with the boy, "Soran," his voice was calm as he appeared in front of him.

Back at the house Victor got to Tristan finally, "he has lost quite a bit of blood, but I didn't want to really say that in front of everyone. I can heal this...but it might be rather painful."

Alauric nodded and looked at wound in Tristan's shoulder, now he realized why Soran said what he did. He recognized a bullet wound, yet Alauric wasn't angry, he knew better then to judge a book by its cover.

Soran gasped at the sudden voice and Grayson coming out of the darkness right in front of him. He stumbled backwards, the back of his foot catching a root and he tumbled onto the ground. Wincing yet again, he groaned as he sat up, "G-Grayson...T-that was...um.. fast," he uttered as he glanced up at him and then looked away.

Grayson looked at him, "Why are you traveling around in the dark." He walked to him slowly and handed him a flashlight, "I think I can read the other, in the water nearby. I will go as slowly as I can." Grayson wanted to find Rethyn, his aura was weakening, He took off toward where he thought the other was, hoping he wasn't as hurt as he thought.

A large round of ‘what if’s’ went through his head, ”What if I hadn’t left the house?”, “What if I had thought of something better to save him?”, “What if I had been stronger?” the list went on and he always came back around to his stupid decision of leaving the house in the first place. He grit his teeth as he followed after Grayson.

The sound of water flowing filled the air and he soon stumbled upon the bank with the older Guardian. Lying in the mud was a dark form and as his light landed on Rethyn, Soran gasped. The light shook in his hand until it fell from his fingers and he stumbled backwards into the branches and bushes, falling again only to be cushioned by the bush behind him.

He cried, hard as his eyes stared at the bloody mess that was Rethyn lying on the bank. His light that he’d dropped clearing showing the pool of red all along Rethyn’s clothes and in the dirt. Doubling over, he gripped his hair tightly in his hands and shook violently as he cried. All the while, blaming himself for what had happened.

Grayson looked at the boy, but turned toward the guardian, he knelt down next to the other. "Rethyn," he knew the other wouldn't respond. but still. He did check for a pulse, "he is still alive." Grayson closed his eyes and ran a path, he wouldn't be able to do much for the wounds, but he can start the internal healing. He opened his pad and something green came off his pad, "there that should make him a little more comfortable until we can get him back."

Without her pad, Sina finally caught up to the others by the muddy bank of the water. She had gone at a full sprint and now held her hands on her knees as she looked to Soran then to Rethyn as she lowered her head in defeat. She had not been fortunate to hear the words of Grayson and like Soran she begun to cry as small sniffles could be heard from her. Glancing over to her Seer she wanted to hug him or something as his pain was making the situation even worse as she begun to feel a sickness from her stomach. It was like Japan all over again, but this time she had more people to lose she actually cared for.

Lifting his head, Soran looked to Grayson. His breathing was shaking as he took in deep breaths past the sobs, "He's... alive..." Soran repeated, having actually heard Grayson's voice. He couldn't believe it. The boy was covered in blood and that wound... it seemed so... terrible. He grit his teeth. Pushing himself out of the bushes, he crawled over to the two of them. Reaching out, he just barely touched the boy's head, brushing back his dark hair.

"Sorry... I'm sorry," he moaned as his fingers curled in the mud and let his head fall down onto his arm as he knelt there, "...Can take him back... you can, right? I... will come later..." he said shaking his head slightly.

Grayson looked at him, and for the first time in his life he was going to say totally out of character and perhaps a little bit selfish, "Soran, you can't blame yourself for this, and Tristan needs you," he stopped and sighed. He wasn't going to convince the other if he was determined to be so stubborn about it. He turned to the girl, "Stay with him, the other two are nearby, if you should hear them. Tell them I am taking Rethyn back to the house."

Grayson picked up the boy in his arms and turned to take the shortest and clearest route back. He looked at the blonde seer one last time and left.

"Soran.." Sina said as she wiped at her own tears. After realizing Rethyn had life within him she became relived as she believed the several healers they had could do the job just fine. She had a feeling some of those experienced healers dealt with much worse. It was still a worry, but the girl knew where her responsibilities now laid. Looking to Soran with vein eyes, Sina walked over to the boy as she tried to comfort him with a light hug. "It's alright Soran, he's right, it's really not your fault. I believe Blue-eyes there knew what he was getting into when he separated himself from you."

Sina then took a sigh as she then asked. "What were the three of you doing out here anyway?"

Grayson changed him mind in a few feet as he went toward Kilia and River, and after he found them he said, "I found the boy, Soran is by the water with Sina. We need to get Rethyn back to the house." Grayson was covering the worst of the wound on Rethyn's chest so they couldn't see it. Yet he knew that Kilia was going to have to help with the healing.

Kilia gave a gasp as she heard Grayson's voice and then she gasped a second time as her gaze settled upon Rethyn in his arms, "What happened!?" her voice was high pitched as she rushed over to them. She wanted to see, but Grayson was holding the boy just right for her to only get a glimpse at the blood on his shirt, "Rethyn..." she shook slightly and bit her lip, "Hurry, I can heal this," she said and turned to help lead the way back to the house with her light. River nodded at Grayson, her hand gripping his arm tightly before she slipped past him and went further down through the trees.

Soran shook his head as he knelt there, trembling and not wanting to move at all, "He.. shouldn't have had... to do that!" he said between gasps of air, "I thought... we would be safe..." he slammed his fist into the mud, spraying it as he gave a sharp shout.
When she asked what they had been doing, he coughed hard and shook his head, "Stupid... it was my stupid idea!" he muttered, not wanting to say anymore than that. It didn't matter anymore anyway, what he'd wanted to do when he'd asked Tristan to go see the waterfall with him.

"Soran," River's voice came through the trees, her light landing on them, "Hey," she said, coming and kneeling down next to them. She put her hand on Sina's shoulder, "Come on, you're hurt too, lets get back."

"This is... nothing compared to them," he said coldly.

River's lips pulled into a frown. Gently removing Sina, she pulled Soran up by his shoulders, "You are coming back, I'm not letting you stay out here like this. You're bleeding, you're tired and you probably smacked your head earlier," her voice was stern, but not without a mothers worry.

He stared at her in shock, then fell forward on her shoulder, "Momma... I hurt him..." he cried.

"Come on," she said softer, patting his head a bit and standing up with him clinging to her. She started back to the house with him against her side then, her other hand reaching for Sina's shoulder too, to help her back as well.

Taking the support of River, Sina limped along as she tried to hold her own weight as well. Her injuries had been half healed and were now aching. She would every so often glance over at Soran as she looked worried about her Seer, but since he with his mother she knew that River could do a better job at her in the comforting of Soran. Looking around the woods they passed through she felt a sadness go through her as the night was beautiful. It hurt to know one god ruined this night for her and all of friends when all they wanted to do was enjoy the stars and the area.

Sina sighed lightly as just ahead of her she could see the house. "Thank you." She said gently to River.

River only nodded a bit to Sina as they walked.

Grayson followed Kilia back to the house, they arrived a few minutes before the others would return. Alauric was standing on the back porch and frowned as they approached, "Victor is still with Tristan, yeah and before you ask," he comment was more toward Grayson then the other, "he kicked me out of the room." Grayson stopped on the porch, "Kilia...can your friend help any." He was asking about Cryio, just wondering, because he didn't want to say to Kilia she couldn't do it on her own. It looked like she was already tired from earlier.

Kilia nodded her head, "Yes, he can help... he'll have to prepare him first though," she said and with that went to the front of the house to get Cryio's attention. Coming back, she nodded eagerly to Grayson, "He said to bring him, quickly," she reached out for him as her gaze fell on Rethyn. She bit her lip, seeing him like that... she was going to find out how he ended up like that. Reaching up, she rubbed at her eyes, keeping herself together as best she could.

From the treeline, River stepped into the golden light of the house that was now fully lit in the dead of the night. In tow was both Sina and Soran. She heaved a sigh as she approached and looked up to Alauric, shaking her head slightly. Patting both of them on their back she ordered, "Go inside," and waited until they'd done so before she turned to Alauric, "How is he?" she kept her voice low.

Alauric looked at her, "he is going to be fine, he just lost quite a bit of blood. I have no idea why...or how he fought as long as he did." Alauric was silent for a minute after that, "how is Soran." He wanted River to know he wasn't angry at her son. He wasn't blaming him for this, if anything the stupidity of being outside this late at night was both of their faults.

"Upset," she answered as she crossed her arms and leaned against the railing, "blaming himself heavily. I can't say it's not entirely his fault, at least for a god attacking them, but for leaving the house..." she shook her head, "Mind if I leave that one to you? If I yell at them, they'll think I hate them. I'm so irritated with him, and worried. That boy... scared the hell out of me tonight," she gave a frustrated sound as she bent backwards a bit, tilting her head back as she did so, "They really have so much to learn..."

Alauric chuckled, "don't worry I will say something to them both. Yet I remember that age well...I wasn't as well behaved either." He sighed, now he felt really old for some odd reason. "I say lets...um venture inside for something to drink. I know I could use it."

River let out a small laugh, "Yeah, I suppose that's true. All of us were a little... crazy weren't we," River grinned at him, "I would love that drink. Besides, I've yet to ask you about how you and Grayson are," she said with a little laugh as she shoved at his shoulder, "Are you still getting into trouble with him? You never could stand up to his 'awful gaze' as I remember you once calling it," she teased as she moved into the house silently, her voice still low.

Alauric couldn't help it, he slightly blushed, "We are better now," he said but he didn't elaborate what that meant.

River lifted an eyebrow, "Better hu?" she grinned at him, "No details hu... damn, you're no fun," she said with a wave of her hand as she reached for a couple of glasses. She tilted one glass at him, "I bet you'd talk if you had a little something to help you along the way hu?"

Alauric cleared his throat, "Now that would get me in loads of trouble," he smiled at her. He slightly looked away, "but there is something I have been meaning to tell you." He sat down because he was tired in the first place and he needed to think about what he was going to say to her in the second. He looked at her, "It happened back on the day Tristan became a seer, with his mom." River had no idea, well at least he thought she didn't on how bad things had gotten between Tristan and Mom. "She had an episode...and well tried to kill herself." He stopped for a second to gather his thoughts, "I had to put her somewhere to protect her, protect the children, I am sorry for hiding it from you. She isn't the same person like she use to be, maybe that is why I am acting like she never existed. I am sorry that sounded horrible."

When he said that he'd getting into trouble, she grinned at him, her mischievous look returning. She really wanted to ask more about that, but then Alauric turned the conversation and she lifted an eyebrow. Sipping her drink, she listened to him. She frowned at him from across the table, then shook her head, "There's no need to apologize, Alauric," she looked down at the table, "There are certainly worse things you could have done, but you did the right thing. I think. Protecting the children... I... unfortunately... wasn't able to protect Soran as I should have," she muttered softly. Setting the glass down, she leaned on the table, lacing her fingers, "There are plenty of things that we try to do for both ourselves and our kids. I think that... even after twenty years with them, we're still learning," she was referring to both their sons, Tristan and Soran and in how they were raised. She smiled at him after a moment, "But I think they both came out just fine, don't you? No need to blame yourself for anything."

Alauric smiled in return maybe he just needed to hear those words, maybe that is why he told her, some sort of justification for his actions. "Thanks, ok...so maybe you could help me with suitable way to punish those two, talking to them seems a little to easy-going."

River nodded in agreement, "Oh yes. But I could be very mean. Put them in separate rooms, make them pull all the tiny little weeds from the entire front yard, make them clean the bathrooms with a toothbrush," her eyes grew with a mischievous light again, "Oh, you could make them redo your front yard, young labor always works for great punishment. As does taking away games, and other things that they find fun... which in this case is each other. I'm still sticking with separate rooms for a few nights."

He nodded, "that might be a good idea, but I will wait on that, just because well I don't want to make anyone more upset at the moment." He really meant that he knew he didn't want to hurt Soran more. If the boy was really blaming himself well, he was going to have to face Tristan first.

River nodded, "Fair enough, then I'll leave it all to you," she said with a smile and tipped her glass at him before taking another drink.