~ Present Day ~
Snow started to sprinkle over the small group more heavily. Gusts of wind caused Evanna to narrow her eyes against the bitter cold. She could only glance at Arawn and Garrett, who stared at her with some information they wished to discuss with her. That wasn’t quite so important, though.
Ronan was.
Evanna brushed past the elves and stopped beside Ronan. "We will discuss it after. Roach is more important right now-"
"And getting to that town out of this oncoming blizzard," Fiza added. "We’ll either freeze to death, or predators who thrive in such weather will pick us off!"
Evanna nodded to the night fae’s words while her attention was fixated on Ronan. Ger was pressing a cloth against his neck while Axel finished tightening some cloth over his calf where he bled from where the white sabre dragged him away.
"Check my bag.. blue concoction to slow the bleeding," Ronan murmured.
Arawn glanced at Garrett, who raised an eyebrow at their new comrade’s words.
Ronan either stole it, brought it from the black market or made it. Evanna did part ways with her friends whilst she stayed with Arawn in the palace. Neither elf commented on it as they watched Evanna rummage through Ronan’s bag.
"This one?" Evanna pulled out a vial, showing it to Ronan.
He nodded and then grimaced from the action. "Daft fool. Stop moving. Evanna.." Ger held his hand out; he glanced at her and swiftly looked away, focusing on Ronan’s neck.
"Not too much. A little goes a long way," Ronan instructed quietly.
Evanna could see he was in pain but remained calm, even with such severe injuries. After handing the vial to Ger, her fingers flexed like she felt this tingling sensation, the urge to help. Of course, she wanted to help. But what could she do?
Evanna glanced at their snowy, barren surroundings and felt hopeless. For now, the concoction Ger was rubbing into Ronan’s neck would have to do. Ronan hissed, but he did not complain.
Arawn watched Evanna intently, especially after what he had witnessed in the cave. He could see she wanted to help but didn’t know how. Every time she had healed something, it was subconsciously without any thought to it. Unless it had something to do with growing plants and controlling shrubbery of some kind.
The elven prince knew it was connected, and Evanna’s healing abilities were a rarer form of her elven gift. Something that now made sense to him was why a princess who was part elf could wield such powerful elven magic. But with that magic, he knew there came a balance.
If Evanna wanted to heal something, she had to take life from another force. The only life that her magic would allow her to take from would be from the environment. Arawn glanced at their surroundings. It was hard to make out if there were at least trees here that could help in this situation.
Fiza was right. As much as he disliked thinking so, they needed to get inside before the blizzard hit. Except for the town directly ahead of them, everything seemed pure white, with gusts of wind blowing against their masks and throwing their hoods back.
"He can barely walk," Garrett muttered, sounding more irritated than concerned. Still, the elf moved Axel and Ger away and lifted Ronan up like a sack of potatoes.
"Careful!" Axel snapped, but it didn’t stop Garrett from moving forwards.
"Let’s go. Otherwise, we are all dead," Garrett grunted over his shoulder.
Ronan’s body sagged, his head flopping into Garrett’s back. Evanna followed after them, inspecting Ger’s handiwork of a ripped piece of cloth tightened around Ronan’s neck. It was slightly discoloured blue from the elixir used.
"Roach.." Evanna called to him softly, uncaring of Garrett, glaring over his shoulder at her. "Roach.."
Evanna knew Ronan preferred his nickname even in the state that he was.
After calling his nickname a second time, Ronan opened his eyes, though one slowly drooped shut. He was struggling to stay awake.
"Does it make you sleepy? Are you still in pain?" Evanna asked in concern.
She also wanted to keep him awake, unsure if falling asleep was the right thing to do then.
"Hmm.. I’m fine. Had worst, Raven," Ronan murmured, his voice tired.
"Let him sleep, lass. It’ll do him no good to be awake." Axel placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "He’ll be fine once we get to the other side of those gates."
"They will let us through, right?" Ger asked gruffly from the other side of Axel. His question was directed at Garrett.
Garrett nodded. "The white sabres didn’t eat us, and the snow elves may be hostile, but they won’t allow their own kind to freeze to death."
Fiza giggled from behind them. The petite night fae had been quiet, but she couldn’t help herself. Unless the Lyvarians knew about their visit, they wouldn’t take kindly to anyone, that included royalty.
"And what of humans?" Ger asked, his tone darkening. If Garrett, of all people, said the snow elves were hostile, then the Flori must appear friendly? He shook his head. They might let Garrett, Arawn and Fiza through, but that didn’t mean they would for the rest of them.
Evanna included. Her ears were covered by her hood, so maybe she would pass through. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and felt his chest tighten again. He didn’t like this feeling. They’d never made any vows, but somehow he felt something similar to betrayal. Yet he knew it wasn’t.
It was heartbreak.
Ger couldn’t hate her though it would make this much easier. That didn’t mean he would ever abandon her, though. They set off on this journey together, and he wouldn’t turn his back on her or Lady Loraven.
"They will let you through," Arawn responded when Garrett did not. The elf probably thought Ger’s question was foolish and found it irritating to respond. He was a bit of a grump, that one.