An Innocent Day Turns Deadly

[Idrial]

Keara smiled as he brushed her hair out her face, she was still weak from the whole ordeal. His voice was somewhat dry when he spoke to her in a threatening voice, she grabbed his hand as tightly as she could and gave it a good squeeze.

“I’d like to see you try Malken.”

He then leaned forwards and kissed her softly, his lips were cool on her skin. She leaned herself up a little more on the bed wincing just a tiny bit. She leaned her forehead on his as he kissed her again.

“I love you too … I love you so much. Come lay with me on the bed … Please, I don’t want you to go.”   ”

She kissed him back deeply. She didn’t want him to leave her side, she waited hin to spend the night with her. This she was so very certain of, for she loved the man with all her heart.

[DeathsAngel]

((EDITED/REWRITEN))

Malken laughed slightly, he had little doubt that she could probably beat him even in the state she was in. "I shall just to see what you do to stop me." He joked once again. Though she wasn\'t beautiful, having nearly died, she was still the most precious sight he hade ever beheld, laying there in the moonlight.
 
"Keara." He breathed lightly after he had finished kissing her, his tear-stained face showing the relief and joy he felt as he stroked her warm, alive face, brishing his fingertips on her hair. He sighed softly and kissed her once again, "I\'m afraid I cannot." He said with slight greif that he had to say no to anything she wanted. "Your father will probably want to talk with you alone. And I do not think he would... Appreciate me laying in the same bed as you."
 
"I\'m sorry." He said and kissed her once again. He felt as if the gods themselves had blessed him with her... And kept her alive. He didn\'t know what he would\'ve done if she hadn\'t survived, as a matter of fact, he didn\'t know how he could\'ve survived with out her in the first place. But none of that mattered, for he had met her and she was alive now and she loved him as he loved her, and that, my friend, was all that mattered.

[Idrial]

Malken’s lips felt cool against her own lips, her skin was still ablaze from the poison that seeped into her bloodstream. As he slowly stroked her face with his gentle fingers she could see the tears stream down his face. She reached up and touched his face, placing a hand on his tear streaked cheek; she could see how worried he had been about her. It pained her too see Malken worry so much, she didn’t want to make him agonize over her like this or anyone in that matter.

She only nodded when with a slight smile on her face when he would not lie with her; she knew that he was right. Her father would not appreciate a man she had just met lying with her in bed. She accepted his kiss of apology; she knew that it was to some extent the fever talking and her judgment not all there at the moment. He being at her side was enough for her, she loved him and she would give up her own life for him.

The door swung open slowly, he father almost knocked her Aunt Millia right off her feet. She crossed her arms but did nothing to Thomas as she knew he didn’t do it on purpose. Thomas embraced her tightly in his arms, no words could have described how happy he was at the moment to see her alive. He lightly kissed her forehead; he could feel that she was running a fever. He embraced her again with tears coming down his face; Keara couldn’t help by letting a few tears run down her face herself. Thomas spoke still embracing Keara in a soft voice.

“You did good Keara … I’m proud of you my …”

Keara then went limp in her father’s arms and her eyes rolled in the back of her head; she started to shake violently in her fathers arms. He looked down to see the sheets soaked in blood, his clothing as well have her blood stained on his clothes. He started yelling for Millia who came barging in only to stop for a fraction of a second before screaming at Thomas.

“DON’T LET HER GO INTO SHOCK!”

Millia did not care who was in the room now, the poison was more aggressive than she had originally thought. She ripped the bandages off her stomach and shook her head, she held out her hand and her servant handed her the white hot knife, the original wound they had cauterized earlier had come open once again. She looked towards her servant before directing her words to the men in the room.

“Find out what poison were dealing with … You two hold her down.”

Before they even had a hand on her she plunged the knife into her stomach cauterizing the wound once more. Keara screamed in agony, a scream that could have broken glass if that was possible. Millia and Thomas both flinched as they hated to see her in this much pain, she was sure they boy did not like what she had just done. She quickly re-wrapped her stomach in bandages, Keara’s body was now shaking and her fever had gone through the roof. She checked her shoulder and could see the wound around it was black, she shook her head a little knowing what was coming.

Her servant cam back into the room with the arrow that was pulled from Keara’s body earlier, the liquid was black and she shook her head, her worst fears had come true just by looking at her shoulder wound. She knew that she had to tell them the truth even if it wasn’t something they wanted to hear. She looked towards Thomas and Malken and spoke to them in hoarse voice.

“It’s worse than I thought … There is a good chance that she may die. If she makes it through the night and her fever goes down she’ll live. If it doesn’t …Thomas, Belron, I need you to go to the next county over and go to Shermas herbal shop. He is the only one that sells the herb that I need bring me ten. And you boy your staying with me I need an extra pair of nimble hands.”

Thomas was already out the door by the time she had finished speaking. Millia could not finish her sentence because she refused to believe that Keara would die. She grabbed a cloth and a bowl of icy water and she set it on the table next to the bed.

“Dab her face,shoulders and neck. I’ll see what I can mix up for the pain. It may take me a while …”

With that she went to work quickly but precisely, grinding and mixing herbs in hopes that it would stop some of her pain. She prayed that the gods would allow Thomas and Belron a swift and safe passage to the next county.

[DeathsAngel]

Malken was slightly disturbed by how warm she was, but didn\'t let it bother him too much. She was alive and was going to get better, that he knew. He wrapped his hand around her and turned his head slightly so that he could kiss her hand as she touched him, but it jerked up as the door slowly opened.
 
Mal moved slightly so that he was not in Thomas\'s way, and was forced to let go of her hand as he embraced her. His tears had finally stopped flowing, as his body slowly stopped shaking with grief, worry and now utter relief and happiness(and worry). He didn\'t say anything, and was about to leave and give her and her father a few minutes alone when she started to shake violently.
 
"MILLIA!" He yelled but she had already found out and had ordered them to not let her go into shock. "Keara!" He cried out, though not as loud as he reached for her hand once again.
He nodded and held her down as he was told to. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He screamed as she dug a knife into her neice\'s stomach, but he didn\'t say anything else. He felt kind of calm, but terrified. As if something had poured ice all over him as he stared in shock at what she was doing.
 
The next few moments were a blur to him, though he was brought to reality when Millia spoke to him. That woman could probably bring back the dead if she wanted them to listen! He noticed that he had started crying again, but didn\'t care. He prayed to the gods spare her, but without any words. He felt uncapable to speak, or even think.
 
"... Than I thought … There is a good chance that she may die. If she makes it through the night and her fever goes down she’ll live. If it doesn’t …Thomas, Belron, I need you to go to the next county over and go to Shermas herbal shop. He is the only one that sells the herb that I need bring me ten. And you boy your staying with me I need an extra pair of nimble hands.”
 
"Keep hope, Malken." He heard a deep voice say, though he could not remember who it was. Later on he would know that it was his father. Malken hadn\'t said anything since she had cut her stomach, but didn\'t care nor really noticed as he started to dab his love with the wet clothe, his eyes pleading for her life
 
He turned to face Millia, he wanted to ask her if she could save Keara\'s life, but was still unable to remember his own language. He just continued to silently plead to anyone who could hear or see them.

[Idrial]

Keara moaned in pain as the poison coursed through her veins, her breathing slow and shallow. There were times when her breathing stopped for no more than a few seconds only for her breathing to start back up again, each time it did Millia worried more and more about her niece’s life. She could see the boy was distraught over Keara’s life, but Millia was more worried about Thomas and how he would take losing his only child. Millia feared that Thomas would go insane and was praying to Talon to spare Keara’s life.

Keara cried out sharply in pain, her chest was barely rising and falling underneath the blankets. Millia walked over to the other side of Keara and felt her pulse near her neck, it was weak and Millia shook her head. She did not know if Keara would survive, she got behind Keara making sure that she sat up and lifted the cup to Keara’s lips. Keara only took a small amount at first before turning her head away from the cup. If it was to fully help her Keara needed to drink all of it, Millia kept bringing her head back so that she would drink more of the liquid. After several minutes the liquid was gone and she let Keara sit up for a little bit before laying her back down on the bed.

Millia couldn’t believe how hot she was, she watched her chest rise once then it stopped. Millia waited to see if it would rise again on its own, it wouldn’t and Millia’s eyes grew wide. She began pumping on Keara’s chest to re-start her heart, once she heard Keara’s shallow breathing she stopped. She looked towards Malken with worried eyes, she would not cry as she knew that would only cloud her judgment. The boy’s face was streaked with tears, it was clear to Millia that the boy loved Keara. Like Thomas had loved his wife her sister, she spoke with a soft voice towards the boy.

“How much do you love Keara?”

His answer would determine what action she would take next.

[DeathsAngel]

The next moments were a blur of pain and sorrow, for somewhere in the back of his mind Malken knew that this was probably Keara\'s end. He let out a silent, mental scream of protest, still unable to remember words. Each time she stopped breathing, so did he, and he clenched her hand tightly, as if that would make her breathe again. He wanted to scream her name, but couldn\'t remember how, as the tears slid unnoticed down his cheek.
 
His mind was brought back to focus when Keara screamed, causing him to do so, too. He stopped dabbing her neck and helped Millia by holding Keara up, chanting silently under his breath: "Please don\'t die, please spare her, Keara, I love." And such things, as she slowly drank from the cup.
 Mal sat beside her as Millia set her down once more, and just watched her, breathing shallow breaths in unison with Keara, he had stopped chanting. His breath stopped with hers, but he didn\'t notice until he was forced her let out a breath and Millia started to pound her chest. "KEARA!" He screamed. "DON\'T YOU BLOODY WELL DIE!" He yelled and clutched her hand tightly once more, he would have slammed his fist at her, but Millia was in the way.
 
He felt only a little relief when she started to breath, instead he felt his as if he heart had dropped to the floor when she had stopped breathing but hadn\'t noticed until she had started again. He looked at her shining face, praying that he would see it again tomorrow, breathing and smiling, but loosing hope that he would. She\'s dying... A voice said in his head, thrusting the knowledge that he had already had upon his reality.
 He turned and looked up at Aunt Millia as she spoke to him. "Does it matter?" He wanted to asked, but didn\'t believe it was worth it. "Yes. More than anything or anyone I have ever loved before."

[Idrial]

Millia looked intensely at the Malken, peering into his water filled eyes. In her experience with all people she had met was there eyes never lied. A good liar could control every function of there body in order too deceive the innocent, except there eyes that was one thing that would always give them away. Millia could find nothing of the sort in Malken’s eyes; instead she found pure love for her niece. She did not expect such a boy at a young age to know the meaning of such a word; Malken was much more mature than he possibly could have known.

She nodded her head in a sort of bow towards him, Keara sucked in her breath once more before giving out a moan of pain. Millia touched Keara’s forehead and it was blistering underneath her hand. She once again checked the wound in Keara’s shoulder; it was no longer a black color but a dark brown with a green tinge to it. It was the sign of bruising; now she didn’t have to amputate the arm which was a relief. She carefully wrapped her shoulder telling her servant to go and soak some of the bed sheets in ice cold water. Her servant did as she was told and Millia spoke to Malken being careful with Keara’s shoulder.

“I am only left with two alternatives. One is too bleed out the poison from her system which would more than likely decrease her chances of survival. Two is to lower her temperature so that he chances of survival will increase which will allow me to at least bleed out some of the poison.”

Keara moaned once again while moving her head a little back and forth, Millia laid a hand on her forehead and stroked it gently. As much as she hated what she was about to say she had no other alternative, the dabbing her face with the water wasn’t working neither was the drink she had given her earlier. Her only hope now was to lower her temperature and wait for Thomas and Belron to come back. Her servant returned with the soaked sheets in her hands, Millia summoned the courage to speak to the boy.

“I would not be asking this but it’s the only resort I have left to help Keara, I need you strip down to your underwear and lay beside her while having the ice cold sheets wrapped around yourself and Keara. If this lowers her temperature I can then bleed out the poison giving her a better chance of survival, if it doesn’t then I must wait till Thomas and you father come back. By then it might be too late …”

Her voice became horse as she spoke her last words; she knew Thomas would fly in a rage if the boy was caught in bed with her daughter. Millia would protect Malken, even knocking Thomas out if she had too while resorting to tying him up to explain what the boy was doing and that nothing sexual had gone on between the two. Her servant held out a sheet for Malken to take to warp himself and Keara with. Millia prayed Thomas and Belron would only hurry back with the utmost speed.

[DeathsAngel]

Malken couldn\'t look up from Keara, even when Millia spoke, he just couldn\'t tare his eyes away. His mind was filled with the thought of her dying, and he would never again hear her laugh, never again feel her kiss, that it was all about to end... And how he tried desperately to cling to the slim hope that she could survive. If there was a way to keep her alive, no matter what in involved, he would do it. After all, he had already killed a man for her. Several men.
 
He was careful not to look at either wound, knowing it would only hurt him more, knowing that it would destroy his last hope. Mal also knew that he had to have hope, Keara\'s life depended on hope now. Only hope could save her. "I\'ll do anything." He said, not hearing her what she said until a few minutes after she had said it.
 
He turned his head as the words registered, and stared at Millia in slight shock. Only slight because he would do it if it meant Keara\'s living. He nodded and stood up to start to strip. Afterwards he laid beside her, quickly, and wrapped the blanket around them both. He felt more than a little uncomfortable being pretty much naked in front of Millia. It was used to servants, for they would make his bath as he stripped for that, that\'s what their paid for. Making the bath, not seeing him strip.
 
He felt his body start to shake as the cold sheets chilled him to the bone, her warm body was the only thing that kept him from catching his death from the chill. But if it meant catching his death, he didn\'t mind. Just as long as she lived, for he couldn\'t live without her, this he knew.
 
Even as he laid there, Sir Belron was bursting through the doors downstairs, sending a clear warning that he and Thomas were back and, hopefully with what they were sent for, though Malken couldn\'t remember what it was. "F-f-father h-home." He stuttered, part from the crying, part from fear, and part from the cold.

[Idrial]

Millia nodded in his response, she knew that he felt a little bit uncomfortable with her there as Malken stripped into his skivvies. She had seen plenty of men in strip down to there underwear because of the profession that she had chosen for herself since she was twenty years old. Now she was almost in her forties, and still strong as ever and sharp like hawk.

She could see the boy start to shiver as the cold sheet settled around them both, Keara moved closer to Malken unknowingly. She slowly wrapped her arms around the cool object that was now against her fiery skin. Her whole body felt remarkably iced right down to her very bones. Keara settled into a position that was very close to Malken before one again becoming quite motionless.

Millia whipped her head towards the door as the boy spoke; she gave the boy a stern look before getting up to exit the room. She silently closed the door behind her, Thomas was the first up the stairs quickly handing her the heavy bag. His mournful eyes looked towards her but he could not speak. Millia explained what had happened so far since they had been gone, Thomas eyes lit up with a sort of rage when she told him what she had to resort before speaking.

“So then you mean she is …”

“No Thomas she still is … Besides I am not that bloody stupid.”

Thomas only nodded his head, he believed her for he knew Millia had a good head on her shoulders. Millia only nodded towards him before taking his hand and speaking to him in Gaelic. She gave it and affectionate squeeze before returning inside, Thomas only shook his head a little praying he wouldn’t be burying his daughter before her time.

Her servant took the bag from her hands, five were for a paste for the wound on her stomach and the other five was for a drink. She touched Keara’s neck gently and her pulse had increase slightly; this was a good sign. She got to work on creating the drink for Keara; once she was done she gently held the cup to her lips. Keara slowly drank it and Millia did not have to keep on turning her head back to the cup this time.

She gave Keara the drink several times in the course of the many long and grueling hours that sent by. She also rubbed the paste onto her stomach; Keara gasped a little as it seeped into her stomach; her one hand holding onto Malken. She then once again bandaged the wound; the only thing left to do was to wait.    

It was more than several hours later when Keara shivered against Malken; Millia rested her hand on her forehead. Her fever had gone down significantly; she then checked her pulse which brought a small smile to Millia’s lips.

“Her fever has broken … She’ll live. You can remove the wet sheet and yourself.”

Her servant brought over a thick blanket for Keara and Malken’s clothes. Millia took the blanket and placed it over her Keara\'s body, she then headed towards the door with her servant close at her heels. She opened the door only to stop to look back at Malken and speak to him.

"You did well my boy ... You should consider pursuing such a profession."

Millia then left the room to tell Thomas that his daughter had survived. Leaving the two alone once again.

[DeathsAngel]

Malken would have been extremely concerned by his position beside Keara, but under the circumstances he wasn\'t. Though, he was slightly comforted when she subconsciously moved closer, which he took as a hopeful sign that she might get better.
 
He felt strange with the freezing blanket against his back mixing with the warmth of Keara\'s body, and even though he loved being this close to her, he felt extremely uncomfortable, physically. "I love you, Keara." He whispered, his voice still shaking from the chill from blanket. "P-please get better, my love."
 
He didn\'t know how long he laid there, though he did feel wariness force his eyes close. He snapped them back open, he couldn\'t tell if he had slept or not, but he could hear Millia talking.
 
"...fever has broken … She’ll live. You can remove the wet sheet and yourself.”

It took a moment for the words to register, but he sat up slowly with a sigh, and turned to look at Keara. He noticed that she had stopped fretting, and felt a joy enter him. "It has, hasn\'t it?" He said calmly, though you could clearly hear and see the happiness within him.
 
He didn\'t respond to her next comment, mostly because he didn\'t really hear it, but the fact that she wasn\'t in the room to hear his response didn\'t help. He gently reached over and brushed her sweaty cheek, and reached lightly over to kiss her on the lips.
 
"Thank you, Keara." He said and kissed her again. "For so much. For loving me, and for coming into my life so that I can love you... But most of all," he continued, though he didn\'t think she heard him. "For living.

[Idrial]

Keara awoke several hours after her fever had broken, she did not know how long she had been sleeping. Was it only for a couple of hours or had it been days since she had become the victim of the nasty poison that almost claimed her life. She was still too tired to open her eyes all the way, there were just tiny slits on her face. She swallowed deeply as her throat was somewhat dry. She had a gross taste in her mouth; it was no doubt something her Aunt fed her when she was asleep.

She moved her head to the side to see someone there, her head was still a little fuzzy and it didn’t register in her mind that it was Malken at first. When she did recognize that it was Malken a slight smile crept into her lips, she could see the remains of the tears that were on his face. So it hadn’t been a dream she was that close to dying, that close to leaving her father and Malken alone in the world. Her voice was quiet and raspy as she forced the words out of her mouth.

“I … I thought I would never see you again … In … In the flesh.”

Tears started to roll down her face; she couldn’t stop from crying knowing what she had almost lost. What she would have put Malken and her father through had she not survived.

[DeathsAngel]

Malken didn\'t know how long he sat there, he had forgotten a while back(when she still had a high fever) that he had taken his clothes up, but the chill of the night had reminded him, and he had(dressed) and went to his room to put on some more comfortable clothes. A pair of plain breeches and an undershirt, he had been gone no more than five minutes.
 
Waiting for her to awaken was the longest time he had ever spent, but he would wait by her side until she did. Thomas, Aunt Milla, and Belron had come and left. Sir Belron had forced Millia to take a the room he had prepared for her instead of having her stay up with Keara. He had tried to get Malken to go to bed, also, but Malken hadn\'t even argued, he just sat there and whenever Belron physically forced him he just came back until his father had finally given up and let the boy stay.
 
After hours of waiting, he had laid down, over the covers as she was under, the circumstances had changed. He watched as Keara finally woke up, it was probably around three in the morning, but he wasn\'t paying any attentiont to the time then. He fixed himself on his elbow so that he could look down at her and smiled.
 
"So was I, but the gods were listening to me." He said right before she started to cry. "No," He leaned forward and kissed her. "Do not cry. You\'re alive now, and we don\'t have time to cry, but must be happy together." He smiled softly and kissed her again to try and make her stop crying. "I love you, Keara. More than anything, I love you."

[Idrial]

Malken kissed her gently as he lay beside her, telling her in a soothing voice not to cry. It was hard for her not to cry but she knew that Malken was right. This was a time to be happy that she was alive, blissful that she once again would be able to feel his touch once again. More importantly she was able to hear his voice, to hear him say that he loved her once again and knowing in her heart that he really meant those words.

The tears slowly ceased from her eyes, only a slight smile remained on her face. She summoned all the strength she had and reached up to touch his cheek. His face was a touch wet, had he been crying over her. It he was it touched her deeply, knowing that he cared so much about her and she cared a lot about him.

“And I love you, Life would not be the same without you.”  

She kissed him back deeply, her hand sliding upwards around his neck. Pulling herself closer to him, she loved him so much. There lives would have never been the same had either one of them died, she knew this for sure.

[DeathsAngel]

Malken moved slightly, so that his torso and head were right above and and smiled. He didn\'t bother answering her, instead he just kissed her. He felt her passion and returned it with his own, feeling his heart start to race within his chest. He wanted to hold her close to him but was afraid of hurting her, he didn\'t want that at all.
 
He didn\'t pull away for several minutes, didn\'t want to, but he found it slightly difficult to kiss her in his position without moving completely on top of her, but he wouldn\'t do that, instead he just moved slightly so that he was leaning on his elbow and rested the other around her waist.
 
He didn\'t removed his lips from hers until he had run out of breath, and even then it was just for a moment. "Keara." He said softly. He didn\'t need to say he loved her, it was said as he spoke her name, but he didn\'t anyways. "I love you." He leaned forward and kissed her once again.

[Idrial]

She felt him moving into a more comfortable position, his lips on no account leaving hers as he stirred on the bed. The tears had stopped flowing from her eyes, she was truly happy with Malken being by her side. Everything about him made her heart beat with so much joy that she was certain he could hear it beating with her chest. There were no words to illustrate how his touch made her feel.

He pulled away from her after several minutes, his breathing was slightly irregular and she smiled up at him. He softly said her name only to say that he loved her again, he leaned in and kissed her once again. Her stomach no longer hurt it only tingled a little and her stomach had no feeling at all due to the stuff that was rubbed on her stomach by her Aunt.

She pulled herself closer to him, while grabbing his one hand and laying it on her stomach to show him it was no longer tender to the touch. That he didn’t have to be afraid of hurting her, that what he was doing at the moment would not hurt her in the least bit. She wanted to get closer to him, to feel his chest against her own and his arms wrapped around her to hold her close to him.

Keara kissed him back with the utmost passion, she wanted time itself to stop and for both of them to stay like this forever.