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 Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:53 pm
Thorne knew who had fired the shot well before he had full view of his face; the only person here with enough animosity to actually fire on him, of course. Was it just for sick fun, or did the man feel... threatened? None of that mattered in the next moments as he steeled himself, breathing shallow to keep himself focused. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, keeping him standing. If he didn't act... he was going to die. Lawrence's words had no visible effect on him, but Thorne's eyes were locked to the gun still in his hands; the gun that still had another shot left in it.
"And here I was thinking... you had planned to actually hit the fox you intend to kill," he grunted in response, eyes narrowed, "I am not sure you could hit it if it were staring you right in the face." Spirits help him if he turned that gun on him now. He had to get out he had to get out.
Without warning he surged forward, vaulting over Valerian's lowered back and colliding with the other man with his good shoulder. He hit at an odd angle, sending the two of them right to the ground. Thorne landed on his wounded side and gasped in pain, writhing to grab for the knife strapped against his leg before the other man had the chance to retaliate.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:19 pm
Lawrence scoffed, but wasn't given the option of responding, for Thorne was up, and charging. Alarmed, Lawrence stumbled backward, raising the gun, but before he could take aim, Thorne threw himself against Lawrence. The sudden collision jostled Lawrence, and he tensed, his finger involuntarily squeezing the trigger. The second and last bullet was ejected, and hit a tree behind Thorne, missing Thorne and Valerian. A wasted bullet. Lawrence fell to the ground, hard, and he was stunned, the wind knocked clean out. He was unaccustomed to physical confrontation, up close and personal, and so for a moment, was unsure of how to proceed. He hadn't been expecting this.
But then fury set in, and Lawrence scrambled to his feet, screaming and sputtering. "How...How DARE you! You, you, you crazy animal!" His clothes and hair were in disarray, but he tried to right them, frantically smoothing his hands through his hair and his clothes, but truthfully...he was only making the matters of his appearance worse, which only seemed to frustrate him further. Like a child, he tossed his gun down, and stomped about, still shouting obscenities. Without a bullet, or back up, he was virtually harmless.
Until he saw the knife in Thorne's hand. He froze, eyes wide, fixated on the brandished weapon. Fear pumped through his body, and then adrenaline. Comically, he lifted his fists, ready to throw a punch, and hopped about a little. "Well come on then, get up and face me like a man, you little worm!"
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:26 pm
Lawrence's screaming gave Thorne enough time to scramble to his feet, one arm clutched to his chest and the other holding the blade with a steady precision. In the scuffle his hair had come free, and it hung loose at his shoulders. If his eyes had been sharp when they had first met, right now they were ice cold.
His jumping around amused him, however, and he let out a bark of laughter. "Is that how they taught you to fight?" Thorne's voice was a low growl in his throat, gaze murderous. He brushed the hair from his face, smearing a trail of blood behind, and set himself into a strong position.
"Are you sure that's something you want?"
There was a fury in Thorne that he had not felt before; anger that a man so cruel, and yet a coward, was the one who would control Caroline's life once they were wed. It was the first time he had faced the darker half of upper-class life in the face, and his heart screamed that it wasn't fair. She deserved more than what this man ever hoped to give to her.
He charged forward again, favoring his injured side, and swung his fist forward in a wide uppercut toward's Lawrence's face.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:45 pm
In the half-second before Thorne threw his fist, Lawrence knew he had made a mistake. The clear rage in Thorne's eyes was terrifying, and face to face, without trickery or manipulation on his side, Lawrence knew, even before, that he didn't stand a chance. But he would never admit it, especially not after Thorne's fist met his face, and a loud crack resonated, Lawrence's nose breaking under the force of the collision.
Lawrence screamed, lands flying to cup his face as he stumbled back, blood gushing from his nostrils. "You imbecile!" Lawrence hollered, clutching at his face. The nerve of this commoner! Where as before he didn't care, now, he wished his shot had killed Thorne. Reeling back, he reached for his stead, and practically crawled onto the horse's back, one hand holding the reins, while his other hand cupped her face, attempting to stop the blood flow. "I will see you hang for this!" He shouted furiously, and kicked his horse into gear, fleeing the scene. He headed back in the direction of the edge of the forest, intent on calling the men back, and rallying the guests together, against Thorne. Already, he had a story formed, a lie to explain the wounds. With any luck, Thorne would bleed to death before he made it out.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:48 pm
Thorne had never felt so satisfied as his fist collided with the other man's nose. A crack rang through the air it broke, and he staggered backward, hand clutching the seeping wound in his arm again. Valerian came to his side instantly, fierce in his posture.
He didn't reply to the threats thrown in his direction, but he released a shuddering breath from his lungs. As the adrenalin began to leave his system he felt his strength waning fast; blood dripped in small pools around where the scuffle had taken place. As if sensing his thoughts Valerian knelt beside him, and Thorne slid weakly against his back. The deer lifted himself off the ground and steadied his balance, not moving until his chosen had secured his place.
"The fox," he grunted into his neck, "Follow it." The guardian glanced at him briefly, but the look on Thorne's face urged him in the direction that the animal had headed in. There was silence in the woods, save for the quiet crunch of leaves and Thorne's labored breathing. The hounds were quiet in the distance, on some other trail. Just over the ledge ahead he could hear the sound of gently trickling water. The stream came into view, and the hunter looked desperately for the animal. They sat entirely still for moments, tensely waiting.
Just when he had been ready to move on, a flash of movement caught his eye. A flicker of red appeared just downstream from him. Silently he reached for the crossbow that hung against his back, raising it steadily with his good arm. His eyes followed to where the fox was drinking at the edge of the water, and then... he fired.
Thorne was barely hanging onto the deer's back by the time the pair emerged from the woods. Dried blood was caked down his arm, mingled along the ink on his skin. The wound at his shoulder oozed slowly still, and his face had drained of color. In his working hand he held the fox by the neck, the arrow still sticking from its chest. He lifted his eyes from the ground to gaze up the lawn ahead of him, and then he slipped from Valerian's back and hit the ground.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:25 pm
Lawrence returned to where the women were flocked, along with some of the men who had started the hunt, and shortly in, had given up to return. There was always a small handful, every year. The sight of Lawrence and the blood smeared across his face riled the women up, but Caroline, where she should have rushed immediately to his side, could only watch, frozen in place. She knew what it meant, knew what that shot had meant. Slowly, as medical staff on hand - in the case of accidents - came to his side, Caroline's gaze traveled to the edge of the woods, silently willing Thorne to emerge. Moments ticked back, and when he didn't, true panic welled up, threatening to consume her. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. She wouldn't think it. She couldn't bear to think it.
So instead, she joined the women clustered around Lawrence, but hung back, knowing it was pointless to move closer, and truly, she didn't want to. And no one seemed to notice; Lawrence was soaking up the attention, loudly weaving a tale of self defense, of the crazy commoner who had thought to blind side him. But with everyone talking over one another, the tale seemed to, for now, fall on deaf ears. Caroline certainly didn't believe it.
Watching Lawrence and the group, she missed Thorne's arrival, but glanced up just in time to witness his fall. At first sight, she was flooded with relief, but as details were noticed, and as he slipped weakly toward the ground, panic set in once more. Caroline shrieked, a chilling sound, the flute of sparkling wine she held falling to the ground as she clutched her face in horror, and the group lapsed into silence, some turning toward Caroline, others glancing around to see Thorne as well. Some of the women, Caroline's mother included, attempted to question and calm the woman, but Caroline ignored everything.
Gathering her skirts, she darted off, running through the field to where Thorne collapsed, and Valerian stood. At his side, she fell to her knees, and Elowen galloped up behind her, slowing to stand beside her chosen. She looked down at Thorne, genuinely worried for the human, whom she had slowly come to like, and then up at Valerian, expression inquisitive. Elowen and Valerian's presences went unnoticed by Caroline; in that moment, only Thorne existed. "Oh Thorne...Thorne..." She chanted his name softly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She noted the blood...so much blood...and after a few seconds, concluded it was coming from a wound in his upper body, near his shoulder. She paled at the sight of the wound, unaccustomed to seeing so much blood.
But she had to do something, or she feared she might lose him. Shifting to rest closer to the wound, she gathered the ends of her skirts, and pressed the soft fabric against the wound, applying pressure. It was the same method used for paper cuts, so she assumed it would have the same effect; stop the bleeding. She tried not to cry, but it was difficult, seeing Thorne in this state, and knowing her fiance had caused it.
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:24 am
The sound of someone approaching sounded louder than ever to Thorne. He almost barely recognized Caroline as she dropped beside him, but when he concentrated on keeping awake, her face finally came into focus. A half-sigh of relief escaped his lungs, followed by a grimace. Valerian finally sagged in exhaustion when Elowen approached him, the strain on his chosen pushing him to the brink as well. At the other's questioning gaze his eyes settled unmistakeably on Lawrence, narrowing to slits with a controlled animosity.
Finally his name snapped him to attention, and at her touch to his wound he let out a soft grunt of pain. For a few moments he merely breathed slowly, trying to collect his strength. His sight flickered up the field towards the patio, noting the odd stares from the others assembled and hoping the man had not yet damned him. Fingers steady, his other hand reached and gently rested it against hers along his shoulder. It took him a moment more, but his face furrowed into a pained frown as he realized- was she crying?
"Caroline," he murmured, voice low. He coughed suddenly, and his body ached. "The b*****d shot me first."
A pang of shame at the use of profanity hit him briefly, but the man deserved it. He hoped Caroline knew him, believed in him enough to know he was telling the truth. Whatever web of lies Lawrence was weaving to protect his pride, without someone to fend for him he did not want to think of the consequences.
"I had to rush him or the second one would have..." his voice trailed off, unwilling to continue the sentence. He glanced away briefly and then in a pathetic attempt to bring even a half smile to her face, pointed at the lump of red fur at his side.
"I caught the fox, though."
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 1:03 pm
Caroline nodded, knowing what had occurred without having to be told. "I know. I know." She whispered, reassuringly smoothing his hair back from his face with her free hand, but her voice was unusually hard. Elowen came closer to nudge Valerian softly with her nose, and then she lowered herself to sit beside the other guardian, offering him a small dose of comfort. She knew what Valerian must be feeling, as she couldn't imagine what she might do if it had been Caroline lying there.
Caroline grimaced at all the blood, as it seeped through her dress to lightly stain her glove, the red a sharp contrast against the pristine white. But she kept her hand on the wound, whispering apologies every time he cringed. A few times, she wanted to beg for him to remain conscious, plead with him not to die, but each time the urge struck, she caught herself. He wasn't going to die. She simply wouldn't let him, and she wasn't going to jinx it by begging.
She hadn't been expecting to hear him speak again, so his next words caught her off guard. She glanced up from the wound, eyes wide, and followed his gaze to the fox on his other side. She stared at it for a moment in stunned silence, smiled for half a second, and then burst into tears all over again.
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 2:58 pm
Valerian lay his head against the ground, leaning against Elowen with a baleful look in his eyes. For once his calm demeanor looked utterly dejected; he had failed to keep Thorne unharmed despite his best intentions and it burned a hole in his heart.
Thorne let out a soft hmm of relief at her words, eyes focusing on the clear sky above him for the moment. Despite the throbbing pain in his shoulder he felt oddly comfortable sprawled out on Caroline's lawn... perhaps any other day he could have simply lay there the rest of the afternoon. He was oblivious that the fabric she pressed against him was her dress, but her whispered apologies were strangely soothing to him.
His brow furrowed into a frown however as she burst back into tears. With an anguished grunt he forced himself upright into a sitting position, good hand gingerly against hers at his shoulder. "Caroline," he whispered, leaning in enough to catch her gaze, "I promise you I will be alright." He wanted to promise he'd break Lawrence's arms next time, that he'd be back to a hundred percent in no time at all, that somehow, someday, everything would just be okay. He held his tongue, however. There was a time and a place for everything, and Thorne was the last person on the continent who would ever make promises he couldn't back up with actions. He would be alright, that he knew; he would survive. Beyond that he wasn't sure of what else would become of him. Would Lawrence's story win out and condemn him to some dingy cell in Palisade? Perhaps if he was truly lucky they would allow him to return to Oldcastle.
It was sheer will that kept him up at this point, but he gave Caroline's hand a weak, reassuring squeeze. His face was pale and he looked exhausted, but his eyes were genuine as always. He'd pull through. He had to.
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:30 pm
She hiccuped, startled by his motion. Wide blue eyes stared back; he was so close, much closer than he might have ever been, save for when they danced. She hung onto his words like a life line, his hand surprisingly warm against hers. She had expected for it to be cool, with so much blood lost, but perhaps it was the comfort that warmed her, and not his body temperature. Slowly, she nodded, blinking back tears. She was such a mess. Here, he had been the one shot, and he was comforting her. "I know." She finally said softly. It seemed to be the only thing she was capable of saying, other than that she was sorry. So, so sorry.
Finally, the medical staff came to Thorne's aid, the rest of the group following behind. They had attempted to rush to his side the moment he fell, but Lawrence had refused to allow it, at least until they had finished wiping his face clean of blood, and bandaging his nose, until it could be properly dealt with. The other men in the hunt had been called back, and everyone gathered around the pair now, whispering among themselves. One of the doctors dropped to his knees beside Thorne, while the other gently took hold of Caroline, and urged her away. She went reluctantly, giving his hand one last squeeze before she was pulled away.
Her mother immediately flocked to her side, hands fluttering anxiously. "Your dress, your gloves!" She squawked, clearly only concerned with the state of her daughter's clothing. Caroline ignored her mother, still as a statue as she watched the doctors examine Thorne's wound. That is, until Lawrence pushed through, announcing his presence with, "Why try an save him? He attacked me! That heathen attacked me!" Lawrence's voice was shrill, and something inside of Caroline snapped. Here was the man who had shot Thorne, who would now try to lie, and condemn Thorne to a fate he did not deserve. This time, she refused to remain silent.
"Liar!" She shrieked, whirling around to face her fiance. The group fell silent, her mother gasped, and Lawrence reeled back, astounded. "You shot him first!" She accused harshly, chest heaving rapidly. She had never been so angry before; she felt light headed, and like she might explode from the inside. Elowen stood from Valerian's side quickly, and came to her chosen's side, nudging Caroline gently. It was clear by the reactions of the group that no one had ever seen the girl so furious, but Lawrence recovered quickly. "Why you insolent little -" He hissed, raising his hand to her.
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:20 pm
Thorne knew the medic's touch would not be as gentle as Caroline's had been.
He steeled himself as they poked a bit, checking the back of his shoulder where the bullet had left his body. A breath released from the person examining him; they had been dreading the prospect of digging into his skin to locate the bullet, and he didn't blame them. He had been lucky... as lucky as you could be after being shot, it seemed. Thorne tried to focus his attention on what was happening around him rather than what the doctor was doing (which was not comfortable), blood loss taking its toll as it became increasingly difficult to concentrate. It was easier to tune out the agony of someone scrubbing the wound that way.
Some yelling, a woman that looked like her mother upset at ruined clothes... he caught Caroline's eye as she watched the medics work, a tired half-smile barely crossing his face. It was too much effort to do much else. A cool breeze hit the wound, and he hissed softly in pain. Eying the doctor at his side, he watched the man carefully cut away at the shirt; they would have to in order to properly dress the wound. He felt the pit drop from his stomach at the prospect, but it was either that or... well, or likely die. The choice seemed obvious when he put it that way.
They peeled it away from his skin, blood sticking the fabric right against him. When half of it had been cut away, revealing the toned muscle beneath, he fought the faintest of color rising to his cheeks. He had already heard a few hushed whispers about the tattoo down his arm; this was just adding to his lovely image right now. A sarcastic thank-you ran through his mind that the b*****d had his his shoulder instead of his thigh... or worse.
By the time Lawrence had stormed over, Thorne was much too tired to react to his accusations and yelling. He shot the man a glowering glare, eyes narrowed. What he had not expected was for Caroline to speak up... and so boldly, at that. A stunned hush hit the group, and even the doctor paused as he was wrapping bandages around his chest and arm before silently continuing his work. A pang hit the hunter's heart; no one had proven such dedication to him as long as he could even remember.
The moment Lawrence raised his hand, however, he finally lost it.
The medic let out a noise of disapproval as Thorne moved faster than he should have been able to, hitting his feet and pulling himself to his full height. He felt his head pounding, however, and before he could intercept the buck that had been so peaceful through the whole ordeal let out a fierce bellow. Sensing his chosen's intentions, Valerian had bolted from his place on the ground, forcing himself between Caroline and her fiance. His cerulean eyes gleamed dangerously; a startling contrast to the calm expression almost perpetually on his face. Thorne's next words came out in a low growl.
"Don't you dare."
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:50 pm
Caroline steeled herself, but his hand never made contact. Before Lawrence could even finish speaking, Thorne had jumped to his feet, startling those around him, Caroline included. She gasped, parting her lips to speak, to urge him back - he was far to injured to be moving, especially so quickly - but like his chosen, Valerian too jumped to his feet, and intercepted Thorne, forcing his way between Caroline and Lawrence. Lawrence stumbled backward, stunned. But once more, he was quick to rebound, brow furrowing with rage. "Beast! How dare you! My father -"
"Enough." Caroline's father rode up, the last to arrive. He dismounted fluidly, and approached the group, eyes hard, frowning deeply. He grew tired of the scene. Lawrence reeled on Caroline's father, once more attempting to clear his name. "These heathens have attacked me twice now! Alert the authorities, haul them off to -" Caroline stepped forward, shaking her head vigorously. "No! Father, he-" "I said...enough." Caroline and Lawrence quieted, and Caroline's mother came forward, finally recovering from witnessing her daughter's outburst, and drew her daughter close. Elowen edged closer to Caroline, looking between Lawrence and Valerian. She was thankful that Valerian had stepped in before she could, but she felt it was her job to protect Caroline, and made up for her lapse in action now by watching Lawrence closely.
The rest of the guests still whispered quietly between one another, but Caroline's father ignored them, moving closer to Thorne and the doctors. The doctors had taken Mr. Atwood's arrival to their advantage, and had urged Thorne back down, so they could continue bandaging the wound; they couldn't risk any further blood loss. After a second of watching, "So. How bad?" Mr. Atwood asked the doctors. Lawrence scoffed somewhere behind Mr. Atwood's back, but once again, was ignored. Caroline wiggled free of her mother's grasp, and moved to stand near her father, watching Thorne closely. She couldn't bear allowing him out of her sights, and adamantly refused to leave his side.
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:14 pm
Thorne knew if Lawrence had actually stuck Valerian that it would have been over for him. If the deer hadn't gored him with his antlers, he would have strangled the man himself. The arrival of Caroline's father was more than welcome; as the confrontation quieted he allowed the medics to usher him back into a sitting position, grimacing as they continued to bandage the wound. The deer returned to his side, standing directly in line between him and the other man. His eyes didn't move from him, staring intensely should he dare come closer again.
"It went clean through, luckily," the medic replied, stirring Thorne from his thoughts, "He was not moving when it hit, or else it would have lodged in the muscle." The hunter's face went dark, thinking of the second shot; had that one hit he'd be dead in the woods by now. "We will need to take him to the doctor in Palisade to have the wound stitched closed. Without that I do not think it will heal."
Great. The last thing he wanted was to be poked more by a different person. He was tired. So, so tired. His eyes were watching the ground, half closed.
"I..." he trailed off briefly, gaze flickering to Caroline's father. He cleared his throat, and decided against whatever he had been about to say. Thorne had no desire to overstep his bounds, especially not with the man that could quite literally ensure he'd never see Caroline again. He'd remain quiet until addressed at this point; it was far too much energy to join in the conversation right now.
He shot Caroline a quick, thankful look as the medics finally finished up the last of the temporary bandaging. The hunter wasn't sure he could ask for anything better from her; the boldness she had displayed to protect him was something he had not witnessed... but he knew that somewhere in there there was more where that came from.
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 10:06 pm
Mr. Atwood nodded slowly, listening intently. He seemed to ponder something for a minute, and then finally, nodded again. Thorne started to speak, and Mr. Atwood cocked his brow, eyes on Thorne while he waited. But when additional words never came, Mr. Atwood glanced back to the doctors. "Take him now then. You are free to release him from your care when you see fit, and I will pick up the bill later." He said nothing more on the matter, not even to explain why he had chosen to cover the medical expenses. Off to the side, Mrs. Atwood made a soft sound of disapproval, Caroline released a deep sigh of relief, and Lawrence started to say something. Before another scene could be made, Mr. Atwood turned quickly, and placed his hand on Lawrence's shoulder, turning him away. "Come; we will call for additional staff to set that nose straight." Lawrence grimaced, but allowed Mr. Atwood to steer him back toward the house.
The rest of the guests milled about while a carriage was called for, rehashing the day's events. They made little effort to keep their voices down, and Caroline heard everything they were saying. Some shared their speculations on which man had started the fight, while others voiced their opinions on the nerve Caroline must have had, yelling at her fiance like she had. How embarrassing for her parents. A few were more interested in the new, strange man than they were anything else. Who was he, what relation did he have to Caroline, was that a tattoo? Regardless, most agreed that this year had proved the best, as a serious injury and a good fight were far more exciting than yet another fox kill. Caroline and Elowen hovered near Thorne and the doctors, and absently, Caroline picked at the drying blood that stained her gloves. She tried to look anywhere but at his exposed chest; the doctors, her gloves, the ground, Thorne's eyes...Finally, Mrs. Atwood seemed to fully come to her senses. She put on a bright smile, and ushered the guests away, closer to the house and refreshments. She'd be damned if she allowed this little mishap to ruin her party.
Which left Caroline and Elowen alone with Thorne, Valerian, and the doctors. The carriage rolled up, and after ensuring Thorne would be fine under Caroline's watch for a minute, they departed the immediate area to ready the carriage. Caroline grasped the opportunity, and dropped to her knees at Thorne's side, quickly reaching forward to take his hand in hers. "Thorne...I am...so sorry." She seemed to always be apologizing to him, mainly on the behalf of others. But she felt responsible; perhaps inviting him today had been a terrible idea. Had she not, he would have been safe, unharmed. She should have known her fiance would do something stupid. "Thank God you lived..." She whispered, leaning her head down to press her cheek against his hand. Her hair fell forward to rest against his forearm, and she closed her eyes, just taking the moment to be there with him, for him. He would live. He would be all right.
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 4:48 pm
Thorne found rather quickly that he admired the patriarch of the Atwood household; the man's calm demeanor had quite literally saved his hide. He muttered a thank you as he stepped away, relief flooding through him. Next time he bumped into Lawrence, he couldn't imagine it would be pretty; the hunter had unwittingly sparked a rivalry that could quite possibly be the end of him if he let it go too far.
He wouldn't let it get that far.
Finally the crowd dissipated and he found himself breathing much more easily. He still was not a people person, but there had been little room for him to huff off to be by himself this time. He cracked a smile for Caroline as she edged closer, allowing her to scoop his hand into hers. She was apologizing again, but he shook his head slowly, a soft laugh low in his chest. "It does not matter now," he started, voice quiet. There was no way he could put blame on her for his actions- he refused to. "It'll take more than that to kill me, that I can promise you." If it was a fair fight, that is. Lawrence's dirty tactics made him unpredictable and dangerous... but so was hunting wild boar. He could handle it.
A soft hmm came from his throat as she leaned close, and a foreign feeling of contentment filled his chest. Perhaps it was the blood loss taking its toll on him, or maybe his heart knew much more than he did. A grimace crossed his face as he lifted his wounded arm, fingers gently brushing the hair from her face. His mind growled something about it not being fair but he pushed it out, refusing to let himself go down that path. It wasn't about fairness, it was just the way things were. He'd take whatever moments he could get, although inwardly he knew it would just end up hurting worse later.
"I'll be writing this time," he murmured, "You should come to Oldcastle before the snow begins to fall." Behind them the medics seemed to be ready to go, and on impulse Thorne pressed his lips to her hair in a quick kiss before anyone had focused their attention back in his direction. Moments later the doctor was ushering him carefully to his feet, the hunter lamenting as he untangled his hands from hers. Valerian stood just outside the carriage, patiently waiting for his chosen to be settled inside. Thorne stuck his head out the door before they could close him within.
"I'll see you soon."
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