be the lightning in me

He was slowly coming to terms with the way this was all going to play out. He’d just given his life to save this complete stranger. He was never going to see Aslatiel, Duchess, Gypsy, or Segin ever again. He wouldn’t be able to train Briar like he told her he was going to. He wouldn’t be able to uphold any of the vows he made because this was it. The way the exhausted woman looked at him when he asked for the plants was enough to fully convince him. Indigo swallowed hard, still gasping for breath as he held tightly to his wound. Maybe. Maybe by some incredible miracle.

He tried to hold his head up but the weight was becoming too much for him. Just before he couldn’t any longer and lowered his head to the ground a familiar voice sounded over the river. Iolaire. Relief washed over him. He wasn’t out of the woods yet but if there was a wolf alive that could save him today it was his aunt. Immediately she went to work stuffing his wounds to stop the bleeding. Pain hit him, but he had already lowered his head to the ground it was far too heavy to hold up now.

”Io,” he greeted her softly, his breathing still difficult. ”Where did… you…? He was having difficulties keeping his thoughts organized. She said his name and commanded him to hold on as she saw to the most prevalent on his wounds. The jagged gashes that tore through his underbelly. As he lay there, feeling like he was only half present as the fight took its toll. Indigo didn’t miss how even exhausted and unable to stand, the stranger was still standing over him, keeping guard as the healer worked her magic to try and save his life.

”What’s your name?” He barely whispered, uncertain if her dark ears could even hear his words. Deep blue eyes searched her features as he anchored himself to her face. Hold on. Stay here. He wasn’t ready to leave so he held on however tightly he was able as Iolaire was forced to work with his small amount of supplies. He was torn between being taken by complete surprise Iolaire had shown up in the nick of time, and thinking about how long this stranger had been forced to run by the man he had… killed. It was kill or be killed, and he wasn’t about to allow the fight to end in a draw. Indigo groaned as Io poked around and hit a few nerves. The pain was starting to come back, both good and bad news for him. ”Tell me.. Tell me a story.” He was nearly begging the delicately marked woman now, he needed a distraction, from the pain and from his actions.