Chapter 47
ERANN
Erann felt utterly useless. Is this how Sereh had felt when she looked after him following the avalanche?
She was frozen and cried out in pain every time he touched her.
He covered her with furs, but no matter how many he found, she remained cold.
He heaved a rounded, heated stone from the fire and positioned it close to her feet.
She cried out again and seemed to cringe away from it.
He endeavoured to dribble warm water into her mouth, and she twisted and turned rather than swallowed.
Eventually he sat next to her and sipped some of Emma’s healing tea. He wished he could see into her mind, to see what was wrong, why everything he tried seemed to make it worse.
‘Skaldi,’ he said.
Erann, came the calm response.
‘Thank you for helping me. For rescuing Sereh.’ He paused for a moment, unsure how to ask. ‘Can you see her thoughts? Do you know what’s wrong with her, aside from being exposed for so long? I don’t want to hurt her any more.’
Erann watched Sereh. Her face twisted. Her hands shot out from under the furs, and he carefully pulled the furs back over her, then tucked them under her. Her fingers were still like ice. He waited. A reply was slow in coming.
She is hot but cold. She is awake but asleep.
She is… Skaldi paused, and Erann sensed the dragon was trying to make sense of something he didn’t understand.
She is fighting me. I am trying to calm her.
I am trying to make her sleep. She doesn’t want my help.
She sees… I don’t understand what she sees. It is not what is happening to her now.
‘She’s dreaming,’ Erann offered. He wondered if Sereh dreamed of him.
He hobbled back to the supplies left by Emma.
Sereh needed to sleep, he knew that. He’d covered her in warm furs.
Next, he would offer her one of Emma’s healing teas.
He felt better when he did something, rather than watch her, waiting for her to wake.
Her face was too pale. Her lips were too blue. Her skin was too cold. But the furs rose and fell with her breaths. It was a matter of time. He needed to be patient.
Only when Arrow returned, scampering into the cave, and lay at Sereh’s side, panting heavily, but with her gaze riveted on Sereh, did Sereh grow still. Her right hand entangled in Arrow’s fur.
Now, as she slept more comfortably, still breathing, Erann reassured himself that, every so often, she would whisper his name.
From outside the cave, Skaldi blew his warm breath inside.
‘Thank you,’ Erann called, his voice ringing loudly in the quiet of the cave, now Arrow’s panted breaths had calmed down.
His leg hurt more than he thought possible while being able to limp on it. Sereh might have rejected it, but Erann willingly accepted Skaldi’s support. He drank more of Emma’s tea. He willed himself to heal.
He took more tea to Sereh, and this time she swallowed. ‘Erann,’ she whispered, her voice louder now.
Erann gripped her hand which was finally warm from Arrow’s fur.
‘You’re safe,’ he reassured. ‘You’re safe, and you’ll mend. Sereh, I’m so sorry. I love you, can you forgive me?’
‘Yes, Erann,’ came her soft reply, although her eyes didn’t open. ‘I forgive you.’
Tears formed at her words. His heart leapt. She was safe, and she’d forgiven him. She settled into a more comfortable sleep. He released her hand and manoeuvred himself towards her feet.
He gently uncovered them and removed her fur-lined boots and seal skin outers.
Her feet remained cold, but each toe responded to his touch.
He took another heated stone from the fire and wrapped it in a fur before placing it near her feet.
He checked her hands and fingers as well before placing them under the furs close to her skin.
He ran his hands over her face and through her long, lustrous blonde hair. It felt so good to have her here – whole and in one piece. Eventually, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. He climbed under the furs next to her, lacing his fingers through hers, aware Arrow lay on her other side.
He would keep her safe.
So long as they were together, they could do anything. So long as they were together.