Thread: Treacherous - Tumblr Posts

Tamlin stopped listening halfway through Briar’s spiel about his heroism. He appreciated the gesture, he did, but being told he was heroic when the only thought on his mind had been bringing Feyre home was humiliating. It was genuinely the least he could do, wasn’t it? He’d moved fire and earth for her and so many people had been hurt in the process. At least Briar was still alive. There were plenty of others whom he’d buried. Sometimes, he didn’t think others understood just how many friends he’d buried, just how much love he’d left behind, but just how little he had left to lose. 

Tamlin let her trail behind him, but kept his footsteps brisk in the underbrush. He kept his eyes trained in front of him, watching for stray animals. He didn’t like hunting, nor killing; but he needed to consider the fact that in two days time they would be returning on this path with a child in tow. 

He could tell she was having a hard time without being told. He wasn’t blind, but sometimes he did like to close his eyes. The darkness beneath them was more comfortable than the darkness around him. Her stubborn words and continual defense of his character were the daylight glaring as he woke. It was uncomfortable and all he knew to do was shut his mouth and look away. 

The loop around the campsite was brief, but Tamlin kept it that way for her sake. He would have waited hours in the woods if he’d known she would fall asleep on her own. He wasn’t likely to sleep, either; but he wasn’t going to baby her. She was an adult woman who was about to adopt a child. Night terrors existed and Briar would have to find a way through hers without holding his hand. 

He paced back to camp in complete silence, cutting her off. His refusal to communicate under pressure wasn’t healthy and he knew that, but that didn’t make him want to change it. Tamlin carefully held open the flap of her tent and jerked his head towards the cot and lantern waiting inside. “Dawn will be here before we know it.” 

He began stalking back to his own tent, a few paces away, but did something foolish first and looked over his shoulder. She stood shivering in the cold, despite the warm cloak he’d made her. It isn’t truly cold. She’s…just afraid. 

He flinched and reached into his pocket, holding out a small bottle of remedy for his own night terrors. It was more important that she rest. She was the only one who knew what kid they were looking for, after all. Tamlin nodded, hesitantly. “Here. It helps.”

As for him? He’d survive. He always did. He was five hundred years older than her and there were very few demons of the night that he hadn’t already fought. “Do try to sleep. Long day ahead tomorrow.”

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

Tamlin tried desperately to anchor himself to the present moment as the terrible dreams of everyone he loved being ripped from his arms emerged from his slumber to stab his heart once again. His shoulders shook in a cold sweat and the haze of sleep lingered over his muscular form, keeping him halfway inside the moment of Eiley’s death. His hands were slick with sweat and he stared down at them in horror, trying to mitigate the flashing images of blood flowing across his palms.

Briar ducked into his tent and Tamlin did not respond right away. His wide eyes stared into the open darkness as he began to hyperventilate. Brown hair, light eyes — he shoved the knife aside, pounding his head into his fists. “Dead. Dead. Dead! You are dead!”

Tamlin inched away, clearly both drawn towards and frightened of her presence. He squeezed his arms around his limbs, going utterly still. His muscles twitched with the energy that flooded them, but his willpower met adrenaline and he refused to look weak.

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

Comfort. Briar grabbed his hands and Tamlin felt a surge of warmth fill him. It was like draining a cup of tea to its dregs on a cold night, or a hug from the distant past. It was something he did not feel often and had never felt in Eiley’s presence. Everything in that had revolved around her needs and her desires and he remembered struggling to keep his head above water, just to please her. He tried to force words from his mouth, but could not speak. His eyes frantically fell on the lavender one and he nodded rapidly.

Only ever Lucien had seen him in such a state before. Tamlin’s hands were quivering as he accepted the tiny vial and downed it in one shot. Normally, it felt soothing within seconds. When nothing happened, his eyes darted up to her face, somehow so calm and gentle in the midst of his terror. It’s…not working.

He folded in on himself, again, squeezing the plush toy between his hands with no mercy. His magic was at risk too. If her magical panic had been strong, his could level ground. She needed to get away from him. He remembered watching windows shatter in the manor on nights like this. He shooed her away with a reluctant push of his foot against her leg. Yet, she didn’t leave.

When his bare foot hit her knee, Tamlin felt the flood of relief from his tonic finally set in. His shoulders relaxed and he fell forwards, leaning his head on her lap. She should go. This isn’t over. She should go.

Tamlin inhaled and exhaled with a slow shudder, pressing his eyes closed as the realization that he could not speak set in.

If they hadn’t struggled to communicate when he could talk, unwillingly, what would she think now?

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

Briar’s song carried Tamlin backward in time to a place before the nightmares he’d always known became filled with familiar faces — a place filled with the warm and soothing light of his mother and her own lullabies. The soft massage of his head drew a heavy sigh from his shoulders. Her touch was so warm, so comforting. The anxiety tonic slowly worked its way into his system and Tamlin reluctantly opened his eyes. It was pitch black and the howling of the wind indicated an approaching rain storm. He moved away from Briar, growing chilly as he did, and wrapped his cloak more firmly around his shoulders. What now? Why now?

It had been a few months since his last nightmare this bad. Lucien had found him in the middle, instinctively drawn towards his best friend. Briar seemed oddly the same, despite knowing him for such a short time. It was both unnerving and relieving.

As the panic relented, Tamlin conjured small orbs of light into his palm and spread them back and forth in the air until they were shaped like animals — birds specifically. It was one of the first types of shifting magic he’d ever seen. His normally bright eyes stained dim and distant as he watched the lights pulse around the room. He wished he could say something. Anything.

Anything was better than nothing. He was a man of few words, but having them taken away was disheartening, every single time.

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

Burns and scars on her back? Like Lucien? Tamlin’s dazed eyes drifted over Briar as she spoke and he listened. Did he want her to go? He felt like he should. These feelings and thoughts were private. They weren’t things he shared with anyone, even his best friend. Yet, the idea of being alone sounded terrifying. Tamlin’s birds flickered as his discomfort rose. He shook his head rapidly, shoulders tense. It was painful, just how much he knew that he couldn’t do this alone. In response, one of his little birds flew towards the opening of the tent and flapped its wings, forcing the flaps closed. A stubborn expression settled on his handsome face as he questioned if his needs were too much.

They were too much for him. He wouldn’t blame her if she ran.

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

Questions — where he didn’t have to talk. Tamlin tilted his head and offered to share his cloak as Briar lay down next to him. She looked cold. He would have usually been more prepared and made sure the camp supplies which he’d taken for the night had been prepared for the weather, but venturing out on his own with her hadn’t been easy. Doubtless, by the time they reached Spring again, rumors would again be circulating. Anytime he did anything with a young female, people began to talk. He never caught a break. Hopefully, Briar could withstand the questions and doubts of his curious court.

Tamlin listened and his light first transformed into a duck. His eyes lit up, cautiously, as he shared these private things with her. Would she like them? Would she tell the world? Could he trust her?

The duck flashed away and a scene of beavers playing and diving around a pond and dam slowly filled the space between his hands. As he conducted the small beams of light back and forth, the playful splash of water echoed and the call of birds rang through the air around them. He used one slender hand like an easel, to support the floating image, and the other like a brush to continue painting colors into the sky.

After a moment, the laughter of a small child rushed around them as a little boy ran into the picture, like a painting come to life, and he carried forward the image of the Lake House that he’d often stayed in with his mother as a child.

He wiped the image away with his right hand and it disappeared like smoke. A much more colorful, clear picture of vanilla ice cream with honey and wild blueberries popped into view. Despite the haze around him, the corner of his mouth inched up ever so slightly before everything disappeared.

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

Tamlin listened and frustration flickered across his face at the mention of Lucien at the tavern again. He knew his friend liked his ale and housed it well, but it was only when he was stressed that he drank enough to become a bit of a blabbermouth. Grumpiness flashed through his pursed lips and narrowed eyes, as he wondered what kind of conversation he needed to have with his emissary — comforting, or slightly confrontational; but, it only lasted for a moment.

When she asked him no more questions, Tamlin summoned another image — this one of chocolate — and pulled a face like a child confronted with Broccoli. He made a thumbs down with his hand and moved the picture towards vanilla with an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

An unrecognizable expression lingered on Tamlin’s face as she reminded him to be kind to his stressed friend. He gulped. He got the message — he wasn’t exactly easy to deal with as a friend — and the load Lucien carried was not dissimilar to that of a partner. He had so many people depending on him. Regret lingered in his tired eyes and he wove his hands through the air, showing a picture of Elain and Lucien and a baby. He shrugged, expressing a wistful of hope and before the picture shattered like glass and the disappointment showed on his face. He was happy for them — he was; but he also knew nothing would ever be the same. He was alone in a hundred more ways than he had been before. Being asked to focus on a happy memory with his best friend was a good idea. Tamlin thought for a moment before presenting a picture of a room in his home and a shadowy glimmer of himself, Lucien, and Feyre challenging each other in truth or dare. Before the image could stick in the air, it fizzled out, and he growled softly under his breath. He was tired. Tamlin resorted to stick figures and illustrated the night of laughter and love.

He yawned. Her third question brought a slight blush to his face which he hoped the low light hid. He did not need his light to show her how he felt. The sheepish embarrassment and confusion creeping up his face forced him to cover it with his palms. For the first time in several hours, Tamlin spoke. “Oof.”

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."

Tamlin peeked through his hands to see Briar’s soft expression leak from her face until she appeared to be holding back tears. He tilted his head and concern etched its way onto his handsome features. No — that wasn’t how he intended it. He sat up halfway, propping himself up on his elbow, and looked up at her with genuine compassion. He reached for her hand and gave it a slow squeeze, regret lingering on his lips. He swallowed, trying to wade through the complicated web of anxiety, sorrow, and care which he felt. Unable to explain any other way, Tamlin gave her arm a gentle tug and pulled her into his arms, curling up around her like a shield. His eyes drifted closed and his breath was warm on her neck as he whispered, “Oof is okay.”

Treacherous | Tamlin & Briar @thehighlordofspring

"Tamlin, wait--", she calls out softly as he heads toward his tent. She scrambles to her feet and rubs her arms a bit, picking up her cloak from where it fell on the ground.

"I don't ever want you to blame yourself for what happened to me. Lilly and me and the rest of The Blessed...we planned that trek. We went in the middle of the night. We climbed up the wall. It was our own actions that got us spotted by Hybern. Campfires and laughter...joy. We foolishly made ourselves targets. Regardless of anything happening on your side. He took us. He jailed us. He tortured us. And he used the Cauldron and killed us. Not you."

Taking a few steps closer, she raises her chin to meet his gaze. "You had nothing to do with that. You are a protector and a leader, and you would never let that happen to anyone if you could prevent it. When I was the last one left, shaking in that cell from shock and blood loss...you didn't walk by." She swallows hard. "You didn't...gawk or enjoy the sight of my pain or my ripped scraps of clothing. He could have killed you if he found out you were a plant and not an ally. And you still risked taking away my pain. So I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for what I went through. Okay? Promise me."

She holds his gaze, unwaveringly. "You did not condemn me. You are my savior. And one day...perhaps my friend. I didn't really have any stock in being human either. Both ways...my mom and my friends are dead. Lilly is dead", she says quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if I leaned on her too much in my grief when I lost my mother. She became my next everything, her and Caedin when he was born. I even helped deliver him, actually. And even though we had other friends...we were the closest. Like sisters, as I mentioned. Family by choice, not blood."

She sighs sadly. "I suppose now I have an eternity to maybe befriend others and attempt to try and live with myself. Being the one that lived, when she should be here to raise her son...the way he lost them both...", her throat bobs. "I'll make sure he has everything and knows about her...how much she loved him and wanted this amazing life for him. And I-I'll give him that. However I can. At least, if I can make it through the night here."

Her eyes shutter. "Hybern snatched us in our tents. In the forest. At night. So I... I'm having a really hard time right now. My brain knows he's dead. Obviously. But my body and my magic doesnt get the message that I'm safe, so...it's in total breakdown mode," she scoffs as she tries to hold back tears. "I will do my very best to stay quiet for you. So at least one of us can sleep."