Hell's Book of Random One-shots

We, The Fallen - Prince Nuada - Part Two

"Okay," he murmured, alluringly close to your ear before he pulled away again and leaned back, his eyes roaming over each wing in concentration. "That should set you up for a while, at least until the muscles heal and gain some modicum of strength."

You twisted to look over your shoulder, though it wasn't hard to miss the splint he'd attached to the base of your wings, metallic points curving to apply a light pressure to the joints and bones that attached them to your shoulders.

"They should ease the pain you have when moving them, but don't expect to be back to one hundred percent any time soon...if ever, truthfully."

"I understand," you nodded, watching as he rounded to stand in front of you, then offering him a smile. "You have been a great help."

He wordlessly accepted the grace with a small smile and a dip of his head.

You couldn't believe that weeks had passed, let alone enough to add up to a near month and a half.

Prince Nuada and his trusty cave troll, Mr. Wink, had proven to be great company, once the initial shock of falling had faded at least.

The first five days have been a hard adjustment, full of varying emotions that could way from one to another in the blink of an eye.

Nuada had been there every step of the way to help you settle into a new reality, one where your wings could possibly be completely unusable and your chances of ever returning were completely thwarted.

The road had been long and seemed never ending, but their support was endless and you couldn't have asked for better company as you struggled with this major alteration in your life.

After a couple of days of physical rest, spent with Nuada making sure that your injuries were healing and that it wasn't too difficult for you to move beyond the weight of your wings, he and Mr. Wink found a way to wrap your wings up so that you could shift around without causing more harm.

Not that anyone thought that possible.

To begin with, days passed in slow uncertainty as you drifted in and out of groggy sleep while your body attempted to heal, with Nuada's help along the way.

You were surprised by how easy it was to talk to them, especially Prince Nuada, who seemed to have a patience very few would be able to compete with, though Mr. Wink had complex sides to him that you suspected very few people got to witness.

While you were healing and drifting in and out, Nuada used the growing moments of your lucidity to give you food, water, pain relief and to read to you until you drifted away once again.

When you could stay awake for longer and once your emotions had settled enough for concentration, you started having introductory conversations that grew deeper as the days turned to weeks.

He taught you a variety of subjects and he listened with great fascination as you explained the customs of your home, or what would have once been your home, and various abilities of your own such as All-Speak that was universal for angels to speak to all species of being.

Thinking of home hurt, now you weren't so sure where you stood with those of your calibre and truthfully, you were afraid to find out of the crimes you had committed to be worthy of becoming a Fallen.

You still didn't fully understand and neither Nuada nor Wink dared to ask.

They never pushed you for information that you weren't comfortable sharing and you gave them the same grace, though you feared that you had stepped over the line three weeks in when you had asked about the markings engraved in Nuada's skin.