The Wildness Within

I Can Save You 3

AN: Hi new readers! So awesome to have you here. I hope you're enjoying yourselves! :D This is definitely a gentler one for Gwyn and Augus

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The word spilled out of him, no less frantic than anything else he'd said. Augus immediately lifted the blindfold off Gwyn's eyes, and then moved his hands to the bindings at his wrists, working quickly. When Gwyn's arms were freed, he went to remove the collar himself, but Augus stopped him with a touch to his fingers.

'Let me,' Augus said. He removed the collar, placing it down on the ground.

Gwyn pushed himself upright into a sitting position, keeping his palm against the floor, bracing himself. He wouldn't look at Augus. And when Augus reached out to also remove the wrist cuffs, Gwyn moved his wrist away and shook his head.

'Thank you,' Augus said.

Because it was relief that had found him. He wasn't frustrated that Gwyn had used the signal, he was relieved. Because it meant that Gwyn could use it. He didn't need to test him to make sure he could, he had the evidence right in front of him. And Gwyn had weathered an awful lot before using the word, which also meant that he wasn't the kind of person to signal often or frequently without due cause.

'You did the right thing,' Augus said, catching the uncertain expression on Gwyn's face.

'I don't want anything to happen to you both because of me,' Gwyn said, refusing to look up. 'I can make sure it doesn't. I can disappear. I have...my cousin will know what to do with me.'

'I know what to do with you,' Augus said, smirking. 'You can't disappear, Gwyn. You can't remove your impact from us. Not by running away. I know you feel the instinct to go back to your cousin, Gwyn. I know the Raven Prince has made you feel like you have another reason to do it. But if you go back to your cousin, it won't be because of Ash, or me, or the Raven Prince. It will be because you don't know anything different, or don't believe in anything different. It will be because you think self-sacrifice is a valid reason to turn yourself over for torture.'

'No,' Gwyn said. He shook his head, but he didn't look sure.

'You want a reason to go back to him,' Augus said. 'Because you want to go back to him.'

'No,' Gwyn said, looking up, pale gaze stubborn.

'The Raven Prince will do whatever he likes. He may decide to punish me worse for not being able to keep you in my sights, than for getting angry at him. And, Gwyn, I wasn't wrong to be angry at him. If he keeps teaching you with the methods he's chosen, he'll ruin you. I genuinely believe he wants you as an apprentice. You're not the only one who needs to learn something here.'

'I don't like this,' Gwyn said, gazing off into the room.

'You haven't been given much cause to like much of anything in your life,' Augus said. 'I think the problem now is that you do have things you like, and you don't understand that you have a right to them. It must be hard, constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. To see how badly you'll be punished for getting things you don't feel you deserve. After all, if it was bad before, how bad will it be now? Unimaginable, yes?'

Gwyn was silent for a long time, and then he nodded and his shoulders slumped. He slowly tipped back towards the floor until he fell on his side and looked tiredly at Augus. He hooked the fingers of his left hand into the D-ring of the right and tugged slowly, rhythmically.

'How did you feel about the blindfold?' Augus said.

Gwyn made a face, then rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He looked relaxed. Unhappy, but relaxed.