Alvar x Reader

I Won't Give Up

I trudged through the boggy area, exhausted after carrying a limp body for the entire time. My shoulders ached, my muscles burned, and my eyes watered with exasperation, the only thing keeping me going was the fact that Alvar was slowly dying, and that the trolls were the only ones who could help.

Ever since his own brother, Fitz, had tried to drown him in the troll hive at Everglen he had been dying. I'd left the Neverseen for him... but I was beginning to wonder if it was too late.

Now he could barely walk, only stumbling occasionally, and was always feverish and pale covered with a cold sweat. All I could think about as I trudged onward was how I would request help from the trolls. I could say he was a victim of the attack and ask for a remedy that could fix him, or I could share the truth and tell Empress Pernile that I couldn't lose him.

I heard Alvar, who was now being supported by my arm, groan. "Relax," I whispered, "I won't give up on you."

.   .   .

It had been hours since the last time we light-leaped, which only got us so far. It felt like a miracle when I finally saw the troll leader's palace. I stared in awe, only to keep walking when I saw Alvar out of the corner of my eye, wincing.

"Come on," I huffed, not angrily, but with impatience flooding through me. I would never forgive myself if he died just because I was too slow. 

As we neared the civilization, I saw what appeared to be a palace, although it was not as shimmery as the elves. I tried to go faster, but as I did Alvar let out sputtering breaths, coughing out blood occasionally... I hoped I wasn't too late.

.   .   . 

When we finally got there I let out a sigh of relief as the trolls came to inspect us. Luckily, the guards weren't newborns, but stage-three's. One sent the other one inside the palace, and then came up to us.

"What are you elves doing here?" They asked, somewhat angrily as I dragged Alvar closer to them.

I thought out my words carefully, finally explaining, "he got caught in the troll-hive accident at Everglen, I thought you could help him... I think he's dying." 

"And you blame us for that incident?" The guard pressed.

I shook my head. "No, I don't, I just thought you might be able to help since you could possibly have experience with this sort of stuff," I told him. The guard pondered for a moment, and eventually lifted his head to meet my eyes.

"Fine, I'll take you two to a physician and then inform Empress Pernille of your presence, if she wished for you to leave you can go after your friend is treated," the guard said, nodding at another guard to stay put while he showed us to the medical center.

We followed, trailing slowly behind the troll as he took us down the empty, winding hallways. I was relieved, but only partially, I still had no clue if there was anything that could fix Alvar.

When the guard finally got to the medical center we saw another troll, with long green hair and a perplexed face, staring at us as we entered. The room smelled strange, almost like some sort of plant.

"What are elves doing here?" The physician asked. I pushed Alvar onto the cot as they murmured to one another, shoving his legs on after placing his head carefully on a pillow. "Let me see," the doctor-troll whispered after I'd positioned Alvar.

I grimaced, and after several moments finally gained the courage to ask, "can you help him?"

The troll hesitated, and then told me, "there's this serum, it is rarely used and hardly ever spoken of that works against the contents of the pod he was put into." I nodded along as he spoke. "But I have little experience since us trolls hardly use it since the effects kill the newborn we inject it into. I'm assuming if we give him a small dose he'll recover, although it will be at a slow pace."

"Do it," I told him, praying silently for Alvar to survive.

The troll nodded, hurrying over to his desk to get a needle, a tool never used with Elvin medicines, and walking back over. I braced myself, hoping nothing awful was going to happen. I was relieved when he finally sank the needle into Alvar's arm, and surprisingly it wasn't as gory as I had expected.

All Alvar did was roll over in sleep, and I sank into a chair beside his cot with relief, waiting for him to wake up.

.   .   .

Empress Pernille had allowed us to stay until Alvar recovered, as long as we kept it a secret. I'd agreed, even though I spent two long days stuck in a room while Alvar was sedated.

When he finally woke up I was relieved. He still was feverish, but recovering just fine. 

"You saved me," he whispered to me when I first saw him after he'd woken up. I felt like laughing and crying all at the same time when I heard his voice since it had been days since he'd last spoken.

"I'd do anything for you," I promised, "I told you I'd never give up."

A/N - Sorry if this seemed rushed! I made this because I was bored and I felt like writing something like this, even though it didn't have too much romance. I promise to make the next few better, and if anyone has any suggestions feel free to comment!